Memory Maker & Character Dining

[lchuck]

I've been reading up on character meals for our trip next year and have seen it mentioned multiple times that most of the meals require you to use your own camera for pictures. Is it different if you have the MM package? We enjoyed the benefits of MM on our recent trip, but we didn't do any character meals, so it could be an entirely different situation. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

Most character meals do not have PhotoPass photographers at them. You need to take your own photos with your own camera. I believe some of the Princess meals have a photographer for one specific shot (or used to anyway). Of all the meals we usually do there is no PhotoPass.

 

[Hopefully]

Yes, as you read at most of the restaurants, you need to use your own camera

 

[Capang]

Certain places will take your photo in one spot or with one character. At chef mickeys you pose by a Mickey statue and plate. At the princess meals you take a photo with one princess. All other characters inside you use your own camera.

 

[BuzzyBelle]

'Ohana had a photographer with Stitch when we ate there last August, but you use your own camera for the other characters.

 

[2013Frozen]

Akerhaus the MM took your photo with Belle as you entered the restaurant, but you were on your own after that with the remaining princesses. Also, the lightening wasn't the best for us, so our iPhone pictures are rather dim.

 

[j2thomason]

This was pretty much the only time I ever used a selfie-stick stick at the parks. We paid a ton of money to meet these characters, but can't get a group picture without using a selfie-stick or begging strangers to take our picture. I really wish they would have photopass photographers with every character.

 

[daisyduck123]

This was pretty much the only time I ever used a selfie-stick stick at the parks. We paid a ton of money to meet these characters, but can't get a group picture without using a selfie-stick or begging strangers to take our picture. I really wish they would have photopass photographers with every character.

I too wish that a Photopass photographer were available at every character meal.

We were lucky that at both Crystal Palace (June 27) and Cape May Café (July 1), our servers offered to take group photos of us.

I have found though, that at character meals, asking a neighboring table to photograph your entire group works out fine because then you can also do the same for the other family.

And just as note, in case someone on here is not aware....no more selfie-sticks allowed at the character meals inside parks (not sure about outside of the parks, although I can't imagine using one in a crowded dining room anyway).

 

[nicolej92]

We always met a really friendly group of people at breakfast and swapped cameras with them for the time we were there so we can take pictures of each other. The only PhotoPass I remember seeing was with Stitch at Ohana, and we did CM, 1900 Park Fare, and Ohana for breakfast while we were there.

 

[lchuck]

Thanks for all of the replies! Do most people find the restaurants to be well lit (camera phone friendly) or are you using actual point & shoots/DSLRs?

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks for all of the replies! Do most people find the restaurants to be well lit (camera phone friendly) or are you using actual point & shoots/DSLRs?

No, not at all. If you get near a window it's ok in the day time but many tables are far from windows and they are dark.
Unfortunately, I doubt they'll ever have photographers with characters at meals.
The restaurants are just too full of people to add in several photographers moving around taking pictures too.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I really wish they would have photopass photographers with every character.

1) CAN'T BE DONE, easily.
. . . photographers could block aisles when talking pictures
. . . people frequently want a group photo THEN individual photos with characters, so time is a problem
2) At one time, they did try to do MM inside character meals, and it was a disaster.
. . . characters did not have enough time to circulate before their break time
. . . characters are 20-min on, 20-min off duty, at some eateries, 30-min on and 30-min off duty
. . . people would stop the photographer for table photos even when characters were not at their table, taking time from character photos
3 Things get out of hand quickly, due to the greed/selfishness of people.