My PhotoPass Advice

[madsmom22]

I haven't yet ordered my book from Shutterfly so I still have a question that maybe someone else can answer. If you ordered a book from a non-Disney photo site using your photos that clearly have the copyright logo on them (like the ride photos), did you have to show your copyright release? I'm just wondering if I will have to email the releases to them or what. TIA for any info.

I ordered a book from MyPublisher from our trip last November. It was GORGEOUS by the way! I wondered the same thing - if they would email me asking for the release. But they did not. I received my book in the mail with no questions asked. If you take them to WalMart to have photos printed, they WILL ask for the release. I printed some myself at the self-help booth with no problem. But when I left some to have done, when I came back they said they had printed them but could not release them to me until I brought back the release. I never went back - just went to the other WalMart and printed them myself! So there's a pic of me and my family on Tower of Terror in the landfill somewhere!

 

[EeyoreME]

Thanks for the tips! We ordered PP+ for the first time (last time i went to WDW they didn't offer this service), and I'm anxious to use it. We are going for our honeymoon so it was one of our "splurges" we agreed to. I agree taking photos of your tickets/ PP is a grand idea

 

[mort1331]

+100,000!!!!

We never used to do this... Then on our last trip I did it for the first time, and sure enough we lost one of our PP cards. But we had the card # in a picture on my phone, so we were still able to load all the pics linked to that card. It saved the day!

Another key thing we do is text/email the card number back home. This does 2 things, one we have it backed upped, and the 2nd is my parents and family can see every night what we and the grandkids are doing. They love seeing the fun we all had.

 

[JoanT]

We've been to DisneyWorld four times but have never purchased PhotoPass. We're (husband, granddaughter) going again this December along with daughter, son-in-law, and 4-year-old grandson. I'd like to purchase PhotoPass for our whole group to use. What I'm wondering and am totally not clear on is this: If I pre-pay for PhotoPass + ($149), do I have to pay an additional amount )$119.95) to purchase a CD with all our PhotoPass photos on it after we get home?

 

[smitch425]

We've been to DisneyWorld four times but have never purchased PhotoPass. We're (husband, granddaughter) going again this December along with daughter, son-in-law, and 4-year-old grandson. I'd like to purchase PhotoPass for our whole group to use. What I'm wondering and am totally not clear on is this: If I pre-pay for PhotoPass + ($149), do I have to pay an additional amount )$119.95) to purchase a CD with all our PhotoPass photos on it after we get home?

The $149 price includes the PhotoCD. When you order, they will mail you a voucher and a Gallery CD (of stock photos of pics throughout the resorts, parks, and characters). The code to redeem your PhotoCD for free will be inside the Gallery CD case. You can leave that at home, but bring the voucher to Disney World with you and take it to one of the photo centers. You will exchange it for your Photopass+ card. Here is a great FAQ or Photopass+...

https://www.facebook.com/notes/disneys-photopass-service/new-disney-photopass/10150650931518325

If you have any other questions, just let us know and we will help!

 

[IntoTheLight]

Thanks for all the tips! We bought the photopass+ just because we knew the kids were going to beg for the ride pics and I am notoriously whimpy and say yes! Did you do a lot of the magic shots or were they impossible to find?

 

[JoanT]

Thanks so much! Great info. I will definitely be trying PhotoPass this year.


[The $149 price includes the PhotoCD. When you order, they will mail you a voucher and a Gallery CD (of stock photos of pics throughout the resorts, parks, and characters). The code to redeem your PhotoCD for free will be inside the Gallery CD case. You can leave that at home, but bring the voucher to Disney World with you and take it to one of the photo centers. You will exchange it for your Photopass+ card. Here is a great FAQ or Photopass+...

If you have any other questions, just let us know and we will help!]

 

[djmeredith]

Thanks for all the tips! We bought the photopass+ just because we knew the kids were going to beg for the ride pics and I am notoriously whimpy and say yes! Did you do a lot of the magic shots or were they impossible to find?

Unfortunately, I only got 1 magic shot and that was at Blizzard Beach. I was there during the crowded week of July 4 and didn't see many PhotoPass photographers other than with the characters. However, in all fairness, I wasn't really looking for them either.

 

[noahdove]

Well, we purchased the cd and I am sad to say that I am disappointed as I was under the impression that we would get many extras and the little clippy things to add to the photos like: Dreams do come true...Also the worse pictures were the ones we held the "frame"...none of them made any sense...It was fun and I took pictures as well as my friend...so we have those. I am glad we did it, but, I wouldn't do it again...just MHO...

 

[djmeredith]

Well, we purchased the cd and I am sad to say that I am disappointed as I was under the impression that we would get many extras and the little clippy things to add to the photos like: Dreams do come true...Also the worse pictures were the ones we held the "frame"...none of them made any sense...It was fun and I took pictures as well as my friend...so we have those. I am glad we did it, but, I would do it again...just MHO...

Did you edit your photos on the PhotoPass site to add the free borders/embellishments to your photos before you ordered your CD?

 

[smitch425]

Well, we purchased the cd and I am sad to say that I am disappointed as I was under the impression that we would get many extras and the little clippy things to add to the photos like: Dreams do come true...Also the worse pictures were the ones we held the "frame"...none of them made any sense...It was fun and I took pictures as well as my friend...so we have those. I am glad we did it, but, I would do it again...just MHO...

You don't just "get" the extras. You have to create them (for free) yourself if you want them included on your CD. That is why they give you so much time to edit them online. You have to put in the work to get the most bang for your buck.

 

[noahdove]

I was not able to do those special edits for them to stay...I did add several but when the cd arrived none of my "extras" were what I added before my cd was sent.. I figured the updated photos would be on the cd...well, I figured wrong..

 

[smitch425]

I was not able to do those special edits for them to stay...I did add several but when the cd arrived none of my "extras" were what I added before my cd was sent.. I figured the updated photos would be on the cd...well, I figured wrong..

Did you hit "Save as copy"? You have to go back to each original photo over and over again each time you do an edit. Are they still available online? Maybe they will let you redo it. Might be worth a call.

 

[noahdove]

smitch425, thank you for your insight. I just sent out an email so I am hoping to hear back. I guess I needed to read on photopass, but, I really thought I researched it good, but, I guess not. I thought I save the photos after I added the special effects...tough lesson to learn...right now, I am not having a "Magical Day"

 

[indycidy]

Ok, I'm a bit worried now, I must say. We ordered the Photopass+ and the primary reason is because I don't want to bring my SLR. I feel like, with the photographers taking out pictures at character greets, meals, and at the iconic sites, there is no reason to lug that big camera and bag all the way to Florida. I'd have to carry it on the plane, then lug it around the parks and on every attraction. So the Photopass seemed genius to me for the very specific reason of eliminating my camera from the vacation. iPhone 4S will suffice for cute candida when no photographer is present. HOWEVER....$170 is a lot of money and if I had photos that they lost, I would expect a refund. Period. If they found the photos, I would certainly be satisfied with an apology and my "30-days" starting over once I had ALL of my photos. But if they lost photos permanently, then really, they did NOT do what I paid them to do and so I wouldn't consider the service contract fulfilled. I'm not one to ask for my money back on a meal that I didn't like. I ordered it, they made what they said they would make....it's not their fault that I don't like what I ordered. But when they don't fulfill their part of the deal, then we have a problem! Have any of you who've lost photos ever asked for your money back?

 

[smitch425]

Ok, I'm a bit worried now, I must say. We ordered the Photopass+ and the primary reason is because I don't want to bring my SLR. I feel like, with the photographers taking out pictures at character greets, meals, and at the iconic sites, there is no reason to lug that big camera and bag all the way to Florida. I'd have to carry it on the plane, then lug it around the parks and on every attraction. So the Photopass seemed genius to me for the very specific reason of eliminating my camera from the vacation. iPhone 4S will suffice for cute candida when no photographer is present. HOWEVER....$170 is a lot of money and if I had photos that they lost, I would expect a refund. Period. If they found the photos, I would certainly be satisfied with an apology and my "30-days" starting over once I had ALL of my photos. But if they lost photos permanently, then really, they did NOT do what I paid them to do and so I wouldn't consider the service contract fulfilled. I'm not one to ask for my money back on a meal that I didn't like. I ordered it, they made what they said they would make....it's not their fault that I don't like what I ordered. But when they don't fulfill their part of the deal, then we have a problem! Have any of you who've lost photos ever asked for your money back?

I would never go without a "real" camera (not just a phone). That being said, we always do Photopass. This year we will be getting the plus for the first time. We have had one or two missing photos over the years, but unfortunately, things like that can happen. I would never dream of asking for my money back because we still manage to turn the 250-300 originals into well over 1000 photos when we are done editing. Cameras can malfunction unexpectedly, but for the most part, Photopass can retrieve your lost photos pretty easily. They have a very detailed form for that process.

Perhaps in the future you should just do the regular Photopass preorder. That can be fully refunded within 90 days of the prepurchase date, which would allow you to view all of your photos to see if ordering the CD is worth it or not. The Photopass+ is nonrefundable.

Also, the Photopass+ preorder is only $149, not $170.

 

[jillgunter]

Ok, I'm a bit worried now, I must say. We ordered the Photopass+ and the primary reason is because I don't want to bring my SLR. I feel like, with the photographers taking out pictures at character greets, meals, and at the iconic sites, there is no reason to lug that big camera and bag all the way to Florida. I'd have to carry it on the plane, then lug it around the parks and on every attraction. So the Photopass seemed genius to me for the very specific reason of eliminating my camera from the vacation. iPhone 4S will suffice for cute candida when no photographer is present. HOWEVER....$170 is a lot of money and if I had photos that they lost, I would expect a refund. Period. If they found the photos, I would certainly be satisfied with an apology and my "30-days" starting over once I had ALL of my photos. But if they lost photos permanently, then really, they did NOT do what I paid them to do and so I wouldn't consider the service contract fulfilled. I'm not one to ask for my money back on a meal that I didn't like. I ordered it, they made what they said they would make....it's not their fault that I don't like what I ordered. But when they don't fulfill their part of the deal, then we have a problem! Have any of you who've lost photos ever asked for your money back?

The character meals generally do not have photographers, so make sure you do bring a camera. Its just the CM walking the characters around.

 

[tuesdayswife]

I'm a complete newbie to this photopass thing so could someone please break it down in the most simple terms for me please? What I'm understanding is that I pay $xxx for a photopass (what is photopass+ vs photopass?) and get a card. When my group goes to meet Ariel, for example, then a Disney photographer scans my card and takes our group photo, correct? Then, everyday, those photos are loaded to an online site? But, we can also take our own photos with our own camera as well, correct? So, why would you load your own photos to the photopass website too? Then, when the vacation is over, I order all of the photopass photos to either a CD that gets snail mailed to me or can be downloaded to me via the web. Then, I can do whatever I want to with those photos (print them for scrapbooking, print multiple copies for everyone in our group, from any place like Walmart, Walgreens, etc)? Thank you!

 

[noahdove]

Ok, so I was able to go in an finish the "little extras" on our photos...Well, the cd arrived and guess what? Yep, I didn't get all the little frames, dates etc I am just so sad...We paid good money for the cd and yes, the pictures are really good, however, the little details that I added aren't on the photos..no signatures, frames etc
So, I guess I will never do photopass again...thank you for allowing me to vent..

 

[Cais]

Ok, so I was able to go in an finish the "little extras" on our photos...Well, the cd arrived and guess what? Yep, I didn't get all the little frames, dates etc I am just so sad...We paid good money for the cd and yes, the pictures are really good, however, the little details that I added aren't on the photos..no signatures, frames etc So, I guess I will never do photopass again...thank you for allowing me to vent..

Did you order the cd before you edit? Or even contact guest support? 407-5604300 Monday-Saturday 9-6 Eastern.

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