No More Photo Packages at Character Meals or Resorts !!!

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Effective July 26th,
. . . the will be no more Photo Packages at Character Meals
. . . the ONLY exceptions are CRT and Akershus (because photos are in the meal price)
. . . for the time being --- but expected to change!
. . . there are also no more photo packages taken/sold at the resorts
2) There are going to be LOTS of layoffs due to this move.
3) Memory Maker and Photopass can still have photos OUTSIDE of character meals.
4) But, no more packages WITH the characters.
5) In addition, with the ability of going directly to your room, Front Desk Staff have been told of layoffs.
6) And, you thought Magic+ was for guest benefits !!!
7) Rigfht! Sure!
8) I said a long time ago that this would result in massive personnel layoffs at WDW.

NOTE: Also,
. . . those CM's with high seniority at resorts doing photos MUST go to the parks!
. . . all MM and Photopass at resorts MUST be part-timers
. . . many will want to transfer to easier jobs
. . . however, WDW does not have to let them transfer
. . . so, high seniority folks (READ: Older) will be pulling bad shifts until new bids later this year
. . . and, if unable to transfer to another job, might get stuck with bad shifts


FYI EDIT: Photo Pass and MM photos DO NOT go into the character restaurants, only outside.

 

[johnsonet]

I'm sorry for lay-offs.

I'm relieved to hear about the photos. I can't stand that aspect of character meals.

Must not have been cost effective for Disney. Most people must've refused the photos.

Thanks for the info.

 

[frannn]

That stinks. We usually bought the photo package at the character meals, until they included it with Photopass +, and we bought that. Devalues Memory Maker for people that do a lot of character meals. Do they offer just the cd without the ride photos now?

 

[agavegirl1]

Thank you for this information Rusty. I also have always suspected that MM+ was for staff efficiency and if it went over cost, Disney would likely nickel and dime guests to death. I pre-purchased Photo-Pass Plus before it was discontinued and am very sad about this new development. I have two character meals scheduled because I thought the pictures would be really cute with just DBF and me and characters. I always end up with a bunch of pictures of outdoor scenery with no people or only one of us in the picture. I think I might cancel the character meals.

That is sad about the layoffs but I have expected it as well. Photographers have been mysteriously disappearing from many locations in the parks. Perhaps they can move on down the road for a slightly higher paying position at that "other" park.

 

[amomma23]

I'm sorry for lay-offs.

I'm relieved to hear about the photos. I can't stand that aspect of character meals.

Must not have been cost effective for Disney. Most people must've refused the photos.

Thanks for the info.

I agree. I hate to see people losing jobs, but the pictures were not worth it to us. A few didn't even have characters. It was a bit uncomfortable to turn down the photos offered at our table. I always kind of wondered what happened to all of those printed photos we didn't purchase over the years, too.

 

[manning]

Kind of have to wonder when you can buy entry tickets to the park at a kiosk. Bet it's coming.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Confused..and blaming on lack of sleep...so will there still be photogs at character meals and the pics can be loaded to MM? Or we are on our own to take pics at character meals.

 

[Cais]

Thank you for this information Rusty. I also have always suspected that MM+ was for staff efficiency and if it went over cost, Disney would likely nickel and dime guests to death. I pre-purchased Photo-Pass Plus before it was discontinued and am very sad about this new development. I have two character meals scheduled because I thought the pictures would be really cute with just DBF and me and characters. I always end up with a bunch of pictures of outdoor scenery with no people or only one of us in the picture. I think I might cancel the character meals. That is sad about the layoffs but I have expected it as well. Photographers have been mysteriously disappearing from many locations in the parks. Perhaps they can move on down the road for a slightly higher paying position at that "other" park.

There's actually more photographers now than there has ever been.

 

[OldsDr]

I am having trouble grasping this so let’s take a specific character meal 'Ohana Breakfast.

When I have been there I only remember a photograph out front with the family that was offered as a package, this did not include characters. Then during breakfast the characters came around and there was no photopass, we had to take our own pictures.

In this scenario has anything changed?

 

[MikL99]

This makes no sense to me. What is the point of Memory Maker then? I just came back and i can tell you that at Chef Mickey i had them take a picture of our family at the front before we were seated. Then they took pictures when the Characters came to our table. All these pictures were included with my memory maker.

They did come around with physical pictures and asked us if we wanted them and we said no because we had memory maker.


EDIT!!!! I was wrong. They used our Camera at the table... I'm sorry for the confusion.

 

[aleksandr]

I'm a bit confused by some of this.

Granted, my only experience with character meals has been O'hana, 1900 Park Fare, and Crystal Palace.

Observations:
In previous years, at both O'hana and 1900, the family was 'forced' to take a photograph before entering the restaurant for breakfast. There were no characters in this picture. If you had PhotoPass+ you could present the card to the photographer at the time of the photo. During the meal there were NO photographers in the restaurant--you had to handle all photos on your own. Before being billed for your meal, a CM would come around with your photos from earlier--if you had PP+, they would just hand you the physical prints. If you didn't, they'd start the hard sell to try to get you to spend the money on the prints.

Back in April of this year, at 1900, I thought it odd that we were not forced, or even asked to take the photo before being taken into the restaurant. Similar thing at Crystal Palace, but as I had no prior experience at Crystal Palace I wasn't sure if that was normal or not.

How do I feel about this? I kinda like it.

I've done PP+ once and aren't likely to ever do that or something similar again. The value just wasn't there for my family. I didn't mind the photos before meals with PP+ because I knew they were already included in the price I already paid.

When I don't have PP+ (which is most of the time), I don't like the photos. My wife isn't overly fond of having her photo taken and I really didn't like the hard sell to buy the photos for overly exorbitant prices. It's really hard to say no to a photo of your family, and I think they count on that

It will be nice not having to strongly insist that we not take photos before meals now

 

[Funfire240]

So will they do away with meeting Donald Duck at Tusker House? Or will it be just a meet and take the photo with your own camera?

 

[Golden Rose]

So will they do away with meeting Donald Duck at Tusker House? Or will it be just a meet and take the photo with your own camera?

He's already gone. Or, rather, he's already moved inside the restaurant to circulate. We were there three weeks ago, and the photo out front was just us in the spot he used to be in. We had MM, but there is no way I'd have bought it separately.

 

[paula34]

well I was thinking on buying it instead of being in a share, but if they are taking a lot of the photo op's out i don't think I'll bother as it is really expensive

 

[kathyk671]

I am having trouble grasping this so let’s take a specific character meal 'Ohana Breakfast. When I have been there I only remember a photograph out front with the family that was offered as a package, this did not include characters. Then during breakfast the characters came around and there was no photopass, we had to take our own pictures. In this scenario has anything changed?

My thoughts exactly. This is how I remember our visit to Chef Mickey's, too. Posed photo out front with the Mickey figure, pics with our own camera inside. So what's different?

 

[jon18uk]

I'm a bit confused by some of this.

When I don't have PP+ (which is most of the time), I don't like the photos. My wife isn't overly fond of having her photo taken and I really didn't like the hard sell to buy the photos for overly exorbitant prices. It's really hard to say no to a photo of your family, and I think they count on that

It will be nice not having to strongly insist that we not take photos before meals now

I agree with this, if they pre-print then come round and try and sell it to you it feels like a hard sell. If they want to keep it they could show photos on screens similar to ride photos saving a little on staff & printing costs?

I never saw any photographers inside restaurants either, so I don't think this is a loss at all.

 

[AngiTN]

I am having trouble grasping this so let’s take a specific character meal 'Ohana Breakfast.

When I have been there I only remember a photograph out front with the family that was offered as a package, this did not include characters. Then during breakfast the characters came around and there was no photopass, we had to take our own pictures.

In this scenario has anything changed?

My thoughts exactly. This is how I remember our visit to Chef Mickey's, too. Posed photo out front with the Mickey figure, pics with our own camera inside. So what's different?

Rusty came to another thread that was started with this same info to clarify what is posted that is confusing.

The photos taken outside of a meal, like with the statue at CM or the backdrop at 1900PF are not going away. The only change is there will no longer be anyone coming around to the table to sell you the printed pictures. The digital version will still be loaded to your MM, just like it always has been. The question I have not seen answered yet is what happens to those that do not get MM. Will they be out of luck in regards to the photo, will they have to decide at the time of the photograph if they want to pay for it or what

 

[surferdave]

Rusty came to another thread that was started with this same info to clarify what is posted that is confusing.

The photos taken outside of a meal, like with the statue at CM or the backdrop at 1900PF are not going away. The only change is there will no longer be anyone coming around to the table to sell you the printed pictures. The digital version will still be loaded to your MM, just like it always has been. The question I have not seen answered yet is what happens to those that do not get MM. Will they be out of luck in regards to the photo, will they have to decide at the time of the photograph if they want to pay for it or what

That'll be my favorite change at WDW in the last year or so. I've grown so frustrated with my wife for compulsively buying those overpriced things only to pile them up in a drawer somewhere that I told her last trip that I was going to start making awful faces in them all just to make sure she doesn't want them (since my normal awful face apparently isn't motivation enough).

 

[AngiTN]

That'll be my favorite change at WDW in the last year or so. I've grown so frustrated with my wife for compulsively buying those overpriced things only to pile them up in a drawer somewhere that I told her last trip that I was going to start making awful faces in them all just to make sure she doesn't want them (since my normal awful face apparently isn't motivation enough).

Yeah, while I don't like the thought of folks loosing jobs I think this change is for the most part positive. No more wasted paper and ink printing pics that no one wants. While the paper can be recycled I'm sure, the ink is still wasted, meaning more must be made, etc. I'm all for anything that eliminates waste generated unnecessarily.

I do hope there is something in place to allow for non MM guests to get photos if they want them. I know one person who mentioned they like to get the HDDR pic each year just to see the changes in their kids

 

[kittyab]

So, there will be no photo pass photographer at any of the meals, and we just use our camera?

We were at a few character meals last Nov, and that is how it was.