Photo Pass

[CurtisCandy]

Hi, Folks...

We're making our first Disney trip next month, and perusing these boards has already been hugely valuable! A LOT of great info for newbies here!

I was wondering if someone could tell me exactly what the "photo pass" is? Does each member of our group need one? I just received my welcome packet, and it says that we will get one photo pass on arrival, but I was wondering about the other members of my family.

I tried to search the boards for "photo pass" but the search feature is down right now, so I was hoping someone could help.

Thanks a lot!

-Rusty-

 

[beattyfamily]

Hi, Folks...

We're making our first Disney trip next month, and perusing these boards has already been hugely valuable! A LOT of great info for newbies here!

I was wondering if someone could tell me exactly what the "photo pass" is? Does each member of our group need one? I just received my welcome packet, and it says that we will get one photo pass on arrival, but I was wondering about the other members of my family.

I tried to search the boards for "photo pass" but the search feature is down right now, so I was hoping someone could help.

Thanks a lot!

-Rusty-

Photopass means its those photos that are taken by the Disney photographers in the parks. They take photos in various locations of you and your family.

So you are getting ONE free photo from Photopass with your package.

When you get your photo taken for the first time, they'll give you a Photopass card and swipe and then each time you get your photo taken by a Photopass photographer they'll swipe that card.

Now you can either buy the photos at WDW before you leave or at home online with the number on the back of the Photopass card. Before you used to have to buy them each day before you left each park. With Photopass you do not have to do that anymore.

If you have enough photos taken, it might be worth it to buy the Photopass CD for $99 and then you own them all and can have any size printed where ever you want (home, Walmart etc...) They can put up to 300 photos on the CD.

You cannot have borders/enhancements done to the CD photos though.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fire14]

Photopass is a plastic credit card like card with letter number and upc like code on back. When you pose for pics in front of park icons, charcter greetings(some), a disney/kodak photo person will snap your pic and either scan your piece of plastic or give you one. this card holds your pics and you can take it to photo places in parks to view pictures and buy or wait until you get home and view, enhance, buy them from comfort of your home. It also allows you to share pics with friends, family etc.

You can all use one card or have 20 of em doesn't really matter. More info to help you can be seen at www.disneyphotopass.com

 

[Simba22]

I highly recommend having another CM (or someone in line) take the same picture with your OWN camera as well as the one that will be loaded onto your photopass....I recommend this for 3 reasons:
1) if your PhotoPass gets lost there isn't anything you can do about retrieving those pictures
2) I ordered like 10 pictures from my photopass and spent close to $200 without any add-ons (like borders,character signatures, etc) Waaayy too expensive for me!
3) they expire 30 days after you activate your online account (if you print them out from home) so if you later decide you want another copy you will either be S.O.L (like me who puts all my pictures in scrapbooks) or if you have the original you will need to make a copy and they never look as good as an original.

 

[CurtisCandy]

Thanks very much for all the replies; that explains it nicely!

My oldest daughter is quite a camera bug, so she'll be taking a load of pictures, but it's nice to understand what the Photo Pass is.

Thanks again!

 

[MY02SLUGBUG]

I Think The Photo Pass Is A Great Idea... But One Problem... I Was In The World For 4 Days And Only Saw Two Photographers The Whole Time... Very Good Concept It The Photographers Are Out And About To Take A Bunch Of Pictures Of Your Group....

 

[PottersMom]

Are the photos any good? we will be on our Honeymoon and are notorious for not taking pictures. But it sounds like it could add up. If they are great photos we will cough up i guess.

 

[Katwillow1]

The photopass is ideal for the simple fact that it's someone else's point of view...also...you don't have to worry about handing your camera to someone else. My girlfriend and her 2 grandkids were here in May for 8/9 days at WDW (with me). We shot over 250 photopass photos. We did individuals, the two kids, and group with everyone. There are photopass photographers at the character connection in Epcot as well as in Toon Town. There are at least 4 or 5 (if not more) photopass photographers on Main street...and I guarantee that each view will be different. Just keep your eyes open... you will get to spotting them really quick when you are looking for them. Also, each park has a "surprise" photo where the photographer will ask you (or the group) to hold your hand together or hold or hat or somethng)....that is where the surprise will be ....... what can it hurt. Give them a shot. You can purchase the CD before OR after you leave WDW. The photopass site holds your photos a MINIMUM of 30 days. Our photos were there up till just a few days ago....that's almost 60 days....and my Valentines Day photos were still there in May.

 

[BostonTink85]

1) if your PhotoPass gets lost there isn't anything you can do about retrieving those pictures

Actually they "lost" some of our pics on our last trip and there was a way to retrieve them. You just had to describe who was in the pick (kid/adult and # of people) what they were wearing, what park it was in, and included a recent picture of the people (if you want). Within 24 hours they had found the exact pictures that were missing! So it is possible to retrieve the pics it just takes some time. Oh and this was after being at home for a week and through email, I'm sure it would be quicker if you were actually in the park looking through the pictures with the CM.

 

[disgram]

There are two families going together. Can both families be on the card and still have individual pictures taken? Like this, a group shot of all 6 of us and then one of just the kids and then one of each family?
TIA!!!

 

[beattyfamily]

There are two families going together. Can both families be on the card and still have individual pictures taken? Like this, a group shot of all 6 of us and then one of just the kids and then one of each family?
TIA!!!

Yes, you can keep all photos on one card or you can even have 2 cards and still combine your cards onto one CD if you later decide to buy the CD. Then the 2 families can split the cost of the CD.

 

[disgram]

Thank you so much, Beattyfamily for the quick response!!! This is what I had wanted to do but was not sure it was allowed. Two cards would be great in case they want to go a different way in the parks. Again Thanks so much!!!

 

[honey11dog]

What I don't like about PhotoPass is the smallest picture you can purchase is a 5x7 for $12.95 (maybe it was $14.95). I liked a lot of the pictures that we took, but some of them I wanted a smaller photo to put in our photo album. I think that they would get more orders if they offered more sizes and lowered the price some.

 

[shyjade]

Here are some "notes" I wrote down from diffent posts I've read on DIS regarding Photopass:

- Write down your Photopass card's ID#, take a clear digital photo of it, or put a return address label on the card in case the card gets lost.

- Use a Sharpie to write your name on the card to be sure the CM gives you back the correct card. Apparently, it is quite common for the CM to give you back the wrong card because there is no noticable recognition on the cards (therefore, write your name on it with a Sharpie).

- If the CM (photographer) doesn't get a green light when he/she swipes your card, the photos will not download to the card.

- A CD of all your photopass pictures can be purchased for $99 at Epcot's Camera Center, M. Mouse Mercantile in the Grand Floridian Resort, and at Toontown in the Magic Kingdom. (Gives the license/copyright to the photos so that they may be reproduced elsewhere.)

 

[Katwillow1]

You can also do individual, group, family, kids, etc...doesn't matter who or how many. The nice thing about purchasing the CD is you can take it anywhere and have 4x6's made....for as little as .20 a print....what a deal.

 

[momrek06]

What I don't like about PhotoPass is the smallest picture you can purchase is a 5x7 for $12.95 (maybe it was $14.95). I liked a lot of the pictures that we took, but some of them I wanted a smaller photo to put in our photo album. I think that they would get more orders if they offered more sizes and lowered the price some.

If you opt to buy the CD for $99.00 you get with the CD all the borders (as well as obviously) all the photos and you get that RELEASE that allows you to go to CVS, Wal-Mart, Target, Brooks..wherever, to have your photos reproduced in ANY SIZE you want. Now going to your CVS you will pay PENNIES for the pictures (any size) as vs the $12.95 for their ONLY size of 5x7. My DS just came back and he and his DGF LOADED up the CD...I mean they took TONS AND TONS of photos with all different poses. Just DS, just DGF, both of them, serious, kissing, laughing, dancing, EVERYTHING. They paid $99.00 and came home and spent under $40.00 for like 300 reprints. Just do the math trying to buy 300 pics TIMES $12.95...NOT HAPPENING...

Bottomline: Load up the CD, buy the CD, reproduce at CVS and VIOLA you are THRILLED.

 

[ShelbyR]

The photo pass is nice for getting pictures of the entire group, but we had a very hard time finding photographers. One of the photographers said it was because the same number of photographers are now divded among all 4 parks, so they are more spread out. The quality of the photos really varies, too. Don't expect that they will necessarily be "professional" quality.

 

[JMCDisneyBound]

If you have enough photos taken, it might be worth it to buy the Photopass CD for $99 and then you own them all and can have any size printed where ever you want (home, Walmart etc...) They can put up to 300 photos on the CD.

You cannot have borders/enhancements done to the CD photos though.

Hope this helps.

Sorry if this has been covered before?
If you purchase the CD will you still have online access to get some pictures with borders/enhancements if you wish?

 

[momrek06]

Sorry if this has been covered before?
If you purchase the CD will you still have online access to get some pictures with borders/enhancements if you wish?

I believe that you can ORDER and have the borders downloaded to the CD prior to you purchasing the CD. While the CM is making the CD, you can pick out different borders and have them all included. The CD comes with a RELEASE from Disney so you can order everything from the likes of CVS to WAL-MART.

Remember ONLINE, they are very $$$ = $12.75 for each and they are all 5x7!

 

[Foladar]

I Think The Photo Pass Is A Great Idea... But One Problem... I Was In The World For 4 Days And Only Saw Two Photographers The Whole Time... Very Good Concept It The Photographers Are Out And About To Take A Bunch Of Pictures Of Your Group....

we had the same situation .. we were there for five days, and saw one photographer but they were on break.