Photopass: A WARNING!

[Greg K.]

This happened to me last week during our visit, and the cast members were flabbergasted. They insisted it had never happened before.

What happened was...I went to the camera store at Disney/MGM Studios to check my pictures. I gave them my Photopass. They scanned it. And...nothing.

Nothing showed up. At all.

The cast members were scratching their heads and trying to figure out what went wrong. Meantime, I had to spend about a half hour scrolling through pictures that had been taken the day before, picking out my shots, so they could be preserved on ANOTHER brand new Photopass card. The best anyone could figure was that the photographer had mistakenly handed me back the WRONG PASS -- a blank one that hadn't yet been programmed.

I was able to recover the dozen or so pictures that had been taken -- including some great ones with the Toy Story characters -- and they are now safely ensconced on my new pass. But BE CAREFUL, FOLKS . Disney photographers are not exactly Ansel Adams, and mistakes happen all the time. I was lucky.

 

[Harambe]

That's awful! I'm gald you could recover your pictures, but feel bad you had to spend a lot of time securing them!

 

[kbkids]

Yes, it's happened before because it happened to me too - at MGM as well. Did the same thing you did, went through tons of pictures, all the while trying to remember who was standing around me so I would know when I was close. Not fun!!

 

[maine_jennifer]

So how do you know if the photopass they hand you back is actually yours? Does it have your name on it or something? Can you maybe put a mailing label on it or a sticker to identify which is yours?

I haven't been since they started this and since I'm going solo, don't think I'll be taking advantage of it, but want to pass on the warning to my brother.

 

[Good Ol Gal]

each pass has a number on the back of it. I guess you could try to memorize part of it. I wonder if you could write you name on it with a sharpie!

I bet that would work great!!

 

[Skylarr29]

Write your name on it with a sharpie. Ive done it and its great. You would know if you got a blank one back or somebody elses. Also if you lost it you might have a better shot at recovering it.

 

[mickeysaver]

That's aweful! Sorry. Maggie

Note to self: attach an adhesive backed mailing label to photopass card!

 

[Greg K.]

After configuring my pictures to a new card, the Photopass guy I dealt with at the MGM camera shop wrote on the front of the card with a Sharpie: "MGM Good." So, yeah, I recommend marking it somehow so you are sure you get the right one back!!

Just don't cover up the bar code or your number on the BACK of the card!

 

[declansdad]

Another trick I picked up here on the Dis was to photograph the back of your Photopass card, especially if you have a digital camera. That way if you misplace your card, you still have the number.

 

[goofy4tink]

Has anyone made a second trip and used the photopass card from a previous trip yet?? I have one from my trip in June and I'm going again the end of the week. Wondering how it's working to reuse them...they say you can reused for many, many trips but still I am curious. Any experiences? My photos taken in June were mostly terrific and I had no issues with getting the correct ones. Looks like I'll be marking my existing photopass card.

 

[kizmac]

Happened to my SIL! They did retake some pictures and gave her free 5x7 prints. She was not happy about it though.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

This happened to us, too. Sadly, I didn't realize until we had gotten home. There was no way I could remember when (or even how many) photos had been taken over a 10-day period. When dh and I visited WDW this past weekend, I asked advice for avoiding this. The Photopass Photographer said that there had been LOTS of problems back in the spring but very few recently. He also advised checking photos before leaving the parks.

 

[Stimpy]

Has anyone made a second trip and used the photopass card from a previous trip yet?? I have one from my trip in June and I'm going again the end of the week. Wondering how it's working to reuse them...they say you can reused for many, many trips but still I am curious. Any experiences? My photos taken in June were mostly terrific and I had no issues with getting the correct ones. Looks like I'll be marking my existing photopass card.

We have reused our photopass without a problem.

But we did also lose all our photopass pics on another card too. The CM's must have been really really new to photopass or they lied to you. It does happen. While we were on line looking for our SWW pics, the man next to us also couldn't find his pics.

We definately learned that trip not to rely on Photopass. Our camera died the first morning and we relied to much on PP. Most of our pics were lost and the one that I really wanted (DS dressed in his Anakin costume with the "real" Anakin) came out like crap b/c the CM took the pic too early and wouldn't take another one. (They both had their eyes closed) Fortunately, we were still able to get it on video at least.

 

[goofy4tink]

Indeed, I did try to view my photos in the photo shop in MGM before we left the park that day....only to be told that our RnRC pictures couldn't be viewed there...we had to go back to the gift shop to do that. No, I told the CM, I was not talking about the attraction photo, I was talking about a photo done in front of RnRC by a park photographer with my photopass card. This CM gave me no end of grief..he wat totally clueless. He finally went and got his manager. She, at least, knew what I was talking about. but she said the photos hadn't been scanned over to them yet. When did you have the photos taken, she asked me. I told her exactly...at 9:10, because that's the time we got our FP for RnRC. It was now about 1ish and she said they should have gotten the photos taken at that time and couldn't understand why the photographer was waiting so long.

Long story short....I never did go and double check on my photopass shots before we left WDW. Just left it up to chance. But, it all turned out well. But, if you do check and see what you have, at the end of each day, if there is a shot you just don't like...you can always have it redone. Same think if they 'can't find' a shot. But, if you are already at home, there is just nothing you can do.....so, check before you leave WDW just to be on the safe side.

 

[eeyore45]

I really appreciate people taking the time to post their experiences, it will help me when we go!! THANK YOU!!

 

[Becky2005]

Doesn't surprise me at all. Our in front of the castle for our first family trip ever went "poof". They just don't exist. I was so crushed. I so wanted the one with Tinkerbell but it was not to be.

I didn't get a chance to look at the Photopass before leaving home for vacation (I know, I know - I should have checked, I knew in my gut I should check but we were late for everything and just ran out of time!).

Got home and was able to get my Photopass from AK to come up but alas, the one from MK says "no such number" or something like that. Sent in for them to research it and got a message back saying "after exhaustive search, nothing came up". It's kind of ironic because if they had lost the AK picture it wouldn't have been so crushing and would have been oh well but the CASTLE!

So, we won't have a picture of us in front of the castle (or at least the "real" castle! We had gone into the Imagination place and had our image superimposed on a castle image! LOL!).

I even tried again a couple times after they did the research hoping maybe it would just magically show up but no luck. I did notice that on this card it had a little square box at the top instead of a magnetic strip like our one at AK has. Now, I don't know if that has anything to do with it but...I SAW the photographer put this card in the machine before handing it to me, so ?????

 

[Becky2005]

This does bring up a question though, Can you go back say a day or two later and look at the photos that were taken in that park before with Photopass?

I assumed it had to be done the day the picture was taken. So, even though with us we visited MK a couple times again, I didn't think I could go look to see if the pictures they took on Tuesday were still there on Saturday.

Maybe it will save someone else if they run out of time on one day but still have time left on their vacation, they can still see if the photos came out, KWIM?

 

[Greg K.]

This does bring up a question though, Can you go back say a day or two later and look at the photos that were taken in that park before with Photopass?

I assumed it had to be done the day the picture was taken. So, even though with us we visited MK a couple times again, I didn't think I could go look to see if the pictures they took on Tuesday were still there on Saturday.

Maybe it will save someone else if they run out of time on one day but still have time left on their vacation, they can still see if the photos came out, KWIM?

I checked my pictures days after they were taken. And they are supposed to be up and viewable for 30 days.

 

[YEKCIM]

I do two things: first, I write my cellphone number on the card itself, using a Sharpie, so that if it is lost/misplaced, it may find its way back "home"; second, I write the code down on a separate piece of paper that I keep in a secure place on my person so that if lost, I can still access the pix via the website.

~YEKCIM

 

[Alice in Cleveland]

This happened to me when Photopass first started. Now, I always write down my # and keep it in my wallet.