Photopass Question

[steves1bear]

I have a friend who will be going to Disneyland in October for the first time. They are trying to decide if Photopass is a good idea. They are a family of 4 (Dad, Mom, Boy - 5, Girl -3). The Mom loves taking pictures, but is thinking it will be too hard trying to get the whole family into a picture.

Would you mind sharing your reasons to or not to do the Photopass? Are there enough places that you would actually use a photopass photographer to make the cost worthwhile?

I've been with my family (DH, kids. and grandparents) three times, but we've never felt it was really worth it (grandparents took our family pictures) so I am of no help at all as to why it would be a good idea.

Thoughts good or bad so she can make a decision for her family?

Thanks!

 

[Lissame]

There's no advantage to pre-purchasing the CD at Disneyland, so why doesn't she go and get photos taken and see how many she has by the end of the trip in order to decide if it's worth it?

IMO, we make a point to always take advantage of every PP photo op we can, and we generally have a lot of photos by the end of the visit, enough to totally make it worth it. But we work at it. I love photos with the entire family rather than just a few of us, and I *love* the night shots.

 

[OrcaPotter]

It costs nothing to get the photos taken, so honestly, why not? Now, if you decide you will take no photos other than what Photopass takes, then perhaps pre-purchasing the CD will encourage you to make sure you pin down every photographer you see and get him/her to take a dozen photos to justify the cost. Honestly, depending on their individual skill, Photopass photos aren't always better than what they can also snap with a polite request with your own camera. Get a shot with their camera, then ask them if they would mind taking a shot with yours. I have never been denied, or even grudgingly acquiesced. Then later after you go home, if you find upon reviewing your Photopass shots that they are awesome and worth the money, then you're given purchasing options.

Now, I've heard rumor that there are not as many PP photographers at DL as there tends to be at WDW. For what they charge for a CD, I'd rather just ask a polite passer-by to get a photo of me with my group.

 

[amamax2]

I completely agree with Lissame!

When they go up to the first photopass photographer, he/she will give them a photopass card to use for all their pictures. It is free.

Besides pictures for the photopass, the photographer will also take pictures with your friend's camera - tell her not to be shy! The photographers are happy to do it.

Get as many as they want on the trip - stopping at every opportunity, or just the iconic ones in front of the castle, etc.

When they get home, she can look at what is on the photopass card, what is on her camera, and decide if she wants to order the photopass CD. If not, no harm done, she hasn't put out any money.

The other thing is that even is she doesn't want the whole CD, there might be one or more individual pictures she might want to purchase.

I am an avid photographer and definitely want those whole family shots. We have gotten the photopass several times with wonderful shots; other times the pictures aren't any better than what they took with my camera, so I don't buy it.

 

[TeddiBarra]

I don't think there is any advantage to prepurchasing. But YES I do think photopass is worth it.

the good things about photopass:
1- you can get group photos at many places. the photographers are actually pretty good and take good shots
2- you can have a slower more relaxed and interactive experience at places like Pixie Hollow and Princess Faire. What I mean is, as a mom or dad or grandparent etc, you can spent less time taking pictures or go up and get IN the pictures too, and have interaction time, instead of having all your quick time with the characters busy fussing with a camera.
3- at a slow time, you can even turn it into a mini-professional photo shot.
4- at home or in the parks, you can play with the borders that you can add with photos pass and special messages. I LOVE those and they do make for some great frame-worthy pictures.
5- back up insurance. Guess what? On our BIGGEST trip ever- celebrating my 33rd birthday, my twin daughters 5th birthdays, and my 10th wedding anniversary, my husband had a pair of jeans get ripped and he tossed them in the hotel room trash. ALONG WITH THE SD MEMORY CARD. I lost 5 of 8 days worth of pictures ( but we didn't even REALIZE it until we got HOME!). At least I have SOME on photo pass. The same goes for a lost camera, stolen camera, damaged camera, etc. You never expect it to happen. If nothing more, it's insurance.
6- it's free and you don't have to use it.

 

[steves1bear]

Wow, thanks so much for the information. I will be sure to pass it along. I never thought about the photopass as backup in case something happened. Hmm, I might just have to consider it more closely for our next trip. For some reason I thought I had seen somewhere that it costs less if you pre-order, but if that is not the case, then there really isn't anything to lose.

Thanks again!

 

[Caseystigger]

We always have Photopass pictures take. One year we had close to 200 pics after adding borders and such on the photopass site and after counting up how much it would cost to order the photos we wanted we just bought the CD because it was cheaper and could get any photos printed in the sizes we wanted without the extra cost of shipping and we didn't have to worry about our pictures expiring either.

It's free and it's just fun to see what you end up with at the end of the trip. One year we were given the wrong card back from the photographer and lost a bunch of photos so after that we marked the date on it with a sharpie, and used a new card each day. You can get cards from them, the front desk or town hall.

Hope your friend has a great time!

 

[dsny1mom]

Beside all the great info already posted you can also crop the photopass pictures to zoom in on a special person, smile. look, etc. It never fails that a picture is taken when one person looks so very special and the rest of the group, not so much. LOL Then you can even add a boader or signature to the cropped photo.

Also if the family has a Disney Visa they can get one *free* 5x7 photo taken by photopass CMs, in DCA each day of their trip. I have two Disney Visa cards so I get two free 5x7's for each day of my trip (this trip I'll get 16 free 5x7's). When you go to view the pics the CMs don't make you select the meet and greet site photos so you can end up with free 5x7's of the family from anywhere in the resort.

I never really saw the value of photopass until last year when my DD got engaged at DL. We ended up with 300 photos (after cropping adding boarders, signatures, etc). If this is a first trip for this family they might want to give this a whirl as it will be a memorable time.

Like others have said, there is no initial investment (other than the time it takes to get the photo taken and then viewing the photos), so I plan on using it every time I go from now on.

I have heard there is a DL photo pass CD that can be purchased on Main Street. It has great photos of the park and comes with a coupon to get your photopass CD free. I believe the cost of the DL CD is the same price as buying a photopass CD, but if you have an AP or other media that allows you a discount you actually get the DL CD and all your photopass pictures at a discounted price. Don't know if the CD is still available but I know I'll be looking for it in a few weeks when I am there.

dsny1mom

 

[steves1bear]

This is why I love the Dis so much. So many people who have had different experiences and are willing to share what they have learned. It helps to see things from a different perspective.

This is a big trip for the family. It will be their first time and if they have a chance to go again, it won't be until their kids are quite a bit older. They are really trying to make the most of the few days they have planned.

Now to print all the great advice and pass it along and save a copy for myself!

Thank you so much!!

 

[Angel Ariel]

We just bought a photopass CD from our April trip, and it was just DH and I (no other family). We had appx 126 photos...so the cost of the CD was about 47 cents/picture (pre-discount). Included in that were 18 bonus pictures from Disney that just had the Fab 5 characters around the parks - very cool pictures to have.

Something you may want to do too? "Like" Photopass on FB - sometimes they announce discounts there. Also check out their special deals section on the photopass website. We got $15 off our PhotoCD because we ordered it before the end of May. So instead of our pics being 47 cents/picture pre-discount, they were 37 cents/picture.

Like others said - it's free to take them, and at DL there's no advantage to pre-ordering...so go, get pictures taken, and then decide if it's worth the cost once you get home. Have a great trip!

 

[PinkBudgie]

One year we didn't end up buying the disc but only bought two pictures. One of those was DH and I in front of the castle with no one else in the picture! Priceless!

Last year we ended up buying the disc, and also found a $15 off discount. Totally worth it both times.

 

[Caseystigger]

One year we didn't end up buying the disc but only bought two pictures. One of those was DH and I in front of the castle with no one else in the picture! Priceless!

Last year we ended up buying the disc, and also found a $15 off discount. Totally worth it both times.

I bet that was an awesome picture! What luck to have no one else in the picture.

 

[katejc]

I agree with everyone's posts--go ahead and get lots of photopass pictures taken (nice that you all get to be in them!) and also hand the photographer your camera to take shots. When you look at the photopass photos, you can decide whether it's worth purchasing or not. You can always just buy that special one or two shots.

 

[engo]

Like most ppl have said, have your pictures taken, then decide if it's worth the cost once you get home

Don't forget to ask the photopass photographers for special effects. These are ones you can't get with your own camera, such as Stitch popping out of the ground, Tink in the palm of your hand, holding a huge balloon bouquet, etc.

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

My daughter did the photo pass and loved it. She takes wonderful photo's but not having to carry around her big camera was wonderful she said. She has very nice equipment.

One word of advice I know she would tell you is, " When you see a Photopass cast member stop and get pictures. Ask if they do any of the special features and if so get pictures done with family, each child, jsut kids and so on. She would also stop more then once at one area as some cast members take better photo's then others. Remember you can not have to many taken. She wishes she would have had more done. I think she ended up with over 200. You can look before you buy and you can crop, put borders, change directions, and so much more with each photo. She put different borders around same photos so it was on disc.

The photo pass cast members are at the character meets and greets to. They were also at Goofys when we ate there. Sure makes it easy.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[RedRosie]

We especially loved PhotoPass while at Princess Fantasy Faire and Jedi Training. I could actually watch what was happening, and get close the princesses and hear that great little conversations that were happening. Plus we have one of DS with a mickey magically added into the shot. So now we know to ask for more special opportunities like that next time. And the borders were no much fun. I thought it would just be a few options but there were tons!

 

[engo]

We especially loved PhotoPass while at Princess Fantasy Faire and Jedi Training.

Good point about Jedi Training. There is a photopass photographer there snapping pictures of all participating kids. Since they wouldn't know who's who, they ask that you bring your kid(s) to the photo store on Main Street if you want the picture(s) added onto your photopass card. The kids(s) on the photo must be there for identification purposes.

 

[pyrxtc]

Beside all the great info already posted you can also crop the photopass pictures to zoom in on a special person, smile. look, etc. It never fails that a picture is taken when one person looks so very special and the rest of the group, not so much. LOL Then you can even add a boader or signature to the cropped photo.

Also if the family has a Disney Visa they can get one *free* 5x7 photo taken by photopass CMs, in DCA each day of their trip. I have two Disney Visa cards so I get two free 5x7's for each day of my trip (this trip I'll get 16 free 5x7's). When you go to view the pics the CMs don't make you select the meet and greet site photos so you can end up with free 5x7's of the family from anywhere in the resort.

I never really saw the value of photopass until last year when my DD got engaged at DL. We ended up with 300 photos (after cropping adding boarders, signatures, etc). If this is a first trip for this family they might want to give this a whirl as it will be a memorable time.

Like others have said, there is no initial investment (other than the time it takes to get the photo taken and then viewing the photos), so I plan on using it every time I go from now on.

I have heard there is a DL photo pass CD that can be purchased on Main Street. It has great photos of the park and comes with a coupon to get your photopass CD free. I believe the cost of the DL CD is the same price as buying a photopass CD, but if you have an AP or other media that allows you a discount you actually get the DL CD and all your photopass pictures at a discounted price. Don't know if the CD is still available but I know I'll be looking for it in a few weeks when I am there.

dsny1mom

Please let me know if the free photopass Cd is still available when you go. Thank you !

 

[MyMuse]

Ooooh, thank you!

I've been trying to find info on the Photopass site itself about DL (know all about WDW's Photopass), but couldn't seem to find it.

I do have a Disney visa, so that's all good as well.

So, we really don't have to pre-purchase a DL Photopass?? Are there any discount codes out now for DL?

 

[Lissame]

The Photopass CD is pretty reasonable, I think it's $59. SO reasonable compared to a Photo CD on a Disney Cruise...LOL.

I haven't seen any discount codes, but definitely check on the CD you can purchase for $59 at the park that has all of the stock photos plus a coupon for your PP CD that you order from home, and you DO definitely want to order your PP CD from home, don't get it in the park or you can't put borders and all of the other fun things on it.

Make sure you seek out the photographers at night. One of our favorite times is right after they reopen the castle after the fireworks. There is usually also a photographer over by Space Mountain at night before the fireworks.

Two years ago we got some great night shots with the lit up Mickey Wheel in the background, but last year they pulled a lot of the photographers as WOC crowd control. Not sure if they are back to being photographers again, but that was a big disappointment.