Photopass...tell me about it plz

[disney*mom*82]

OK, we have been to Disney World several times and since I am a photographer, I take all the photos. Ive wanted to look into the photopass before and told DH next time we go, Ide like to buy it. I just dont know much about it. We go in March and it will 3 groups of us. Here are my questions and if there is anything else about it you can share that will be great!

1. What is the prepurchase price now? What if you want til you are home?
2. Do you get to add the boarders to all picts? Does a CM do it or you? Do the borders get added while you are at DW or can you do it at home online?
3. Can you add picts from your own camera?
4. Is there a limit on the number of picts?
5. Do you get a disc? If so, how long until you get it? Do you get a copy release?
6. Is it ok for our group to go in on this together? We are all family going at the same time, 2 groups at one resort and the other at a different one.
7. Is it worth it?
8. Are there any special picts or places you know about?
9. Ive heard about the magical picts, where can we get these done at?
10. Do any of the rides or character meals add picts to this card?
11. If by the time we are leaving from WDW and we think we didnt get enough picts taken, can we get a refund? If so, is there any kind of penality?
12. Is it hard to find a photographer often? Do you see many around the parks?
13. Any other suggestions?

Thanks to any and everyone who takes time to help us with this. Im pretty well educated on most other things Disney, but this would be something new for us and I wouldnt mind being in more than just one or two photos this time!
4.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

OK, we have been to Disney World several times and since I am a photographer, I take all the photos. Ive wanted to look into the photopass before and told DH next time we go, Ide like to buy it. I just dont know much about it. We go in March and it will 3 groups of us. Here are my questions and if there is anything else about it you can share that will be great!

1. What is the prepurchase price now? What if you want til you are home? If you stay onsite, you should get a pre-order code for approximately $109.95 (please I am not positive on this, so don't hold me to it) but the normal price is $149.95.
2. Do you get to add the boarders to all picts? Does a CM do it or you? Do the borders get added while you are at DW or can you do it at home online? You take your cards home, load them into your account and you can crop, edit, and add borders to all the pictures the photopass photographers took. You can ask for special pictures and you can view the pictures at certain shops at each park.
3. Can you add picts from your own camera? You can add your own pictures and order additional pictures packages or merchandise but your pictures will NOT be on the CD. Please, please note that while if you are making a photobook your pictures are used, on the actual photopass CD the only pictures you will get will be the ones actually taken my the Photopass photographers.
4. Is there a limit on the number of picts? No limit.
5. Do you get a disc? If so, how long until you get it? Do you get a copy release? You get as many CD's as needed to hold all your pictures.
6. Is it ok for our group to go in on this together? We are all family going at the same time, 2 groups at one resort and the other at a different one. Depends on who you ask, I emailed Photopass directly and they told me that is was absolutely positively okay to do this.
7. Is it worth it? personal choice, I would never go without it.
8. Are there any special picts or places you know about? Go to this site for all the special pictures... http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/
9. Ive heard about the magical picts, where can we get these done at? See #8.
10. Do any of the rides or character meals add picts to this card? Yes, if you PURCHASE the picture or are given them free at the meal, a photopass code will be on the bag. The only ride that does this is Test Track.
11. If by the time we are leaving from WDW and we think we didnt get enough picts taken, can we get a refund? If so, is there any kind of penality? Yes full refund, no penalty.
12. Is it hard to find a photographer often? Do you see many around the parks? Absolutely not, as long as you are looking.
13. Any other suggestions? Please go to the other site I quoted, great information. My advice, get the photopass if you can afford it, get into the pictures with your family, and enjoy your vacation.

Thanks to any and everyone who takes time to help us with this. Im pretty well educated on most other things Disney, but this would be something new for us and I wouldnt mind being in more than just one or two photos this time!
4.

See bolded above.

 

[PJHuntleyCO]

We just received our CD and our photobook. We love it and will definately do again. The prepurchase discount is done by pin number now. We didn't get one, before we went on our vacation, however we did receive an offer afterward. The CD was $99 and our photobook we received a discount amount on. We have done boarders and special effects, usually costs a little more to have them process for you on those pictures.
We had Tinkerbell visit one of our pictures - with the help of a CM at Hollywood Studios - he was able to provide a visit.
Yes - you can add pictures from your camera. We did for our photobook.
4. Is there a limit on the number of picts?- If there is we didn't hit it and we had over 600 - almost 100 from Disney and the rest from our camera

5. Do you get a disc? If so, how long until you get it? Do you get a copy release? Yes we got the disc - from order time to receiving - about 1 week

6. Is it ok for our group to go in on this together? We are all family going at the same time, 2 groups at one resort and the other at a different one.
Yes multiple people can use the same photopass - if you need them linked together contact the Photpass folks prior so they can coordinate it for you, otherwise, you can add the photopass numbers into your group when you select the photopass photos to add when you are ordering at home
7. Is it worth it?Definately

8. Are there any special picts or places you know about?We had our pictures in front of each of the holiday sites - photopass will also provide you a location guide, showing where they are located

9. Ive heard about the magical picts, where can we get these done at?Aren't they all? But, really each of the CM have the ability to add a visitor to your picture, or so we were told

10. Do any of the rides or character meals add picts to this card?The only ride we were able to add to ours was Test Track

11. If by the time we are leaving from WDW and we think we didnt get enough picts taken, can we get a refund? If so, is there any kind of penality?
Don't know - we ensured that we stopped and got photos - and we didn't pay until we got home

12. Is it hard to find a photographer often? Do you see many around the parks?Nope - they are all over, make sure, that if you want specific areas, take your map. Sometimes you might have to wait a minute of two, but it is worth it.

Hope that helps!

 

[SandrA9810]

Don't be afraid to hand over your camera to the photographer as well.

I held just about every camera imaginable in my hands, from cheapo 10$ ones and fisher price versions to d300's that cost thousands of dollars. If you have to tell the photographer where the button is, I'd be a little weary. But you should be fine. I also always changed the settings if needed, like for night-time or indoors.
Magic shots are generally done at icon locations (hat, tree, castle...), this is where they put something into your photo. It used to be certain parks did certain things. Like simba was only at DAK, tink was only at MK, now they're doing it in all the parks. So don't be surprised if you get a duplicate. Just ask the photographer if you can do a "magic shot".

If you're not happy with it, then you don't have to do anything with it. But I'm sure it'll be worth it since you're traveling with more than one group. Just remember, you only need to buy 1 CD package. Once you purchase it, the pictures belong to you, including the ability to make copies of the CD. On each CD has the copyright release form that can be printed out, as well as the CD case will have the copyright release agreement on it.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Looks like you've got good answers already. The only thing I would add (might be there and I missed it) is that you should enter all the cards online to one account. If someone from your party enters codes on a different account you can't merge them. You can use as many cards as needed (one for each family group may work best if you split up) and have one person in charge of entering them online. Once entered online you can add boders and the CD will have the original pic and the pic with boder (as long as you don't delete the original.)

We did this last time we went with our extended family (3 groups). I was in charge and after I entered everything I told the other groups how to view them online and then they could add boders to the pics they wanted to as well. I'm sure we'll do it again. We got lots of great family pictures! It took 2 CDs to fit all of our pics.

Have fun!

 

[Thumperr]

Another question, we won't be going home directly after disney, so I can't get everything done at home (we will extend the 30day mark easily, since we're in Disney for 16days, and after that we're going to NYC and DC for a week each) Is it possible just to buy the cd there on the last day and get it with me immediately. I would love a photobook, but I don't think I can fit it in.
How soon do you have to claim the pictures? Is that within the 30days and then they will be online for another 30days? because if that's the case I will just find me some internetacces somewhere and claim the pics on my last day in Disney and then do everything when I'm at home.

 

[katied]

In terms of the timing, you have 30 days from the time the first pic is taken to enter you codes to the photopass website. You then have another 30 days from the date you enter into the website to edit, etc. your pictures. So - you can get up to a total of 60 days from the date the first picture is taken without paying for an extension of time. You can also pay for an extension of time. I don't remember how long you get, but I think it's in 7.95 increments cost wise.

I wouldn't recommend just order the CD on site on your last day. You'll want to take some time online to edit your pictures, pick borders to add, etc.

Another FYI - if you add borders, it automatically sets your photosize to 5 x 7 for the borders. If you plan to print in another size (4 x 6 , 8 x 10, etc) you need to change your photo size to that size once you add the borders. (not to be confused with the fact that the default size of the photos is 4 x 6 before you add a border).

I've done photopass sharing before, and never had an issue with combining multiple photopass numbers all onto one account. The other thing I'd recommend, if it hasn't already been mentioned, I always photocopy the back of each photopass code or make a note of the number in my cell phone. That way, even if I lose the card, I still have all the codes which is all you need to upload to the website. You can add an endless number of codes (I frequently end up with at least 5 or 6 on each trip), so don't worry - everyone doesn't have to share the same photopass card.

 

[disney*mom*82]

Thank you so much to everyone. Im going to reread all the wonderful info that has been given to me and talk to our other groups and hopefuly talk them all into going in on it, I figure if we each pay around $35, that is a great deal. Im so excited that we will actually be able to get some great family and group photos for once and be able to add all the fun borders too!
Thanks again, if I think of more questions, Ill post them!

 

[Juliee8]

We have never gotten the photopass before, can I purchase this ahead of time for our December trip? We will be staying offsite.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

We have never gotten the photopass before, can I purchase this ahead of time for our December trip? We will be staying offsite.

If you are staying offsite, you would bring your photopass card/cards home after the trip enter the codes and order at that time. There may some type of deal that you will receive at that time (If you attend a party, etc, or just daily specials)

Just a little note, we take pictures of the back of the cards and enter the codes into our cell phones in case the card/cards get misplaced during travel.

I am hoping that by the time we go in September that the rules change again and I can pre-order with the discount... Crossing my fingers!

 

[disney*mom*82]

Ok, I am prepurchasing this today and we leave for WDW in 4 days
One more quesitons I have....Do you need to add borders and stuff while at WDW or can you do this at home? Ive read some ppl saying something about doing it there, but I hate to spend that much time messing with it when we could be at the parks having fun. Im sure Ill check the pict out there before we leave, but dont plan to enhance them all there. Hope that works.

 

[GraysMom]

Just an addition to what katied said about sizing. I wasn't sure what size I would be printing each picture in, so I made a copy of each in 4x6 and 8x10 (the two most likely sizes we'd use) on the Photopass site. That includes making a 4x6 and 8x10 of each bordered/edited version. I ended up with just over 1000 pictures in the end-all from the Photopass photographers (we came home with 74 photos).

I would highly recommend doing the editing at home. Different borders and sizes might require different edits for each, and you need to work off of the original picture for each new edit/border you do (which means resizing, etc for each new one) which takes more time.

Have a great trip!

 

[Swimalie]

I just wanted to add, thank you all for the information. We leave in 10 days and I was looking for information like this, too. I'll be registering mine in a few days

GraysMom - I love your profile picture, although I'm a Garmin Transitions fan. My dad volunteers at the Tour of Cali and Tour de Georgia each year.

 

[disney*mom*82]

Thank you ladies for all the help, I hope we get some great pictures!
3 more days

 

[bfwood]

Great info....lots I didin't know about. We got a book done last time we were there and we treasure it! We'll def do it again.....well worth the money!
Didn't know about pre purchasing...I'll have to look into that otion.

 

[vicki_c]

Best comprehensive info on Photopass:

www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass

And one correction to some earlier posted info - I didn't read all the responses to see if anyone corrected this -

staying on-site has nothing to do with whether you can get the pre-order PP CD price. It is $99 if you pre-order, $149 if you do not. It does not matter where you stay, and there is no code mailed out to get that offer. It is simply a website that anyone can access. The link to the website is on the stitch kingdom site, if no one has already posted it here.