Photopass Tips

[bdtracey]

Hey everyone! I'm looking for tips on how to get great photopass pictures with little or no people in the background. This is especially challenging at MK (in front of castle). My wife and I just got back in May and we're going again next May but we want to get at least twice the amount of photopass pictures taken while we're there. Out of the 36 taken this past time only 4 really worked out well. Any tips on how to look your best in the pictures would really help too...it's tough to find a mirror prior to photopass pictures.

 

[Juliegirl1]

For fewer people in front of the castle why don't you do an early Character breakfast at Crystal Palace? I'm not sure though what time the Photopass people start taking pics though.

 

[mydogisbo]

At the castle go right--like toward Tomorrowland. There is a little garden nook (there's a Mickey & Minnie Topiary there) & a photopass photographer. When we were there in January there was no one else there. It is not "straight on" with the castle, but the castle & a garden is behind you--not people

We also did Epcot at night with spaceship earth in the background illuminated.

When we return in January we're going to stop everywhere--get as many as we can from different angles & different times of day.

I think loading it up & buying the CD is the perfect souvenir for me

 

[NMAmy]

At the castle go right--like toward Tomorrowland. There is a little garden nook (there's a Mickey & Minnie Topiary there) & a photopass photographer. When we were there in January there was no one else there. It is not "straight on" with the castle, but the castle & a garden is behind you--not people

Here's another vote for the rose garden in front of the castle. The photographer there told us it was the very best place to get a pic with no one else in the picture.

 

[bdtracey]

I totally agree about the CD because it's only 100 bucks right? I think we spent 50 or so and my mom bought a couple pictures too. We wanted to purchase some more but after the trip was over we were getting tight on cash. Awesome tip about the nook! That's perfect. I'd rather have a picture with a good background and no people than an AWESOME background and a ton of people. Unfortunately we didn't get Epcot at night but our best picture was at MGM at night. We thought that the photopass was the best idea because it was really the only time that my wife and I could get our picture taken together. We have a few other good pic's from random people in the park that offered to take our picture...BTW there are some really good amateur photographers at the park. Every person that took our picture did a great job! Honestly everytime we were about to take our own picture (at arms length) someone offered!

 

[ReneeDisney]

We had an 8:10am ADR at Crystal Plaza and it was wonderful walking onto Main Street with literally no one around but a few cast members. We took advantage of that and took wonderful photos. Check out my signature photo taken in front of the Crystal Plaza waiting area!

 

[bdtracey]

That's a great shot! That's exactly the kind of thing that we're looking for! Is that a PhotoPass picture? With the cast members just kicking around can you ask them to take your picture with your own personal camera?

 

[MouseTriper]

These are great tips...thanks!

 

[Leigha]

Previous posters have reported that photopass photographers will take a picture with your camera too.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

That's a great shot! That's exactly the kind of thing that we're looking for! Is that a PhotoPass picture? With the cast members just kicking around can you ask them to take your picture with your own personal camera?

Yes, is it a Photopass pic? And is yours, mydogisbo?

TIA

 

[ReneeDisney]

That's a great shot! That's exactly the kind of thing that we're looking for! Is that a PhotoPass picture? With the cast members just kicking around can you ask them to take your picture with your own personal camera?

This is a picture our friends took of us while we were waiting to be seateed for Breakfast. It is not a Photopass Picture. Several times we had cast members take photos of us wiht our camera, just not this instance.

Not to get off topic, but take a look at the photo below and see how empty the Magic Kingdom was:

 

[maslex]

This is sort of "off topic" but a photopass question nonetheless. I have never used photopass before but it sounds like such a great thing. I plan on using it on our next trip (fall of '07) And I would also love to get the CD.

Here's my question.....Has anyone ever "shared" a photopass and split the cost with someone? I just can't see actually using all of the 300 available photos on a CD. We will be going with DH's sister and her family. We got to talking and decided that we would chip in $50/each family and purchase the CD and then use the photopass card whenever we wanted. Some pictures would be taken with all of us, some would be of just our family of four and some pictures would be of just their family of three.

Do you think this would work? How many photopass cards do they give you? We're more than likely going to be all together throughout the day, so if there's only one card, that doesn't seem to be a problem. If someone could let me know if they've done this and how it worked out, I'd appreciate it. Thanks

 

[bdtracey]

maslex:

I've never bought the CD or shared the price with someone but here are my thoughts anyway. I figure that you can share the costs no problem. My wife and I only had 1 card and we got that on our first day. We just gave the same card to the photographer every time. Sometimes they whip out another card and are about to put the pictures on there but we'd just get him/her to put it on one card. I would suggest writing on the card with a Sharpie marker to make sure that the card is yours because if you give it to the photographer BEFORE they take your picture they might mix it up with another one. We just wrote our name on the back of the card. Once you get all of the pictures on the card just go and exchange it for the CD and get your sister to give you half the cash. When you get home you can burn a copy of the CD so that you each have one.

Like I said before I've never done this but I've heard of people doing it. I'm not 100% sure about the CD burning thing but I did hear of someone doing it.

 

[2buzzboys]

Win the night in the castle. I bet you can request a photopass picture then.

 

[pooh4me]

Yes two familys could share the cost of the photopass CD. Just take the two cards to the Epcot camera shop before you leave and have both cards put on the CD. We were given another card by mistake and had both put on one CD. I also think that you can do it at the Grand Floridian hotel and the Garden Gate Gifts at AK,in Toontown at MK,Cover Story in the Studios and at Downtown Disney.

 

[mydogisbo]

We had 2 photopasses in January. I put them together when I accessed them online at home & had the CD made with all of the photos.

So, yes you can do that--whether you do it at WDW or at home.

 

[maslex]

Thanks guys!!!

 

[NYMom]

The best tip I received was from a Photopass photographer. He noticed that I was labeling my card with our last name and hotel and told me to take a digital picture of the back of the card. He said if it was lost, I could go to any photopass location and by using the number on the back of the card they could retrieve my photos! He also said that I could retrieve them from home using this number. If you don't have a digital camera, just record this number and put it in a safe place.

 

[rapriebe]

If you purchase the CD after you return home, can you still add the borders and extras to the pics. Someone had posted earlier that you needed to do that before they were burned to the CD - is that correct?

 

[dbenlee]

For fewer people in front of the castle why don't you do an early Character breakfast at Crystal Palace? I'm not sure though what time the Photopass people start taking pics though.

The Photopass people are out before rope drop and can get pictures of people who go in for early ADRs at Crystal Palace. We did that last year and got one of the best pictures in front of the castle that way.