Select photopass locations to be replaced by automated cameras

[Tiki Birdland]

I'm envisioning it takes 50 photos for the hopes 5 are a winner.

Sounds like the Infinite Monkey Theorem - Maybe we'll rename that the "Infinite Bob Iger Theorem...

 

[hakepb]

Devil's advocate. The upside I think they are advocating for is the magic mystery box is likely going to do closer to a video. I'm envisioning it takes 50 photos for the hopes 5 are a winner. Where the human might take just 5 photos. So by volume you get that one winning photo.

I'm not convinced it hits the mark, but I can see the value in developing the technology even if it's only to augment the current photographers.

I was considering that. I think it would work well for most online-sharing guests.

If they took a quality 4K (8mp) video with a few pre-selected stills, but gave guests the option to choose any still from the video clip (like the Google Pixel ads)
plus offer a shareable HD video of the character encounter...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I was considering that. I think it would work well for most online-sharing guests.

If they took a quality 4K (8mp) video with a few pre-selected stills, but gave guests the option to choose any still from the video clip (like the Google Pixel ads)
plus offer a shareable HD video of the character encounter...

To me that sounds like a great add on to the existing Photographer, not "instead of"

I still don't see how the box will be able to get all the candid shots which are my favorite photos from character meets .... but maybe it will be amazing


Has there been any reports form guests at Tinker Bell or anything

 

[lambdabeta]

I just returned from my trip to WDW and I can't imagine a meet and greet without the actual Photopass photographer there. I didn't need them but I was behind many families with young children. If there wasn't a human there to get the picture they wouldn't have gotten a good picture of the child or children. A static system would be good for pictures in front of things. Like the Christmas tree photos. People don't interact with those things and just stand and take a photo. The meet and greets can be very interactive depending on the character. While I was at MK I saw an interaction with Pooh and Tigger and a child about 3-4. Pooh bent down to interact with the child and then fell down pulling the child on top of them. It was the cutest thing and the photographer kept taking pictures. I can't see a camera capturing that unless it was several video cameras positioned to capture the whole area.

 

[mamabunny]

I was considering that. I think it would work well for most online-sharing guests.

If they took a quality 4K (8mp) video with a few pre-selected stills, but gave guests the option to choose any still from the video clip (like the Google Pixel ads)
plus offer a shareable HD video of the character encounter...

How many kiosks do you anticipate to fill *that* need? I personally know people who would commandeer the kiosk, scrutinizing every.single.frame until they found the "perfect" one for their Insta, and - of course - a *different* "perfect" shot for their Facebook... And don't forget Twitter...

In the meantime, the rest of us are backed up waiting to see our crappy little robo-pictures. I don't want to spend my time at WDW scrolling through screens of pictures, trying to figure which (if any) I want to keep. That's part of the beauty and joy of PhotoPass - they only deliver the pictures that are in focus, and where everyone's eyes are open. Anything else hits the digital dustbin, and you never have to sort through the dregs to find the gems.

 

[hakepb]

How many kiosks do you anticipate to fill *that* need? I personally know people who would commandeer the kiosk, scrutinizing every.single.frame until they found the "perfect" one for their Insta, and - of course - a *different* "perfect" shot for their Facebook... And don't forget Twitter...

In the meantime, the rest of us are backed up waiting to see our crappy little robo-pictures. I don't want to spend my time at WDW scrolling through screens of pictures, trying to figure which (if any) I want to keep. That's part of the beauty and joy of PhotoPass - they only deliver the pictures that are in focus, and where everyone's eyes are open. Anything else hits the digital dustbin, and you never have to sort through the dregs to find the gems.

I figured most guests would/should be selecting via MDE app or website. We rarely stop at a photopass kiosk anymore, unless we really wanted to order a physical print.
(And when we visited kiosks, we found resorts sometimes were a much more pleasant experience than the park kiosks.)

 

[mamabunny]

I figured most guests would/should be selecting via MDE app or website. We rarely stop at a photopass kiosk anymore, unless we really wanted to order a physical print.
(And when we visited kiosks, we found resorts sometimes were a much more pleasant experience than the park kiosks.)

From the (previously linked) article:

"A kiosk at the meet and greet will show the guest the captured image, with a touch point to scan with a MagicBand to associate the image. Much like those found at on-ride photo locations."

That's what my comment is based upon. But even if you can/could select those pictures "at your leisure" at a central PhotoPass location (like Disney Springs, or a Resort Lobby) I don't want to spend my time at Disney that way. That is/was the beauty of the PhotoPass system. You don't have to stop and try to pick out pictures - you can go on, and download them later, knowing that they were already curated for you - by a human, not a machine.

 

[PolyRob]

While I was waiting for Jack and Sally before MVMCP on Tuesday I heard an announcement that the "Tinker Bell wait was going to have longer than normal waits due to technical difficulties" I could only assume this was due to the automatic camera malfunctioning.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

While I was waiting for Jack and Sally before MVMCP on Tuesday I heard an announcement that the "Tinker Bell wait was going to have longer than normal waits due to technical difficulties" I could only assume this was due to the automatic camera malfunctioning.

Not necessarily. We heard that announcement in Aug 2017 when a kid threw up while meeting her (details were from the FP photographer that had the fortune to be there to witness it).

 

[Flamingomo]

I know this is an old thread, but does anyone have an update on this and the exact locations? Also any pictures from these robots would be great to see.

 

[dlavender]

I know this is an old thread, but does anyone have an update on this and the exact locations? Also any pictures from these robots would be great to see.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/any-first-hand-reports-of-photo-pass-box-with-tink.3729284/
That thread..

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

I just got back from a trip and there was a big automated box that took photos of us when we met Chewbacca in HS. There were still two castmembers in the room though. The handler and the one who stood next to the giant box and told us to look at it and smile. I was confused at the time.

Pictures came out good, but all from the same angle/height so their wasn't much variation between them!

 

[mshanson3121]

This is a crappy move. Absolutely sleazy, nothing more than a greedy, save a few pennies move, that will ruin the photography experience. Sorry, a box isn't going to capture those great candid shots. And I'm not paying $200+ to have a box take a picture. Dream on, Disney.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

This is a crappy move. Absolutely sleazy, nothing more than a greedy, save a few pennies move, that will ruin the photography experience. Sorry, a box isn't going to capture those great candid shots. And I'm not paying $200+ to have a box take a picture. Dream on, Disney.

My son and I were there in June. I paid $169 for Memory Maker. The ONLY place where a "box" took a picture was at the Tink meet and greet. The pictures were surprisingly, quite good. Got plenty of my son and Tink just talking, her signing our autographs books, her pointing off to something in the distance and then the posed photos. Unfortunately, I can't post any, because this site tells me the photos are too big and I don't know how to make them Disboards friendly. We got well over 300 photos and I was shocked when we got home and saw that. We did do A LOT of character greets this trip.

 

[mshanson3121]

My son and I were there in June. I paid $169 for Memory Maker. The ONLY place where a "box" took a picture was at the Tink meet and greet. The pictures were surprisingly, quite good. Got plenty of my son and Tink just talking, her signing our autographs books, her pointing off to something in the distance and then the posed photos. Unfortunately, I can't post any, because this site tells me the photos are too big and I don't know how to make them Disboards friendly. We got well over 300 photos and I was shocked when we got home and saw that. We did do A LOT of character greets this trip.

Since then, they have been expanded to include Townhall Mickey, Chewy, Kylo Ren, Anna and Elsa. They're expected to add more next year, as well.

 

[NJlauren]

Since then, they have been expanded to include Townhall Mickey, Chewy, Kylo Ren, Anna and Elsa. They're expected to add more next year, as well.

Townhall Mickey and Anna & Elsa are not automated as of 2 weeks ago. We met Anna and Elsa on August 22 and Mickey and Minnie at town hall on August 25.

 

[mshanson3121]

Townhall Mickey and Anna & Elsa are not automated as of 2 weeks ago. We met Anna and Elsa on August 22 and Mickey and Minnie at town hall on August 25.

If it hasn't started already, it is any day now. The box has been installed. There was an article just this past week about it.

 

[OSUZorba]

Townhall Mickey and Anna & Elsa are not automated as of 2 weeks ago. We met Anna and Elsa on August 22 and Mickey and Minnie at town hall on August 25.

Anna and Elisa had the boxes last Tuesday but they weren't in use.

 

[Caedous]

Since then, they have been expanded to include Townhall Mickey, Chewy, Kylo Ren, Anna and Elsa. They're expected to add more next year, as well.

Our Chewbacca box pictures turned out okay since the staff helped more, but Kylo Ren via box didn’t turn out well. The standing pose as a group was fine, but it missed pretty much all of the interaction shots that a live photographer would have gotten.

 

[TheWeasel]

I hear the next big cost savings move will be to eliminate the characters and have you stand in front of a green screen.