Someone pinch me,this trip must have been a dream UPDATED 7/9/10 Boats at the Poly

[MouseTriper]

Oh NOOOOO.....I really really really hope the Geek Squad can save your images and the laptop. Sending good wishes your way!!!

 

[emcreative]

Good Luck Miranda...if the geek squad can't get it back, I know there are others who sometimes can do it better (depending on your Geek Squad).

 

[VBAndrea]

Okay everyone cross your fingers, say a prayer or something!!! The rest of my trip report and the fate of my pictures now lies in the hands of the geek squad. My laptop died this morning.... and the crazy thing is, when I went to bed last night my pictures were in the process of transfering to my external hard drive. It said it had 40 some minutes remaining when I went to sleep, apparently it only got through a day and a half at Disney World before the laptop crashed. That totally sucks...I finally get around to backing up my pictures and my computer goes and crashes in the process. I am hoping and praying the geek squad can save them (and hopefully my laptop too.... this is like my 4th one in 3 years.... but I would buy like 10 laptops just to have my pictures back!!!)

So now you know why my TR has been delayed, hopefully it isn't cancelled.

Oh No!!!! We lost about a years worth of pics when one of our drives died. I hear it costs about $800 to have it retrieved (if it's even possible). I am so keeping my fingers crossed for you and I think I'll back up our pics every day at Disney and positively get the photopass.

 

[WDWAtLast]

Oh No!!! Keeping my fingers crossed that your pictures can be saved!!!

 

[mirandag819]

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[mirandag819]

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[ZeroToHero]

I didn't know what you meant by weird faces until I saw this - oh man, I was 'ing!

That's great! Poor FGIT.

I can't wait to see the reveal pictures!!!!

 

[mickimousemama]

Miranda,

There are programs that you can get to get the pictures off of your memory cards from your camera even if you've deleted them. I do professional photography and two years ago my son accidently erased my memory card before I loaded a session onto my computer, I think the program cost me like $45 and it pulled up pictures on the card from the first time I ever used it 3 years ago! PM me if you want the website for the program!

 

[HeatherSue]

I was wondering how many more late nights and early mornings everyone was going to put up with! I'm sorry you missed Chef Mickeys, but it sounds like everyone needed a rest! It would have been nice if they had told you the night before so you could sleep in, too.

There seems to be less and less photopass photographers around the parks. They also take some pretty lousy pictures. My theory is that they know they have us once we order the photopass CD, so they don't have to impress us with the quality or quantity of the pictures.

Atomic wedgie! LOL!

I love all the waterslide pictures!

After seeing Morgan in a bathing suit...I officialy hate your sister!
----------------------

OH NO!! I can't believe your computer crashed! That's awful! I sure hope they can recover the pictures! I go through laptops like crazy, too. I subscribed to a program called carbonite that automatically backs up all of your files and stores them online. Here's the link, if you're interested in the future www.carbonite.com .

 

[heaven2dc]

Your daughter looks so adorable in these pics! I didn't see what you meant about the FGIT's facial expressions until that one pic - wonder what she was thinking at the time She definitely did a wonderful job on Taylor's hair!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Wow, I absolutely LOVED your Typhoon Lagoon pictures. It was great that you had the water proof camera. Those must be the most pics I've ever seen from a water park. We're going to hit both water parks in August for the first time. I can't wait now.

 

[VBAndrea]

I'm sorry to hear you don't have oodles of photopass pics and that the quality on some isn't good -- I've read other threads about that lately as well. I am in a pickle as to whether or not to preorder it. I really want it b/c dh is apparently allergic to the camera and I am never in any pics. I have so few pics of me with the kids. I even had dh take pics at dd's pony party at our house (which was huge). Let's see, we ended up with seven pictures and not a single one was of dd!!!!! (Not to despair, a classmate's Father does photography on the side so I have a cd of 100+pictures but I would have been lost without him).

So I have to ask, if you had to do it over would you order the photopass pics?

I *think* you can preorder it and get your money back if you're not happy, though I'm not positive about this.

Also, how much time did you have to spend learning your camera? I may get an SLR prior to our trip but how hard was it to learn to take firework pics? I'm not sure if I should get an SLR or a good point and shoot. Our current point and shoot is mediocre -- it takes some really nice pics and then takes some duds. You never know what you're going to get.

Anyway, it's great to see some pics from your trip and I so hope you have luck recovering everything. It was such a splendid trip so far that I want you to have the photographic memories forever.

 

[luv2go2disney]

I'm sorry to hear you don't have oodles of photopass pics and that the quality on some isn't good -- I've read other threads about that lately as well. I am in a pickle as to whether or not to preorder it. I really want it b/c dh is apparently allergic to the camera and I am never in any pics. I have so few pics of me with the kids. I even had dh take pics at dd's pony party at our house (which was huge). Let's see, we ended up with seven pictures and not a single one was of dd!!!!! (Not to despair, a classmate's Father does photography on the side so I have a cd of 100+pictures but I would have been lost without him).

So I have to ask, if you had to do it over would you order the photopass pics?

I *think* you can preorder it and get your money back if you're not happy, though I'm not positive about this.

Also, how much time did you have to spend learning your camera? I may get an SLR prior to our trip but how hard was it to learn to take firework pics? I'm not sure if I should get an SLR or a good point and shoot. Our current point and shoot is mediocre -- it takes some really nice pics and then takes some duds. You never know what you're going to get.

Anyway, it's great to see some pics from your trip and I so hope you have luck recovering everything. It was such a splendid trip so far that I want you to have the photographic memories forever.

Are we married to the same guy?!? My DH never takes my picture! On our first trip a few years back I gave him the point & shoot so that I would be able to be in a few pics...I would settle for 1 or 2 a day...and he filled the whole memory card with pics from rides and of course none of me with the kids!!! So now I force him to stop at EVERY photopass photographer that we see! That is his punishment! LOL

I think you are right about the refund on the prepayment on the photopass. It says it on the website somewhere I remember seeing it.

I say go for the SLR! You won't regret it, the learning curve isn't too bad. If you can use a point & shoot then you can use the SLR to shoot basic pictures. You will be so happy with the speed of the SLR, you can shoot multiple pics without pause with the SLR, that is may favorite part! Shooting fireworks isn't too bad, you will want a tripod or your pictures will be blurry though. The photography board has great tips on these types of things that you can read up on before you leave. My DSis got me a book for christmas last year that really helped too, it is called Canon EOS Digital Rebel Field Guide by Charlotte K. Lowrie. I am pretty sure she breaks down all the different brands of cameras in different books. The book is full color & explains the different features in simple terms! Good Luck

Miranda, I love the TR! You have taken some great pics. I hope that you are able to recover all of them. Do you upload your pics to snapfish or another online service before deleting them? I lost some pics a few years ago, nothing major just everyday stuff but ever since then I have made sure that I upload to my external hard drive, burn to cd & upload to snapfish before I will delete them from my memory cards!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

Christi

 

[mirandag819]

Miranda,

There are programs that you can get to get the pictures off of your memory cards from your camera even if you've deleted them. I do professional photography and two years ago my son accidently erased my memory card before I loaded a session onto my computer, I think the program cost me like $45 and it pulled up pictures on the card from the first time I ever used it 3 years ago! PM me if you want the website for the program!

I PM'd you, that sounds great if they can't fix my laptop without re-installing windows. They did tell me they could try my memory card too, but the geek squads price for memory card recovery was like $400 so that sounds a lot better!

I was wondering how many more late nights and early mornings everyone was going to put up with! I'm sorry you missed Chef Mickeys, but it sounds like everyone needed a rest! It would have been nice if they had told you the night before so you could sleep in, too.

There seems to be less and less photopass photographers around the parks. They also take some pretty lousy pictures. My theory is that they know they have us once we order the photopass CD, so they don't have to impress us with the quality or quantity of the pictures.

Atomic wedgie! LOL!

I love all the waterslide pictures!

After seeing Morgan in a bathing suit...I officialy hate your sister!
----------------------

OH NO!! I can't believe your computer crashed! That's awful! I sure hope they can recover the pictures! I go through laptops like crazy, too. I subscribed to a program called carbonite that automatically backs up all of your files and stores them online. Here's the link, if you're interested in the future www.carbonite.com .

I guess I don't sleep much at home so I can do the late nights and early morning, they are all wusses who can't hang.... hehe J/K!

Yeah I hate her too... so not fair.... she fits in a 3 year old's skirt and looks good in a bikinni...although the part I hate even more is...one of the bathing suits she wears later in the trip she stole from me....lord knows I couldn't fit my big butt in it now, but I still didn't like the reminder that I looked like that pre-Taylor.

Your daughter looks so adorable in these pics! I didn't see what you meant about the FGIT's facial expressions until that one pic - wonder what she was thinking at the time She definitely did a wonderful job on Taylor's hair!

I think she was talking and he just caught her at the wrong second.... there are some more funny faces in the pictures I am going to load tonight I think.....She was incredibly sweet and great with Taylor, and she looks happy and smiling in my pictures.... I blame the photopass guy for taking a bad picture of her (Just kidding on that one)

Wow, I absolutely LOVED your Typhoon Lagoon pictures. It was great that you had the water proof camera. Those must be the most pics I've ever seen from a water park. We're going to hit both water parks in August for the first time. I can't wait now.

I loved playing with the water proof camera, although because of it I didn't take as many playing outside the water pictures like last year.... I should have taken some of Taylor playing in the sand or posing with some of the landmarks.... but I did love getting some pictures from in the pool for once. We love the waterparks..... we did both TL and BB last year too and had a blast.

I'm sorry to hear you don't have oodles of photopass pics and that the quality on some isn't good -- I've read other threads about that lately as well. I am in a pickle as to whether or not to preorder it. I really want it b/c dh is apparently allergic to the camera and I am never in any pics. I have so few pics of me with the kids. I even had dh take pics at dd's pony party at our house (which was huge). Let's see, we ended up with seven pictures and not a single one was of dd!!!!! (Not to despair, a classmate's Father does photography on the side so I have a cd of 100+pictures but I would have been lost without him).

So I have to ask, if you had to do it over would you order the photopass pics?

I *think* you can preorder it and get your money back if you're not happy, though I'm not positive about this.

Also, how much time did you have to spend learning your camera? I may get an SLR prior to our trip but how hard was it to learn to take firework pics? I'm not sure if I should get an SLR or a good point and shoot. Our current point and shoot is mediocre -- it takes some really nice pics and then takes some duds. You never know what you're going to get.

Anyway, it's great to see some pics from your trip and I so hope you have luck recovering everything. It was such a splendid trip so far that I want you to have the photographic memories forever.

Okay that's funny it sounds like my DH too..... in fact... at AK I complained on the way out how we didn't get any photopass pictures, and that meant there weren't really any of me. Dee actually promised to take the camera for awhile on my bday at HS and take pictures with me in them.... in fact he promised and called it part of my bday present (now we will see if that actually happened or not).

The quality of the photopass pictures definatly went down this year.... quantity wasn't entirely their fault.... I mean we did see plenty in front of the park icons.... and didn't even get to stop for most of them!! That isn't Disney's fault.... that is my familys fault.... everyone kept saying we would do it later, but did we ever go back and stop? Nooooo! The thing that I hated was Disney's lack of photographers with the characters (last year almost every character had a photopass photog with them), and lack of ones in the water park.... Dee doesn't really like to stop for pictures when we are on our way to do something, so I loved how before there was photogs at the bottom of the waterslides, in the wave pool, in the lazy river.... stuff where they would just take your picture automatically and you didn't have to stop what you are doing and line up. There was none of that this year. Next year I am making Dee stop every time I see one since there are less of them, and I would like to be in more pictures. The other thing is, I look pictures with my camera and they are much better quality.... I wish I could add the Disney borders to my pictures and put them on a CD, but sadly they can't be added to the CD.

Anyhow as far as "would I pre-order it again" Maybe..... if I thought I could really convince Dee to stop more. I knew I could request a refund, but there were a few I liked..... and since I pre-ordered and used a Disney Visa discount I think my CD was only $85. Plus a lot of the pictures actually look worse on the CD then they did on the photopass site, so I think I was even more unhappy once the CD came.

I say go for the SLR.... I spent little to no time learning it before we went, I didn't have time to, I just bought it and I still had too much sewing to do. Honestly I left it in Auto for 95% of the trip. I loved being able to take pictures instantly and be able to take numerous pictures in a row without any delay between them. Now I really want to learn learn the camera so I can take even better pictures next year.... because really I used the SLR as a point and shoot for the most part this year, but at least I am happy with most of it's pictures.

Are we married to the same guy?!? My DH never takes my picture! On our first trip a few years back I gave him the point & shoot so that I would be able to be in a few pics...I would settle for 1 or 2 a day...and he filled the whole memory card with pics from rides and of course none of me with the kids!!! So now I force him to stop at EVERY photopass photographer that we see! That is his punishment! LOL

I think you are right about the refund on the prepayment on the photopass. It says it on the website somewhere I remember seeing it.

I say go for the SLR! You won't regret it, the learning curve isn't too bad. If you can use a point & shoot then you can use the SLR to shoot basic pictures. You will be so happy with the speed of the SLR, you can shoot multiple pics without pause with the SLR, that is may favorite part! Shooting fireworks isn't too bad, you will want a tripod or your pictures will be blurry though. The photography board has great tips on these types of things that you can read up on before you leave. My DSis got me a book for christmas last year that really helped too, it is called Canon EOS Digital Rebel Field Guide by Charlotte K. Lowrie. I am pretty sure she breaks down all the different brands of cameras in different books. The book is full color & explains the different features in simple terms! Good Luck

Miranda, I love the TR! You have taken some great pics. I hope that you are able to recover all of them. Do you upload your pics to snapfish or another online service before deleting them? I lost some pics a few years ago, nothing major just everyday stuff but ever since then I have made sure that I upload to my external hard drive, burn to cd & upload to snapfish before I will delete them from my memory cards!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

Christi

Yeah I wish mine would stop for photopass.... it is like pulling teeth to get him to stop sometimes, and there weren't many photogs with characters and stuff like before.

No... I took my laptop and deleted from my memory card daily (I took over 10,000 pictures so I couldn't not delete them).... really I should have just bought more memory cards. I normally copy to my external hard drive before I delete my pictures.... and I was trying to copy to it when the laptop crashed. I have my early days in photobucket, but I have been adding them to photobucket as I wrote my TR, so I only have the days we have covered so far.

 

[mirandag819]

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[heaven2dc]

I love the pic captured of Taylor looking in the mirror - how precious

 

[VBAndrea]

Are we married to the same guy?!? My DH never takes my picture! On our first trip a few years back I gave him the point & shoot so that I would be able to be in a few pics...I would settle for 1 or 2 a day...and he filled the whole memory card with pics from rides and of course none of me with the kids!!! So now I force him to stop at EVERY photopass photographer that we see! That is his punishment! LOL

I think you are right about the refund on the prepayment on the photopass. It says it on the website somewhere I remember seeing it.

I say go for the SLR! You won't regret it, the learning curve isn't too bad. If you can use a point & shoot then you can use the SLR to shoot basic pictures. You will be so happy with the speed of the SLR, you can shoot multiple pics without pause with the SLR, that is may favorite part! Shooting fireworks isn't too bad, you will want a tripod or your pictures will be blurry though. The photography board has great tips on these types of things that you can read up on before you leave. My DSis got me a book for christmas last year that really helped too, it is called Canon EOS Digital Rebel Field Guide by Charlotte K. Lowrie. I am pretty sure she breaks down all the different brands of cameras in different books. The book is full color & explains the different features in simple terms! Good Luck

Miranda, I love the TR! You have taken some great pics. I hope that you are able to recover all of them. Do you upload your pics to snapfish or another online service before deleting them? I lost some pics a few years ago, nothing major just everyday stuff but ever since then I have made sure that I upload to my external hard drive, burn to cd & upload to snapfish before I will delete them from my memory cards!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

Christi

Thanks for the camera tips. We already have a couple of tripods and one is really tiny and lightweight so would be easy to tote around. I think if I get one that has auto mode as well (which I think most all do) that it will be worth getting one. And I'm glad you told me about the lack of pause b/t pics -- a good feature for action packed Disney.

I'm sorry your dh also has camera allergies.

ETA: Miranda, thanks also for the reply. I will probably get the photopass cd preordered and just make sure I make dh stop for photos. We also have an old camera with a broken battery cover that we gave ds and he loves taking pics, so I may take that to Dis with us all well b/c he captures some unique things and he will take pics of me! I surely don't need or want to be in every photo, but a few of me would be nice!

 

[mirandag819]

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[mirandag819]

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[mirandag819]

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