Who can tell me more about the photo pass thing?

[dcm712]

I read a little bit about the photo thing where they have photographers take pictures of you throughout the park and you can buy them later. Can anyone tell me some more about that?

Debbie

 

[Sherry E]

I read a little bit about the photo thing where they have photographers take pictures of you throughout the park and you can buy them later. Can anyone tell me some more about that?

Debbie

I just had my first experience with Photopass this past weekend. I have yet to actually go on their site and view my pictures and purchase my CD.

This is my experience: we found more Photopass photographers in DCA than in DL. The first one you approach, you ask for a card and they take your picture - usually 2 or 3 photos - and load it/them on the card, which you then take to the next PP photographer you see and they load their pictures, etc. They are very helpful and patient, and they will wait for other folks to move out of the way to get your photos without any stray arms or heads intruding in the frame. They will even ASK people to move out of the way for you, but they will also wait for others to get their pictures taken before doing yours.

There are many different types of silly poses they get you in. We were asked repeatedly to put our hands on our hips and to point at the ground. We were also asked to look scared and to hold the palms of our hands out. When they ask you to do this, it means that a character is being placed in your photo - like Stitch is coming out of the ground as we point at him; Tinkerbell is sitting in our palms as we hold them out, etc. From what I have read on DISboards, there are lots of other poses they can have you do which will end up with characters in the finished product, like pretending you are 'lifting' the Golden Gate bridge, for example, but we kept getting asked to do the same things. They can also get you with California Screamin' in the background so the ears in the coaster appear on your head.

We also found that many of the character photo stations were Photopass. In DCA, we tried to get Sully, but it was hot and he had to go inside. We got several villains who were just out for the Halloween season. We stood in front of the Mickey Pumpkin on Main Street, and did all kinds of things in DCA at the TOTP. I guess that on Pirate's Lair, they also can pose you so you look like you are dueling with Captain Hook, but PL was closed when we went.

Even though we mainly saw more PP photographers in DCA than in DL, they are fairly easy to spot. They wear dark blue pants and usually have tripods near them (some don't, though). They are giving out a special Halloween PP card right now. They can load unlimited photos on your card, too, which is a great deal.

Anyway, so the card and the photo sessions are free. Once you have gotten back home, you have 30 days from the first use of the card to go onto the PP site, enter in the code from your card and view your pictures. You can load multiple cards onto one account, but make sure only ONE person keeps all the cards at the end of the trip. After you have registered and entered your card numbers, you have another 30 days to buy. Then, you can either purchase only the pictures you want, or get the whole CD with all of them, which, I believe is about $60 plus tax and shipping. (The WDW PP CD is more expensive.) You can edit your photos and apply your own borders, and every time you do that, you save a different version of the photo, so basically, you can have several different versions of each picture, which is also a good deal.

And if you have looked at anyone's PP pictures on DISboards, you will know that they usually come out great - the lighting and centering is great. It is a good option if yu don't have a good camera or of you want back-up photos in case your pictures come out badly, and to just make sure that everyone in your party gets in the photos, which doesn't always happen if one person is always taking the pictures!!!

 

[dcm712]

Wow Sherry..thanks so much for the detailed information. It sounds great! I wonder how much you have to pay per picture if you only want a few shots? I'd imagine it's not all that cheap because that's how they make their money. Regardless, it's great to have someone else take them so the whole family can be in the picture!

Thanks again!

Debbie

 

[Sherry E]

Wow Sherry..thanks so much for the detailed information. It sounds great! I wonder how much you have to pay per picture if you only want a few shots? I'd imagine it's not all that cheap because that's how they make their money. Regardless, it's great to have someone else take them so the whole family can be in the picture!

Thanks again!

Debbie

Well, I should be able to tell you soon about the prices for individual photos when I finally go on and view mine, but I am sure someone else will be able to give us that information sooner! I think that getting the whole $60 CD is a bargain, because you can get tons of photos on one card, different versions of each photos, special characters popping up in your photos and you can apply different borders and things. Then, you can share them and do whatever you want with them. At first, my friend was kind of puzzled as to why I wanted to use PP the other day, but her photos always come out badly and I am not in the good ones that I take, and once she saw all the different photo opportunities, she realized it was a good deal. Plus, I had already seen people's PP picures on DISboards and knew that they come out great. I actually can't wait to see what kinds of holiday stuff they have available for Christmas.

I was surprised at the lofty price for photos at Goofy's Kitchen. See, last year when we went to Goofy's, they did not make us get in a photo with Pluto. They asked us if we wanted to and we declined because of the price. Now, they 'escort' all of the arriving guests over to Pluto and take your picture, then they print it out, frame it in a Goofy's frame and bring it to your table and 'ask' if you want to buy it. I would love to have bought it but for two different sizes of one photo, it was like $33 or something! That is crazy! But they think that by showing you your photo, that will warm your heart and you will open your wallet! I said, "No, thank you. Not in my budget." I mean, the price of two sizes of that picture was about the same price as the meal at Goofy's itself! I would rather have three platefuls of food than one photo in two sizes for $30+!!!!