Photopass....ahh!

[drj898]

I don't know why, but this whole Photopass business is confusing me! Lemme lay out what I know (or what I think I know) and then ask a couple questions and hopefully you guys can help me out!

From what I understand...you have your Photopass card that you either get before you leave if you pre-purchase something, or inside the parks when you get there, which you hand to the photographers when you get your photo taken..Swipe and off you go. Good so far? Ok ok lol, what's confusing me is how many options there are.

If I were to get the photopass CD, then I have all of my photos that they took of us during our trip, and full licensing forever so I have ownership of all the files. Am I right with that?

If I were to get the Photopass+...that includes the CD, as well as another CD with a whole bunch of stock Disney photos for our collection too....but in order to get actual photographs, we still need to buy them?!? Like if I'm home with the CD and I go to Walgreens or CVS or something with a computer where I can pick and print digital photos, I still need to pay a ton in order to get a bunch of 5x7's...8x10's...etc. Am I right?

So for $100 and up, I'm just buying ACCESS to those photos from my trip, taken professionally by the WDW Photopass photographers?


lol, I'm so sorry for all these questions...I just can't find suitable answers for all of my questions! And the believe it or not, to me....the Photopass website is overwhelming...the descriptions aren't specific enough for me.


I'll be there, staying club lvl at AKL with my girlfriend for 5 nights next month. I'll be proposing on our arrival night privately in our room. Which option do you think would be best for us? If it helps...we'll only have one ADR for the meals listed for photopass photos. (Tusker House breakfast).


Thank you so so much..you guys rock!!

[pfalcioni]

Here are the answers to all your questions http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

Well, about Photopass. So, not ALL your questions, but these specific questions :)

Scroll down near the bottom of the page to "Disney's Photopass Products" for information about what the CD gives you.

[drj898]

So for $120, I'll get a CD (or CD's if it's a LOT of photos), with all my photos in .jpg format...digital..high pro quality. And I can only access it for 30 days? What's with that 30 day business? Is the Photo CD exempt from that 30-day policy?

That's a lot of money for just a CD with photos...if I wanna print out any at a local photo place here in NY, it'll cost me per photo (per 5x7, 8x10, etc.)...right? If I can have a few of the photos printed out or in a photobook or something it'd be worth it. I'm not gonna spend $120 on a CD with photos. That's insane.

[annethomas]

I love my photo pass, they were the best photos of the entire trip! I told DH he needed to get in all the photos because 12 or 500 pics I am buying the photopass, after my CD got here he understood, so I bet this time his butt is in every picture!

[Triciari]

O

So for $120, I'll get a CD (or CD's if it's a LOT of photos), with all my photos in .jpg format...digital..high pro quality. And I can only access it for 30 days? What's with that 30 day business? Is the Photo CD exempt from that 30-day policy?

That's a lot of money for just a CD with photos...if I wanna print out any at a local photo place heIe in NY, it'll cost me per photo (per 5x7, 8x10, etc.)...right? If I can have a few of the photos printed out or in a photobook or something it'd be worth it. I'm not gonna spend $120 on a CD with photos. That's insane.

I agree that $120 for photos is a lot. But, I usually do a photo "share.". If you find some other people with dates close to yours (here's where the 30 day window comes in) you can split the cost as many ways as you want. On my last trip I split with 3 other families, so it only cost $25 (cd used to be $99.) This was definitely worth it in my opinion.

[vicki_c]

The one thing to realize is that to purchase either prints or digital downloads from the Photopass site (if you don't go the CD route), they cost around $14.95 each (or maybe for 2 5x7 prints) - in that range. Pictures purchased in the park cost about the same. Ride photos (only available on the more expensive Photopass+ product) cost more than that - seems like they were around $20 last time we bought one. Now, if you don't get any photos taken, or you don't like any of them, then I guess none of that matters. But if you do and decide you want to purchase 10 photos, it's already cheaper to purchase the Photopass CD.

You are proposing at WDW, correct? In that case, there is no way I wouldn't do the Photopass CD and pre purchase it. If you get home and find you don't want the photos, or there's not enough, or whatever - you can request a refund on the Photopass CD pre-purchase before you actually order it. Your photos would still be on the site (within the time limits) and you could just download or order a few if you want.

It's fun to get the photos and edit them - I think they even have some "engaged" type borders you can add to the photo on the website.

As for the time limits, once you have the CD - of course, those are yours forever. On the site however, photos in your account stay there for 30 days after they are taken if you don't "claim" them by entering your PP card # on the site. Once you claim them (in that 1-30 window from when the first picture was taken), you get an additional 30 days to edit them and then you have to order things or they will be deleted. So a maximum of 60 days, but it could be less depending on when you claim the photos. That Stitch Kingdom link given above explains it well.

[clanmcculloch]

The part that you're missing is that with the CD you also get a copyright notice giving you permission to print these photos at any photo lab. While the print cost directly from PhotoPass start I think around $15 each, you can print them at CVS for something like $0.12 each. That's not a ton of $$ for the prints. Ordering the prints from PhotoPass is a ton of $$. This is just a bit extra. If you'll be wanting more than a handful of print or you'll be wanting the digital image then the cost of the CD is worthwhile. You will own the jpgs on a CD and you can print them at any discount photo lab that you'd like for very little cost. That's more than just access to the photos. You will own them images and you can do all sorts of digital projects with them if you'd like. Lots of people do digital scrapbooking these days and you'll have these photos on a disc for doing anything you'd like with them.

I would really recommend pre-ordering the CD. If you decide you don't like the pictures when you look through them after your trip then you can easily get your money back rather then actually ordering the CD.

The time limit doesn't mean that your disc is set to auto-destruct after 30 days. You have 30 days from the time the pictures are taken to enter the code from the PhotoPass card(s) into your account. From the time you enter the code(s) into your account you then have 30 days to do any edits that you'd like and get your CD ordered. After that, you'll have your CD forever (unless you lose it or damage it but basically the photos on the disc never expire).

[Brandie]

What do you think your soon-to-be-fiance would like? Does she value printed pictures? Does she have a huge collection of well-filed digital pictures on her computer? Does she scrapbook? Does she blog? Does she send out a Christmas newsletter with pictures from the entire year?

As others have suggested, you can pre-purchase, look at the photos when you get home and then ask for a refund if you aren't happy with the pictures. Then your girlfriend can help you decide.

[drj898]

It's win win really....i mean ill probably keep the photos and not do a refund. But its clear this is the way to go.

Maybe a photo session is in order since we'll be staying in AKL...lol

My TA just gave me that Stitch Kingdom link too...really must be good!

Thanks!

[BeckyW]

If the thought of paying for a bunch of 5x7's at a CVS/etc is overwhelming to you, you might want to consider up-loading all of them onto a site like Shutterfly, Snapfish, etc, where you can create a really nice hard-cover, glossy-page photo-book. Many of the sights have them sales, or even free ones!
I did this with our PP CD last trip, and created a "storybook" of photos, using a bunch of mine, and a bunch of the PP ones, for my DD3. She loves looking through the book, it's such a great keepsake! It would be a fun idea for you guys, especially since it will be the "time we got engaged" photo book! You'll be able to show your grandkids ;)

[clanmcculloch]

I also don't tend to print many pictures. Maybe one day when I finally get all that scrapbooking that I keep saying I want to do done. LOL I have made several photobooks though and I do use my photopass pictures in the books. I tend to make the books when deals of some kind come out. I actually need to check to see if my certificates for free photobooks with Shutterfly have expired or not (I've gotten 2 with the purchase of cameras from Best Buy but I haven't used them). Basically I end up just paying for extra pages and I try to place my orders when there's some other kind of sale going on as well. I really would recommend only printing what you'll actually use and also consider the books as they really do look nice.

[MarineMomJenny]

Ok. So i'm reading all this and trying to understand. I do print lots of pix for frames, scrapbooking, etc. This trip is our first to WDW as a family and quite possible the only time we'll come since my middle child is almost 16.

We received a photopass card to register before we come if we want.

So, I pay for it, it will be scanned each time someone takes our photo and then when I get home I'll be mailed a CD?

[pfalcioni]

Be sure to read this great resource http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/ it will tell you everything you need to know.

There's a bit more to it than just buying the CD, getting pics taken, and having the CD sent to you, but it's still pretty easy.

[Bernie2003]

We got the photopass for the first time this last trip. Someone commented that it's so nice to see so many pics of my whole family in each shot...instead of dh or I always being behind the camera. Just something to think about!

[Figaro]

If you had a 6mm Nikkor fisheye lens, with an angle of view of 220 degrees, you could get everybody in. :)

One recently sold for £100,000 (160,000 USD).
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk...s-up-in-london

Kidding. ;)

[LizD]

Just one thought: Dh and I went to WDW for our honeymoon 11 years ago, this was before Photopass or at least we didn't know about it. Almost every photo I have is one of him, then one of me. We have a couple of pics that were taken by kind strangers who we had to ask to take a photo for us but I always felt bad asking. Plus if this stranger's photo skills aren't great then you have to ask somebody else. Just something to think about.

[pfalcioni]

The photopass photographers will take pictures with your personal camera also. No need to rely on strangers or buy the CD unless you really want to, there's always options :)

[clanmcculloch]

As somebody who lost her camera at the very end of her last trip (as in dropped on DME and it wasn't turned in) I have to say that I'm grateful to have my Photopass CD.

Also, our kids (mostly DD14) will only stand still so long for the pictures. Yes we could get the pictures taken with our own camera after they've taken the pictures with theirs but by that point we won't get a smile out of DD14 since the photographers always have us facing the sun and she is extremely sensitive to bright light even with sunglasses and a hat shading her eyes. We're lucky to get one or two shots snapped before she's covering her face.

[bnoble]

You are proposing at WDW, correct? In that case, there is no way I wouldn't do the Photopass CD and pre purchase it.

This, exactly.

As for $120 being expensive, or not...we just got back from a week at Sea World/Universal. We probably bought about 7 different ride photos. We easily spent $120 on them. That's just what theme park photography costs.

[tlseege]

I am confused by the photopass thing and the stitchkingdom website doesn't address it.

I have already prepurchased the CD. I did it before they raised the prices, and that was before Photopass+. At the time, they said you could add the ride pictures and such to the CD, but now that's only included in the Photopass+.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Will there be an option to upgrade at some point? Will I be grandfathered in?

[JulieC]

There is an upgrade from pre-purchased PhotoPass to pre-purchased PhotoPass+ now. It became available a few days before my trip in June, but required mail time.

[clanmcculloch]

I am confused by the photopass thing and the stitchkingdom website doesn't address it.

I have already prepurchased the CD. I did it before they raised the prices, and that was before Photopass+. At the time, they said you could add the ride pictures and such to the CD, but now that's only included in the Photopass+.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Will there be an option to upgrade at some point? Will I be grandfathered in?

Yes you can add the ride photos to your regular photopass CD. For a cost. You can purchase digital images of the ride photo for $15 (at least that was the price in February). For that price you'll be given a photopass card with the picture coded on it. When you add the card number to your photopass account, the image will be included on your CD along with any copies you make with fun borders. In addition, you'll get to immediately do a digital download of the image to your PC (even when you buy the CD you can't get the downloads of regular photopass pictures, you have to wait for the CD, but with these you get the download in addition to getting it on the CD).

The old photopass never gave you the ride photos for free. There was always a cost. Only in the past maybe 8-10 months (definitely less than a year) have they sold digital images. Before that they would sell only photos and once you bought the photos you could use the code on the side of the picture or on your receipt to add the picture to your photopass account to do all the stuff I mentioned above. The digital image is cheaper than the smallest photo which I think started at $17 or $18. Not a lot cheaper but still a bit cheaper, and is particularly nice if you don't care to have to carry the photo around in the park.

Yes you can upgrade your pre-order. You'll lose the discount from ordering. Instead of paying $50 to upgrade (the difference between the current regular and plus) you'll pay $70 (the difference between what you paid and the plus). That's the boat I'm in.

[tlseege]

Booo on the $70 vs $50, but thank you so much for explaining that to me!

[Danicaca]

I am going to ask here instead of starting a new thread - If I pre-purchase the photopass+, all of my character meals and ride photos will be on the cd, for me to print on my own (like at walgreens, shutterfly, etc.) just like the regular photopass? I have not been able to get a clear comparison of the two. If this is the case, the + is a great value!
Danica

[clanmcculloch]

Danica, Your understanding is correct. It really is a great value if you've got several meals with photos and you love getting the ride photos. If you wouldn't normally want the meal photos or you wouldn't normally want the ride photos then you have to decide if it's something worth paying extra for.

We buy maybe half our meal photos because many don't come out to our liking. We don't buy many ride photos because we don't ride that many rides that have photopass. I suppose on trips where I've got a few meals with pictures I'll likely buy the plus but I know for my upcoming trip I've only got one and I'm only riding I think 4 rides where photos are available (though one ride we'd need 3 separate pictures to get all 4 of us) so if I actually wanted every one of the pictures it would cost me ($30+($15*7)=$135 but knowing that we don't usually want many of these pictures, it's not nearly as attractive. Plus I'm kind of cutting off my nose despite my face and throwing a tantrum that I'll have to lost the $20 savings I got by buying my photopass so early. Yes, I know, very mature of me. LOL