PhotoPass+ worth it?

[rufio]

I was just reading the description.

Capture more memories than ever with Disney PhotoPass+! With Disney PhotoPass+ you can have all your Disney’s PhotoPass Photographer photos PLUS select Attraction photos AND Dining Print Packages – All for one price.
Product Details:

• PhotoPass+ will be sold at PhotoPass Sales Centers located throughout the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
• With PhotoPass+ you will have digital files of all your PhotoPass photos, Attraction photos, and Dining photos taken within a 14 day visit to the Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort as well as Print Packages at select Dining locations.
• Once you arrive home from your vacation, you can view your photos and order a PhotoCD with all the high resolution photos plus a limited license agreement, which allows you to print photos at any local photo processing center.

Walt Disney World Participating Attractions:

• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Rock ‘n Roller Coaster
• Expedition Everest
• Dinosaur

Walt Disney World Participating Character Dining Locations:

• 1900 Park Fare
• Ohana (Breakfast only)
• Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
• Chef Mickey’s
• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Tusker House Restaurant
• Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue
• Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Disneyland Participating Attractions:

• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
• California Screamin’
• Radiator Springs Racers

Disneyland Participating Character Dining Locations:

• PCH Grill
• Goofy’s Kitchen
• Ariel’s Grotto
• Plaza Inn

Disney PhotoPass+ Includes:

• PhotoPass+ Card and Lanyard
• A gallery CD with over 300 stock photos
• A unique code to create and order a PhotoCD with all your photos online at DisneyPhotoPass.com
• Print Packages at select Dining locations
• Digital Downloads of select Attractions

All for one price!
$199.95 Walt Disney World Resort/ $99.95 Disneyland Resort

So you get the photo CD for free and can print from it? Is this deal worth it? It's $169.95 online.

**EDIT** We do plan on eating at CRT and Akershus.

 

[meyeet]

Do the photopass photographers walk around at Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare?

 

[dmeans]

I just wanted to share my experience as we just returned from WDW and did purchase the photopass+. on our photopass+ we came home with near 300 pics from rides, character dinners, and photographers around the world. we also came home with an additional 1000 pics on our phones and cameras that i uploaded. we were a group of 6. ride photos ran about $15 each and we had 95 of them (yes 95) because they were already paid for we got everyone of them and had a fun time doing silly things on rides after the first initial din't know pic. also the photographers were great. each let us take several poses and took "magic' pics too. overall it was worth every penny to us. i'm not sure i'd do it every trip but i think i will. both my son and daughter brought a friend and as soon as the disk came we made copies for all to have at their house. now the last thing i want to say is this and i think it is very important. you only get the one card and this was a concern at first about "what if we split up?" well the very first photographer we stopped at told me this without even asking. he said if everyone in the party takes a picture of the card on their phone the camera readers of the photographer will read it off the phone and you can then easily separate. choose for your family what is right for you but i love it.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Do the photopass photographers walk around at Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare?

I have never seen them in there.

To OP- we never do Photopass and only once have I ever purchased any of the photopass pics...mainly b/c I got a 3 for the price of 2 deal and there were 2 photos I really liked that didn't duplicate anything I'd taken. Finding a 3rd one to buy was practially impossible. We just take so few Photopass pics and of the ones we did- most of my personal pics were better. I take A LOT of pictures...like avg 1,500...so it's just a waste for us. That being said- I know people where Photopass is great for them. They don't like to lug a camera and want everyone in the pics... so it works really great for them. Either way- can't see any reason to do the +.

 

[dreamfinder]

Keep in mind they give you a timeframe for the photos to expire - I'm pretty sure it's 30 days. If you are going for 2 weeks, and you access your photos from a Photopass desk on day 2, the clock starts ticking on the 30 days from that point. You can always get an extension, but they charge for that (it used to be $4.95 for a week, I think).

Yes and no. From when the pictures are taken you have 30 days to claim them on your account. Once claimed, you have 30 days to do your edits before the pictures expire. Viewing the photos in park at a Photopass desk doesn't start either countdown timer as the pictures are not being associated with your account. However, don't wait til the last minute. While it has been getting better, the Photopass site still has a habit of going down without warning for hours on end. So if you wait til 10PM on day 29 to order, you may find that the site is down until after your 30 days are up.

Do the photopass photographers walk around at Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare?

Nope. Logistically I can't see it ever happening either. Trying to juggle photopass cards, while getting in front of the character for the next set of photos, would end up with alot of mis-tagged photos, and missing photos.

 

[disneygirl76]

Do the photopass photographers walk around at Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare?

No, they don't "walk" around like when you are with the characters, but you get your photo before you go in. And then the photographers come to your table and ask if you want to buy. With Photopass+, you give them your PP+ card and the photos are uploaded to the card, like any other photos a Photopass photographer would take. You don't have to pay extra for it.

 

[meyeet]

No, they don't "walk" around like when you are with the characters, but you get your photo before you go in. And then the photographers come to your table and ask if you want to buy. With Photopass+, you give them your PP+ card and the photos are uploaded to the card, like any other photos a Photopass photographer would take. You don't have to pay extra for it.

OK, that is what I was wondering, where the pics were taken. Who is the picture with? Chef Mickey or a random character that is available?

 

[dreamfinder]

OK, that is what I was wondering, where the pics were taken. Who is the picture with? Chef Mickey or a random character that is available?

Nope. CRT should be Cinderella, Askershus is normally Belle, Tusker House is usually Donald (but he may change for like Daisy). The other locations are just with a backdrop and maybe a prop. Really just a group shot of your party with a logo. Kinda like something you would get on a cruise ship.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Yes and no. From when the pictures are taken you have 30 days to claim them on your account. Once claimed, you have 30 days to do your edits before the pictures expire. Viewing the photos in park at a Photopass desk doesn't start either countdown timer as the pictures are not being associated with your account. However, don't wait til the last minute. While it has been getting better, the Photopass site still has a habit of going down without warning for hours on end. So if you wait til 10PM on day 29 to order, you may find that the site is down until after your 30 days are up.

I know what I did - my dad had brought his laptop and I registered our cards and viewed the photos in the room. I had also viewed the Jedi Traning Academy photos at a photopass desk so I was confusing the two. The prior year I registered the photopass cards they mailed us a week before we left - so when we returned home I only had 2 weeks before they expired. That's when I discovered the extention option.

 

[dreamfinder]

I know what I did - my dad had brought his laptop and I registered our cards and viewed the photos in the room. I had also viewed the Jedi Traning Academy photos at a photopass desk so I was confusing the two. The prior year I registered the photopass cards they mailed us a week before we left - so when we returned home I only had 2 weeks before they expired. That's when I discovered the extention option.

And you found the downside with pre-registering a photopass card, or using an old one. Supposedly the photos won't start ticking down til you actually view them once allowing you to re-use an old card, but I haven't confirmed that. I always get a new one and wait until I have them all to start editing as I normally take the full 30 days to do my edits.

 

[TERRILYNN]

I'm confused, I thought at CRT and Akershus the price of the photos taken was included in the meals, is this not the same at 1900 Park? So are the photopass ones different photos than those?

 

[Obi]

just a few questions, since i've been thinking about getting the photopass+... i know that you get 1 pp+ card, but do you get extra regualr pp cards that you can add the pics to your account? also, i'm a little bit confused and this may sound like a dumb question buuuuuuuuuuuut, if i preorder my pp+ card, go on down to the world, have a bunch of pics taken, get back and claim/edit the ones i want, and here comes the confusing part, every info i've seen on the pp+ sites say then you order them... does this mean i'm paying another price for just the pics i want and edited? i was thinking that it was included and i don't have to pay after that... the sites aren't very clear on that.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

It may not be kosher to direct forum members to a different site, but Disney Tourist Blog did a pretty in-depth review on Photopass+. Contains a lot of good pro's and con's to consider.
http://www.disneytouristblog.com/photopass-plus-review/

Man that guy looks familiar @WDWFigment nice review.

 

[dreamfinder]

I'm confused, I thought at CRT and Akershus the price of the photos taken was included in the meals, is this not the same at 1900 Park? So are the photopass ones different photos than those?

CRT and Akershus are the only meals that have the photos included with the price. The other locations that have pictures out front, will come through and try to sell them to you. At which point you could buy them, and they would give you the prints with a Photopass number on the side to add to your Photopass account. Or you can show them your Photopass+ card, and they will just hand you the the prints for free.

just a few questions, since i've been thinking about getting the photopass+... i know that you get 1 pp+ card, but do you get extra regualr pp cards that you can add the pics to your account? also, i'm a little bit confused and this may sound like a dumb question buuuuuuuuuuuut, if i preorder my pp+ card, go on down to the world, have a bunch of pics taken, get back and claim/edit the ones i want, and here comes the confusing part, every info i've seen on the pp+ sites say then you order them... does this mean i'm paying another price for just the pics i want and edited? i was thinking that it was included and i don't have to pay after that... the sites aren't very clear on that.

The Photopass+ is just a fancy Photopass card that gives you the ability to get the extra prints. Much in the same way that the MNSSHP specific Photopass cards allowed you add Halloween themed pictures to your account for free. You can still have as many other Photopass cards or numbers as you get while on your trip. For instance, if there happens to be a Photopass photographer at the waterpark, they will give you a special smaller card on a bracelet so you don't lose it.

When you prepurchase the Photopass+, you will get a voucher to redeem for a Photopass+ in park, a voucher to redeem for a Photopass CD, and a stock photo CD. (There are a few other small things in there as well) You redeem the Photopass+ voucher to get the special Photopass+ card, that will let you get the ride and meal photos for no extra charge. You then flash the Photopass+ card where applicable, and can use that for normal Photopass opportunities as well, or get a plain old Photopass card for normal Photopass locations. You then finish your trip, and add the numbers from any Photopass card you have (Photopass+ included) to your Photopass account. You then edit all your pictures, and then when done editing within the 30 days, you use the Photopass CD voucher they provided you to order the Photopass CD. They then send you the Photopass CD(s) with a copy of all the originals, and the edits.

 

[meyeet]

When you prepurchase the Photopass+, you will get a voucher to redeem for a Photopass+ in park, a voucher to redeem for a Photopass CD, and a stock photo CD. (There are a few other small things in there as well) You redeem the Photopass+ voucher to get the special Photopass+ card, that will let you get the ride and meal photos for no extra charge. You then flash the Photopass+ card where applicable, and can use that for normal Photopass opportunities as well, or get a plain old Photopass card for normal Photopass locations. You then finish your trip, and add the numbers from any Photopass card you have (Photopass+ included) to your Photopass account. You then edit all your pictures, and then when done editing within the 30 days, you use the Photopass CD voucher they provided you to order the Photopass CD. They then send you the Photopass CD(s) with a copy of all the originals, and the edits.

And then you can take the photos from the CD to any store (or to online sites like Shutterfly) to buy the prints that you want in any quantity that you want, and any size.

 

[dreamfinder]

And then you can take the photos from the CD to any store (or to online sites like Shutterfly) to buy the prints that you want in any quantity that you want, and any size.

That is the idea yes. The CD will include a limited release, which basically says you can use them pretty much any way you want to, as long as it is for personal, non commercial use. So printing em at Shutterfly, making your own photo book through SnapFish, whatever. I have never needed to show it, but some places will ask to see it before they will release the prints to you.

A note on the size, when you do your edits, make sure to do them in the size you want to print. They let you do 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, which should cover most popular sizes. For a simple crop, its not a big deal. But if you put borders and the like on them, 1 of 3 things will happen. 1) The picture will be stretched to fit and look all funny. 2) The picture will be cropped to fit and you will lose some of the picture. 3) The picture will be fit as it, but you will be left with blank edges on 2 of the sides.

 

[disneygirl76]

OK, that is what I was wondering, where the pics were taken. Who is the picture with? Chef Mickey or a random character that is available?

Acutally, last time I went, kind of a rip off. They have you stand in front of a cut out saying Chef Mickey so you don't actually get Mickey in the picture. Now a picture of Mickey, autographed is also in the package but not with you. The same is at Grand Floridian 1900 Park Fare. They stand you in front of a mosaic with no characters. You used to get your pic with Bert and Mary but you had to take the pic yourself. Now Mary is inside with the other characters and you just get your pic in front of a wall.

 

[disneygirl76]

I'm confused, I thought at CRT and Akershus the price of the photos taken was included in the meals, is this not the same at 1900 Park? So are the photopass ones different photos than those?

That is correct - part of your package for CRT and Akerhaus but not for 1900 Park Fare or Chef Mickey. Each character dining place is different.

 

[disneygirl76]

And then you can take the photos from the CD to any store (or to online sites like Shutterfly) to buy the prints that you want in any quantity that you want, and any size.

I usually go through Shutterfly. I copy them off the disk, make a back up disk (cause i'm a crazy person ) and from my computer, upload the images to shutterfly and then order what I want.

 

[paul436]

I was just reading the description.
So you get the photo CD for free and can print from it? Is this deal worth it? It's $169.95 online.

**EDIT** We do plan on eating at CRT and Akershus.

It would be worth it for my family. We spend a lot on photos every trip. It is always tough to pick which ride photo we liked best because when we ride multiple times there are multiple pics. Can't buy them all but can with this package apparently.

 

[lebeau]

I am often amazed at what a lot of people are willing to spend money on in Disney World. Photopass is one of those things. For $100. I'll just hand my camera to the photographer for group shots. I would rather not be in most of the vacation pics anyway. I want pics of the kids and a couple group shots. Never had any problem getting those on my own.

I would consider paying $50 for dining and ride pics. But I don't see much value in paying $160 for the whole thing. I'm sure some people will get their use out of it. But to do so requires some effort to make it a value. Effort I'm not willing to make when I can just as easily take my own pictures for free.