I've heard some people mention photopass plus so I would like to know...What is photopass+ and where do you get it? Does it cost more?
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Photopass +
- Thread starter janelove956
- Start date
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
If the price looks steep to you, keep in mind that even if you don't purchase Photopass, Photopass photographers (and all CMs) will gladly take a picture of you with your own camera, on request, for free. We have them do it all of the character meets and iconic locations, like in front of Cinderella Castle. (Of course, that means you don't have the ride photos, character Photoshopped "magic shots" and other perks of Photopass+).
janoimagine
Well-Known Member
For what you pay for Photopasse's, or Photopass +, do yourself a favor and buy a decent point and shoot, no offense to the Disney Photographers, but most are kids, making minimum wage, who have been thrown into those roles and have no clue what makes for a good photo other than putting you on a pre-determined mark and telling you 'say cheese'. Aside from the Cruise Line, Disney wont employ commercial shooters in those roles. You can get much better shots yourself and you will still have that camera at the end of the trip.
CP_alum08
Well-Known Member
Couldn't agree more. Buy a decent point and shoot and a $10 mini fold-up tripod and you will be better off.
Agreed. After looking into it I don't think it would be worth it. Plus I didn't know you could ask a CM to take a picture for you! That way we could all be in it 
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
Do they really not train the photopass people how to do their jobs?
CaptainJackNO
Well-Known Member
Not worth it. Plus, to gt your money out of it, you have to take many pics, which cuts into park time.
janoimagine
Well-Known Member
Being a decent photographer is more than knowing the basic settings of your camera, and sadly some don't even know that, I think if they spent a little more on quality shooters, they could justify the expense, and get a higher guest satisfaction rating on their system.
Gt2BtheGoodLife
Active Member
This is the explination that I use almost every day at work: (please note this covers how the PP+ works and how you get your photos as well, the post is a bit old, only thing that's changed is the storage policy of photos expire 45 days after date capture!) http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/photopass-plus-help-needed.857868/#post-5262685
As for where you get it, you've got 2 options, you can pre-order through the photopass website (possibly for a lower cost) or purchase on the first day of your vacation. If you purchase during your vacation it's $199.95 plus tax
If you have any questions feel free to ask!
MarkTwain
Well-Known Member
I will say that of all cast members I know, Photopass get some of the most extensive training of any department outside entertainment. Photopass CMs often go through at least a month of training before being allowed onto the field on their own, and are generally well-trained in what camera settings to use in different times of day, weather conditions, and locations. Most are also required to have experience in photography and to submit a portfolio for review. One of my best friends is a Photopass photographer.
That said, generally yes, most are college kids on minimum wage and probably can't match the expertise of a professional photographer.
One unsung (in this thread) perk of Photopass+ is that it also includes all ride photos. So think of all the trips on Everest, Splash, and Space Mountain (and the half-dozen or so other rides with ride photos) that you make in a trip, and you get a ride photo included with all of them.
Ok after having read your link I am thinking twice about it. See I am a photographer but I am not going to carry my giant cansará with me to the parks. Not to mention that the quality I will get with my phone or regular camera is not the same as with a professional camera. Now yes I could take the pictures myself but then I will never be in them, which is what usually happens. This time I want to be pay off the action not behind the scenes. I have to think about this.....This is the explination that I use almost every day at work: (please note this covers how the PP+ works and how you get your photos as well, the post is a bit old, only thing that's changed is the storage policy of photos expire 45 days after date capture!) http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/photopass-plus-help-needed.857868/#post-5262685
As for where you get it, you've got 2 options, you can pre-order through the photopass website (possibly for a lower cost) or purchase on the first day of your vacation. If you purchase during your vacation it's $199.95 plus tax
Gt2BtheGoodLife
Active Member
And that's why photopass is such an awesome service
because everyone can be in the photo! If you have any questions just let me know and I'll answer them the best I can.
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
Let me offer a counterpoint.
We've always pre-bought the Photopass (saves a little $) and last trip did Photopass+. We've really enjoyed every picture we've gotten. The addition of the ride and meal photos (for us) makes it a good bargain, because we'd be purchasing these anyway. Knowing I've pre-bought the photopass makes us stop and get more family pictures, which I've never regretted. I've also not ever had a single complaint with the photos that they have taken. And for me (and this is personal, not a judgement of those above that have mentioned doing it) I hate to feel like I'm the person slowing up any line. It's a personal pet peeve of mine, so having the Photopass person take pictures with their camera, then having them have to take pictures with my own camera, while everyone else waits in line, just triggers something in me that I don't like. So, I'm happy when the Photopass person can just take 3-4 pictures with their camera and move along.
I've been pre-purchasing the photopass CD for years, and last year (and again coming up in 10 days), I've jumped up to the Photopass+ and I've always felt I got my money's worth out of it.
So, for me, I've been very happy with the service and results.
We've always pre-bought the Photopass (saves a little $) and last trip did Photopass+. We've really enjoyed every picture we've gotten. The addition of the ride and meal photos (for us) makes it a good bargain, because we'd be purchasing these anyway. Knowing I've pre-bought the photopass makes us stop and get more family pictures, which I've never regretted. I've also not ever had a single complaint with the photos that they have taken. And for me (and this is personal, not a judgement of those above that have mentioned doing it) I hate to feel like I'm the person slowing up any line. It's a personal pet peeve of mine, so having the Photopass person take pictures with their camera, then having them have to take pictures with my own camera, while everyone else waits in line, just triggers something in me that I don't like. So, I'm happy when the Photopass person can just take 3-4 pictures with their camera and move along.
I've been pre-purchasing the photopass CD for years, and last year (and again coming up in 10 days), I've jumped up to the Photopass+ and I've always felt I got my money's worth out of it.
So, for me, I've been very happy with the service and results.
allgiggles
Well-Known Member
I feel the same way. We've been very happy with most of the pictures we've gotten with Photpass & Photopass+. While some of them have been less than perfect, the vast majority of them have been great. Having the whole family in the shot (without having to ask a stranger to take our picture) is priceless. And having the ride photos included is a huge bonus for us. We're a family of 7 so when we're on rides that have a photo op, we would need to buy 2 or 3 photos to get everyone in the family. That pays for itself in no time. And on our last trip (June 2013), we had a PP photographer in MK named Brent and found his shots to be spectacular. We came across him in 2 different locations. One was near the castle and the pictures he took made it look like we were the only people in the park. The second location was at a Mickey M&G where he snapped several candid shots as our girls were meeting Mickey. We love those candids more than the posed shots. I only wish we had met him on our first day at MK rather than our 3 & 4th days because I would have sought him out to get more shots done by him.
Photopass saved us on our trip several years ago. Our camera got broken on Day 1 of our visit. The phones we had at that time had crappy cameras so the pictures we took with those are not very good. The only nice pictures we have from that trip are the Photopass ones.
For us, the price of PP+ is such a small percentage of our total cost when traveling to Disney that it's a no-brainer. We'll always pre-purchase it.
awoogala
Well-Known Member
We have had 4 years of beautiful pp discs. We love them. Usually before we go to Disney, while packing, we throw them on the tv, and it flips through all our trips at Disney. Nice way to get ready. Also, we have had some amazing pics taken. Magic photos are cute. I can say I'll do all that on my own, but the discs have been a nice, worthwhile souvenir for us.
Our last trip was not great. The pics were not as good, the photographers were hard to find, etc. I am hoping it was a fluke (it was the week after the marathon, and the week all the new college program kids came on).
The addition of the meal photos (which I never would have paid for) upped the value for us. The ride photos- not as much, since after waiting in a long line once or twice to get our photos, I got aggravated with the process and gave up-wasted way too much time for me, personally.
We already bought our pp+ for November!
Our last trip was not great. The pics were not as good, the photographers were hard to find, etc. I am hoping it was a fluke (it was the week after the marathon, and the week all the new college program kids came on).
The addition of the meal photos (which I never would have paid for) upped the value for us. The ride photos- not as much, since after waiting in a long line once or twice to get our photos, I got aggravated with the process and gave up-wasted way too much time for me, personally.
We already bought our pp+ for November!
Lord_Vader
Join me, together we can rule the galaxy.
Has anyone testing MB/FP+ used the PP+ service with Magic Bands or are they still using the old card and associated attraction images to your PP+ card?
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
I'm fairly certain it's still the card system. I've not found any way to link my PP+ into my MagicBand. It is something I'll ask them when I arrive next week though, because if I can not worry about having that PP+ card, it'd be much more enjoyable.
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hijack this thread about PhotoPass...
but I was really disappointed in the cameras and the photo quality at WDW.
almost all the pictures looked.. way worse than my own camera.. and I do not own that fancy equipment ( A Nikon D5100 with its default 18-55 lens). And every picture they took with my camera, looked way better than with theirs... hell.. some of their photos almost looked like those automated photo machines you see from the rides...
Only one guy who worked at Hollywood Studios (next to Lightning McQueen and Tow Matter) did really well.. (funnily, he had a Nikon D5100 as well)
So no surprise a lot of people prefer to get their photos taken with their own cameras.
If they had more trained crew..and better camera equipment... I bet more people would buy the Photopass photos.
You are correct, In my case it was a interesting road...
the card work fine; but when one photographer (Disney Hollywood Studios) scanned my MagicBand, the photos were missing until I contacted the IT staff of WDW, while the photos of the card were fine in my account...
They took.. 7 days to find the photos and readded them to my card account, after that..the card photopass account was then linked to my main WaltDisney account.