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The PhotoCD Pre-Purchase Offer Has Officially Returned! Full Details In The Saving Money Section.
Latest five discussions on the Disney's PhotoPass Support Forum:
| [PhotoPass] | I know it's early, but anyone up for planning a share for 12/10? by Melissa Sue | Yesterday at 02:54:24 PM |
| [PhotoPass] | Anyone want to Share end of September by Optragirl | Yesterday at 10:04:13 AM |
| [PhotoPass] | Anyone want to share end of Aug/beginning of Sept??? by Brenda | August 28, 2010, 10:15:39 AM |
| [PhotoPass] | Photopass Aug 2010 by zeus112999 | August 17, 2010, 01:31:57 AM |
| [PhotoPass] | Can you combine DisneyLand and DisneyWorld photos by AMBER | August 16, 2010, 08:26:31 PM |
This section is dedicated to news about Disney's PhotoPass which wouldn't quite fit in elsewhere with the page. It's not meant to replace any section so please continue to read the entire page for additional updates (which will typically be highlighted in red).
Most amusement parks have teenagers rush at you as soon as you enter the park to take a 'free' must-have souvenir photo that they hope to charge you an arm and a leg for before you leave. In contrast, Disney's PhotoPass has grown from modest roots to offering the best of the traditional service without incorporating the worst. While prices for individual prints are still cringing at best, newer features and options have driven the overall price way down. Gone are the days when Disney's PhotoPass photographers would ambush you to take your photo, now it's almost become a game hunting them down sometimes.
In a nutshell, the service is a network of Disney's PhotoPass photographers spread all over the four main parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios) and two water parks (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon) at Walt Disney World and both parks at the Disneyland Resort (Disneyland, California Adventure) (it is currently no longer offered at the New York City World of Disney). Disney's PhotoPass is currently unavailable on the Disney Cruise Line ships but is perpetually rumored to join eventually. Having your photo taken is absolutely free with no obligation to purchase so - other than a little time - you don't lose anything by trying it. Best yet, you don't need to make any financial decisions for up to two months after your vacation! In addition, Disney's PhotoPass photographers (or a nearby Cast Member) are always willing to use your own camera if you have one.
Sometimes the hardest part about using Disney's PhotoPass is finding a PhotoPass photographer - the rest couldn't be any easier. The first time you have your photo taken, you will be handed a Disney's PhotoPass card. The card has a unique 16-digit alphanumeric code on it that the Disney's PhotoPass photographer scans in via a two-dimensional barcode that links all the Disney's PhotoPass photos s/he takes to that individual card. Note the code is more important than the card itself, so take extra care by recording it either by taking a photo of it with your own camera, writing the number down, sending it via a text message, etc. Some guests write some sort of contact information on the card itself in case it gets lost, but that's relying on someone else to find it and to make the effort for you.
Good news for those wishing to obtain the small Disney's PhotoPass wrist card pictured above. Traditionally only distributed at the water parks, they are now being distributed at the Pixie Hollow Disney's Fairies meet & greet in the Magic Kingdom's Toontown Hall of Fame.
Part of the genius of the system is that there is no limit to how many cards you can have and combine at a later time. That means if your group separates, each group can have its own card combined with everyone else's online later on. Also, should you forget the card in the room or lose it (glad you wrote the number down now?), you can ask for a new card. Speaking from personal experience, sometimes it's easier to just ask for a new card than dig through a deep and over-stuffed cargo pants pocket. Some guests have been known to use their cards for multiple trips, but it's completely unnecessary and in fact might cause an unforeseen issue as changes are made to the system.
But what if you want to re-use Disney's PhotoPass cards from a previous vacation? Here's something to keep in mind: When you add a Disney's PhotoPass card to your disneyphotopass.com account, it's part of that account forever, even after the photos are deleted. You can verify this by clicking on the My Account link on the disneyphotopass.com website. So this means if you want to re-use a card, first insure that you can still access the account that the card belongs to. According to Disney's PhotoPass, using a previously registered card will not affect when new photos get deleted as the countdown begins once the photos are actually viewed online, regardless of when the card is associated with the account.
It's been said that while the number of photos is unlimited, the system has an issue with seeing beyond 999 photos on one particular card. While rare is the case someone will be able to get that many photos taken in total, I recommend a more practical approach and perhaps simply getting a new card every few days of your vacation.
As they are taken, photos at Walt Disney World are wirelessly transmitted to the Disney's PhotoPass system where possible. This means photos can sometimes be ready to be viewed in the parks within minutes although sometimes it can still take up to 24 hours to view them online.
Finding Disney's PhotoPass photographers can sometimes be tricky as their numbers can fluctuate in response to crowd levels. When the service first began, the costumes worn by Disney's PhotoPass photographers actually varied between parks.
For the most part, this has been unified, although accessories may vary, especially with the weather. One major exception to the uniform however is that worn by photographers on Main Street, USA in the Magic Kingdom.
Generally speaking, you can find them on the paths with the park's icon in full view for a backdrop. In Magic Kingdom, this means a few up and down Main Street, by the rose garden and even on the bridge to Tomorrow Land. At Animal Kingdom, in front of the Tree of Life. In Epcot, you should practically be tripping over them as soon as you enter the park. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, popular spots include Hollywood Boulevard with the Sorcerer Hat in the background and Sunset Boulevard with the Tower of Terror in view
You may find them in other spots or specific attractions as well. Another popular, but not consistent place to find them is at character meet & greets. Sometimes you can almost always count on them being there, sometimes they're scheduled to be there only at certain times and sometimes there aren't any at all. As a rule of thumb, it'll be great to find them, but if you have your own camera, you may not want to leave it behind ? just in case.
Disney publishes maps of the four major theme parks with icons noting popular Disney's PhotoPass spots. You can view them as well as download a PDF version here.
You'll also find them at some dining locations, taking photos of guests in front of a sign or with a greeter character. These photos are for photo packages available later for purchase only (or included in the cost of dining at Cinderella's Royal Table). You cannot have the photographer take photos using your card, but you will be free to use your own camera if you have one. Incidentally, if you dine at CRT/PSB or purchase the photo package, you can add it to your Disney's PhotoPass account or product, but more about that later. Also, please note this will be the only location at the restaurant you'll find a Disney's PhotoPass photographer. They will not be inside the restaurant taking photos.
For Disney Visa cardholders, a special free private meet & greet is offered daily 1:30 - 4:30 pm at Epcot. Located in the Innoventions West building, just past the Where's The Fire? and Play It Safe exhibits is a curtained off area. Guests with card in hand may join the line for their own private meeting with 2 or 3 of the fab five. Not only will there be a Disney's PhotoPass photographer onhand to take as many photos as you wish, but each account (up to 2 accounts per family) is entitled to a free 5x7 print available later at the Camera Center. While each account is limited to one print a day, cardholders are free to visit multiple days of their vacation if they wish. Depending on the Cast Member at the Camera Center, many guests have reported to be able to receive a print of any Disney's PhotoPass photo instead of the Visa meet & Greet photo, especially after expressing disinterest in the latter. At Disneyland Resort, you can find the Disney Visa meet & greet operating for the first hour and a half of the park's opening in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area of Disney's California Adventure, by Monsters, Inc.
Disney Resorts Private Photo Shoot - You can arrange for private 30 minute photo sessions with a Disney's PhotoPass photographer at the Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge. The session includes around 40 photos (limited only by time) taken around the picturesque resorts and their beaches. Please note that as of September 1, 2008, Portrait sessions at the resorts are a separate entity from the Disney's PhotoPass system in the theme parks. While both Parks and Portraits use the same system for their photos, they are separate products. There is also a new pricing structure in place, which is as follows:
Disney's PhotoPass Portrait Session Photo Package - For a price of $49.95, you will get your choice of one of the following packages: (A) 8x10 (2), 5x7 (3); (B) 5x7 (2), 4x6 (4 sets of 2); (C) 5x7 (7). You will be able to choose the pose for each print, so you can have up to five different poses for Package A, up to 6 different poses for Package B and up to 7 different poses for Package C
Disney's PhotoPass Portrait Session PhotoCD - For a price of $99.95, you will get your choice of photo package as explained above plus all of the photos on a PhotoCD.
Note you will not be able to enhance the photos on the Portrait Session PhotoCD, but you will be given a PhotoPass ID to use on disneyphotopass.com to make any desired edits/enhancements and future purchases.
Reports from guests who have participated in the photo sessions are overwhelmingly positive, although guests are under no obligation to make a purchase if they are not satisfied with the photos. Available times are seasonal, starting daily at 8 am until 7 pm or sunset, whichever comes first. Call 407-824-1700 to make reservations up to 30 days in advance or for additional information.
Additionally, you may encounter Disney's PhotoPass photographers in common areas of these resorts, such as the lobby, particularly during seasonal periods such as the Holiday Season. In these cases, the photographer may take photos for you at no charge.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Photo Boutique - Located inside Guest Relations at Downtown Disney Marketplace and Castle Couture behind the Castle in the Magic Kingdom, small photo studios are set up for photo sessions primarily for guests who have purchased packages at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, however these studios are available for free use to any guest, even if they haven't had a BBB appointment. In addition, the rose garden at Magic Kingdom is also used for BBB photo sessions. Use of the studio is free of charge and requires no reservations, however priority is given to BBB patrons.
Of course it wouldn't be Disney without some magic. Disney characters can find themselves magically superimposed on your photos. Don't be afraid to ask to have the photo taken either.
Magic Shots are often limited to certain times and locations and can be further restricted based on various factors, the least of which to simply avoid overloading the system. A Disney's PhotoPass photographer is trained on a particular shot and poses the guest in a specific way. When the photo is received by the Disney's PhotoPass processing center, the subject line for the photo tells a Cast Member to manually insert the respective character into the photo with placement and size based on the guest's pose and position.
For your benefit, we offer as much information and sample photos of the magic photo shots whenever possible. The photos and order in which they are displayed are randomly chosen with a maximum of four examples per magic shot photo displayed. If you find this site to be useful, we ask that you kindly consider donating your magic shots to help out future guests learning about Disney's PhotoPass. Please email original, borderless Disney's PhotoPass magic shots to brad@stitchkingdom.com. Thanks!
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Attractions - At this time, only Test Track at Epcot and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom have incorporated Disney's PhotoPass technology into their ride photo systems.
At Test Track, after exiting the attraction, guests can locate their ride photo on a bank of monitors and insert their Disney's PhotoPass card into a slot (which has an indicator that momentarily turns from red to green upon successfully crediting the photo to the card) to claim it. There should be a cast member at the monitors to assist any guests that may be having difficulties as well as to distribute new cards to those who need them.
The Test Track photo border is one of the options when viewing the photo online or purchasing it in the parks.
At Space Mountain, guests have a few unique options to take advantage of, each requiring a purchase of the photo (unlike with Test Track which does not require a purchase)
All of the above options include receiving the photo on a specially-themed Space Mountain PhotoPass card which can be used just like any other Disney's PhotoPass card.
It's expected that more attractions will include support for Disney's PhotoPass in the future, but it's likely to appear on newer attractions before the older attractions receive this feature.
Dining - Guests who dine at Cinderella's Royal Table and/or Princess Storybook or purchase (approximately $35) a photo package at another of the dining locations where a photo package is offered are in for an additional treat -- those photos can be added to Disney's PhotoPass and subsequently treated like any other Disney's PhotoPass photos. You'll actually have access to all of the photos taken by the Disney's PhotoPass photographer, not just those for the prints you purchase. The main photo will have a Disney's PhotoPass ID number (should start with EVNT) and the guest can now claim those photos either at a Disney's PhotoPass service location or on their disneyphotopass.com account as if it were another Disney's PhotoPass card.
Dining locations that offer photo packages are as follows:
Cinderella's Royal Table even has its own special Disney's PhotoPass borders available:
Jedi Training Academy - A Disney's PhotoPass photographer is on hand to take photos during each Star Wars Jedi Training Academy session at Disney's Hollywood Studios. If your child is a participant in one of the training sessions, you can go to a Disney's PhotoPass center such as the Darkroom on Hollywood Boulevard near the park entrance and have your child's photos added to your Disney PhotoPass card. There are even some special Star Wars borders available.
American Idol Experience - Guests who audition for and make it to the stage to perform for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios will also be covered by Disney's PhotoPass Photographers during the experience and performance.
With the Express Upload Service, you can visit one of the Disney's PhotoPass centers and have photos from your own camera uploaded directly into the Disney's PhotoPass system. You will be given a Disney's PhotoPass card which is linked to your uploaded photos, which you must claim within 30 days of uploading, after which photos will be stored online for 30 days. Note that this service officially requires purchase of the Disney's PhotoPass Personal Archive CD.
Use Your Own Camera - When possible, use your own camera as a supplement, especially during photo ops. Don't rely on the photographer to capture all the magical moments. During group shots, ask the photographer or accompanying Cast Member to use your camera as well. The more photos you take, the greater the chances you'll get one worth keeping. Another thing worth noting is that Disney's PhotoPass photographers use a Nikon D70 digital SLR camera (they are also phasing in D80s but due to system performance, the resolution remains about the same as the D70). While its photos are suitable for prints of any size, many consumer cameras today can rival its performance in many situations. Of course you don't get to add neat enhancements to your own photos.
Record Your Disney's PhotoPass Card Numbers - Have a digital camera? Take a photo of the card number. Have a cell phone? Text it to yourself. Blackberry? Email it to yourself. It's possible to recover photos if you lose the card, but avoid the headache by taking this extra step now.
Ask for multiple photos per pose - You may be amazed how different two photos can be when taken in the same second. Potential problems multiply as more people squeeze into the image, it's possible someone may be blinking, looking away, etc. The more photos you take, the better your chances of finding a more suitable photo. Photos out of focus can also sometimes be an issue so having multiple photos taken can increase the chances of the one you're looking for.
Disney's PhotoPass Photographers are *not* professionals - at least in most cases. While many do have a strong interest and background in photography, it is not a requirement for the position, but rather a desired qualification. For this reason, it's important to really take advantage of the system as much as possible. Some Disney's PhotoPass photographers will inevitably be better than others. It's better to be thrilled with 1 out of 25 photos with Cinderella Castle in the background than to not be happy with just the one you got.
If you'd like to view the photos on site and optionally purchase prints or another Disney's PhotoPass product, you can do so by visiting the camera centers located towards the entrance of any of the four main parks (Exposition Hall in Magic Kingdom, the Camera Center at Epcot, Cover Story / The Dark Room at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Garden Gate Gifts at Animal Kingdom). You can also visit County Bounty in MK's Toontown, guest relations at Downtown Disney and the Disney's PhotoPass kiosks located at the resorts that offer private portrait sessions.
Alternatively, you can view photos online by creating an account at http://www.disneyphotopass.com. You can create the account at any time before your vacation if you wish. Even if you don't have access to the internet on your vacation, this will allow you to share your adventures with your family at home as long as they have the account information. Of course you will have to guide them through adding your cards manually, but at least even if you lose the card from this point on, the photos have been claimed and saved.
An important thing to note regarding disneyphotopass.com, however, is that you are time limited to how long your photos are available online, so keep this in mind when you make your decision. You have 30 days to claim the photos by adding the card number to your account and/or viewing the photos online and the photos will then expire and start to be deleted 30 days from that point. Once photos are deleted from the Disney's PhotoPass account, chances are dramatically slimmer that they can be restored. Note that if photo is set to expire June 12, it will expire at midnight at the start of June 12, so your last real day is June 11). Photo storage extensions are no longer free upon request, but can be purchased in blocks of seven (7) and fifteen (15) days as needed by selecting the extension product from the product list, placing it in your shopping cart and completing the purchase. The prices are currently $4.95 and $9.95 respectively.
Note: If you plan on ordering PhotoPrints, you may want to consider doing so while at the parks. At the kiosks, Disney's PhotoPass Cast Members have a lot more freedom in working with enhancements. For PhotoCD, however, all enhancements must be performed online.
You have several options when editing and enhancing Disney's PhotoPass photos online and can easily turn dozens of photos into hundreds. It can be a very time consuming process with many taking the full 30 days and then some to do all the desired editing, so try not to put off the process once you add the cards to the account.
Note that once a Disney's PhotoPass card is associated with one account, it can not be added to another account. What some guests who wish to duplicate photos between accounts like to do is visit one of the Disney's PhotoPass locations while on site and have the photos copied from one card to another (if you do this, make sure to double-check that all of the photos remain associated with both cards). If for some reason, a card becomes associated with the wrong account, have the account incorrectly with the card contact Disney's PhotoPass and request that the photos be transferred to the correct account (specify the correct account's email address).
The following are some tips on how you can make the most out of the editing process:
Set the photo size to your intended print size - This is the biggest gotcha! of the Disney's PhotoPass system and it's not entirely their fault. By default, original photos are in 4x6 proportions, but once you go to enhance or edit a photo, it switches to 5x7 format. Because no standard photo sizes are in proportion to each other, cropping will occur if you print a photo edited for one size in another format. The following image demonstrates the differences between three popular photo sizes:
Ordinarily this isn't a big issue because many photo printing locations offer some control over cropping (note how Minnie's hand gets cut off in the 8x10 version of the photo above), but becomes a much larger issue when borders are involved. For example, if we took a photo formatted at the enhanced default of 5x7 but had it printed at 4x6 as shown below, we can see that the top of Tinker Bell is cut off:
Even if we had control over the cropping, something would get chopped off. Therefore it becomes increasingly more important to make sure your enhanced photo is in the proper size that you intend to have it printed, even if it means making duplicates for multiple sizes. To change the size, locate the product selection drop-down box above the photo and select the proper size. Even though you may have no intent of purchasing a PhotoPrint, this is how you set the photo's size. As you select different sizes, you will even visually see the photo changing slightly (setting the product to 4x6 after it has been set to 5x7 which actually show more in the photo because it gets cropped as a 5x7).
Identify and enhance only photos that are worth keeping - It's easy to get wrapped up in the editing and enhancement process, so remind yourself to only bother with photos that look like you'll want to keep. If the photo looks out of focus or bad online, it will only be worse when printed (you can try to fix photos in a photo editing program, but that will really only work for the original images only). Remember that you have some breathing room when it comes to cropping as well, so if a landscape photo looks bad but a portrait photo looks better, you can rotate the crop box and make a landscape copy of the portrait photo. Creativity with the editing/enhancement process definitely pays off!
Borders come and go - While the availability of some borders are dictated by the content of the photos, others are more generic and even seasonal. Seasonal borders will become available to all photos as they are released and will then be available (or removed) to all of your photos regardless of when they were taken. Many guests choose to extend or wait for the additional borders to become available for use, or at the very least double-check right before ordering to see if there have been any changes with border availability.
Missing magic shots - Occasionally you may spot a photo that was meant to be a magic shot but has the character missing from it. The cause for this can be one of many things, but know that you can get the photo corrected by contacting Disney's PhotoPass. Check for these photos first to maximize your time.
Missing photos - First, do not panic, all is not lost. You can use this form to report lost photos and Disney's PhotoPass will search to see if they can locate them in the system. As long as the photos made it into the system, your chances of recovery are pretty good. Again, try to spot any missing photos as soon as possible.
Have someone else's photos? - Unfortunately this does happen for whatever reason and as much as you may feel for the guests whose photos you have, there's little you can do personally. Make sure you have all of your photos and report any missing photos via the form linked to in the previous tip and hopefully those other guests have done the same.
Disney's PhotoPass PhotoPrints - Individual prints can be purchased either while at the parks or online. Very often, discounts are made available on the disneyphotopass.com site. Current pricing is as follows:
* offer may be available only on site at Walt Disney World Disney's PhotoPass center locations
Disney's PhotoPass PhotoPrint Packages - Includes a combination of prints and other products of the same Disney's PhotoPass photo of your choice. Each of these options are $19.95.
Disney's PhotoPass PhotoDownload - Individual Disney's PhotoPass photos can be purchased and delivered via download making them instantly available to you in your choice of size (remember that the photos are natively 4x6 and other proportions will involve automatic cropping) with any enhancements you have selected for that photo. Upon purchase, you should receive an email with a link to retrieve a .ZIP file containing both your PhotoDownload and a reproduction release, otherwise you can access the PhotoDownload Center through the My Account link at the top of Disney's Photopass site. The PhotoDownload will be available for either ten days after purchase or ten downloads, whichever comes first, even if the original PhotoPass photo is no longer stored on the site. You will have the rights to reproduce the image as if it were directly from the PhotoCD. Price: $14.95
PhotoCD - This is the most popular and overall most cost effective option. You will receive all of your Disney's PhotoPass images (this does not include photos you have uploaded to the website or Disney stock photos - see below) on CD as well as a license that you can print out and take with you to any digital photo processing center to order prints of any size at a drastically more affordable price than individual prints from Disney. You will get a copy of every Disney's PhotoPass image in your account, no matter how many CDs they consume. Each CD will contain a maximum of 500-700 photos (each CD containing multiple folders with 20 images each), so if you have 1200 images in your account, you will receive it on 2 CDs.
The images you receive on CD are in JPEG (.JPG) format and are roughly 6 MegaPixel in resolution, which while not on the cutting edge of digital camera technology, is usually quite sufficient for 8x10 and even larger prints. Actual pixel dimensions will vary, especially with images you may have cropped online.
Here, however, there is a significant difference between purchasing PhotoCD in the parks and online. In the parks, you are NOT able to add borders and enhancements to individual photos. While the parks used to allow this, it proved to be too time consuming for Cast Members to assist guests doing this. Only online are you able to enhance each photo by editing/cropping and adding border/enhancements. In theory, 100 Disney's PhotoPass photos can 'easily' be turned into 500 or more. So as you can see this can be a time consuming process - one you'll be glad you can put on hold and get back to later on every now and then. Also make sure you review our editing section for additional tips.
The PhotoCD Price Structure is as follows:
| Location | Price | Enhancements? |
| Disneyland | $59.95 (includes 3 5x7 prints) | No |
| Walt Disney World | $149.95 | No |
| disneyphotopass.com | Disneyland Photos Only - $59.95 Includes WDW - $149.95 (or pre-order for $99.95 - see below) | Yes |
Please note that some guests have noticed that the price for the PhotoCD reads $59.95 for them instead of the higher rate. This is because the guest has associated a Disneyland Disney's PhotoPass Card with the account in the past (which is permanent as noted above) but the price will adjust itself at the time of order assuming there are photos from Walt Disney World included.
Disney's Photo Gallery CD - Now all of those stock Disney's PhotoPass photos of Walt Disney World or Disneyland you have been admiring and using in other Disney's PhotoPass products are available on CD for purchase. Over 300 hi-res photos including many not featured on disneyphotopass.com are yours for unlimited personal use. Note that unlike the PhotoCD, you are not able to distribute these photos, they are strictly for your own personal use. The Disney's Photo Gallery costs $39.95 for either the Walt Disney World or Disneyland editions.
Note that the actual contents of the Photo Gallery CD is subject to change at any time. It's also been reported that some photos available on disneyphotopass.com may not be included on the Photo Gallery CD.
The Disney's Photo Gallery CD is also available for purchase in person at Disney's PhotoPass locations at their respective resorts.
Personal Photo Archive - The PhotoCD won't include any photos you have personally uploaded, either from home or at the parks, but here is your opportunity to purchase a collection of your personal photos on CD. For the single cost of $19.95, you will get all of your uploaded photos, including any enhancements and edits you have made, regardless of the number of CDs they fill. Because the borders you are able to add to personally uploaded photos contain Disney elements, you will also receive a limited copyright release allowing you to obtain prints of the photos anywhere. Alternatively, you can purchase prints of your uploaded photos directly from Disney's PhotoPass for $.19 each (4x6 format only).
PhotoMovie (DISCONTINUED) - Create your own DVD slideshow complete with Disney background footage of the parks, Disney music, Disney Characters and creative transitions for $74.95 (additional copies of the same DVD on the same order are $19.95 each). You can have up to seven chapters, any of which can be one of the four main parks or a 'Beyond the Parks' theme which is primarily one of the Disney Resorts (your choice). Each type of chapter allows for 7-16 of your Disney's PhotoPass photos, Disney stock images or your own photos you've uploaded to the website. The PhotoMovie also includes a bonus slideshow of all of your photos displayed for five seconds each, accompanied by Disney music. Depending how many photos you have included, the maximum length of the DVD is approximately 24 minutes (14 minutes for the PhotoMovie; 10 minutes for the slideshow).
When choosing the photos you wish to include with PhotoMovie, please ensure they are in 4x6 format, otherwise some distortion or cropping may occur. Also, for optimal performance, use only horizontal/landscape photos as some of the effects used in the product may have less than desirable results for vertical/portrait-oriented photos.
While there is a preview option available when piecing together your PhotoMovie, there are additional video effects that you will not see that will be included on the PhotoMovie itself. If you are interested in seeing what the final product might actually look like, you can find several PhotoMovies from other guests on YouTube. Keep in mind that the product may change over time.
One common complaint about the PhotoDVD is that there is currently no real generic footage if you wish to not choose a specific resort for your 'Beyond The Park' sections. If you opt to not select a particular resort, it defaults to footage of the Grand Floridian. What many choose to do when they have multiple 'Beyond the Park' sections (which you will probably want since each 'Beyond The Parks' chapter is limited to just seven photos) is just choose their resort multiple times. You will also probably want to avoid using the ampersand (&) in the title of the PhotoMovie as it's known to yield unexpected results.
The PhotoMovie is available only in NTSC video format at this time, so it will not be playable in countries who rely on the PAL or SECAM formats. Also note that there are no actual images for you to access on the PhotoMovie, it is purely video.
PhotoBook - This digital scrapbook comes at two pricing levels. The less expensive level at $49.95 lets you use only images you have uploaded. The higher level at $69.95 lets you incorporate your Disney's PhotoPass photos as well as Disney stock photos. There's also a difference in the covers which is covered in detail on the disneyphotopass.com site.
Reviews on PhotoBook are fairly strong. It probably couldn't hurt if more design options were offered as there's no park specific designs, making that approach of organization somewhat difficult. Other potential sources of frustration is the preview mode cutting off captions (which the final product shouldn't do as the text may be even smaller than the preview shows) and occasional complaints about photos being cropped, probably stemming from the subject of the photo being too close to the frame.
PhotoPrints - Very often there is a discount available on PhotoPrints ranging in the 20-25% range. Look for the special offer when signing into your disneyphotopass.com account or check the Special Offers tab. Also, as of 2006, Disney replaced the free portrait traditionally offered to guests attending the Pirate and Princess, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas parties with special Disney's PhotoPass cards that offered the guest a discount off of prints only. In 2008, the discount continues to be 40% off all prints. This can be applied to prints of party photos purchased during the party or can be used as a one-time discount online on all prints ordered regardless of when the photos were taken. Your Disney's PhotoPass card number doubles as the discount code when you're ready to make your purchase.
PhotoCD - There are a couple of big ways to save on the PhotoCD at this time:
The first is by pre-purchasing the PhotoCD. You can do so through this special link which will allow you to purchase a credit against the PhotoCD for $99.95. Through the link, you'll also have the option to purchase the 'Ultimate Memory Package,' a combination of the PhotoCD and PhotoBook (up to $79.95 value) for only $149.95.
Note that discount codes are no longer mailed or required when pre-purchasing. Instead, Disney's PhotoPass Smart Cart adds credits automatically to your account so you can finalize the purchase(s) in the future at your convenience. This also allows you to use an additional eligible discount code if you have one. As an added benefit, the credits do not expire and if you were to purchase the Ultimate Memory Package, for example, it's composed of two separate credits so you do not need to order the PhotoCD and PhotoBook at the same time.
If you forget to pre-order online before your vacation, you can pre-order the PhotoCD in the parks. The price will be the full cost of $149.95, but you will receive 3 5x7 PhotoPrints to offset the difference.
Another option is to organize or participate in a Disney's PhotoPass share. If you're going with a group of people, such as extended family, or even other groups of guests found through a website who will be at the parks around the same time, you can reduce the cost of the PhotoCD for everyone by creating one account for everyone and splitting the cost of Disney's PhotoPass. The person in charge of the share will then be responsible for making sure everyone edits and enhances their photos in a timely fashion and then will be in charge of ordering, receiving, duplicating and distributing the CDs to each participant. If you choose to do this with virtual strangers, however, please exercise caution as you will have no recourse if something goes wrong (unless of course you are the organizer).
PhotoBook - If you purchased or are planning on purchasing the PhotoCD, you can use your Disney's PhotoPass photos in the PhotoBook and still purchase the less expensive option of PhotoBook. Simply purchase the PhotoCD and then upload the Disney's PhotoPass photos you wish to use in the PhotoBook and select photos from the My Uploaded Photo section, effectively saving you $20.
Staying On Site - Guests who book a Walt Disney World vacation package should receive a special Disney's PhotoPass card included with their documents. Not to be confused with the $99.95 PhotoCD pre-purchase offer, registering this card online will allow Disney's PhotoPass to potentially mail additional offers before, during and after the Disney vacation. A typical offer may be $30-$40 off of the PhotoCD for example. Note that receiving offers is not guaranteed and this is not a substitute for the pre-purchase offer. Guests who are concerned that pre-registering the card may trigger the 30 day deletion clock on all added photos can simply acquire new cards on site to use, however Disney's PhotoPass has advised that the deletion clock only begins once the photos are actually viewed online, not when the card itself is added to the account.
Social Networks - Disney's PhotoPass now has a presence on Facebook and Twitter and have been offered limited-time discounts on Disney's PhotoPass products.
The Disney's PhotoPass support team may be reached either via the Contact Us link found at the bottom of the disneyphotopass.com, by email at wdw.photo.imaging@disneyworld.com or by phone at 407-560-4300 (from 9 am - 1 pm EST, voicemail other times). Disney's PhotoPass can also now be found on both Facebook and Twitter (for information only, not for support). Missing photos should be reported only through the Lost PhotoPass Card/Photo form.
Have any Disney's PhotoPass specific questions not covered here or have additional information or comments? Please share them with us on our Disney's PhotoPass Support Forum!
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