FINALLY...GET FAMILY PHOTOS W/O ASKING A STRANGER..."CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE OUR PHOTO?"

Another luxury we have decided that we could not live without is the Disney PhotoPass.  Gone are the days of visiting an amusement park where you are hounded at the entrance by a herd of photographers all vying to snap your family photo.  With the Disney PhotoPass it is on you to seek out any of the Disney Photographers stationed throughout the parks to snap your family and/or group photo.  A vast majority of the photographers are stationed at the numerous character spots to capture that magic moment when your kid meets his/her favorite Disney character.

The way the PhotoPass works is you get a card from any one of the many Disney photographers in the park.  Upon presenting that card, the Disney Photographer will scan it and then take a picture or series of pictures.  The card you present is tied to an on-line account that will allow you to access your photos at the end of each day.  The PhotoPass card is free and at no time are you obligated to buy any of the photographs taken.  You are even allowed to view your photos from your PhotoPass account up to 30 days after your trip.  While viewing your photos on-line, you have the ability to customize all your pictures with stamps and borders to enhance your memories.

Original PhotoPass Photo

Modified PhotoPass Photo

If you choose to purchase the photos from your trip it will cost you $169.95 which includes the release rights to reproduce the pictures as well as digital copies saved on DVDs.  If you know that you will be taking advantage of the PhotoPass you can pre-purchase your pass at a savings of $50.  We have also learned over the past 2 years that if you are traveling with multiple families that you can get multiple copies of the same PhotoPass card in order to link all the pictures to the same account.  We then share the password and account access amongst the group in order to give each family the opportunity to review/modify the photos.  Once finalized Disney allows you to order multiple copies of the DVDs at a cost of $19.95 per copy (2012 price).  The total cost of the PhotoPass and additional copies are added up and then divide amongst the number of families.  This results in a significant savings for all.

Here is a list of additional tips to help maximize the value of your Disney PhotoPass investment:
1.  Take as many pictures as you want there is NO LIMIT; last year we received 4 DVDs with a total of 700+ pictures; the more pictures the cheaper the price per picture

2. Multiple cards can be combined on-line at a later date in the event that people within your party have different cards

3. Take a picture of your PhotoPass card with your camera and/or phone so that you have your account number to access the photos in the event the card is lost

4. Don't forget to ask the photographers for MAGIC POSES; the photographers will have individual(s) assume a certain pose and a secret character/object will be superimposed into the photo prior to your viewing

One of my favorite magic photos

If you are interested in more details regarding the Disney PhotoPass here is a link to the official site: http://www.disneyphotopass.com/