Any first hand reports of Photo Pass box with Tink?

Does anyone know the status of this? We have never skipped purchasing memory maker as we love the shots the photographers are able to catch. However, I will never pay the money for pictures from a box. I can easily take better pictures with my own phone.
Disney says that the boxes are going to be limited to something like six locations and at one point said they planned to use them as additional cameras at these locations, not to replace the photos photographers. It sounds like they have been playing around with removing the photographers from these locations, so who knows what it will be when you go, but there will be others available and the on ride photos and videos.
 
Disney says that the boxes are going to be limited to something like six locations and at one point said they planned to use them as additional cameras at these locations, not to replace the photos photographers. It sounds like they have been playing around with removing the photographers from these locations, so who knows what it will be when you go, but there will be others available and the on ride photos and videos.

Where have you read this? This would be nice, but I haven't seen any articles that have said this....and I've read many.
 


Yeah, I haven't seen that posted anywhere either. They have had Photopass still there sometimes over the transition but I haven't seen anything saying they intend to keep both.

If they had both, that would be spectacular! I've read where Tink recently has had both, but it was still the first one in. I purchased Memory Maker, because the majority of where my son and I are going still have the live photographers. I see that Belle in Enchanted Tales has a live photographer. This is not a location for one of the boxes though. Mickey & Minnie still have a live one, and they ARE a location for the box. I'm crossing my fingers, my son and I can make it in a couple of months and that one is still live photographers. Pete's Silly Sideshow is another location that will have boxes, but as of now, still live. I think the only two right now are Baymax and Tink. Not interested in Baymax, so I have no worries there.
 
If they had both, that would be spectacular! I've read where Tink recently has had both, but it was still the first one in. I purchased Memory Maker, because the majority of where my son and I are going still have the live photographers. I see that Belle in Enchanted Tales has a live photographer. This is not a location for one of the boxes though. Mickey & Minnie still have a live one, and they ARE a location for the box. I'm crossing my fingers, my son and I can make it in a couple of months and that one is still live photographers. Pete's Silly Sideshow is another location that will have boxes, but as of now, still live. I think the only two right now are Baymax and Tink. Not interested in Baymax, so I have no worries there.
I think they are slowly rolling it out now to the 7 locations previously announced. I still hope they'll get enough bad feedback to rethink this, but as of right now I think it's all still happening, even if it is going fairly slowly.
 
Where have you read this? This would be nice, but I haven't seen any articles that have said this....and I've read many.
It was on one of the threads on here or in the comments on one of the articles, someone contacted Disney and asked about this and they said they were be tested at 6 locations and that they had no planes to replace photopass photographers at those locations at this time. They always have to have the at this time caveat, so I wasn't sure if they had changed plans.
 


It was on one of the threads on here or in the comments on one of the articles, someone contacted Disney and asked about this and they said they were be tested at 6 locations and that they had no planes to replace photopass photographers at those locations at this time. They always have to have the at this time caveat, so I wasn't sure if they had changed plans.

Well one can only hope Disney keeps to these words. The photographers caught some wonderful moments when my son was 3 years old meeting characters for the first time that a box just can't get. I'm accepting of both, but the live photographers make the pics so much meaningful. I still have pics that I take with my phone, but I'm not doing it enough to get the awesome pics they get.
 
Well one can only hope Disney keeps to these words. The photographers caught some wonderful moments when my son was 3 years old meeting characters for the first time that a box just can't get. I'm accepting of both, but the live photographers make the pics so much meaningful. I still have pics that I take with my phone, but I'm not doing it enough to get the awesome pics they get.
Not to mention, they do it for a living, you don't, which means they are getting pics you probably wouldn't think to take.

As you say, let's hope Disney keep to their word on that and don't use the "at this time" to squirm out of it.

I did see a photo in one article of Chewbacca looking at the new box and grabbing at it, it looked like he was trying to rip it off the wall, so even he knows it is a bad idea......lol.
 
I don't think there is any way that Disney intends to keep both box and human long term. They may keep both for a while but with the goal of no longer having to pay a human at some future point.

Seeing some of the pictures around my concern is that it not only affects the pictures but the interaction itself. Tink looks glued to her mark. How natural is that going to be when the characters know they can't move? One of my favorite interactions was when Kylo followed me to the exit of his area after I taunted him. Are those spontaneous moments even going to happen anymore?

I echo the idea that anyone who is not happy with the pictures taken by the box needs to email. The negative reactions need to keep coming to change anything.
 
I don't think there is any way that Disney intends to keep both box and human long term. They may keep both for a while but with the goal of no longer having to pay a human at some future point.

Seeing some of the pictures around my concern is that it not only affects the pictures but the interaction itself. Tink looks glued to her mark. How natural is that going to be when the characters know they can't move? One of my favorite interactions was when Kylo followed me to the exit of his area after I taunted him. Are those spontaneous moments even going to happen anymore?

I echo the idea that anyone who is not happy with the pictures taken by the box needs to email. The negative reactions need to keep coming to change anything.
Exactly, but not just email, go in person to guest relations, it means more that you took a few minutes out of your vacation to say something than just emailing when you get back.
 
If only 2500 people a day out of all 4 parks purchase memory maker Disney is making between $422,000-$500,000 a day. Considering a ton more people than 2500 walk through the gates everyday i think probably more than that purchase memory maker. I know it last your whole trip but at least that many probably purchase it each day....I'm literally just guessing but that's like a 1/16th of the people that come through MK on a slow day. I think that's plenty to pay someone minimum wage to stand there and take pictures!!!!! I think it's ridiculous Disney is trying to take the personalization away from this experience.....it's so UN-Disney like!!!!
 
So it’s not video and they r plucking pics off the video that is recorded? So getting an actual in focus pic with everyone looking at the camera isxpretty non existent unless everyone stands still for 30 secs to make sure it’s in focus. That’s if 1 pic is taken every 30 seconds. Thst is really wonky.

So forcthe photo people out there. Next time st a meet and greet stand in one spot and don’t mover ur camera. Take a pic every 30 seconds. What r u coming home with? Nothing I bet. A back of someone. Half a person. A blank wall cause everyone was out of frame when a pic was taken because the princess was walking the little prince or princess into the room to meet with them.

At least a video would grab everything. A human can then grab pics out of that feed that r actually nice. Hence why they would take a while for them to appear on the account like someone said above.

I don’t use the photopass people but I still think this is just a very wonky way of doing something.
 
The pictures are all in focus. Tink makes sure to pose with everyone looking at the camera while it goes off, so those pics are fine. As for the rest, some are ok and some are not. They’re all the same angle and same zoom. The quality of the non-posed photos is definitely much lower, and those can be the best ones if the photographer is talented and theres good interaction with the character. Our favorite character photos from over the years are not the poses, but the genuine looks of surprise, happiness etc during the interaction, which a box can’t capture very well. I much prefer real in the moment photos over posed.
 
The pictures are all in focus. Tink makes sure to pose with everyone looking at the camera while it goes off, so those pics are fine. As for the rest, some are ok and some are not. They’re all the same angle and same zoom. The quality of the non-posed photos is definitely much lower, and those can be the best ones if the photographer is talented and theres good interaction with the character. Our favorite character photos from over the years are not the poses, but the genuine looks of surprise, happiness etc during the interaction, which a box can’t capture very well. I much prefer real in the moment photos over posed.

If you are dissatisfied, please let them know it. Even if it's just worse, but not horrible, they should know.

Do so kindly of course. The CM on the phone didn't make the decision, but they do need to know how they can make your experience better next time.
 
Was at the Tink M&G last month, and had an actual PhotoPass photographer instead of the box, so I didn't have the displeasure of the box.

I'm wondering if they are going back and forth? You're the 2nd or 3rd on this thread to say you had an actual photographer. Let's hope Disney sees that BOTH can be used.
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top