Photopass "trial" taking away indoor photographers

[Skyegirl1999]

Wednesday we had no Photopass photographer in the Fantasy Faire meet and greet, and then today there was no Photopass for the Lunar New Year characters or the Frozen characters.

I finally asked at Anna & Elsa and was told that this is a new "trial" to have more Photopass people out and about to take family photos around the parks.

I find this bothersome for a few reasons:
1. All of these locations have poor lighting (indoors and essentially "inside" a gazebo), so phone pictures just don't really cut it. These are locations where the Photopass camera makes a world of a difference.

2. All of these locations can feature very long waits, so you're potentially waiting 45 minutes or so for crummy phone pictures unless you brought a nice camera. (I have a "nice" camera, but since I have free Photopass, there's usually not a reason to bring it for everyday trips.)

3. With all of the price increases lately, are we really to believe that Disney needs to poach the indoor photographers to have more "roaming" photographers? I'm guessing that people bought Maxpass and then complained that they didn't "see" many Photopass photographers... so the solution is to take them away from inside? Just pay a few more photographers, guys.

4. Once this had been brought to my attention, I did notice a few more Photopass photographers... standing around. Awkwardly. They don't appear to really be engaging with people. Of course, when you see a Photopass photographer standing around, you never know why they're there... are they just waiting for a character to arrive? (common) Are they taking a "wedding proposal photo shoot"? (I didn't know this was a thing until Wednesday, when a line of people started up near a Photopass photographer taking pictures of a couple in Fantasyland, and then she turned and said, "Oh, I'm not STAYING, this is a wedding proposal photo shoot!" Why is she wearing all of her Photopass gear then? So many questions.) So, I don't know how many people are just going to go up and approach a Photopass photographer who's wandering around, anyway...

Anyway, I'm emailing guest services to share my thoughts on this "trial," so if anyone else is bugged by it, feel free to share your thoughts with them, too. And if you want nice photos at the indoor meet and greets, bring a real camera!

 

[smartlabelprint]

This is ridiculous! I’ve been hearing a lot lately that there aren’t enough photopass photographers. But the solution is getting more, not moving them!

 

[az4boys]

We were there a couple weeks ago and I noticed extra photographers in DCA. Several of them didn't really seem to be doing anything. I don't know if that was part of the same trial. It will take some time to retrain guests that you can approach these photographers for pictures if that is the intention. I do agree that having pictures at M&G is important. (We don't even do M&G's, but if we did, I would for sure want a good picture!)

 

[mom2rtk]

Really bad idea. Let's hope this test fails quickly.

It's amazing how poorly lit those indoor meeting spots are! Even good cell phones will have trouble in those circumstances.

I hope in the interim they are letting people know Photopass will not be at the end of that 45 minute wait. I always have a nice DSLR with external flash, but many do not. Disney is setting up a lot of disappointment. Who makes these stupid decisions?

 

[mom2rtk]

We were there a couple weeks ago and I noticed extra photographers in DCA. Several of them didn't really seem to be doing anything. I don't know if that was part of the same trial. It will take some time to retrain guests that you can approach these photographers for pictures if that is the intention. I do agree that having pictures at M&G is important. (We don't even do M&G's, but if we did, I would for sure want a good picture!)

Awkward. Sounds like this was not thought out at all.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I hope in the interim they are letting people know Photopass will not be at the end of that 45 minute wait. I always have a nice DSLR with external flash, but many do not.

Nope, no warning! That’s one reason I wanted to mention it here. These are places that have always had Photopass, for good reason.

We only waited about 10 minutes for Anna and Elsa, but we saw MUCH longer lines at other points throughout the day... we did wait a full hour for Lunar New Year characters and the CM took two photos on my phone and one is blurry.

So I guess that for now, I’ll be taking my DSLR to the park more often?

This seems so dumb to me.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

This is ridiculous! I’ve been hearing a lot lately that there aren’t enough photopass photographers. But the solution is getting more, not moving them!

I’ve never understood why there aren’t Photopass photographers at MORE of the fixed location meet and greets... this is a step in the wrong direction, for sure!

 

[momof2n2]

I’ve only had PhotoPass once at WDW and it was wonderful. It was a five-day trip and cost me $129 and I got every penny’s worth. I get that it is only $10/day with MaxPass here, so maybe they don’t feel like they have to offer as much, but it was awesome and I hope to hear this improves considerably by June!!!

 

[j9isawesome]

Maybe it is because we are usually at the parks on our own- just a couple & not a big family. I know some times it’s been because they spotted my dslr & that was an ice breaker that they were excited to chat about. But we are approached by free floating photopass photographers all over both parks pretty frequently. We have had multiple photo shoots all around the castle (where my DH proposed) but my favorite was our photos from in & around the Animation building in DCA with the Happily Ever After mural. We are also the type of ppl that most definitely do approach the photopass photographers that are just standing there looking awkward- we will ask them if they are taking any certain shots today, any magic shot details to add, waiting for a character to show up, got any cool frames or props hiding for unique photos etc and have had some incredible photos and interactions come out of that.

I just wish that they kept adding more photopass photographers throughout the parks for these sorts of photos AND at every meet and greet, or at least the big indoor ones. Photos and meeting characters are a big part of our trips so I always ask the photopass photographer to take photos on their camera AND if they (or if there is another CM there assisting then ask that CM) could also take photos on my dslr that I lug around with me all day everyday at the parks. When I get home I compare the two sets and keep the best photos from both. You’d be amazed at how often their set up with big flashes and everything have resulted it terrible quality photos and having that second set really saved the day. But I don’t actually expect that out of the average guest and neither should Disney. Most people don’t have or don’t want to bother lugging around a big expensive camera all the time. No one wants to wait ages to meet a character just to find out that they can’t get a photo or that their photo stinks because it was taken on their phone by the confused & busy stranger in line behind you that has no idea how to use your phone.

 

[mom2rtk]

I’ve only had PhotoPass once at WDW and it was wonderful. It was a five-day trip and cost me $129 and I got every penny’s worth. I get that it is only $10/day with MaxPass here, so maybe they don’t feel like they have to offer as much, but it was awesome and I hope to hear this improves considerably by June!!!

They already have less Photopass presence than the WDW parks.

 

[momof2n2]

They already have less Photopass presence than the WDW parks.

So they have even less room to draw back!

 

[mich311e]

This is a terrible idea! I'm such a fan of PhotoPass. Our pics have always turned out great.

We don't do a lot of indoor character meet & greets, except for Star Wars. But I would definitely let Disney know you don't like this new idea.

 

[lcp9]

I always figured the indoor lighting was so terrible so that you would be forced to pay for photo pass. Maybe now that it comes with maxpass, they got rid of the photographers but leaving the crappy lighting...

 

[agamble]

Did you complain to Disney? If this is a test you want them to fail make your voice heard.

That's a bummer. I took my younger daughter to meet Tink during our trip in January and found that there wasn't a CM taking pictures there any longer. I figured, well it's not as popular any longer and it's January. BUT...there were still photographers at the Princess experience. I would have been angry after waiting more than half an hour (on a non busy morning) to meet princesses with her if there was no one to take a picture. THAT is why I paid to have Maxpass on my AP. AND...don't they claim that the Max Pass cost is actually for Photopass and the FP on your phone is just an added benefit. Characters need photographers more than random areas of the park.

 

[mich311e]

Did you complain to Disney? If this is a test you want them to fail make your voice heard.

AND...don't they claim that the Max Pass cost is actually for Photopass and the FP on your phone is just an added benefit. Characters need photographers more than random areas of the park.

TOTALLY.

I wonder what they will do on rainy days? We got awesome pics with Donald, Mickey & Minnie inside on a day it was raining.

And what about Mickey's house? I would be so annoyed if I waited that long and no PhotoPass pic.

I have an older boy (teenager now) so we've never done princess but my friend's daughter and my niece & nephew loved meeting the princesses. We actually have great photos of the whole family interacting with the princesses. That would have been hard for the parents to catch those moments.

 

[cmwade77]

Did you complain to Disney? If this is a test you want them to fail make your voice heard.

Exactly, coming on these boards and talking about it is good to do so that we are aware and can make sure we say something, but it is important that you say something directly to Disney so they know that this is a bad idea.

 

[cmwade77]

I always figured the indoor lighting was so terrible so that you would be forced to pay for photo pass. Maybe now that it comes with maxpass, they got rid of the photographers but leaving the crappy lighting...

Guess I need to dig back out my external flash for my point and shoot camera (yes, there are flashes that work with any camera).

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Anyway, I'm emailing guest services to share my thoughts on this "trial,"

^^^ Yup, I did this... basically just modified this post and sent it in. I haven't gotten a response yet.

 

[mort1331]

If you dont have Maxpass, what is the cost of photopass at DL for length of stay?

 

[agamble]

If you dont have Maxpass, what is the cost of photopass at DL for length of stay?

Roughly $100. Cheaper to buy Max Pass for one ticket at $10 a day.