Get a PhotoPass card from the photographer after you have your first picture taken. Copy the 16-digit alphanumeric code on the back of the card on a piece of paper or a card and put the copy in a safe place. If you have access to text messaging, text it to your email address. That way if you lose the original card you will be able to access the photos that were taken during your vacation.
Get photos taken at each of the theme park landmarks. Go to Cinderella's Castle (Main Street side), the Spaceship Earth sphere at EPCOT, Sorcerer Mickey's Hat and Sunset Boulevard at the Hollywood Studios, and the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. All of these Disney landmarks are great backdrops that you and your family will want to get photos taken in front of to remember your trip. All of these spots will have Disney PhotoPass photographers available.
Utilize the photographers to take pictures of your entire group. It is no fun having 500 pictures of your family enjoying Disney with either mom or dad missing from every photo. Sometimes you can get cast members or other guests to take a family picture, but the quality of the shot isn't guaranteed. PhotoPass pictures are taken by professionals.
Get plenty of photos with characters. A big part of the reason many people go to Disney parks is to see the characters. Each character you see in the theme parks typically will have a photographer following it around. Hand the photographer your card when it's your turn and get some photos with your favorite characters. The characters in the character meals typically don't have a photographer, so you will need your own camera for most of these experiences. There are a few exceptions, like Cinderella's Royal Table, where you can ask to have the photo that is included with the meal package coded to your card.
Find characters in these locations:
Magic Kingdom: Judges Tent, Toontown, Town Square, Ariel's Grotto, Pixie Hollow, Adventureland and Tomorrowland.
EPCOT: Character Connection and World Showcase
Animal Kingdom: Camp Minnie-Mickey, Character Boat Landing and entrance to Africa
Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer Mickey's Hat, Magic of Disney Animation, Avenue of the America's and Pixar Place
Wait until afternoon and get extra photos taken near a Disney landmark. Morning is when everyone is coming into the park and many people wait to get their photos taken, so it's hard to get a photographer to take five to 10 pics of your group. Usually by afternoon the demand for photographers is less. Also ask if the photographer will take a "magic photo," in which Disney characters are superimposed onto your digital photo.
Access your photos at DisneyPhotoPass.com. You will be able to access the photos for up to 30 days after the first photo was taken. You also can send your code to friends or family members so others can view your photos online.
You can add borders and crop photos online. You can order the digital CD of all the photos taken on the PhotoPass cards. The cost is $149.95, as of publication. You get unlimited photos that you can have reprinted later. If you preorder the CD, you pay only $99.95. See Resources for a link to the deal.
