Photopass CD - No More Pre-Orders

[jenseib]

Just to be sure I'm going to double check with member services/disnephotopass to see if I get a different answer. Since often member services doesn't always have the correct info.

In my post earlier in this thread I posted in green the response I received originally from Disney PhotoPass and no where does it mention that DVC members are not eligible.

Here's the info I have gathered so far. DVC members will not get emails at this time about the discount.
Most people who have gotten the offer so far have gotten them in an eamil about a week or so prior to the trip. The email will says something with your family name in it and is usually from Disney Destinations. It doesn't say anything about a discount but will have a link at the bottom, if you click that, you will be taken to t he page with the deal/offer. Some are $99, and some have had them for $119. You will have to have it preordered by the expired date, which is usually the date before you leave. So it appears to be mostly only people staying onsite or booking right through Disney that are getting them. It is said to be non trasferrbale, but only time will tell, becuase they were supposed to be that way before.

[tinklover]

I asked this question directly to disneyphotopass.com and this is the response I got.

The pre-arrival savings offer is made available through the marketing
department of Disney Destinations. In order to receive this prepurchase
offer, the guest must meet the following guidelines:

-Have an upcoming reservation in a Walt Disney World Hotel

-Have their email address on file in the marketing database

-Have opted in to receive email from the Walt Disney World company

If you meet these requirements, you can expect to see this email about
10 days prior to your arrival. Once you have received this email, you
are within a safe time frame in which to make your prepurchase without
worry that your promotion code/s will expire.

If you do not receive this offer, it could be because your email address
is not on file and/or permission was not granted to send marketing
messages to you. Also, if you booked through a travel agent, we may not
have your email address in our database. The pre-arrival savings offer
is meant for guests who purchase before their trip.

If you have lost your offer, we regret that we are not able to replace
or extend this invitation as this offer is not sent out by
DisneyPhotoPass.com.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Mary Rose
Disney Photo Imaging Guest Support Team

bolded and color changed by me:
this part is a lie by Miss Mary Rose. I just got off the phone with her as I called because the link in my email was broken. Not only do you have to be staying on Disney Property You have have to also book straight thru with isney not a travel agent like MJ.


I was told by Mary Rose that because i chose to Use MJ and not book it myself thru Disney that I am not eligible for the Pre order discount on the photo CD. I am Livid.

[mom2mickeyfan]

tinklover, did you call the photopass customer service? On another message board, others are saying they are getting codes by calling photopass. They have to give their reservation confirmation number, resort they are staying at, arrival and departure date and the email address that Disney has on file for you. I even read about a DVC member that was told she wasn't able to receive it and called back to talk to someone else and was given the code. So if you didn't get the answer you wanted, I would say try to call again.

For those of us that are staying off-site, I haven't seen any chance of us getting a discount. I just don't see us spending $150 for this CD. Maybe something will come out for Visa reward card holders.

[mom2mickeyfan]

Someone also said that emails sent out before Oct. 6 didn't have the offer in them since this was a recent change that was made. I wasn't sure when you got your email.

[seanyred]

I don't know what to think. I e-mailed photopass again for clarification for DVC Members and this discount and I got the same exact response that I posted earlier. I'm 23 days away so when I get close to the 10 day mark if I don't get the e-mail I'm calling to see if I can still get the discount.

[prprincess]

did you call the photopass customer service? On another message board, others are saying they are getting codes by calling photopass. They have to give their reservation confirmation number, resort they are staying at, arrival and departure date and the email address that Disney has on file for you. I even read about a DVC member that was told she wasn't able to receive it and called back to talk to someone else and was given the code. So if you didn't get the answer you wanted, I would say try to call again.

I tried this and it's not working. I guess they're getting sick of people calling about it. The CMs I'm speaking too are being snippy, and stopping me before I'm compeleting my question. One even asked me if I got my information from a message board. I guess they're getting way too many calls about it.

[seanyred]

I just don't see why they can't offer this discount to everyone staying on property...regardless of how they got their reservation. I'll just see what happens.

[DisneyBabies]

I just don't see why they can't offer this discount to everyone staying on property...regardless of how they got their reservation. I'll just see what happens.

I have heard they are working on this. It is just that the way it rolled out to begin with DVC and TA ressies were excluded.

The recommendation that I heard was to call if you are 10 days out from your trip and explain that you didn't get the code and give ressie number and personal info and they will give you a code. But please do not call untill you are 10 days out because they are a relatively small staff at photopass and they are having a hard time keeping up with all the guests calling at 45 days.

For those of us that are staying off-site, I haven't seen any chance of us getting a discount.

The only consistent thing I have heard about all this is that off-site guests will not get this discount. They are trying to present it as sort of a reward for those staying on-site.

Not only do you have to be staying on Disney Property You have have to also book straight thru with isney not a travel agent like MJ.

Doesn't MJ book thru Disney Travel Company? If this is the case, I believe we will eventually be able to recieve this discount. From what I understand, they are working on allowing this in the system. However, those booking thru a TA who does not book with Disney Travel Company will not get the discount offer.

[DizneyRox]

I suspect the reason that it is not being offered for those booking through a travel agent is that it DOES cost money if a person books through a travel agent. There is a commission included in the cost of your vacation. If you book through a travel agent, they get the commission, if you book through Disney, Disney gets it.

You can often get the same offers directly from Disney than you can from a travel agent, I have yet to find a better deal offered by Disney exclusively. When you get an offer, your TA can book it, o you can go through Disney, it's the same price. A TA IS NOT working for free, I assure you that, so it's the commission that's the difference.

It makes sense...

At $150, Disney can take that CD and ... Well, they can keep it!

[prprincess]

The recommendation that I heard was to call if you are 10 days out from your trip and explain that you didn't get the code and give ressie number and personal info and they will give you a code. But please do not call untill you are 10 days out because they are a relatively small staff at photopass and they are having a hard time keeping up with all the guests calling at 45 days.

That's exactly what I tried doing three times with three different CMs, and no luck. I also sent an email to CS to see if I'd get a different answer, but nope. I honestly don't think it's fair since I'm reading on other message boards that people are just calling in and getting their promo codes, yet I qualify and I can't.

At $150, Disney can take that CD and ... Well, they can keep it!

Agreed! Therefore, I'm done fighting this fight. The pictures aren't really that great--I only wanted this since it's hard for me to get pics of my entire family together.

My trip is eight days out, and unfortunately, this took a little bit of my excitement away.

[Seasonscraps]

I suspect the reason that it is not being offered for those booking through a travel agent is that it DOES cost money if a person books through a travel agent. There is a commission included in the cost of your vacation. If you book through a travel agent, they get the commission, if you book through Disney, Disney gets it.

You can often get the same offers directly from Disney than you can from a travel agent, I have yet to find a better deal offered by Disney exclusively. When you get an offer, your TA can book it, o you can go through Disney, it's the same price. A TA IS NOT working for free, I assure you that, so it's the commission that's the difference.

It makes sense...

At $150, Disney can take that CD and ... Well, they can keep it!

I am sure you are right about why people that use a TA. They have now assigned a cost to guests that use a TA vs booking directly. Guests will decide if the extra $50 is worth having someone else do the leg work for them. I if wonder agents/agencies that are Disney Vactation Specialists pay to become one (I can't imagine they don't) and if they would get an exclusion from this new policy.

It still doesn't explain the DVC member exclusion. And I agree...they can keep their CD. At this point I don't want it with the discount either.

[thumperbug]

I've done the pre order for my last 3 trips. I'm not doing it again if I don't have the $99 pre order option. The photographers are not as great as they used to be and picture prices are a joke. My son is a little older and I have a new digital camera so catching a lot of "first times" isnt as important as it was. I will have to see what happens.

[jenseib]

I am sure you are right about why people that use a TA. They have now assigned a cost to guests that use a TA vs booking directly. Guests will decide if the extra $50 is worth having someone else do the leg work for them. I if wonder agents/agencies that are Disney Vactation Specialists pay to become one (I can't imagine they don't) and if they would get an exclusion from this new policy.

It still doesn't explain the DVC member exclusion. And I agree...they can keep their CD. At this point I don't want it with the discount either.

When did they start that? I haven't heard that one yet.

[Seasonscraps]

When did they start that? I haven't heard that one yet.

Start what?

I was trying to say that all things being equal:
disney resort vacation with photo cd is going to cost $50 more if you use a travel agent because guests that use a travel agent are not eligible for the discount at this time. Not that people booking through TAs are charged more for their vacation.

[Jeri]

I guess I am one of the few that is not that upset by this. We never bought the cd, and never bought the pictures either untill 2007.
When we were there I did buy the cd in the parks before we left. I paid 149.00 and they gave me 3 free 5x7's then and there too. I just picked out 3 I liked and then they printed them.
Did I pay too much probably but I didn't care and really didn't know about the pre order then.
I don't think I would have done it anyway because I would not want to deal with getting a refund if I decided not to buy it after my trip.

[jenseib]

Start what?

I was trying to say that all things being equal:
disney resort vacation with photo cd is going to cost $50 more if you use a travel agent because guests that use a travel agent are not eligible for the discount at this time. Not that people booking through TAs are charged more for their vacation.

OOOH! OK! I thought you meant that they were now charging everyone $50 more booked with a TA.

[Tink1]

I was told by Mary Rose that because i chose to Use MJ and not book it myself thru Disney that I am not eligible for the Pre order discount on the photo CD. I am Livid.

Once you do online check-in and register your photopass card in your documents, Disney has your contact info. Even before that they know exactly who you are when we book you, all information references the same data base.

Just like online dining, this too will be available no matter how you book. Remember the uproar when they tested it with the general public first?

Nanc

[Tink1]

I am sure you are right about why people that use a TA. They have now assigned a cost to guests that use a TA vs booking directly. Guests will decide if the extra $50 is worth having someone else do the leg work for them. I if wonder agents/agencies that are Disney Vactation Specialists pay to become one (I can't imagine they don't) and if they would get an exclusion from this new policy.

It still doesn't explain the DVC member exclusion. And I agree...they can keep their CD. At this point I don't want it with the discount either.

No, we most certainly do not pay to be an Earmarked Agency. It is a title you earn and one that can be revoked. We are held to a higher standard.

As I said, just like online dining, DVC and TA take longer to program due to the complexity of the system and the idiocity of their IT Department.

This too will be fixed.

Nanc

[faline]

As I said, just like online dining, DVC and TA take longer to program due to the complexity of the system and the idiocity of their IT Department.
Nanc

Hi Nanc!

Any guesstimates on a time line for this?

[Seasonscraps]

No, we most certainly do not pay to be an Earmarked Agency. It is a title you earn and one that can be revoked. We are held to a higher standard.

As I said, just like online dining, DVC and TA take longer to program due to the complexity of the system and the idiocity of their IT Department.

This too will be fixed.

Nanc

I hope you didn't take my statement in a negative way - that wasn't my intent at all and apologize if you did. I don't know how travel agencies become disney specialists and thought it involved special training or something that originated through Disney that has a cost associated with it because I can't imagine Disney allowing their name to be attached to anything without a cost involved. I didn't mean to imply anything negative at all about travel agencies.

(I am not sure if I am reading more into your post but I felt the need to clarfiy just in case.)