So im going with a group of 12 in June. All family from great grandmom down to grandchild. It breaks down into 4 different groups. Besides my group, all the rest are first timers.
Im forseeing an issue with MM photo shots. I definitely want a group shot of the whole family but id also like a shot with my 1 and only grandaughter and her grandparents on her first trip to Disney.
I can see this turning into many different shots. ( group shot, individual family shots x 4, grandparents with grandchild shot, great grandma with the children, godmother and godchildren only shot, etc…)
Suggestions on how to handle this?
I dont want each shot to turn into a half hour ordeal and knock us off the plan and i also dont want to upset other guests who are in line behind us.
Would you get in line as 4 seperate families and take 4 different shots and at the very end ask for one of the entire group?
Or would you get in line and take the group shot first and then break up into the individual groups?
Or do you have other suggestions? Id love to hear them. TIA
I would do one big group then break into smaller groups. I would also find a spot that they have several photographers, many spots have two taking pictures this way others can get their photos taken with the other photographer while your group uses the other.
I just want to say how awesome it is that you are thinking about this. I read so many gosh dang threads about how people are so inconsiderate and unaware of anyone else but themselves in the parks that I just want to bookmark this thread to show that not everyone is like that. And that there’s a good chance those who are being labeled that way are just super into their own experience and having a momentary lapse.
At the Magic Kingdom, just after you clear the tapstiles, there is a retaining wall, an amazing flower bed and the train station in the background. During my last morning visit there were a several MM photographers stationed there, but most people were intent on getting into the park and were bypassing the photographers. That might be a good spot for you.
At DLR, I always take a pic right there. I have some old pics in the same spot from the early 1970s when people used to dress up to go to The happiest Place on Earth!
If you are going to Disney Springs, you could consider a photo session at the Photopass Studio there. If you sign up for MM, all the photos are included!
If you would rather do something similar in Magic Kingdom, they have photo studio rooms in Castle Couture. Again, photos are included in MM.
I’ve never done either so I’m not sure what the wait times are like for either location. But it would give you the chance to do a bunch of iterations without feeling like you’re holding up a line.
By the way, if you’re going to a “regular” PhotoPass location with a large group, do what you can to make sure there’s an actual human photographer there. There are some locations where WDW is putting in these automated cameras that take pictures every 30 seconds or so. I don’t know a lot of details, but someone on another forum referenced this page: https://www.disneymagic4adults.com/blog/breaking-news-disney-world-s-9-photopass-character-locations-revealed.
I totally get the desire to have the different configurations for pictures and appreciate that you are trying to consider others. Get your shots though. Yes, it will take longer than the typical family, but honestly probably faster than 4 completely separate families taking pictures would take. And the fact that you are thinking through an approach now will help tremendously. Whichever approach you take, if everyone is on the same page it will go infinitely faster than standing there trying to figure out what shots you want and what order makes sense in the moment. That is often what takes the most time. Also, for some of the most classic pictures (castle for example) you might want them all, but for other locations you could divide the different configurations you want across different MM stops. We do that. At the castle we get all different variations we want. But then at most other MM stops we pick one or two configurations to get per stop. And for the shots where you anticipate doing more than just a few, you could always explain to the people behind you and then they have a chance to pick a different line (if it’s somewhere like the castle where there are many photographers). But I think if the people in front of me said to me “I know it looks like a bunch of different families are in line and there are, but we are actually all together too and we want to get one big group shot before/after each family gets there pictures. We are going to try to go as fast as possible. Thanks in advance for your patience” then it wouldn’t bother me at all. I think what frustrates people is when someone does not even appear to be considering others around them. Just telling them up front shows you are and that you are trying to do it as quickly as possible.
