Update to Disney's PhotoPass site adds copy protection watermarks over images

Jul 24, 2015 in "PhotoPass"

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PhotoPass watermarked images

Posted: Friday July 24, 2015 10:56am EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff

An update to Disney's PhotoPass service has added watermarks across images when viewed online at MyDisneyPhotoPass.com.

The copy protection watermarks cover a large amount of the image, a technique which is often used to dissuade people from copying an image without making a purchase.

PhotoPass watermarked images

Any photo that has not been purchased will show the watermark, both on the index screen, and during any editing (as shown above). If a photo is purchased, or is part of the Memory Maker package, the watermark is removed.

Along with the watermarking, Disney has made a couple of other changes to the PhotoPass site.

If purchasing a digital copy of a PhotoPass image online, you will be able to download any copies you make of that image without additional charge. A copy image is made when an edit is made, such as cropping, adding a border or other special effect.
If a print is purchased online, the digital version of that print can now be downloaded without additional charge.

Discuss on the Forums

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dreamfinderJul 28, 2015

Enough monkeys and enough typewriters in theory eventually produce Shakespeare. Just saying.... Occasionally I do stumble across one who does really know and enjoy photography. I've actually had a few turn my DSLR back off auto (that I just turned on for their ease of use) and kick it into manual mode.

BartattackJul 28, 2015

Actually, on my recent trip I witnessed this exact situation. It was in DHS at the photo opportunity with Lightning McQueen & Mater. There was a CM who was taking pictures with guests phones and cameras. No photopass photographer. The family in front of us gave their phone to the CM and a few seconds later it slipped out of his hand onto the ground. You could here all the people in line gasp. Luckily it was not damaged and the family was pretty relaxed by the whole situation. I was a little reluctant to give my camera next... :)

englanddgJul 28, 2015

Just wait. FP+ testing starts next month for you guys.

PhotoDave219Jul 28, 2015

Shutter. Monkeys. Most couldn't take decent photo if their life depended on it.

yedliWJul 28, 2015

The cost is too high for an every trip purchase, especially if you go annually or more often. It is reasonable for those special trips (first trip.. anniversary.. birthday.. honeymoon.. etc..) I do like that they added the ride photos to MM. The individual price is way high.. it doesn't take many individual pics to make it worth getting the whole shebang..

note2001Jul 27, 2015

Looking again: the watermarks are all one transparent color, but we have extremely fair skin in the family and our features just don't show through well. Zooming helps... Man, I didn't realize how bad these pics are (out of focus, poor lighting) they need better equipment on the rides. The in person photographers did a better job, but have no idea how to frame a pic. So glad I didn't get the memory maker.

kbmumJul 27, 2015

You can see through the watermark, though. If someone blinked when the picture was taken, for example, you should be able to see if their eyes were closed.

note2001Jul 27, 2015

I have only one issue with the watermark: I have a few where it is covering the faces of family members. I have no idea if I want those pics in a calendar I'm putting together or not without seeing how the image came out. We don't have very many pics to start with, but I certainly don't want a bad one on the calendar if I can help it.

napnetJul 27, 2015

If only the prices were lower I'd actually be interested in it. As an AP I'm there frequent enough that I don't wan't to buy them but at a lower price I would. I had just written a script to strip them off the site which worked great.

kbmumJul 27, 2015

I've always been surprised that CMs are allowed to use guests' cameras. What would happen if the CM accidentally dropped the camera? As for the quality issue, I often get better pictures with CMs using my camera than with the PhotoPass photos taken with Disney-issued gear.

NowIncJul 27, 2015

What amazes me is how many people are ANGRY about this after blatantly admitting to stealing the files from the website (one particular that I saw was boldly proclaiming that he/she would never use photopass again...but since they were not paying for the images anyway..I am missing the point of the protest). I get it you lost your "free lunch", but you can't be mad at them doing something you knew was wrong. This is a service like any other, and yes...I get it...Disney is all about profits etc..they charge too much..blah blah... I am not arguing with that point. Regardless of your view on it, they provide photopass to SELL the photos. That was always why it existed. If they were going to be really malicious they would not allow the CMs to use your camera to take a pic of you and your family. My only hope is that maybe with this change the CMs will get better at taking pics with gear that isn't disney issued. I am more than aware of how bad some CM taken pics are.

NowIncJul 27, 2015

The lower res you get on the site is what is also used to make the prints from. They aren't holding larger files..jpegs straight out of the camera that are downsized on the server end.

kbmumJul 27, 2015

I've never purchased MemoryMaker due to the price, but last year I bought an Attractions+ pass for approximately $55. You can load an unlimited number of ride pics on the pass for the length of your visit. There were six people in my group and I had around 100 photos on the pass. I was able to make edits and add a limited selection of frames to the photos. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

dreamfinderJul 27, 2015

The joys of every division being told to turn a profit. Someone in middle management somewhere thinks that the Photopass group (who I thought was folded into another group) could make more sales by watermarking the images. And so it came to be all because that manager thought he could get more sales, and thus a bigger bonus through watermarks.