So, as most people already know, Disney has decided to replace PhotoPass photographers at nine character locations with an automated camera. Is this a smart move for Disney? What are they trying to gain by doing this? Is it to save money on PhotoPass cast member pay? Shorter wait times? The answer is unknown, but one thing is clear. It has upset Disney fans tremendously. How can a machine capture the first look on a child’s face when they see their favorite character? Or how can it capture that special hug? There are a lot of questions behind why this decision was made by The Walt Disney Company.
The first automated camera will debut at Tinker Bell meet and greet later this month, with Adventures Outpost in Animal Kingdom to follow, and seven other unnamed locations. The idea is that the camera will take several pictures of your character interaction, giving you a variety of options to choose from. There are a lot of things that could go wrong in this scenario and that do not fit the theme of “Disney magic.”
There are a lot of moments that could be missed. Do you need to time your hug with the character at the right time so the camera catches it? That takes away from the whole experience of catching that first emotion seen on the face of a guest when they first interact with the character. With the pictures taken from only one angle, imagine all of the expressions that could become hidden by not having that photographer there to see and capture those moments.
What if the machine goes down? I get that this could be easily fixed by bringing in a PhotoPass photographer, but then, where are you taking that photographer away from? Another character? In front of Cinderellas Castle? Each PhotoPass photographer is there for a reason and each place they capture important moments. Also, how long will it take to get that cast member to the location of the broken automated camera? This is sure to slow down the already long lines that are awaiting the meet their favorite character.
With all of these changes, it has caused quite the uproar, leading to Disney being vigorous in their attempts to let guests know that they will still have over 100 other locations that will still have PhotoPass photographers. While that is good to know, it does not make up for the fact that we just do not know how these pictures will turn out, or how this process will be handled by staff and guest alike.
I am one that is always open for change at Disney Parks, but to me, this one is just not an idea I am able to get behind and I am not sure how this will turn out. What does this mean for the future of all Disney photo locations? Do you think we could see more PhotoPass photographers getting replaced in the future?
Tori Walters is a Columnist for the Boardwalk Times
