need cheering up!!

[diberry]

We visited DLP in December and had a bad experience (no fault of Disney's) which is still playing on my mind so thought I'd request some positive input from other DIS boarders. I (admittedly stupidly and against my daughter's advice) hung our bag of photos (official ones with Winnie the pooh - taken after a very long wait in line - and Santa in his sleigh) on the gates on Central Plaza so I could have both hands free to take photos while we watched the Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony which was really wonderful. It was very dark when it finished (the lights were still down) and it was very crowded and I stupidly forgot the photos. I remembered after about 10 minutes and we rushed back but they'd gone. I confidently expected them to be handed in at City Hall - after all they're of no interest to anyone else and everyone knows that photos are precious reminders - but though we went to City Hall every day for the rest of our trip they never turned up. I just don't understand how anyone who loves the spirit of Disney could be so mean as to take them and presumably trash them? Please restore my faith in human nature!!!

 

[jodyb]

I really sympathize about your lost photos!!!! All the pictures that were taken on the day of my second son's birth and his first week of life were "lost" by the photo shop we took them to for developing! That was 22 years ago and I'm STILL upset about it!
I do think that in your situation, as in mine so long ago... it was most probably not someone purposely being mean that "trashed" the pictures, but an honest mistake... perhaps the bag was light and blew away? (not likely I suppose...) Or maybe the CM's cleaning up that evening thought the bag was empty and did trash it but not knowing there was treasure inside?
I know it helps me when I need my "faith in human nature" restored to think of all the possible ways it COULD have been well-meaning but careless people who caused the mishap. It won't bring your pictures back... :-( I realize that...
You'll have to get back to Disney soon and get some new photos and some fresh memories!!
As for me I try to tell myself I was in far too many of those "baby's first days" photos and probably did not look too adorable, so it's for the best!
Sour grapes are better than no grapes!!
Hope this cheered you up just a tiny bit...

 

[Ware Bears]

So sorry to hear about this, diberry, can't really think of anything to say but would just hope that it's like Jody said, they were thrown away by somebody not realising what they were, rather than somebody just not caring.

I hope it hasn't spoilt your trip too much and that you still had a wonderful time. Perhaps you could post some of your own photos so that we could all share it with you? You did a mean trip report on your Halloween visit!

Happy New Year

Elaine

 

[bluegirl]

Sorry to hear about this Diberry, I hate it when things like this happen did you manage to go back to the photo place and get copies or do they get rid of them once you have had them processed?I am sure they were thrown away by accident well i would like to think that was the case.

 

[Cyrano]

Sympathies also. Had similar experience with son's favourite hat that we had put in Disneyland bag on stroller.
Know that you can rise above such experiences
As others have said, plan to reward yourselves on the next visit.
Sending you good wishes.
Reid

 

[DisCharmed]

Many sympathies about the photos - I recently had mine destroyed by my brand new computer which did something strange to my memory cards. So I know how bad you must feel.

Unfortunately on our xmas trip we had an unpleasant incident too. We had bought our boys the (18euros!!!!!) christmas hats each. We were in the studios and went to eat in the backlot express. As we sat down my youngest son put his hat on his chair and sat on it. When we left (we had only stood up and taken about 10 steps) I noticed he wasn't wearing his hat so he went back to pick it up and it wasn't there. Naturally we thought it must have dropped somewhere so we searched under the tables and asked the waiting staff. We came to the conclusion that as soon as he stood up someone must have picked it up and kept it even though he was crying and upset. We also asked at lost and found and no one had handed it in. As you said not the spirit of disney at all - I know we would have handed it in had we found it.

 

[DisneyRGB]

Thanks everyone for your kind words about my Mum's original post above. When we first walked from Central Plaza and realised we'd left the photos, we had a bit of a giggle about it because I HAD told her not to leave the photos there (!) and we assumed they'd still be there. Even when we saw they weren't there, we assumed they'd be taken to City Hall by a fellow Disney fan who'd know what sentimental value the photos would hold for us. I think the idea that someone would dispose of them so quickly was as bad as losing the photos themselves. It's nice to hear that you all understand how we felt so thank you!

 

[diberry]

Now I know why I love the DISboards - thank you all of you so much for taking the time and trouble to reply - faith in human nature duly restored!!!
Losing those new baby photos puts it all in perspective JodyB - those really are precious and irreplaceable! I know you must look pretty much like this at the moment with your trip so imminent!!! Have a wonderful time - and don't put your bags down anywhere!!!
I do intend to post a trip report with photos WareBears - I've only just got round to writing it up!! - thanks for your kind words too.
Yes bluegirl I did manage to get new photos of us with Santa and luckily we'd taken our own version of the ones with Winnie the pooh as well as the official ones so all wasn't lost - it was just the thought of anyone being so unkind that bothered me - just naive I guess but I do enjoy the mental image of Uncle Walt on high sending down a thunderbolt to destroy all those who act in an anti-Disney spirit - am I over-reacting?????????????????
So sorry to hear of your son's experience too DisCharmed - it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth but as you say Reid we can certainly rise above it and it definitely won't put us off - DH and I are off to DL California in August and DD and I will certainly be back at DLRP in the New Year to get our money's worth out of our APs!!
So, many thanks again and a wonderful 2005 to everyone!!!

 

[tim june and sam]

This post makes me recall an experience @ WDW when DS was just three.

Pin trading had not yet arrived (although there were pins!) and he wanted a badge with his name on. He decided on red oval CM style badge which you could have engraved with a name and short message or your home town.

This made the badge no use to anyone but the original owner... Cost $5-6?

After a busy first hour in MK, we noticed it was missing and recovered our steps to no avail. Decided to report it lost at City Hall and they handed us a slip of paper which we thought was a reference number in their records in case it came to light. Imagine our delight when in fact the slip authorised a new free badge at the nearest stand!

Still have the badge today and it evokes memories of the Disney spirit whenever I pick it out.

I know that doesn't bring back the photo's diberry, but suggests that IF Disney (by any chance) do have them, they'll sure also try their best to get them back to you?

Good luck

 

[diberry]

Thank you tim june and sam - it's certainly true that there are so many more true Disney moments than the opposite

 

[bluegirl]

I am so glad you did manage to get some copies of the photos but it is just not the same somehow, but as you have said the good memories far outway the not so good but they seam to stick in our memories . hope you have many more fantastic trips and look forward to the reports.

 

[diberry]

Thank you bluegirl - what a kind thought

 

[NIK]

I can understand how upset you must be. It really spoils things when this kind of thing happens. My 'Disney Disaster' had nothing to do with the parks or Disney - just a travel company forgetting that they are supposed to be serving the customer - but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth.

 

[diberry]

Your experience was awful Nik - I hope you find a better travel firm next time!! At least none of these unfortunate experiences were down to Disney and we all fully intend to return to the parks!

 

[NIK]

Your experience was awful Nik - I hope you find a better travel firm next time!! At least none of these unfortunate experiences were down to Disney and we all fully intend to return to the parks!

I fully intend to go back - assuming I can find another coach travel company, of course.

Despite the travel mess I had a great time in the parks and some lovely memories to bring home. It is a shame your photos went 'walkabout' though. I'm a great one for photographs and took stacks on my last visit [not helped by having two cameras coz I didn't trust my shiny new digital!] Photos are such precious memories. The other posters are most likely right in saying that perhaps someone didn't realise what was in the bag - it isn't much comfort but at least it's unlikely that someone would deliberately have taken them. Perhaps I'm a bit of a Pollyanna at heart, but I can't believe someone would stroll off with photographs of another person's holiday. Generally folk are honest.

 

[diberry]

You're just like me - I also took 2 cameras as I live in terror of deleting my digital pictures by mistake!! Actually I find my "old" camera takes much sharper pictures and the digital is hopeless in artificial light. Bit of a technophobe though I've learnt to love my computer - when it does what I want it to!!!

 

[NIK]

That was my main concern, deleting the photos by mistake. It's far too easy to do! With my camera I found there was actually little difference between the photos however I did find that for 'action' shots my old camera was better. I could take a quick snap and be sure I'd got the shot I wanted. The digital took longer to 'recover' and it has an odd parallax error that I couldn't be sure I'd compensated for. Plus the LCD screen disappeared if the sun came out which was a nuisance.

Still, it was so convenient and as I say, the pics showed no difference.

 

[Cyrano]

The convience and cost for me have made digital photography a renewed intetest in picture taking.
Running out of digital storage while on holiday is my biggest worry.

Reid

 

[diberry]

I have to admit looking at the back of my "old" camera to see the picture I'd just taken and forgetting it wasn't digital!!! Duh!!!
Don't know what "parallax" means though it sounds good - will incorporate it into my vocab when I've found a dictionary!!
I usually set my digital to the least sharp image to make sure I've got enough storage but that's self-defeating really as the pictures are poorer - I really must learn more about these new-fangled machines!!!

P.S. have looked up "parallax" - still don't understand it!!!

 

[NIK]

I have to admit looking at the back of my "old" camera to see the picture I'd just taken and forgetting it wasn't digital!!! Duh!!!
Don't know what "parallax" means though it sounds good - will incorporate it into my vocab when I've found a dictionary!!
I usually set my digital to the least sharp image to make sure I've got enough storage but that's self-defeating really as the pictures are poorer - I really must learn more about these new-fangled machines!!!

P.S. have looked up "parallax" - still don't understand it!!!

I had to ask someone myself! lol

It is the [often minute] difference between what you see when you look through the viewfinder of your camera and what the lens itself sees. Sometimes the actual lens if offset slightly or below slightly, the viewfinder and it gets a slightly different view. Mostly it doesn't make that much of a difference but I have found it quite a problem with my little digital - you have to place the subject of the photo towards one side of the viewfinder to ensure you don't cut off any heads or whatever. I've deleted tons of pics that I had managed to miss bits off or over compensated.

The problem with my digital - and with a lot of others i have since found out - is that the viewscreen disappears if there is - well, any sort of light at all! - and you have to use the viewfinder like a traditional camera. I've kind of sorted it out but it was a worry whilst at the park. Unfortunately I can't get to go every year so have to make as many memories as I can and I didn't want to lose or miss anything!