My family loves Walt Disney World’s Photopass, but maybe not for the reason most people enjoy it.

Think of this: How many ‘execution at dawn’ photos standing in front of Cinderella Castle do you need?

My answer- one. Which is why my advice to guests using Photopass is this: Be weird.

Thusly:

Luckily I've got a kid who is willing to play along.

Perhaps I should back up here. There’s a method to my juvenile actions. Here’s a look at a timeline of my history with taking pictures at Walt Disney World:

On our first trip, circa 1997, it was just Amy and I, and we’d shoot everything. The Castle, the attractions, the parades, the outside of our hotel… And that was fine. It was a new World to us, and this was all part of it.

The next three trips we’d continue to shoot similar images. The repetitiveness struck us one time when we were putting the photos into a scrap book (this was before digital cameras were everywhere). The pictures of the Castle from 1997 looked exactly the same as the ones from our trips in 1998 and 1999. For the most part, it didn’t change. That’s when it struck me – the images that we loved the most were of our friends and family goofing around or laughing or experiencing something great. Pictures of the people, not the structures.

I’m sure most people figured this out a lot earlier, but sometimes I can be slow on the uptake.

Sometime around the early 2000s I decided to abide by Amy’s proclamation of “we don’t need 50 more pictures of Cinderella Castle.” On one particular trip we decided to only take shots of our traveling companions and ourselves in relative close-up – to catch expressions and emotion. This is what we always remembered about our many trips to Walt Disney World. These were the memories we wanted to capture.

When Photopass first appeared, we didn’t take advantage of it for precisely that reason. We didn’t need a million more photos of us standing in a line in front of a building. Sure, one or two were OK so we could mark each new trip and look back at the passage of time, but it wasn’t necessary. We’d usually just pass the Photopass photographer by, not knowing we were missing a chance to have a little more fun.

One time, I can’t remember which trip or what year it was, we changed our policy about Photopass. We were walking up Main Street USA, and Amy said, “Let’s do a Photopass picture.” We assembled, had our picture taken, and grabbed our card. The next photographer we came across we waited in line, handed him our Photopass card, and posed dutifully. Suddenly we were having fun with Photopass.

Upon returning home, we got a look at our pictures. They were great. But they looked like everyone else’s Photopass pictures. Again – this service is great, but it started to occur to me that we could do something more. And that’s when we decided to be weird.

Contemplating the frozen lemonade.

OK, I have to tell a quick story about this photo...

When we were taking this photo, someone said: “Make a weird face!” So we did. Or, most of us did. When we pulled the image up on my laptop back at our room, I saw everyone had pulled a funny face. Except for my sister, Chris. She’s the one in the maroon shirt on the right.

“Chris – what the heck?” I said.

Here’s the thing: This photo was taken the morning they arrived. And my sister loathes flying. She hates it. So her doctor prescribes something that will help her get through it. That’s fine, except for the day they arrive she’s still experiencing the affects of said helper. She reminded me of this, explaining that she was so relaxed that she thought she was making a weird face.

We’ve since renamed my sister “Lady Valium.”

But once that wore off she was fully on-board with the Burke/Kane Photopass Project:

Mousejunkies - assemble!

My brother-in-law Barry and I enjoying the offerings of the Germany pavilion in front of a Photopass photographer.

I hear that if you throw a child into the fountain at France in Epcot, you can make a wish and it will come true.

I’ve also found that if it’s really hot, or I’m really tired, acting like a kid in front of the camera tends to lift my mood and my spirits. And generally, my physical aches and pains follow. We have a good laugh and all of a sudden we’re on the lookout for the next Photopass photographer.

You know what though? I have to admit that I’m still in awe of Cinderella Castle, and I can’t stop shooting pictures of it. Call me a Mousejunkie, but I think that’s always going to be the case.

Obligatory Castle shot. I can't help it.

Do you have any funny Photopass images? Point me at them!