When visiting a theme park, such as Disney and Universal, for example, it is common for guests to be approached by a theme park photographer to have their photo taken as a souvenir that can later be retrieved at a designated area. For each park guest and their group having their photo taken, a printed ticket with a number corresponding to their particular photo is given to them by the theme park photographer.
The number on the printed ticket typically corresponds to a bar code that is associated with the photo or photos taken by the theme park photographer of the park guest and their group. A different bar code is used for each park guest and their group having their photo taken.
To associate the bar codes with the photos being taken, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is used. Each theme park photographer has a PDA coupled to their camera via an interface cord. The theme park photographer uses the PDA to first read or scan a bar code. The bar code is usually taken from a tablet of bar codes carried by the theme park photographer. After the photos of a park guest and their group have been taken, they are then transferred to the PDA. The PDA includes software that associates the bar code with the corresponding photos taken of the park guest. This process is repeated for each group of park guests having their photo taken.
The theme park photographer later transfers the stored photos and corresponding bar codes in the PDA to a photography database. Prior to leaving the theme park, the park guest can present their printed ticket at a photography gift shop. The photography database is searched using the number on the printed ticket which corresponds to the bar code used to identify their photos.
A drawback of using theme park photographers to capture the experiences of theme park guests is cost. The use of theme park photographers is labor intensive. In addition, theme park photographers typically roam around the theme park, which means that park guests may miss out on the opportunity to have their photo taken a certain spots that are very scenic and reflective of their experiences at the theme park.