Disney World now offers a new service called PhotoPass. Basically, you pay for the amount of days you would like to utilize this service and during that time you can take unlimited photos around the park by cast members.

Why is this a neat service to have? It can be hard to get a full family photo at the park. It’s so busy, and crowded some days. You may have to trust a complete stranger to take your camera or phone and then the question stands, do they know how to even take a photo?

I’ve had many occasions where I’ve asked a kind stranger to take my photo and it’s blurry or my husband and I are teeny tiny and there is a whole lot of empty space around us. But in these cases beggars can’t be choosers.

Disney PhotoPass has essentially eliminated these awkward and sometimes fruitless interactions.

Let’s get down to brass tax, what does it cost?

There are three types of Memory Maker PhotoPass options you can purchase:

1. Memory Maker (Advanced Purchase)
   If you purchase this 30 day service in advance it’s $169.
2. Memory Maker (During and Post Vacation)
   Book the day of or after your stay, it’s $200.
3. Memory Maker One Day
   If you only need one day, it’s $69.

My family and I recently had a 5 day trip to Disney and decided to give it a try. At first I was put off at the price, but when I compared it to my own services I figured it was actually reasonable. But I also assumed that the photographers on sight had training. So as the saying goes, Assuming makes an Ass out of U and Me.

My biggest disappointment with this Disney PhotoPass service was the quality. As a professional, I know I can be really picky about my photos. I admit that I sometimes obsess about the smallest details that most others might not even notice. But some of the photos we got were downright horrible. I assumed the photographers being hired were trained professionals but I can only imagine that most have a very basic training under their belt. It’s a shame since their paying customers are trusting these cast members with their vacation memories

It’s clear from my example above that some of the staff have little to no training and you are clearly getting what you pay for. Even with my professional editing software the image to the right was the best I could do to salvage it. Luckily most of the images we received during out stay weren’t this bad.

But I will say, for the average visitor who doesn’t have a fancy camera and just wants a simple photo of their family vacation. It’s not a bad deal. High end photographed and edited images is not everyone’s cup of tea and that is what Disney PhotoPass certainly is not. You can see a collection of some of the images we got during out stay.

These Disney PhotoPass photos below are my favorite from them all. They weren’t blurry or over/underexposed. Just did some light editing to bring up the exposure a little.

“The photos we took are a lot more candid and tell more of a story of our time rather than the staged photos across the park”

And professional photography services are banned in the park so there isn’t much of a choice. You can however hire a photographer to take your family photos at any of the resorts. My favorite of which is Disneys Boardwalk. Below are some photos me and my husband took with my camera at the Boardwalk. The photos we took are a lot more candid and tell more of a story of our time rather than the staged photos across the park. Although I will admit there are a handful from Disney PhotoPass that are funny and precious in their own way!

In the end, do whatever is best for your family, your wallet and your happiness! I’m so glad I tried the Disney PhotoPass out for myself to see if it was a good fit for our family. Ultimately it doesn’t match my style or deliver the quality images I would want from an important family trip.

If you are interested in booking my photography services during your next trip to Disney. I am down. You can learn more about my offers and packages here.