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It’s time for another edition of “What Is This Disney Feature?” In February I learned of all the many places money on a Disney gift card might be spent, but two of the names were unfamiliar. I’ve since examined Club Penguin, and today I’ll look at the second title I didn’t recognize: Disney PhotoPass.
Disney’s all about creating lasting memories. That’s even the latest theme at the Disney parks. Because a primary way people make and preserve memories on vacations and throughout their lives is through photography, Disney decided to get in on the action.
PhotoPass has existed for years in various forms, but today I’ll cover its current incarnation. The system offers two main services: providing professionally-taken photographs of your time at a Disney park, and applying those or other photographs to various objects like albums, mugs, t-shirts, etc.
Photographers from PhotoPass are scattered throughout any Disney park. After you locate one, he or she will give you a PhotoPass card. Once you have the card, you can give it to any PhotoPass photographer when you want to have your picture taken. The card will not physically store your pictures; it contains the information you’ll need to locate saved files of your pictures online.
You don’t have to pay anything to receive a PhotoPass card or have your picture taken. The only charge comes if you decide to purchase your photograph. Although the picture is of you, the image rights belong to Disney and you will need to buy any pictures you want.
PhotoPass doesn’t apply for pictures taken during rides or the professional portrait services offered at some Disney World resort hotels. You’ll need to pay extra if you want any of those photos.
You can access the Disney PhotoPass website after your vacation (or even during, if you so choose) and use the information on your card to view your pictures. Then you’ll have a few options for purchasing. You can select various types of prints to have mailed to you, or if you just want a digital copy or want to do the printing yourself, you can pay just to download the JPEG’s of your photos.
The third option you have is to have your photographs printed onto a variety of objects. For a fee PhotoPass will send you t-shirts, mugs, stickers, mouse pads, and more, emblazoned with the picture you selected. PhotoPass will also whip together a bound album full of pictures of your choosing, or send you pictures already framed.
If you like the idea of these services but don’t have your own PhotoPass pictures, or you already have a PhotoPass account but want your own pictures given a professional touch, those are options as well. Just log-in to the PhotoPass website and upload your own pictures. You can then have prints of your own photos mailed to you, or have them plastered over any of the above-mentioned merchandise.
The only charge I can discern for PhotoPass is the actually purchasing of pictures or other items. Membership on the website and having your photos taken at the park are, as far as I can tell, free. Just like the Disney Parks, PhotoPass also periodically offers special discounts, so check its website often if you’re interested.
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Infants: The Hottest New Market
A Personal History of Disney Video Gaming
*(This image by SqueakyMarmot is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
