When we went on our first trip to Disneyland Paris in February 2019 – I was really keen to add a PhotoPass + to our holiday package.

November 2019 Update: We now hold an annual Photopass + !

I’ve seen a lot of people online asking how it works and more importantly, if it’s worth the money. I thought I’d take the opportunity to explain all and give my 2 cents!

 

What is PhotoPass +?

PhotoPass + allows you to collect all the photos taken by the Disneyland Paris photographers at selected locations and meets for one single price. Plus you get all of your on-ride photos available to download as high quality digital image files!

How Does It Work?

When you meet a character and a PhotoPass photographer is with them, you simply hand over your pass before you meet the character. The photographer then scans your pass and snaps away while you pose and interact with the characters.

You can view your photographs on the PhotoPass + app around 5-30 mins after your meet. It can take slightly longer for them to appear on busier days.

When it comes to rides, after your ride ends simply head over to the photo viewing area and find your photo on the screen. You can scan the QR code of your photo onto the app OR you can manually enter the photo code which usually looks something like “B5754”.

We found manually putting the code in was easier for us, but of course it’s personal preference and you still get your photo either way!

 

Where Can I Get One?

When we got our first PhotoPass +, it was free with our package so keep an eye out for deals when you’re booking. We booked our last package through Magic Breaks and we added it as an “extra” before we went.

You can pick up a PhotoPass + from most of the shops in the parks and from the shop in your hotel (if you’re staying on-site!)

If you still haven’t decided if it’s worth your while by the time you arrive, don’t worry! After your character meets, the PhotoPass photographer will give you a temporary card. You can collect these throughout your trip and decided at the end if you want to purchase a full pass – or just an individual photo.

TOP TIP – Ride photographs are wiped at the end of each day – so decisions about buying ride photos need to be made sharpish!

How Much Does It Cost?

Buying your PhotoPass + at the parks costs €69.99 but you can usually save around a tenner if you add it to your package before you travel.

You can also buy an Annual Photopass + if you are a Magic Flex, Magic Plus or Infinity Annual Passholder and it costs €59.

Pros

First and foremost, the photos are AMAZING. We are so happy with ours (yes I know most of them are with Mickey – he’s my fave).

Like I mentioned before, in your pack you get one card on a lanyard and then two little cards. This means your group can split up if people want to do different things and you won’t have to fight over who gets the PhotoPass!

The PhotoPass pays for itself really easily. On our first day within 2 hours we had 14 photos on our pass. Considering they’re about €15 each to buy – it’s a no-brainer for us. We got about 12 beautiful photos from our Meet Mickey photoshoot (in Fantasy Land, so amazing – do it!) and there’s no way we could’ve picked just one to bring home!

Finally it really takes away the “faff” of getting your phone ready as soon as it’s your turn to meet the character. All you have to do is hand over your pass and let the photographer do the rest!

Cons

Not all rides and character meets have PhotoPass opportunities. HOWEVER the cast members at Disneyland Paris are amazing and they’re usually more than happy to snap away on your phone as you’re interacting with the characters!

Some PhotoPass photographers are better than others. For example, we met Phantom Mickey on the last day of our February 2019 trip. I had just bought a Phantom Minnie plush and I was showing it to Mickey. He kissed it and danced around with her and the photographer didn’t capture ANY of it. He just waited until we were ready to do “posed” photos. I wasn’t impressed. BUT we had a brilliant photographer when we met Donald on the same day and he photographed Donald stealing my Fab 5 backpack, which was really funny and gave us some great photos!

You can downloaded the photos directly from the PhotoPass app to your phone – but the quality isn’t great. Downloading the photos to a laptop/desktop is the best way to ensure maximum quality!

Which Rides Have PhotoPass Opportunities?

At the time of writing (February 2019) – these are the rides which currently offer PhotoPass:

Disneyland Park

Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Discovery Land)
Hyperspace Mountain (Discovery Land)
Big Thunder Mountain (Frontier Land)
Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventure Land)

Walt Disney Studios

Tower of Terror

Which Character Meets Have PhotoPass Opportunities?

Meet Mickey Mouse (Fantasy Land) – my personal favourite!
Princess Pavillion (Fantasy Land)

You can also check the park programme which is updated weekly (download from the official Disneyland Paris website). It will tell you which characters have a Photopass Photographer this week. Sadly not all characters do, but we’ve found that they seem to be gradually adding more Photopass Photographers in the park.

Overall

We love PhotoPass + and like I mentioned previously, we bought an Annual Photopass along with our Annual Passes. If you’re only going to be visiting Disneyland Paris for a day or two – do your research and plan the rides/attractions you really want to do. Then research whether these have PhotoPass opportunities. That way, it will be clear whether it will be worth investing in PhotoPass + .

As always, if you have any questions or if there’s anything I haven’t covered – please let a comment and I’ll do my best to answer or find someone who can!

If you enjoyed this post – why not check out my February 2019 Disneyland Paris merchandise haul?

Related Post: Disneyland Paris Merchandise Haul – February 2019