Disclaimer – All information in this article is true at the time of writing, January 2022

I’ve seen a lot of people online asking how Photopass + 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 character 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 or visit a Magic Shot (more on this later!) and a PhotoPass photographer is present, you simply hand over your pass before you meet the character/get the shot. 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 + website around 30 mins after your meet. It can take slightly longer for them to appear on busier days.

You can also use Photopass + to keep your ride photos. After your ride ends simply head over to the photo viewing area and find your photo on the screen.  Take note of your code which usually looks something like “B5754” and a Cast Member will add it to your pass for you!

Where Can I Get a Photopass?

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’ve booked your trip through a travel agent, you can contact them directly and ask them to add it to your package.

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 PhotoPass Cost?

Buying your PhotoPass + at the parks costs €74.99 but occasionally your travel agent may be able to add it at a small discount.

Photopass for Annual Passholders

Annual Passholders have the opportunity to purchase an annual Photopass – which is valid for a full year from the date of purchase.

The annual Photopass is free for Infinity Passholders. Magic Plus passholders can purchase one for €59.00 and Magic Flex passholders can purchase one for €65.00.

The annual Photopasses can be bought/collected at The Emporium or Floras’ on Main Street.

Where can I use my PhotoPass?

Rides

At the time of writing (January 2022) – 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

You must wear your mask when you’re on the rides. If you take your mask off for the photo – Disney will photoshop one on for you before you can download or buy it.

Characters

The official Disneyland Paris app will tell you which characters have a Photopass Photographer each day. Sadly not all characters do, but we’ve noticed that they seem to be gradually adding more Photopass Photographers in the park.

You can remove your mask for outdoor character meet and greets.

Magic Shots

A Magic Shot is a photo where Disney digitally enhance it to add something extra, such as a character or a special effect.

Unfortunately the Magic Shots and their timings change very frequently, so there’s no real way of knowing when and where you’ll be able to get them, but they are all over both parks.

Misc Photo Opportunities

At certain park “landmarks” you can often find a Photopass photographer taking photos of guests – for example in front of the castle, or the partners statue at Walt Disney Studios!

Pros

First and foremost, the photos are really good quality. I use them over on my Instagram all the time, and they usually require very little editing.

The PhotoPass pays for itself really easily. On a 4 day trip, we’ve collected 70 photographs. Considering they’re about €15 each to buy – it’s a no-brainer for us. We’ve had character meets where the photographer has taken 10 beautiful photos 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.
• 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 download the photos directly from the PhotoPass website to your phone – but the quality isn’t great. Downloading the photos to a laptop/desktop is the best way to ensure maximum quality!

Overall

We love PhotoPass + and wouldn’t go on a trip without one.

If you’re only going to be visiting Disneyland Paris for a day or two – do your research and plan the rides/characters you really want to visit. 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 leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer!

If you enjoyed this content – make sure to check out some of my other Disneyland Paris articles and Instagram account where I share daily Disney magic and tips!

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