Disneyland's PhotoPass is a great way for guests to commemorate their trip with high quality photos, giving them the ability to purchase photos taken by Disney photographers online and at the parks. It provides the opportunity for groups to take pictures at select attractions and picture-perfect park locations, access unlimited downloads, and buy personalized photo products. You will also have access to Magic Shots, where your group can have their favorite Disney characters edited into the photo!
Keep reading for our full guide on how to use Disneyland PhotoPass, which attractions and character experiences are available for pictures, prices, photo tips, and more.
In this article:
How does Disneyland's PhotoPass Work?
While at the park, simply approach the photographers located around Disney icons, dining locations, or character experiences.
You can use the park map in the Disneyland app to find PhotoPass photographer locations. On the app, open the map, then click on the the pull-down menu to select “PhotoPass.” You can select “show list” for a written version of these locations as well.
Here are some of the most popular locations for PhotoPass opportunities:
Disneyland Park
- Galaxy's Edge
- Main Street
- Sword in the Stone
- the Disneyland Park Main Entrance
- the Sleeping Beauty Castle
- Toontown
- the outside of “It's a Small World”
Disney's California Adventure
- Buena Vista Street
- Avenger's Campus
- Pixar Pier Bridge and Entrance
- Cars Land
- Grizzly Peak Waterfall
Once you find a photographer, this is where the fun begins! If you are unsure about what will make the best picture, don't be afraid to ask the photographer for guidance—they will provide great suggestions on how to pose.
Once the photos are taken, your photographer will link your photos to your Disneyland app account for easy access to your pictures. Make sure to use the “Show PhotoPass Code” feature on the app so that post-photo session, your photographer can easily scan the code so that you can access your pictures right away. To do this, select “Photos” on the main page of the Disneyland app, select “Link Photos,” and tap on “Show PhotoPass Code.”
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Disneyland's PhotoPass Options: Genie+ or PhotoPass+ One Day
PhotoPass Genie+
With the purchase of Genie+, you can access your Disney PhotoPass photos from the day, including attraction, rides, and character dining photos. You will also be able to keep unlimited downloads to share! This costs $20 per person.
Disneyland's Genie+ service also offers PhotoPass Lenses, which can be used to add fun to your pictures! As soon as you enter the park, you can find these by going to the Disneyland app, then going down to the “More” menu at the bottom of the home screen and selecting “Disney PhotoPass Lenses” to access an augmented reality camera that will add some extra magic to you and your surroundings. You can pose with characters, as characters, and access all sorts of fun special effects!
Select lenses are only available in exclusive segments of the park, so make sure to explore all of the possibilities.
PhotoPass+ One Day
If you opt out of Disney's Genie+ (though we do really recommend it!), there is the option of buying a PhotoPass+ One Day for $20 before or during your visit. You can access this through the Disneyland app on the Photos tile.
Disneyland PhotoPass Attractions
Which attractions offer PhotoPass opportunities?
At Disneyland and California Adventure, select attractions offer PhotoPass opportunities! All of these rides have thrilling moments that make it the perfect photo opportunity. While smiling for the photo is a great choice, don’t be afraid to get a little bit goofy and theatrical with your moment in the spotlight (as long as you do so safely). Remember, these snaps take place near the last part of each ride, so be ready!
Here are the rides that currently offer Disneyland PhotoPass downloads at both parks.
Disneyland:
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
California Adventure:
Radiator Springs Racers
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
The Incredicoaster
How to Download Attraction Photos
Here is how to download those priceless reaction pictures from rides!
- Scroll down to “Photos” on the main page of the app
- Select “Link Photos”
- To link an attraction photo, enter the 8-character ID that appears on the photo screen post-ride
Disneyland PhotoPass Magic Shots
PhotoPass Magic Shots allow you the opportunity to pose with favorite characters. Hold Tinkerbell in the palm of your hand, pose at Grizzly River Run with Koda, or gaze up in wonder as Dumbo soars above your head! While every picture at Disneyland is special, these are sure to make you smile.
These photos can be some serious fun, but they require some imagination on your end, so go all out! Put on your best reaction faces and make a story from a moment. Before your visit, you can glean inspiration for Magic Shots from other guests to make sure you have the perfect idea, or you can just see what speaks to you in the moment.
Disneyland PhotoPass Character Experiences
There are plenty of great Disneyland photopass experiences to have with all the characters in the parks.
Character Experiences Around the Park
Disneyland's photographers will always be close by when there is a Character Greeting taking place at the park. Be sure to find your favorite character and strike a pose with them!
Character Dining Experiences
In addition to catching your favorite characters around the park, you can also get a few photos snapped before Character Dining Experiences! Your photographer will hand you a PhotoPass card with a code that you'll be able to load onto your Disneyland App. To link this, go to the home page of the app, then select “Link Photos,” and tap on “Link PhotoPass Card,” where you'll be able to use your phone camera to scan the code.
Tips to Get the Best Disneyland PhotoPass Pictures
- Make sure you take advantage of the quiet at the start of the day if you have Early Entry access to the parks! This way, you can get shots in front of classic Disney photo locations that tend to get crowded as the day goes on.
- On that same note, make sure to take lots of pictures at the start of the day when members of your party will be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and that way you won't have to worry about end-of-day fatigue creeping into your photo session.
- When encountering characters, make sure to do something special! Sometimes, guests can get shy when they encounter characters and opt for the simple “stand and smile” picture. To make this moment memorable, assume the character's classic pose with them or ask them (and your photographer) for advice on what they would suggest.
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