Disney Now Offers Photopass +

You know Disney thinks of everything and wants to give their guests a “one time price” option so that guests don’t feel the stress of being nickeled and dimed.  And, Disney has done it again with a new Photopass option called Photopass +.

Guests who purchase Photopass +, at the price of $199, at the time of this post, get all the following:  

• Digital files of all Photopass photos taken by Photopass photographers.
• Attraction Photos taken within a 14 day visit
• Dining photos taken with a 14 day visit
• Print Packages at select Dining locations
• Photopass + card and lanyard
• A gallery CD with over 400 stock photos
• A unique code to create and order a PhotoCD with all photos online at Disneyphotopass.com.  Guests can order their CD when they return home from vacation.
• Digital Downloads of select attractions.

As of right now, Photopass + can only be purchased in the theme parks at the Photopass store in each park or Downtown Disney. 

Guests who pre-purchase the Photopass CD at a reduced rate can then upgrade to Photopass + by paying the difference once they arrive at the theme parks or Downtown Disney.

The perks included with Photopass + would indicate upgrading or purchasing is best done at the beginning of a trip.

Dining locations where the print package is included:

• 1900 Park Fare
• Ohana’s (Breakfast only)
• Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
• Chef Mickey’s
• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Tusker House Restaurant (Breakfast only)
• Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review
• Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus

Attraction locations where you will be able to digitally upload your attraction photo:

• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Tower of Terror
• Rock ‘n Roller Coaster
• Expedition Everest
• Dinosaur
• Test Track (already offers this service)

So, is Photopass + a good deal?

The diplomatic answer is, it depends.  Like everything, the amount of use would determine the value of a purchase.  If travelers did not eat at the dining locations offering print packages as a part of Photopass + or ride the attractions offering digital downloads, then mileage would vary on the value of Photopass +.

Some simple math would see if it would be a good deal for your family.  Lets see. . .

                        $119 for Photopass CD (at discounted pre-purchase price)

                        $30 for photo package at dining location, say Chef Mickey’s

                   +   $20 for Splash Mountain

                        $169  (making Photopass + more expensive at $199)

But, let’s say you didn’t pre-order Photopass your Photopass CD and wanted to purchase it when you got home, as you weren’t sure how many Photopass photos were going to be taken.  Now, let’s check out the math:

$169 for Photopass CD (at discounted pre-purchase price)

                        $30 for photo package at dining location, say Chef Mickey’s

                   +   $20 for Splash Mountain

                        $219  (making Photopass + a bargain at $199)

Of course, I need to add on some caveats.  Guests already receive print packages as a part of the cost of their meal at some dining locations, such as Princess Storybook Dining and Cinderella’s Royal Table.  It’s important to know that these photos have always been available for free, essentially, and could be added to one’s Photopass account, so offering this as a part of Photopass + as a new service isn’t quite accurate.

I added Test Track to the list of attractions, as already guests can download the digital image to their Photopass account without upgrading to Photopass +.  And, during our last trip, after I purchased our Splash Mountain and Dinosaur attraction photos, they were added to our Photopass account.

Would I purchase it?  Well, if it had been available during our most recent visit, I sure would have thought about it long and hard.  We weren’t dining at any of the locations on the Photopass + list, and I knew we would buy at least a couple of attraction photos, yet doing the math, it was less expensive for me to purchase the Photopass CD at the discounted pre-purchase price and pay for the attraction photos.  I’m not sure if the gallery images and lanyard would have been worth the extra money.

Another issue is the cost associated with making prints once the photoCD arrives.  While many people make digital scrapbooks or post photos on Facebook, there are times when a print photo is necessary and the cost of that is passed along to guests.  Yet, bargains can be found, as I just printed an 8 X 10 photo print and 8 X 10 collage print for free using Walgreen discount codes.

Photopass + became available to Disney guests on Wednesday, April 4.  I’ll be anxious to hear and read about guests’ impressions.  I’m an avid supporter of Photopass and time will tell if Photopass + meets guests’ needs.

As always, I’m amazed to see guests agonize over photo or Photopass purchases.  The over 500 photos taken by Photopass photographers during our last trip was well worth the $99 we paid (the pre-order price has now increased to $119) for the Photopass CD.  To me, photos make the perfect souvenirs, as no one ever outgrows them and they typically don’t break.  When was the last time you saw photos in a garage sale?

Anyway, if you or someone you know takes advantage of Photopass +, drop us a line via comments and let us know what you think.