Last year Walt Disney World began testing an automated camera system that replaced PhotoPass photographers and took timed pictures of guests from one single angle, giving guests a range of shots of the experience. Once the character interaction was over guests were then able to view their photos on the machine (much like they view on-ride photos at Splash Mountain or Test Track after riding), and could then touch their MagicBand to the machine to tie the photographs to their My Disney Experience account.
This system was first seen in use in 2018 at the Tinker Bell character meet and greet at the Magic Kingdom, and while this seemed like a one-off test at the time, it looks like Disney has heavily invested in this technology, and have now installed these automated cameras at the following character meet and greet areas:
- Darth Vader meet and greet at Star Wars: Launch Bay
- Chewbacca meet and greet at Star Wars: Launch Bay
- Mickey and Minnie meet and greet in Town Square Theater
- Anna and Elsa at the Royal Sommerhus
- Princess Fairytale Hall
And though this already seems like a lot of locations for the rollout of this new technology (in addition to the Tinker Bell meet and greet, where this technology originally debuted), it looks like Disney is continuing to expand the use of automated PhotoPass boxes, and we fully expect more character locations to be added to this list in the near future.
Image: Disney
However, even though it looks like Disney has committed to the wide use of automated PhotoPass photo-taking boxes, fan reaction has been less than enthusiastic about this change, with petitions, Twitter accounts and more calling for Disney to reinstate PhotoPass photographers. However, it seems unlikely that Disney will reverse this decision. And here’s why:
Devaluing the Memory Maker
Though Disney’s Memory Maker was a popular add-on when it debuted, in the past few years guests have been losing interest in this upcharge, which provides unlimited digital photo downloads during a Walt Disney World vacation. And though Disney has tried to drum up interest in Memory Maker, by hosting special deals on “PhotoPass Day” events (and bundling it with annual passes), the fact is, this profit stream doesn’t seem to be performing as it once did, which means that Disney will be looking to cut costs related to this service (in addition to the other cuts they are making), and replacing Cast Members with machines is an easy way for them to save money while continuing to offer the Memory Maker service.
There’s no way for Disney to really lose money on these boxes
Image: Disney
Another economic factor that plays into the addition of these boxes around Walt Disney World is the fact that Disney has determined that their installation won’t cost them anything. Last year, when the first of these boxes was installed at the aforementioned Tinker Bell meet and greet, fan outrage grew, and it looked like, at least momentarily, Disney was listening to its fans, as they didn’t install any more automated PhotoPass cameras (at the time rumors stated that they had several ready to go backstage). However, it looked like Disney was likely just waiting to run some logistical tests on the effect of these boxes on sales. And with the rollout of these boxes, it seems like Disney determined that the automatic cameras didn’t have any effect on sales, which is why we are now seeing the wide rollout of this technology. And now that Disney has determined they can make the same amount of money from an automated system while avoiding the cost of paying a professional photographer, they’re going to take advantage of the opportunity.
Though there are some very practical reasons why Disney is installing these automatic PhotoPass cameras at their character meet and greets, it’s hard not to feel very let down by this development. There is something truly magical about meeting Disney characters, and PhotoPass photographers are a huge part of capturing the fun of these very special moments. However, instead of a photographer moving around to capture a precious hug with a princess, a hearty laugh with Chewbacca, or a first high five with Mickey Mouse, an automated camera will click silently away during character interactions, and at some point Cinderella, Elsa, or their attendants will tell guests to smile at a box. Which, no mater whether a guest is 2 or 92, takes a lot of the magic out of meeting a Disney character.
