NEWS: Disney PhotoPass Service x Snap: Announcing New PhotoPass Snapchat Lenses and Can’t-Miss Surprises for the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary!

Disney is always one to push boundaries and develop new technology. Now through a new partnership with Disney PhotoPass Service and Snapchat, guests will have extra magic to their photos. Learn more below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Thomas Smith:

Disney PhotoPass Service is teaming up with Snap to show you Walt Disney World Resort in a whole new way, with magical augmented reality experiences to share with your friends and family – and featuring some of your favorite Disney characters.

It all starts with new ways to meet up with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at the resort, with Snapchat Lenses starring your favorite duo. Mickey and Minnie will be right beside you in Snapchat with their playful expressions and gestures. They can even give you a hug!

The Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Lenses will be available in the Snapchat app* only at Walt Disney World Resort, but to celebrate the launch – and other special experiences to come! – you can try them at home, anywhere in the U.S., until June 3.

We can’t wait for you to show us your Disney spirit on Snapchat! Find the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Lenses on the new Disney PhotoPass Snapchat profile – plus more fun Walt Disney World stories on the Walt Disney World Snapchat profile.

This is just the beginning. We’re working with Snap on more amazing photo experiences, including some magical surprises in celebration of the Walt Disney World Resort 50^th anniversary.

Generations have come to Walt Disney World Resort to escape the everyday, be part of their favorite Disney stories, and travel to new worlds. This fall, The World’s Most Magical Celebration will bring Disney fans together to commemorate 50 incredible years of magic.

To mark the occasion, Disney PhotoPass Service is working with Snap to virtually transform Cinderella Castle. With the My Disney Experience app, you’ll be able to place your favorite image captured by Disney PhotoPass photographers on the iconic castle with augmented reality. Look through your camera lens in the app and you’ll see a beautiful mosaic of special moments shared by our guests to celebrate the 50th. The best part is, you can share your memory with your friends and family, and the next time you return during the 18-month 50^th Celebration, your photo will be there waiting for you!

There will be even more to discover in the My Disney Experience app this fall – including special Disney PhotoPass Lenses you can use right from the app, powered by Snap’s camera technology. You’ll be able to take selfies with your favorite Disney characters, experience unique Walt Disney World moments, and even make some magic of your very own with augmented reality! There will be more news to share ahead of the 50^th anniversary, so stay tuned.

We’re just getting started and always discovering new ways to bring Disney stories and characters to life – whether you meet us at one of our Disney destinations, at home, or online. And every day, we’re exploring how technology can help us bridge the physical and digital worlds to create unforgettable moments for our guests.

It’s all so that you can experience even more magic with the people you care about and be part of the stories you love. And with so many fan-favorite characters, theme park icons, and Disney adventures at our fingertips, the possibilities are practically endless for what we call the ‘theme park metaverse.’

We can’t wait to show you what else we’re working on, so keep an eye on the Disney Park Blog and get ready for more amazing experiences to come!

*Snapchat is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.  Snapchat requires separate registration. Separate terms of use and privacy policy apply. Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset imitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. Some features require separate theme park admission.

RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Reasons to Use the Disney PhotoPass Service at Disney World

by Mike and Jamie Sylvester

Catching those special moments with your own camera? Keep snapping those photos – but don’t stop there! We highly recommend you check into Disney’s PhotoPass Service. Disney’s PhotoPass provides you with the option of purchase photos taken by Cast Members at some of the most spectacular locations on Disney property. PhotoPass is offered to all guests at Disney! Whether you purchase individual photos, buy a package of photos (Memory Maker), or have an Annual Pass with the Memory Maker perk, Disney may just have an option that is perfect for you. It’s as easy as snapping a photo and scanning your MagicBand! Curious about more PhotoPass details? Read all about what you need to know about PhotoPass and Memory Maker. In the meantime, here are 8 reasons we suggest you use Disney PhotoPass.

1 – Ride Photos

You finally decide to take the plunge and embark on Tower of Terror… what better way to remember that moment of bravery (craziness?!) than with a ride photo of you screaming as you drop! Not only are many of Disney’s top attractions equipped with catching the most intense moment of the ride, but Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tower of Terror are two rides that have a brief video for you to watch of yourself as you ride along. With PhotoPass, you have the opportunity to enjoy and remember spectacular ride photos that there is little chance you can capture with your own camera.

2 – Convenience

When you know you have a PhotoPass package, the worry of pulling out your camera/phone is that last thing on your mind. It’s lovely visiting with characters or gathering with the family for a photo in front of the Castle without having to think twice if those great moments are going to be captured well enough with your device. Let the PhotoPass Cast Member take all the shots they want while you just smile away!

3 – Skilled Photographer

You may just be a photographer yourself, but for the majority of us… well, we may not have the gift of taking great photos! High-end cameras take the blur away, solve shadow problems, and remove typical lighting issues. We personally have yet to be disappointed with the pictures the PhotoPass Cast Members take. We enjoy seeing the great detail captured right down to being able to count the freckles of our daughter’s sweet face. It’s the precious details these skilled photographers are trained to catch.

4 – Prime Locations

Some of our favorite photo opportunity locations are covered by PhotoPass Cast Members. In front of the park icons, of course, but the PhotoPass areas are also located in some places you may not think to snap a photo. PhotoPass locations are listed on the Disney website so you can plan in advance to stop for a picture. The unique locations combined with excellent photographers make for fantastic photos!

5 – Posing and Props

A PhotoPass Cast Members just might suggest a unique (or silly!) pose for you and/or your family. We’ve seen people asked to hold their new bride, put their arms up in excitement, flex their muscles, or blow kisses the camera’s way. Each PhotoPass Cast Member seems to be unique and have their own ideas to make the pictures extra special. On occasion, you will also see a PhotoPass Cast Member even holding a prop! Typically, a picture frame of sorts, you may be asked if you’d like to hold a prop for the photo. Of course, all posing and prop suggestions are entirely at your discretion. Let the Cast Member know you’d just like the basic pose, and your request will be fulfilled!

6 – Surprise Character Appearances

If a PhotoPass Cast Members asks you to hold out your hands and look down, go with it! When you go to review your photos, you might just end up with Tinkerbell right in the palm of your hands. In front of the Haunted Mansion? Watch out as hitchhiking ghosts seem to enjoy sneaking into those photos! Surprise character appearances are just fun little additions to an already exciting moment.

7 – Every Angle

A wide variety of photos are taken during a single session/pose, and each one seems to capture a different smile, look, or gesture. We love being able to browse the many options, such as photos taken from the moment you walk in the room to meet a character to your last hug with them. You can trust the photographer knows the right angles and is on the lookout for those perfect moments with the intent of providing a variety of options for you to browse.

8 – Enhancements

It’s time to download your photo or have one printed – add enhancements! In the Parks, you can visit a Photo Pass Studio to view, make edits, and purchase photos. On the PhotoPass site, you have several enhancement options. Add the words “Walt Disney World” to your image, select your favorite border, or even add a date. Many neat selections just add a hint of pixie dust to your already magical photo.

PhotoPass or no PhotoPass, you are sure to enjoy endless memories at Disney. The benefit to PhotoPass is to catch those memories in a professional sense and relish the hassle-free process that goes with it.