Earlier in June, Disneyland quietly added two new signature photo experiences to their News page. Right now it appears these photo experiences are only available to Disneyland Annual Passholders, but if they do well I bet they will open them up to all guests.
These new Photo Experiences raise a lot of questions, mostly concerning wedding and engagement sessions at Disneyland, and I delve into my thoughts and opinions further down.
I think it’s great Disneyland is opening up more exclusive photo sessions to guests. The price tag is steep but I’m sure lots of families would love to take photos like these.
The below verbiage is from the Disney website.
Mickey’s Toontown Signature Photo Experience at Disneyland Park ($1,700, plus tax)
Strike a pose in front of the most wonderfully wacky backdrops featuring silly sculptures and topsy-turvy architecture like Mickey’s and Minnie’s Houses, Goofy’s Playhouse, Donald’s Boat and the Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse. Your shoot will take place in the morning, one hour before the land officially opens to other Guests.
Cars Land Signature Photo Experience at Disney California Adventure Park ($1,700, plus tax)
Zoom around the illuminated desert landscapes of Radiator Springs and take memorable portraits in front of backdrops inspired by the iconic Route 66. Your shoot will take place at night, after the park closes.
What’s Included in These 2 Photo Experiences
- Access to Mickey’s Toontown or Cars Land for a one-hour shoot for up to 8 people
- A professional Disney photographer and assistant
- Stylistic posing and lighting
- Access to a personal online gallery to download your final retouched images
- Choice of quality framing packages
Additional notes about these Photo Experiences:
- The Photo Experiences takes place before or after the Parks open or close to the public, so it’s a “private” photo shoot.
- For Toontown you can be joined by Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and/or Pluto for 15 minutes at $500 each character, plus tax.
- There are add-on items available such as archive flash drive or disc, and frame options, for additional fees.
- Theme Park admission is not needed or required for these Photo Experiences (but you will not be allowed to stay in the park during regular operating hours unless you have a valid ticket or pass.)
- Photos will be delivered to you via an online link one-to-two weeks after your Photo Experience.
- If you have questions or want to book your Photo Experience, please refer to the Disney website.
There is still a lot of mystery surrounding these new photo offerings. The main question people seem to want to know is: “Can we wear our wedding attire for these photo experiences?” If you can, then these shoots will be big competition for the standard weddings castle photo shoot offering from Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, which is currently priced at $4500 and does not include your photographer’s fee. (Remember, as of right now, the weddings castle shoot is the only private Photo Experience to take place in the castle area, and is available to couples having an official wedding through Disneyland only.)
I was curious about the dress code for these Photo Experiences so I called the phone number listed on the Disney website and asked a Cast Member about it. She said there was nothing listed in the guidelines about NOT wearing wedding attire so it “shouldn’t be a problem.”
I have a tough time believing wedding attire will actually be allowed, but right now there are no written guidelines against it. I have a feeling this will change.
There is also a question of how this will affect the standard engagement shoots couples do with their own photographer during normal park operating hours. We know these shoots technically are not allowed as it violates the “no commercial photography” rule, but as long as guests aren’t disturbed it seems security doesn’t strictly enforce this rule. Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings even features these types of engagement photos (from their preferred vendors) on their blog. I am curious if this is the start of a new era?
What are your thoughts on these new Photo Experiences, and how do you think they will affect wedding and engagement shoots in the future?
Photo credit: Disney
