One of the most popular add-ons to a Disney World vacation is PhotoPass. This one-time purchase of $169 via Memory Maker (prior to arrival, or $199 in the parks after you arrive) gives you access to all of the digital downloads of pictures taken of you and the family while in Disney World, whether it’s an on-ride photo or a picture taken by one of Disney’s PhotoPass Cast Members.

There are some big changes coming with PhotoPass, however. Keep in mind that PhotoPass is NOT included with the new Genie+ service (instead, users get special augmented reality lenses to use while snapping pictures on your phone), nor does it come with Disney World’s new Annual Pass system — Annual Passholders who want PhotoPass on their next vacation, will have to purchase it separately for $99 per year, per pass.

That begs the question, is it worth it to purchase PhotoPass, either ahead of your Disney World vacation or as an add-on to your Annual Pass? There are pros and cons to every additional purchase you make, so let’s take a look at them now!

Why You SHOULD Purchase PhotoPass

One of the first reasons why you may want to consider purchasing PhotoPass is that the photos are taken on a high quality camera by a trained professional. If you don’t want to lug your DSLR camera around with you, then you won’t have to — Cast Members are trained with professional cameras and know how to capture the perfect photo, making sure that the whole family is in the shot, that Cinderella Castle isn’t cropped, and that the lighting is just right. These Cast Members take thousands of pictures a day, so feel free to ask them about unique poses, and even magic shots!

PhotoPass may be well worth the cost if you’re visiting Disney World to celebrate a special event. Whether it’s a family reunion, a honeymoon, or your first trip to Disney World, PhotoPass is a great way to make sure you have high-quality photos of the entire family in front of iconic park locations.

One of the biggest challenges when taking your own photos is that not everyone will be in every picture. There’s always that one relative who volunteers to take the photo, and next thing you know, Uncle Joe is missing from EVERY picture! By purchasing PhotoPass, everyone gets to be in all of the pictures, not to mention your photos don’t ALL have to be selfies to get the whole family included (you also don’t have to awkwardly ask a random stranger to take your picture without risking your phone getting dropped).

If you are interested in getting photos with characters, you will want to note that character meet and greets and very limited and modified at the time. You can meet some characters in the parks but not in the same capacity you could before the closures.

Read all about character meet and greets in Disney World right now here! 

Why You Should NOT Purchase PhotoPass

First and foremost, PhotoPass is pricey! Depending on where you are staying on your Disney World vacation (whether it’s on or off property), the $169 fee for Memory Maker could easily go toward another night at the hotel, your airfare, or upgrading your tickets to Park Hoppers.

If you go to Disney World a lot, you likely already have most of the photos you’ll typically get using PhotoPass — and do you REALLY need that fifth picture of the family riding Frozen Ever After?

If you’re an Annual Passholder, PhotoPass will no longer come included on any pass level — it will cost you an additional $99 per year, per Passholder. Keep in mind that you can link your PhotoPass photos to all of your friends and family accounts, so if snapping those pictures is important to your family, you could purchase it once and make sure everyone’s accounts are linked.

Don’t forget about Disney World’s Capture Your Moment photoshoot services — for less than $99, you can reserve a PhotoPass photographer for a set amount of time in the parks for special moments like a proposal, baby announcement, graduation, anniversary, family reunion, first visit, birthday, and more. Photo sessions for up to 20 minutes cost $50, but you can also book back-to-back sessions for 40 minutes at $100. If you only need that ONE perfect photo on your vacation but you don’t want to commit to the full $169 price tag of Memory Maker, this could be a good way to save!

While we mentioned above that PhotoPass can get you some high-quality family pictures, PhotoPass photos aren’t always the BEST. You’re taking a slight risk relying on PhotoPass to capture what could wind up being your family Christmas card photo. Just like any photography experience, angles may not be the most flattering, someone’s eyes might be closed, or the whole family might just be a hot, sweaty mess after a day touring the park in the Floridian heat & humidity. Those fancy cameras will just mean that you have super crisp photographic memories of how hot y’all were!

Keep in mind, you’re taking a pricey gamble for something where you get a limited amount of photos, whereas you can take endless photos for free on your own camera or phone. Not to mention you may feel rushed if there’s a line for that particular PhotoPass spot, and the overall quality of the picture could suffer as a result!

PhotoPass may also NOT be worth the cost if you’re looking for more unique family photos on your next vacation. PhotoPass Cast Members are usually stationed in more popular and “generic” locations, like the park entrances, in front of Cinderella Castle, and so on and so forth. Because of the price you paid for these photos, you may feel compelled to stand in line to “get your money’s worth” and capture all the photos you can, but think of what else you might be sacrificing in your Disney World experience as you wait in line for another photo.

If you go to Disney World frequently and want something a little different, there are hidden gems all around the parks where you WON’T find those PhotoPass Cast Members. In those situations, you’ll likely be better off finding a stranger to snap a quick family photo instead.

Click here to read about what won’t come included with Disney World’s new Annual Passes!

We hope this information helps you decide whether or not PhotoPass is worth the purchase on your next Disney World vacation. In short, it really will depend on your wants, needs, and budget. It’s nice to have the option but for your personal vacation, it might not be worth shelling out the cash. We’re always looking for ways to make sure you maximize your upcoming Disney World vacation, so be sure to follow along for more of the latest news and updates as well as planning tips and tricks!

ED92 has shared a video on Twitter from their follower Jennifer, who caught some of a drone rehearsal for “Disney D-Light” in the sky above Disneyland Paris. Watch the video below or by clicking here.

3⃣0⃣ SPOILER ALERT Our follower Jennifer staying at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge shares with us a video of the first drone rehearsals in the sky of Disneyland Paris for the Disney D-Light show #DisneylandParis30 #disneylandparis pic.twitter.com/awSzE1kPv0

— ED92 (@ED92Magic) February 24, 2022

In the video, the fleet of two hundred drones has formed the Mickey-shaped 30th anniversary logo. They are lit up in purple for a few seconds, then change to twinkling white lights before going dark.

“Disney D-Light” will be a pre-show to “Disney Illuminations” at Sleeping Beauty Castle beginning March 6, 2022. The castle recently underwent an extensive refurbishment in preparation for the celebrations; check out the reveal of the completed new look.

For more information about the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris, check out the following articles:

• First Look at the ‘Gardens of Wonder’ Cinderella Statue for Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary
• Minnie Mouse Reveals New Costume for Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary
• Three Merchandise Collections Teased for Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary Including Loungefly, Dooney & Bourke Bags, Spirit Jersey, and More
• New Commemorative Treats Teased for Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary
• Daytime Show, Character Costumes, and Theme Song for Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary Celebration Revealed

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Watch Drones Rehearsing for ‘Disney D-Light’ in Sky Above Disneyland Paris appeared first on WDW News Today.

Not too far from Walt Disney World, there is a huge Mardi Gras event at Universal Orlando, but that’s not the only way to celebrate. Although they put on a fantastic event, you can add other things to your list to celebrate Mardi Gras while you are on vacation during this celebration. Make sure to pack your Mardi Gras beads; it’s time to celebrate!

Let’s start with the obvious and talk about Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter. This resort embodies the spirit of Mardi Gras; they even have a little band made of alligators outside the pool that are celebrating. Recently, live music has returned to the resort at Scats Cat’s Club. Listening to live music after a long park day is one of my favorite things to do because it feels relaxing. Of course, the live music you’ll be hearing is Jazz. This is also a great place to pick up some beignets to enjoy while listening to the music. The live entertainment will be taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. The food court, Sassagoula Floatworks, is not too far from here. At the Floatworks, you’ll find some great food options like jambalaya, gumbo, the Impossible Barbecued Market Burger, and pot roast. From 5pm to 10pm at Scat Cat’s Club they have a lounge menu that features Loaded Potato Puffs, Mardi Gras Fritters, Bayou Wings, Oyster Beignet Po’Boy,  Mickey-shaped beignets, and Baton Rouge Beignets, which contain alcohol. This is a great spot to relax, eat and listen to great music. 

Port Orleans French Quarter is a charming resort and offers many activities. If the lounge isn’t for you, but you enjoy walking trails, the resort offers that as well. They have maps throughout the property that showcase the walking/running trails. I have walked from Riverside to French Quarter before, and it was a great walk. If you like taking in the scenery but don’t want to do all the walking, you can hop on the boat transportation or even reserve a horse-drawn carriage ride. 

Another way you can celebrate Mardi Gras at Walt Disney World is to head over to the Magic Kingdom, go to Princess Fairytale Hall, and say hi to Princess Tiana. Make sure to ask her what her go-to Mardi Gras meal is, or about her restaurant. Another great question that you could ask Princess Tiana is what her favorite part of Mardi Gras is. This is an interactive way to celebrate Mardi Gras or introduce the event to the little ones.

Orlando and the surrounding areas have so many fun events going on for Mardi Gras, and I think everyone should go and experience them all. Universal puts on a fantastic event, and the parade is out of this world. Disney offers a more relaxing way to celebrate Mardi Gras. One day your travel party can live it up at Universal Orlando, and the next day you can spend a relaxing evening at Port Orleans French Quarter. And this is your friendly reminder that if you’d like to plan a trip to celebrate Mardi Gras in Orlando in the future, to reach out to Dreams Unlimited Travel, and they can help you plan your next Orlando vacation!

What are your favorite Mardi Gras events in Orlando? Let us know in the comments!

If you’ve been to (or considered going to) Disney World recently, then you likely know that a single-day visit to the theme parks typically costs more than $100 a person making a day inside “the most magical place on earth” roughly $400-$500+ for a family of four.

Of course, that price can fluctuate depending on the season and the add-ons that you purchase, but you’ll be budgeting a few hundred (or even upwards of thousands of) dollars just to set FOOT in a Disney World park. So, if you’re dropping the big bucks on a day in any of the four parks, are you really getting your money’s worth? We’re breaking down the price of a Disney World ticket to let you know what every minute of your day really costs!

What’s the Price of a Park Ticket?

Right now, a one-day, one-park ticket to any Disney World theme park is $134 on average. The actual ticket prices range from $109-$159, so the number we’ll be working with for the purposes of this article is right in the middle.

That ticket price will be higher than $134 during the holiday seasons and particularly busy times, while the price will be lower if you visit during the “off-season” when fewer guests are in the parks (think January, February, and September).

Tickets will also be more expensive when you purchase add-ons like Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus. Park Hopper costs at least $33 extra per adult ticket and Park Hopper Plus starts at an additional $53.

If you want to save a little bit of money on tickets per day, then you can purchase them multiple days at a time for a cheaper rate, though we noticed that Disney sneakily added a few bucks to the cost of these multi-day tickets recently. The overall cost will still be less per day if you’re opting for a multi-day ticket, but you’ll pay a bit more for select dates in 2022 compared to 2021.

Another way to land tickets on the lower price range? Check for affinity group discounts! These are often available for Florida residents and eligible military members.

See the other way that Disney World has sneakily increased ticket prices in 2022 here

How Much Does Each Minute Cost You in Disney World?

So, what exactly are you getting for that hefty price? Well, let’s break it down! Disney World parks are most often open between 10-12 hours a day (Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT are typically on the higher end of that range, while Disney’s Animal Kingdom hangs out in the lower). Those hours can vary based on the time of year, but we’ll stick with an 11-hour average park day for our example.

Taking the $134 average cost for a park ticket, means you’re paying about $12.18 per hour to be in a Disney World park!

If you take that $12.18 down into minutes, you get about .20 cents per minute. That means that every 5 minutes in a Disney World park (on an 11-hour day with a $134 ticket), costs you roughly $1. Keep in mind that this price factors in the full day from park open to park close, so this is still the cost even if you’re not in the park — you’ve already paid that price ahead of time!

DFB CHALLENGE: Can You Spend 20 Straight Hours in Disney Theme Parks? We Tested It Out!

Putting That in Simpler Terms…

Let’s do some real-world examples! What if you decide to sleep in? Well, if you arrive at the park an hour later than the opening time, it’ll cost you $12.18 per person. For a family of four, that’s $48.72, which could buy you 7 or 8 Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars!

Long meals will also cost you extra, as you’re stuck in a restaurant during that precious park time. So, for example, if you want to dine somewhere like Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest Restaurant, your meal may take up to an hour and a half. These meals already cost $62 per adult and $37 per child (a total of at least $198 with 2 adults and 2 kids, not counting tax and tip) and if you take into account the cost of 90 minutes in the park, then you’re paying $18 per person in time, which is $72 total. Add that to the total for your meal and you get $270…not including tax and tip!

Of course, dining at these in-park restaurants requires a park ticket, so you’ll have to come to peace with a portion of your daily ticket budget going to a sit-down meal (along with other things you can only accomplish in the parks).

What about all the times that you need to go to the bathroom? Well, there’s even a price associated with that!

Taking into account the price of being in the park per minute, a 5-minute bathroom break for four people costs $4. That price DOUBLES if you find a line or need some extra time and take 10 minutes — a pretty pricey potty break if you think about how many times you use the bathroom in a day!

Speaking of lines, waiting for attractions can be pretty expensive too — an hour spent in the queue for Slinky Dog Dash or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is $48 (!!) for a family of four. When it’s a busy day, these popular rides can have super crazy four-hour lines, meaning that you’ll be using up about $192 in time to wait as a family — that’s the price of a park ticket and a half! 

If the idea of spending time waiting in line is particularly loathsome to you, then you could opt to pay extra for the new service, Disney Genie+. This replaced the free FastPass+ system in the parks and costs $15 per ticket, per day, to “skip the line” at popular attractions throughout the park. Keep in mind that not all attractions are included in Genie+, so you could end up paying even more to bypass the wait at rides considered Individual Attraction Selections.

If the wait times are particularly long in the parks when you visit, paying the extra cost for these services could actually end up saving you money per minute by giving you more time to experience the park. Overall, it should save you time, but it’ll be an additional line item to add to the budget.

But, what about once you get to the front of the line? Believe it or not, you’re technically paying to ride all the attractions too. So, taking a turn on “it’s a small world” is about 15 minutes, so that ride “costs” $3 worth of time per person whereas, The Barnstormer is only a minute in length (or shorter), so that’s less than .20 cents!

Is Disney World Too Expensive For Average Families? Click HERE to Find Out!

How Can You Avoid “Wasting” Your Money?

It makes sense that you’d want to get the most for your money, so there are a few different strategies you can put into play. First, you’ll want to make a game plan before your trip. Know what’s on your to-do list and take a look at a park map before you arrive. The less time you spend hanging out and deciding what to do, the more you can get done (especially considering that you’ll lose $4 per person if you spend 20 minutes wandering around trying to decide).

Next, you’ll want to make sure that you arrive at the park on time — like we mentioned earlier, sleeping in will cost you! Get to the park before it opens to experience “rope drop,” where you can be among the first guests in line at the attractions. You’ll have the shortest wait times, so you won’t be wasting time in line.

Also, you may want to consider taking your breaks IN the park. Many guests (especially those with small children) choose to leave the parks midday to rest back at the hotel. If you’re gone from the park for three hours, a family of four is paying $144 for that time. Of course, if you’re exhausted we certainly don’t recommend denying your family a chance to rest (believe us, the break is worth it!), but instead of leaving try taking your break in-park.

What do we mean? Well, you can stop and enjoy a long show in a comfy theater where you can sit down, go on a relaxing attraction like Living with the Land in EPCOT or take a long lunch break at a Table Service restaurant. Making good use of your park time can even mean sitting and people-watching for a bit!

Check Out Our Top SECRET Spots To Relax and Recharge in Disney World!

Here’s the Truth…

Don’t let this post scare you — no human can be 100% efficient with their time in the Disney Parks. You’ll have to stop and take bathroom breaks, sometimes lines will be long, and taking the time to eat meals is a necessity. Even though these things (like rides, shows, or Table Service restaurants) will cost you in time, they’re exclusive to Disney World, so the only way you’ll get to do them is by spending some of your valuable minutes!

If you truly want to be efficient with your money, you simply need to prioritize what YOU want to do. You’re the one planning and paying for the trip, so don’t waste your time doing things you don’t care about (unless you have time at the end of the day). If you want to spend money on a sit-down meal, do it! It’s YOUR vacation and you are the one to please. 

The truth is — your money won’t be “wasted” if you have a good time and enjoy yourself in Disney World. In the end, it’s really about the experiences you had and the memories you made! Isn’t that why we all visit “the most magical place on earth?”

Looking for even more ways to be sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck during your vacation? Watch our video below to find out what mistakes you should AVOID in Disney World!

And, for more planning advice and tips for your trip, be sure to stay tuned to DFB where we cover all the parks news and information to keep you up to date!

Click Here For the BEST Disney World Tips and Tricks of All Time!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

What’s your favorite way to spend your time at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

The post What a Disney World Ticket REALLY Costs first appeared on the disney food blog.