The Walt Disney World Attractions+ PhotoPass Product

I made half a dozen visits to Walt Disney World last year, but only one with my entire family. Given that this “gang’s all here” trip was a momentous occasion, I decided to splurge on the new Attractions+ PhotoPass product.

Introduced in December 2012, Attractions+ is another variation in the string of new PhotoPass bundled products. In this incarnation, you receive downloadable JPEGs of all your on-ride photos for one price: $44.95.

The rides on which photos are taken are:

• Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Magic Kingdom)
• Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• Tower of Terror (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Rock ‘n Roller Coaster (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Dinosaur (Animal Kingdom)
• Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
• Test Track (Epcot)

When you buy the Attractions+ product, you are given a dedicated card which is only used to claim the photos at those attractions. Unlike regular PhotoPass cards, which generally have a 30 day life span, the Attractions+ card is punched with an expiration date. Each Attractions+ purchase can only be used to claim ride photos for 14 days. During those 14 days, you can add as many on-ride photos as you want. Given that getting a printed ride photo typically costs about $19.00, if you were going to buy more than two ride pictures, then the Attractions+ product makes sense.

In the course of a six-day vacation at an extremely crowded time of year, my family of five ended up with 30 ride photos. If I had not gotten the Attractions+ card, I probably would have taken home exactly two of these pictures, meaning that the other 28 photos were a bonus that cost me about seven bucks.

If you’re considering the Attractions+ PhotoPass product, here are some things to think about:

• • You can include as many on-ride pictures as possible during the time in which your Attractions+ card is valid. Go on Space Mountain 50 times, or have 50 people ride Space Mountain, and all the pictures are included.
  • Ride photos are now also a part of the general PhotoPass+ product. If you’re getting PhotoPass+, then this is redundant and not for you.
  • If you were going to get the regular PhotoPass CD and a few attraction photos, it now makes sense to get the PhotoPass+ product instead. Attractions+ is really for people who only want ride photos, not character dining or character meet and greet pictures.
  • If you have small children, members of your family may not be able to experience several of the Attractions+ rides, thus making it more difficult to get your money’s worth.
  • It did take several minutes at the end of each ride to stop at the photo desk, claim our photos, and have them added to our account. If you’re in a time crunch or following a rigid Touring Plan, this may not be for you.
  • All the Attractions+ pictures automatically come with attraction-specific borders added. If you don’t like having these on your photos, then this product is not for you.
  • In many cases, there will be strangers in your ride photos. In the past, I have not typically purchased ride photos in which my family appeared with strangers. Because of Attractions+, I now have a bunch of these pictures, and I’m not really sure what to do with them.

• • Attractions+ is most cost effective if you have a large party. For example, my family of five split up into three cars for the Buzz Lightyear attraction. This means during just one pass through the ride, we got three photos added to our Attractions+ card. If you’re a family reunion of 20 people, you’ll be able to get 10 pictures on your card at just one pass.
  • It’s easier to make the Attractions+ product work for you if you’re visiting Walt Disney World at a less crowded time of year. We had wanted to do several Splash Mountain plunge pictures, but crushing crowds made waiting for multiple rides unappealing.
  • The Attractions+ product does not include prints. If you want hard copies of the pictures, you’ll have to print them out at home.
  • The Attractions+ product does not include a CD. When you input your Attractions+ code into DisneyPhotoPass.com, you will be given a link to download the JPEGs onto your computer or other electronic device. If you want a back up, you’ll have to do it yourself.
  • You must have the Attractions+ card with you to claim your photos and have them added to your account. If you have a large party which splits up during the day, you’ll have to do a bit of work to get all your pictures. If you have the photo number (shown on the display when you get off the ride), you can claim the picture AT THAT ATTRACTION up to 24 hours after riding. There has been anecdotal evidence from PhotoPass+ users that some cast members will add photos to your account if you simply show a photo of your card on your cell phone. You should not count on this being possible and may have to factor time into your day for you to circle back to each attraction to claim pictures.

• You’ll get the most of this product, or any ride photos, if you know where the cameras are. If you’re unfamiliar with the attraction, ask a cast member on site where to expect the snap. This allows you to get your game face on.

Overall, I’m glad I tried this product. I never would have purchased the Tower of Terror picture here as a stand-alone because my daughter and I are such a small part of the picture. But she really loves seeing what a wimp I am, and my husband thinks it’s a riot that I’m practically being attacked by my own hair. This picture is an image that I’m now glad I have, and I would not have had it if we hadn’t bought Attractions+. I wouldn’t get the Attractions+ PhotoPass product for a quick solo or couples trip, but next time I’m at the parks with a group, it’s likely that I will purchase it again.

Has anyone else tried Attractions+? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.