Booking a photo session with Disney Photography

     Many people don't realize (even I didn't until a couple years ago) that Disney offers one-on-one professional portrait sessions at the theme parks and resorts. Being a portrait photographer myself, I was super excited to book an anniversary/maternity session for my husband and I during our trip this week. We haven't had professional photos made in 7 years!
     Compared to what I charge for portraits (and what others charge in my area), these sessions are very expensive. However, we were so extremely pleased with our images and the entire experience that I would say it is well worth every penny.

Portrait Session Options
     There are two different types of sessions available: The Mini Portrait Session and the Enhanced Portrait Session. Each type offers different locations and pricing. Here's a closer look at each:

Mini Portrait Session

The Mini Portrait Session is the least expensive option. It is $150 (plus tax) and includes a 20-minute session at one of these Disney resort hotels: Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Art of Animation, or Animal Kingdom Lodge. (Theme park locations are not available for these sessions.) At the end of your session, you will sit down with the photographer and view the images on an iPad. You will also receive a flash drive of all the images with copyright releases. These images are straight out of the camera, with no editing whatsoever. If you know someone who can edit them professionally, this is definitely a great value. Here's a side-by-side comparison at the original Disney file and an edited version:

The number of images varies for each session, but ours ended up being about 72. However, there are several duplicates of each pose. In reality, after I edited them, we ended up with only about 20 different poses. While there is not time for outfit changes, you are welcomed to bring props and ideas. We had an ear hat personalized with our son's name that we used for some shots. The entire process, from shooting to viewing, takes about 30-45 minutes.

Enhanced Portrait Session
The Enhanced sessions are more expensive than the mini sessions. The $350 (plus tax) price includes a one-hour session at your choice of any of the resorts, or even Epcot World Showcase during certain times of the year. It also includes a 6x6 proof book and website posting with slideshow. Images from these sessions are professionally edited by Disney. In addition to the main photographer, there is also an assistant and professional lighting equipment present during your shoot. The downside with this session is that no prints or files (except the proof book) are included in the price. All that must be purchased extra. Disney offers four different print packages ranging in price from $75 to $300. You can also purchase large prints (size 11x14 to 24x30) from $120 to $275 each. It isn't listed on the website, but I have read from other Disney bloggers that a CD of the images is available for $100. Looking at Disney's pricing model, this seems extremely cheap so I'm not sure how true this actually is now.

What time should you schedule your session?The best time for a photo session (Disney or otherwise) is during what photographers refer to as "golden hour." This short window of perfect light only occurs during the morning at sunrise and in the evening just before sunset. Our session was at 8 a.m. and we hit morning golden hour perfectly! We were still at the hotel when the session after ours began around 9 and the lighting had already dramatically changed.

How far in advance should you book?
To get the best time slot at your preferred location, it's best to book at least 3 months in advance. If you are going during a busy time (such as Spring Break, summer, or Christmas), you will probably need to book much earlier. I had originally wanted a sunset time, but when I called to book (3 months before), the only availability at our choice resort was the morning slot just two days before the end of our trip. This also brings us to another reason to book early: You will want to do the session as early in your trip as possible (within one to two days of arrival). If you wait until the end of your trip, like we did, everyone will be tired and not in the mood for pictures.

What should you wear?
This can depend on your location, but generally keeping it simple is always the best way to go. Avoid shirts with large logos or writing, or very bright neon colors. Decide whether you want something casual or dressy and keep everyone's outfits in that style. Once you decide your location, look up photos of the area online to be able to see what colors would look best with your setting. We chose the Grand Floridian which is mostly white and rust colors. I decided on a navy dress for contrast, and my husband wore a white button down with khakis, which seemed to compliment the scenery well.

Which type of session is best for small children?
If you are planning a family session with small children, it may be best to do the Mini Portrait Session. As a children's portrait photographer, I can tell you from experience that a child's attention span for photos is very short. They will not be nearly as excited or interested in getting them done as you are. The 20-minute session is a perfect amount of time to get great images before the little ones start getting bored.

     I'll leave you with some more (edited) images from our session. If you want to see more examples at different locations, you can visit the Disney Fine Art Photography website and browse through their galleries.