Disney knows exactly what it is doing with this one. A brand new PhotoPass photo challenge just landed as part of Cool Kids Summer, sending guests to specific locations across all four Walt Disney World theme parks in a scavenger hunt format that is genuinely fun, well-designed, and built entirely around a service that costs money most park guests are not already paying for. The challenge is a good time. The fine print is worth reading before the kids find out it exists.
What It Is
Disney's PhotoPass team has set up designated photo spots at two locations in each of the four Walt Disney World parks. Guests collect a photo at each spot, complete all eight across Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom, and then post the finished collection on Instagram, tagging @DisneyPhotoPass to officially complete the challenge.
That is the whole concept. Simple, clean, and structured in a way that gives multi-park summer trips a clear throughline beyond attractions and dining.
The Eight Locations This Summer
- Tomorrowland near the entrance to TRON Lightcycle/Run
- Main Street U.S.A. at the center of Town Square
- Hollywood Boulevard in front of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge by the X-Wing near Resistance Supply
- Mexico in the Mexico Pavilion
- Spaceship Earth near the popcorn cart and Creations Shop
- Africa on the bridge from Discovery Island
- Asia near Yak and Yeti
The locations are positioned near high-traffic areas at each park, which means working them into a standard touring day does not require significant detours. The Animal Kingdom spots in Africa and Asia sit near some of the park's most popular attractions. The Magic Kingdom locations anchor the beginning and end of the park's main corridor. None of them are hidden or difficult to find.
The Part Disney Is Not Leading With
Completing the challenge requires PhotoPass coverage at every location, and PhotoPass coverage is not free.
Disney's current PhotoPass pricing breaks down as follows:
- Memory Maker Advanced Purchase: $185
- Memory Maker: $210
- Memory Maker One Day: $85
For guests visiting all four parks across a multi-day trip, the Memory Maker Advanced Purchase at $185 is the most practical option and also covers every other PhotoPass moment across the entire visit. For guests completing the challenge within a single park day, the One Day option at $85 covers that window specifically.
For Annual Passholders with PhotoPass already added to their pass and for guests with Memory Maker included in a vacation package, the challenge adds zero additional cost. It is simply a fun bonus layered on top of coverage that was already in place, and for those guests it is an easy yes.
For everyone else, the math requires a moment of honest consideration. Is $185 justified by the challenge photos plus everything else PhotoPass captures across a multi-day trip? For families who photograph frequently throughout a park day and were already considering Memory Maker, the challenge tips the balance toward buying. For guests who have never prioritized PhotoPass and were not planning to start, a scavenger hunt across four parks is probably not enough on its own to change that.
Where This Fits in Cool Kids Summer
The photo challenge is one piece of the summer season at Walt Disney World that has been more intentionally layered than most. Since Cool Kids Summer launched on May 26, the resort has introduced Bluey's Wild World at Animal Kingdom, the Walt Disney Studios Courtyard at Hollywood Studios, Soarin' Across America at EPCOT, free water park access on check-in day for resort hotel guests, and special character appearances during Early Theme Park Entry.
The photo challenge adds a connective tissue element to all of that. For guests already moving between parks throughout the summer, having a specific reason to seek out particular spots at each one gives the trip a little more shape and intention.
Disney built something genuinely enjoyable here. They also built it around a paid service, priced at up to $210. Both things are true at the same time, and guests are better off knowing that before the challenge shows up on a kid's radar and the conversation becomes significantly harder to navigate.
