Disney just closed a popular photo loophole—here’s what you need to know.
Guests at Walt Disney World and Disneyland may notice a surprising change next time they check their vacation photos. A long-standing habit of screenshotting ride and cast member photos through the My Disney Experience app is no longer possible.
Instead of images, guests who try to screenshot now see a blank white screen—a new method by Disney seemingly to encourage the proper purchase of Memory Maker, the PhotoPass product that starts at $75 and can go up to $185.
Memory Maker allows guests to store and download all their in-park photos straight to their device. But for those who used to save a few bucks by screenshotting watermarked photos? That workaround is officially a thing of the past.
This move isn’t entirely out of left field. Over the past few years, Disney has made a number of adjustments across its parks. For instance, FastPass+ was replaced by Lightning Lane, with options like the Premier Pass reaching as much as $449 at Magic Kingdom on peak days.
Meanwhile, the company has also made changes to its Disability Access Service (DAS) to reduce misuse—though the new process has made it more challenging for some guests with genuine needs to qualify.
The updates come as part of a broader pricing strategy. Disney recently shared new ticket prices for 2026, and—unsurprisingly—they’re going up again. Even so, the parks remain packed. Spring break and Easter brought in major crowds, proving the demand is still there.
Josh D’Amaro, Chair of Disney Experiences, recently weighed in: “The number-one thing we hear from the millions of guests who visit our parks each year is how much a Disney vacation means to them,” he said. “We intentionally offer a wide variety of ticket, hotel, and dining options to welcome as many families as possible, whatever their budget… especially in inflationary times.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger, who returned to lead the company after replacing Bob Chapek over two years ago, also shared that guest satisfaction remains strong—even as offerings evolve. He mentioned that a trip to Disney provides more lasting value than expensive concerts or sports events.
With offerings from budget to luxury, Walt Disney World continues to provide flexible vacation options, including paid add-ons like Lightning Lane and PhotoPass. But Disney is tightening up how those offerings are accessed—and screenshotting images is the latest thing to go.
As Universal’s Epic Universe prepares to launch and all six Disney parks open in Florida this month, the theme park wars are just getting started.
How do you feel about Disney putting a stop to screenshotting PhotoPass images? Let us know in the comments below!
