Disney is a business, and businesses find revenue. That is not a scandal, it is just how the thing works.Most of the time, that reality sits comfortably in the background. Nobody is shocked that a churro costs what it costs, or that Lightning Lane exists, or that there is a gift shop at the exit of every attraction. Guests factor that in and move on.But every so often, a new offering shows up, and the timing makes it feel like something else. Not just a new product, but a gap that got created on purpose and then filled at a price.That is the conversation happening right now around Disney PhotoPass.Because roughly a couple of months ago, Disney cracked down on outside photographers shooting couples, families, and friends at Walt Disney World resorts. Third-party photographers who had built businesses around resort portrait sessions got shut out.Disney fans said at the time that something official would eventually take its place.It just did.Credit: DisneyWhat Signature Portrait Sessions AreDisney PhotoPass has introduced Signature Portrait Sessions at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels.These are private 40-minute photo sessions with specially trained Disney PhotoPass photographers, currently priced at $399.Here is what Disney says is included:Up to 40 minutes of photo capture and consultation timeAccess to select propsPhoto retouchingDownloads of session photosSessions are now available for online booking.Where You Can BookCurrently, Signature Portrait Sessions are offered at two locations.Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & SpaDisney’s Polynesian Village ResortGuests with questions or details to share ahead of a session can email the Signature Portrait Experience Team at DisneyPortraitSessions@disney.com.How This Differs From Capture Your Moment at DisneyWorth clarifying, since the two get confused.Capture Your Moment is Disney’s existing private photo session product, and it takes place inside the theme parks.Signature Portrait Sessions are a resort offering. Different setting, different atmosphere, and priced accordingly.For guests who specifically wanted resort backdrops, the Grand Floridian and Polynesian are among the most photogenic hotels on property, which is exactly why third-party photographers gravitated there in the first place.Credit: Disney Fans Are Not Universally ThrilledThe online reaction has been mixed, and the sharpest observation came quickly on Reddit.“I’m surprised it took so long,” wrote Reddit user Personal-Listen-4941. “For years 3rd parties were offering this service. Some were apparently great, others scam artists. Then they got shut down by Disney. I expected Disney to start an official form of the portrait photography as soon as the 3rd party ban went in place.”That is the crux of it. The ban created the opening. The product filled it.For others, the frustration is more personal, because this used to happen by accident and for free.Me and my wife had a spontaneous photo session for free at Wilderness Lodge by Copper Creek outside,” wrote user JSkree. “We saw a photo pass outside there and just asked for a few ‘nature’ shots and it turned into a 20 minute anniversary shoot…one of our top pixie dust moments…now you gotta shell out the dough.”User AWDWfan confirmed that was not a one-off. “Yep that location frequently had a photographer. We have a bunch of family photos from there.”The Disney Photographer Quality DebateThe other thread running through the discussion is whether the product justifies the price, and that turns on who is behind the camera.“What I haven’t been fond of is the photogs at the parks are just random people with a DSLR,” wrote user OldLifeguard-00. “They’re hardly photographers… Just my opinion only.”A former PhotoPass photographer offered useful context on that.“Former PhotoPass Photographer here,” wrote DoReMiDoReMi558. “People came in with all levels of experience. Some people were professionals, some were total newbies, some were like me who were hobbyists.”They described several days of training in a classroom and in the parks, and noted that Disney provided camera settings so that photographers did not have to adjust levels throughout the day.“I also would work in the photo stations at the front of the park helping people buy the photos so I did get to look back at what others were doing, and yes, quality did vary at times.”Their most interesting point was structural. “What I personally didn’t like is that we didn’t easily have a way to look back at our photos for the day so there were often times I would be out shooting all day without actually knowing how the photos came out.”Importantly, another commenter pointed out that these sessions are staffed differently.“True however this, just like the signature portrait sessions within the parks, although TECHNICALLY fall under the ‘Photopass’ banner are typically a different (professional) level of shooter,” wrote user elblots.That matters. Disney’s own description specifies “specially trained” photographers, which suggests this is not the same staffing pool as that of a walk-up, green-shirted cast member on Main Street, U.S.A.Credit: Disney Parks BlogPlenty of Disney Guests Still Defend PhotoPassNot everyone in the conversation was negative, and the standard PhotoPass product has real defenders.“For us, $185 for the photopass is absolutely the best money we spend every time,” wrote yeahright17. “We take over 500 pictures and always get at least a dozen that are really good.” They added that they would never consider paying for a private session.User partiallyperfectlife made the case from a different angle. “As the person who captures the memories for my family, it is nice to have someone take decent photos of me for once. Evidence I was on the trip too.”And user Sweetbeans2001, who has used Disney’s in-park private sessions three times, pushed back on the criticism entirely. “Anyone trashing the photographers must not have experienced the meet and greets with the auto-camera that takes pictures every 6 seconds whether you’re ready or not.”Whether It Is Worth $399That depends entirely on what you are comparing it to.Against a professional portrait session in your hometown, $399 for 40 minutes with retouching and downloads included is not outrageous.Compared to what a third-party photographer charged for the same resort backdrops before the ban, guests will have their own opinions.And against a free 20-minute session with a PhotoPass photographer who happened to be standing outside Wilderness Lodge, it is a very different number.Sessions are bookable now at the Grand Floridian and Polynesian.The post Disney Launches Private Disney World Resort Photo Sessions, Starting at $400 appeared first on Inside the Magic.