In 2026, while having your photo taken by a professional Disney PhotoPass photographer is "free" in the sense that there is no charge for the service itself, accessing and downloading the actual digital images is not free. To get your photos, you must typically purchase a "Memory Maker" package (at Walt Disney World) or "Disney PhotoPass+" (at Disneyland), which grants you unlimited downloads of all photos taken during your visit, including those from character meet-and-greets and on-ride cameras. If you do not have one of these pre-paid packages, you can purchase individual photo downloads through the official Disney app, which can be quite expensive—often ranging from $15 to $20 per image. A popular "hack" for budget-conscious travelers is that PhotoPass photographers are often willing to take a photo using your own smartphone or camera for free if you ask them politely, though they are not required to do so and will always take a professional one first. Additionally, certain high-tier Annual Passholders may still receive complimentary digital downloads as part of their membership benefits.