Though Disney's Memory Maker was a popular add-on when it debuted, in the past few years guests have been losing interest in this upcharge, which provides unlimited digital photo downloads during a Walt Disney World vacation. And though Disney has tried to drum up interest in Memory Maker, by hosting special deals on "PhotoPass Day" events (and bundling it with annual passes), the fact is, this profit stream doesn't seem to be performing as it once did, which means that Disney will be looking to cut costs related to this service (in addition to the other cuts they are making), and replacing Cast Members with machines is an easy way for them to save money while continuing to offer the Memory Maker service. 

Image: Disney

Another economic factor that plays into the addition of these boxes around Walt Disney World is the fact that Disney has determined that their installation won't cost them anything. Last year, when the first of these boxes was installed at the aforementioned Tinker Bell meet and greet, fan outrage grew, and it looked like, at least momentarily, Disney was listening to its fans, as they didn't install any more automated PhotoPass cameras (at the time rumors stated that they had several ready to go backstage). However, it looked like Disney was likely just waiting to run some logistical tests on the effect of these boxes on sales. And with the rollout of these boxes, it seems like Disney determined that the automatic cameras didn't have any effect on sales, which is why we are now seeing the wide rollout of this technology. And now that Disney has determined they can make the same amount of money from an automated system while avoiding the cost of paying a professional photographer, they're going to take advantage of the opportunity. 

 

Though there are some very practical reasons why Disney is installing these automatic PhotoPass cameras at their character meet and greets, it's hard not to feel very let down by this development. There is something truly magical about meeting Disney characters, and PhotoPass photographers are a huge part of capturing the fun of these very special moments. However, instead of a photographer moving around to capture a precious hug with a princess, a hearty laugh with Chewbacca, or a first high five with Mickey Mouse, an automated camera will click silently away during character interactions, and at some point Cinderella, Elsa, or their attendants will tell guests to smile at a box. Which, no mater whether a guest is 2 or 92, takes a lot of the magic out of meeting a Disney character.