Invisible Disabilities and PhotoPass
Noah doesn’t usually like having his photo taken. He has autism, typically considered an invisible disability because it’s not immediately noticeable. He can’t maintain sustained eye contact, and cameras have almost no chance.
Noah also won’t stand still or pose on command. This has led to interesting photos over the years and is why we’ve been reluctant to add PhotoPass to our Annual Passes. It seemed like it just wasn’t for us, and I was okay with that.
Why We Decided to Try
I changed my opinion on the reasonableness of PhotoPass for our family this summer after we rode TRON Lightcycle / Run for the first time. Noah and I rode in the ADA row with lap bars, and Derek rode the traditional way. When the ride was over, we looked at the PhotoPass section of the MyDisney Experience app.
There were a lot of fun photos and videos from that and other recent rides. We were excited just to have watermarked pictures and videos from some of our favorite rides. We were even happier with the non-watermarked passholder preview picture from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and that started a new conversation.
My husband and I talked about adding the PhotoPass option when we renew our Annual Passes. Our thought was that we would enjoy the ride photos. After we were home from our trip, my husband had an email offer from Disney to add PhotoPass to his annual pass until our renewal date. We accepted.
We approached this challenge with the same philosophy we have for everything else Disney. We find a way to make it work for Noah. In this case, it means avoiding long or uncomfortable waits for photos, and trying again on another visit if he is not in the right space.
Read more: Invisible Disabilities at Disney
The First Try
We were at Hollywood Studios near Sunset Blvd when we first tried the PhotoPass experience, and it went okay. A few people were in line, but it was early in the day, so Noah was still patient. I let the Cast Member know that Noah has autism and that the photos needed to go quickly. I didn’t realize there were multiple special poses. Noah was not a fan, but it was fast.
The Final Script
By the end of the day, after a few other tries, I had my script basically ready for the PhotoPass Cast Members:
“Noah has autism, and we need to do this quickly. We don’t want any special poses. He will not look at the camera, and that’s okay. We just want a cute picture or two.”
It worked.
The Keys to Success with PhotoPass and Invisible Disabilities
There are two keys to success with PhotoPass when your loved ones do not like the picture-taking experience due to an invisible disability. The first is to be flexible with your expectations from the photo. The second is to tell Cast Members what you’re hoping to get from the photo.
If you have been interested in PhotoPass but wondering if it would be worthwhile for your family, I would encourage you to give it a try. You may end up capturing some magical moments.
