Hi there, Sarah! You're as welcome as can be here at
planDisney. Thank you so much for stopping by with your question!
I'm very happy to report that you're more than welcome to use your smartphone or personal camera to take pictures with the characters at the
Walt Disney World Resort. In fact, I do it all the time! You're welcome to step aside and take photos of your children's interactions with their favorite characters, for example, while the
Disney PhotoPass Cast Member does their thing too. If you'd like to be in the pictures as well, I do encourage you to jump right in and politely ask the photographer if they'd be okay with taking some photos with your camera. In my experience, they've always said yes!
In addition to this, characters are most definitely signing autographs again, and I'm personally very excited about that! You see, my uncle recently gifted me an amazing
Anna and Elsa Collector Doll Set by Brittney Lee which comes with two gorgeous prints, and I am planning on taking them with me on my next trip so that Anna and Elsa can sign them for me! I've also taken picture frames, t-shirts, and even my bachelor's thesis with me for my favorite characters to sign, and I can tell you that those keepsakes are better than most souvenirs.
I hope you have fun at the Most Magical Place on Earth, Sarah! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. We're always available and more than happy to help!
Warm hugs,
Ana Paula