Mom and child as pirates on Castaway Cay; ship in far background
  • On Feb 20, 2026
    Janice from IL Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Hi,first time on Disney Cruise,can photos packages be pre-paid with Disney gift cards? Is it like the photo pass at WDW where you get unlimited photos thru out your stay? Have so many questions but will have to ask them one at a time:-) thanks !!

    Hiya, Janice!

    I'm so happy you have come back to visit us at planDisney. And I'm even happier you are working on plans for your very first Disney Cruise Line vacation. Yes! All the questions are welcome. As fellow Guests like you, we know how it feels to embark on a new experience like this. We are here to help you feel confident and prepared for your journey to "see the line where the sky meets the sea."

    My family pre-booked the unlimited photo package for our recent Disney cruise too. We had a blast meeting characters and getting portraits taken by the professional photographers on board. We even got Magic Shots. My favorite was a Muppets-themed photo. During our 10-night cruise on the Disney Wonder, we accumulated nearly 200 photos. We feel so happy reminiscing over the many amazing experiences we had during our cruise. We can't wait to do it again soon.

    You can pre-book your photo package when your window for booking activities opens. For first-time cruisers, this will begin 75 days before your sail date. You only need to purchase one photo package for your stateroom. Each member of your stateroom will be able to take advantage of the photo package benefits, no matter who in your stateroom purchases it, and even if your whole party is not together for any given photo. A Guest from your stateroom will simply tap their Key to the World card or state their stateroom number or tap their DisneyBand+ to link the photos taken by one of the several professional photographers on board to your shared photo account.

    Yes, the Disney Cruise Line unlimited photo package is similar to the Walt Disney World Memory Maker product. It allows you to download digital copies of all of the photos taken by the photographers starting with your first photo in the cruise ship terminal all the way through the last night of your cruise.

    The cost of your unlimited photo package will be charged to your onboard account. That is the same account used to pay for Port Adventures, select onboard fun, and purchases you charge to your stateroom account such as souvenirs, specialty drinks, and other options. It also happens to be the same account to which gratuities for your service team are charged.

    In addition to pre-paying gratuities, you may also pre-pay to your general-use onboard account using the Disney Cruise Line Onboard Gifts shop. Under the "Shop by Category" menu and select "Onboard Credit." You can add funds to your account in advance using a credit card, a Disney Gift Card, or a Disney Rewards Card. You may also stop by the Guest Services Desk during your cruise to add funds to your onboard account any time you'd like. During online check-in, I like to link a credit card to my onboard account. But I only use it as a fallback payment. My main form of payment is usually Disney Gift Cards. I will stop by Guest Services every few days during our cruises to add funds from a Disney Gift Card to make sure our account balances aren't too high and will be covered before my credit card is charged.

    I hope that helps. Be sure to send us any more questions you may have, Janice.

    Have a magical cruise!
    ~Tony

thumbnail image for Tony

Meet the Panelist: Tony, Utah

Coming to you from the Beehive State, I’m a Disney-loving dad and husband, buzzing with excitement to share advice and tips for making your Disneyland Resort vacation as magical as possible! I’m excited to help you discover the storytelling magic of the “Happiest Place on Earth!” Learn More About Tony

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