Hi there Jennifer, it's great to welcome you back to planDisney!
When it comes to snapping photos at the
Disney Resort Hotels, the picturesque grounds and beautiful surroundings are the perfect backdrop for you to take your own personal photos. Unfortunately however, the posted
Walt Disney World Resort Property Rules officially prohibit "Photography, videotaping or recording of any kind, or otherwise engaging in any activity, for unapproved commercial purposes" and when I had the chance to speak with a manager at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge this year, he stated that they actively went after photographers that Cast Members have caught on property across popular spots for photoshoots and have asked them to leave or be escorted off the premises by security if they were unable to provide proof of authorization to do so. He explained that when he previously worked at Disney's Port Orleans Resort this was something he dealt with as they considered hiring someone to take photos to be a commercial purpose; taking the photos with your own cameras as a guest is not.
The exceptions lie with professional photographers who have
signed outside agreements with Disney and whose information - including adequate proof of insurance - is on file and can show this documentation when approached by security or management when they are spotted having a professional photo shoot on property as folks do often have the option to hire outside photographers when they've planned private events such as weddings. If you have the budget for it, you might want to explore
hosting a social event for your family reunion that a photographer may be authorized to capture!
Since
Capture Your Moment sessions currently limit party sizes as you mentioned, you might want to either consider asking them about the possibility of booking multiple back-to-back sessions. Since this is a Disney PhotoPass offering, I highly recommend having one member of your family
purchase Memory Maker and ensure that everyone is
linked via their Family & Friends list so that everyone's photos can be shared and downloaded from your trip. With this in mind, snapping a large family photo can really be as simple as heading to Magic Kingdom Park which seems to have the greatest amount of
Disney PhotoPass photographers all in the same area, and I've personally spotted groups are large as yours moving from one photo spot to another very efficiently taking advantage of each location to get a lot of pictures taken. If you're all heading to the
World Celebration Gardens in EPCOT however, I've noticed that many of these photo spots can also be spacious enough to fit large groups with often no wait to snap shots throughout the day. With everyone linked to one Memory Maker purchase, this could be a very cost-effective option for you to consider!
I hope that this helps, Jennifer! If your heart is still very much set on capturing photos are the Disney Resort Hotel you're staying at, be sure to ask the Cast Members there where you can find the Disney PhotoPass photographers stationed at select locations.
Here's to bringing the entire 'Ohana together for picture-perfect memories!
Prince