Magic Shots at Disney World (What they are and how to find them in the parks)

If you are new to Disney World or if you haven’t ever paid much attention to Disney’s PhotoPass service you may be thinking that a “Magic Shot” is when somebody at Epcot (over the age of 21, of course) consumes a bit of alcohol out of one of those containers they market as “toothpick holders”.

That my friends is just a plain ol’ “shot”. Yes, you may be drinking it at Disney World but it’s still just called a “shot”.

OR – maybe you think it has something to do with a bunny rabbit and a person waving a wand over a top hat. But that is just “magic”.

A “Magic Shot” is something totally different. But just what are Magic Shots at Disney World and where can you find them?

First the basics

To understand Magic Shots you need to first understand what Disney’s PhotoPass service is.

In a nutshell, Disney’s PhotoPass service is the name of the overall photo system at Disney World. Anytime you get a ride photo or have one of the PhotoPass Photographers in the park take your photo you are using PhotoPass.

PhotoPass SERVICE is 100% free. You pay nothing to have your photo taken by PhotoPass photographers. Even if the photographer takes a picture of you with your phone or camera, it is still 100% free.

But, and this is a huge but, if you want to download or have the photos printed (the ones on their camera, not yours of course), that costs money.

One of the most popular ways to do that is by purchasing one of the PhotoPass products called “Memory Maker”.

Because of supply and demand or surge pricing or some other economic term that I’ve forgotten since my macro classes in college, Disney’s pricing structure for purchasing PhotoPass photos makes Memory Maker appealing for many families since by purchasing Memory Maker you get ALL the photos taken in the parks.

Everything. All the pictures taken when meeting characters, all the ride photos (and videos), all the pics in the parks, and, all the super fun Magic Shots they take – you get them all for 1 price.

Magic Shots at Disney World

So, now that you know the basics, I bet you’re wondering just what in the heck “Magic Shots” are.

Well – “Magic Shot” is the cute name that Disney gives to any photo where they digitally enhance it to add something extra or “magical”, like this photo:

Or this one with Prince Naveen as a frog:

There are even special Magic Shots for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party:

Sure, you may feel a bit silly taking the Magic Shot photos because you generally will be asked to pretend like something is there that really isn’t but the end result is usually pretty cute and worth the temporary embarrassment.

Where to find Magic Shots

Not every PhotoPass photographer can do every Magic Shot, though. You’ll find different Magic Shots in locations throughout the parks, each one themed around where the photo is taken.

For example, this cute Sebastian Magic Shot which can be found near Under the Sea ~ The Journey of the Little Mermaid:

Or this Lumiere Magic Shot right outside the Beast’s castle:

It used to be a lot more difficult to figure out what shots were available where but Disney is doing a better job of sharing that info.

How to find Magic Shots at Disney World

Unfortunately, Magic Shots aren’t something you can find out in the My Disney Experience app. If you want to know what Magic Shots are available and where you can find them, you’ll need to go to the official Disney PhotoPass Facebook page.

From there you’ll find an album of Magic Shots available in each park:

And, if you look on each individual photo, the description will tell you where you can find that particular shot:When you have your photos taken in the parks make sure you ask the PhotoPass photographers if they can do any Magic Shots.

Not every photographer will be set up to do it and while some will automatically have you pose for Magic Shots, other photographers you may need to politely ask.

Other fun photos

In addition to the traditional Magic Shots, there are a couple of other fun photo ops that you’ll find in the parks.

Tiny World Magic Shots

Tiny World Magic Shots utilize a 360-degree camera to take fun pics like this:

And this one:

Another one:

You can typically find the Tiny World shots near Spaceship Earth in Epcot, in Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios, near the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, and slightly past Cinderella’s wishing well at Magic Kingdom.

Super Zoom

In Magic Kingdom, you can also find a fun Super Zoom shot:

Is it worth it to get Magic Shots?

Our advice is this: If you are planning on purchasing Memory Maker, make the most of it and try to get a few different Magic Shots taken during your trip.

In all honesty, they will probably make you a lot happier to look back on 10 years from now than another “toothpick holder” would.