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What’s top of mind for you at Disneyland and Disney World–is it attractions? Food? Waltzing down Main Street? Fireworks, parades and other shows? Or maybe you just want to hug your old pals Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy, and snap a photo with them!

In today’s post, we’re revealing four places at U.S. Disney parks where you can get free, exclusive character photos–and a Disney debit card is all you need for entrance! We’re also sharing a tip on how we’ve visited Mickey every time we’re at EPCOT.

The Card You’ll Need for Entry

Your Chase Disney debit card is your ticket to these four free character experiences! If you already have a Chase checking account, follow these steps to send a secure message requesting a Disney debit card:

It’s easy to open a checking account with Chase bank online (new Chase checking customers who set up direct deposit within 90 days will receive a $200 bonus!). Once you open the account, send them a secure message requesting a Disney debit card (if you’re already a Chase customer, the checking account will magically appear in your Chase account–if you’re not, wait for the card in the mail. Or, you can call Chase, ask for the Disney debit card, and have it expedited to you).

*to avoid service fees on the checking account, either 1. Have monthly electronic deposits made into this account totally $500 or more or 2. Keep a $1500 balance in the account or 3. Keep an average balance of $5000 or more in the linked savings account. Otherwise you pay $12/month.

That’s it! As soon as you receive the physical debit card in the mail, you can either carry it to the parks with you or upload it into your digital wallet, then you’re ready for entrance to the following four exclusive photo locations.

Two Walt Disney World Photo Opportunities

EPCOT Disney Visa Cardmember Experience

Currently open between 1-6:30pm, you’ll find this building two doors to the left of the Figment Ride in World Celebration. Which characters will meet & greet you is a surprise, but word on the street is that it’s classic characters like Mickey, Minnie, Pluto & Goofy.

You can take your own photos and also scan PhotoPass to have the photos uploaded to your account. Unlike other PhotoPass photos, the Disney Visa Cardmember Experience photos will show up without watermarks, ready to download for free.

I share more about this EPCOT experience plus several other money-saving tips and tricks in this episode of The Disney Points Podcast:

Hollywood Studios Disney Visa Cardmember Experience

In the Star Wars Launch Bay in the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, use your Disney debit card for a Star Wars Magic Shot experience. With current time slots available between 11-4pm, you’ll receive digitally enhanced photos of your travel party along with Star Wars character (pictured below).

Two Disneyland California Photo Opportunities

Disney® Visa® Cardmember Star Wars Photo Opportunity

This Disneyland California experience is currently identical to the Hollywood Studios Florida experience–instead of live characters, photos feature digitally enhanced Star Wars Magic Shots. Head for Tomorrowland between 2-6pm (double-check the fluctuating times).

Enjoy a digitally enhanced Star Wars photo, exactly like the ones from Hollywood Studios.

California Adventure Disney® Visa® Cardmember Photo Opportunity

Tucked away back in a corner of Hollywood Land near the Monsters Inc. attraction, between 10:30-1:30 pm your Disney debit card allows you to download free photos of you and your favorite Disney characters. This experience recently switched from a digitally enhanced experience back to live characters, and seems to function much like the EPCOT experience, giving guests the opportunity to meet & greet classic characters like Mickey & Goofy. Have you taken advantage of this photo op? Share in the comments!

How we Always run Into Mickey at EPCOT

Because we’re fans of the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, we usually head to the theater next to Figment to watch them when we’re at EPCOT. Consisting of three short 3-D films totaling 18 minutes, it’s a nice place to rest and cool off on a hot Disney World day–and there never seems to be a line.

And Mickey Mouse himself seems to be meeting and greeting in the theater lobby every time we visit!

YMMV, but definitely check out the this little theater nestled between the Figment ride and the EPCOT Disney Visa photo op detailed above. In fact, you could try and knock these two photo opportunities out back to back—if you do, please tell us in the comments!

If Mickey’s not in the theater, ask a cast member when he’ll be back—they usually say “He’s a busy mouse” or “He’s out walking Pluto,” but wait a few minutes and he might show up!

Takeaways

Character breakfasts with princesses are priceless, and sometimes it’s worth it to wait in line to see a special character in the parks. But why not earn $200 opening a Chase checking account, pack your Disney debit card in your suitcase and guarantee you’ll bring home some free, magical, exclusive photos as souvenirs?

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