What’s the Deal With Memory Maker?

If you’ve been researching Walt Disney World, you have probably heard the term “Memory Maker” used fairly often. You might even have a vague idea that it has something to do with pictures. Do things get blurry from there? Don’t worry, Memory Maker is not all that difficult to understand.

Quite simply, Memory Maker is a way to get lots of high quality digital photos for one price. You can purchase Memory Maker separately, or if you buy an Annual Pass it is included. (Not all Florida Resident Passes include the service.) Then, when you’re at Walt Disney World, just look for a PhotoPass Photographer. They’re everywhere! You can find photographers near the icons for the parks, at character meet and greets, and other places where a picture would be special. The photographer will take a few pictures, then scan your MagicBand or card. Your pictures will soon show up in the My Disney Experience App, and you can also find them online. The pictures are usually there fairly quickly, but if they aren’t there right away don’t panic. Sometimes it takes a few hours or even a day or so until they are there. Ride photos are also included with Memory Maker, as are ride videos where available.

Once you have your pictures, they’re yours to keep. Download them, share them, or edit them through the app. Anyone on your Friends and Family list can use Memory Maker if you have it, but they need to be on your list. You do not have to purchase it several times to make sure that everyone is included. Don’t forget about your pictures, because they do eventually expire, and then they’re gone for good.

Currently Memory Maker costs $199, and that will be good for your entire vacation. If you want to use the service and save a little bit of money, you can buy it for $169 on the Walt Disney World website, but you will not be able to start using it for three days.

Is Memory Maker worth it? Only you can decide if you want to add this extra into your budget. I never used Memory Maker until Disney added it to my Annual Pass, and now I’m hooked. It’s convenient, and it’s nice not having to hand my phone to a stranger to get a picture. Keep in mind that not all fantastic picture locations will have a PhotoPass Photographer on hand, so you will still want to take some pictures yourself.

There is one nice bonus with Memory Maker that you won’t receive if you use your own camera. Magic Shots are pictures with something else added digitally. It could be a flying banshee, or maybe Tinkerbell will land on your hand. If you purchase Memory Maker these are included (where available). Without Memory Maker, you can still have Magic Shots taken, but if you decide that you’d like one without the watermark you will need to pay for each photo that you want. Currently the price is $14.95 per photo download.