Hey pal! It is the first Thursday of the month, so you know what that means.. I am taking off my floppy hat and trading it in for my Disney ears! If you missed my first Disney 101 post, you can find it here!
If you are new here, welcome and thanks for stopping by! After my last Disney trip in January, I decided I had too much knowledge on the topic to not be sharing it with my favorite people. Thus, the Disney 101 series was started! On the first Thursday of the month, I will post about all things Disney! Feel free to comment or email me {nicoleineverycolour@gmail.com} if you have any questions or what to see a certain topic discussed!
Today’s topic is Disney’s Memory Maker! If you have never heard of it or not sure if it is worth it, you are in the right place.
What is Disney’s Memory Maker?
If you have ever been to Disney, you know there are Disney PhotoPass photographers at mostly every main attraction in each park. These kind people stand in the heat of the sun, rain, and cold just so you can get that perfect photo! Memory Maker includes unlimited digital downloads of all your Disney PhotoPass photos and videos, select attraction photos and videos, select character dining photos, discounts on prints of your photos, magic shots – featuring Disney Characters and more, added to your photos, and digital borders and stickers to personalize your photos. {from Disney website}
At certain PhotoPass stops, the photographer will have different props for you to use!
How do I get my Disney PhotoPass Photos?
The Disney’s Memory Maker photos can include your first family picture in front of Cinderella’s Castle, your kiddo giving Mickey Mouse a hug for the first time, or you screaming your head off riding Tower of Terror! The Disney PhotoPass photographers are professionals, they do this every day! They are able to capture the magic, while you are feeling and experiencing each magical moment with your family.
After the Disney PhotoPass Photographer takes your pictures, they will scan your MagicBand and voilà, it is on your My Disney Experience App ready for you to download! It does take 1-2 minutes to load, but still, pretty impressive system.
Please remember, that just like everything at Disney, most PhotoPass Photographers do generate lines. If the line is super long and you are able to come back, do that. However, if you are only hitting up the attraction once, wait because FOMO {fear of missing out} of not getting the photo is worse then waiting a few more minutes!
To capture your ride experiences, once you disembark a ride, the exit will take you past a wall of video screens. All you have to do is hold your MagicBand against the Mickey head {just like you do when you enter the park!} that is connected to your photo and it will be added. Sometimes, like on Mine Train at Magic Kingdom and Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, your photos magically appear in your My Disney Experience App. Somehow they throw pixie dust in the air and are able to scan your MagicBands while you are on the ride. There is a video that gets added too!
Every Character experience has a Disney PhotoPass Photographer! However, not every Character breakfast does, but personally, I believe they should!
How much does Disney’s Memory Maker cost?
I have purchased Memory Maker twice, and have never regretted it.The first time I was not educated on the topic, so I ended up purchasing it after our trip, making it a little bit more pricey. However, this last trip, I came prepared and purchased it before so I received the discount. If you purchase Disney’s Memory Maker THREE DAYS before your trip, it is $169.00. This means that any photos taken with the next three days will not be included. To be safe, you might even want to purchase it four days in advance so you don’t miss out! If you wait until the first day, during your trip, or after, the price jumps to $199.00.
When my family and I do Disney, we normally stay together the entire time. However, there are times during the day where we split up to hit all of the attractions we want too. Even though we are not together 24/7, we never have to miss a magical moment with Memory Maker. Since PhotoPass is set up through the My Disney Experience App, each persons MagicBand is connected. Therefore, you will only need to purchase one Memory Maker for the group to have/share. The price becomes a heck of a lot cheaper when it is split between your party!
You can not only download your own Disney PhotoPass photos, but also those of Family & Friends who share media with you. So with just one purchase of Memory Maker, you could get all the Disney PhotoPass photos of everyone in your travel party. – Disney PhotoPass Site
Our group photo from Frozen Ever After in Epcot! I don’t know whose face is funnier!!
How do I download my PhotoPass photos after my trip?
Once you stop crying because you had to come home, head over to the Disney PhotoPass site, you can find it, here. After you select which park you visited, you will sign in, using your My Disney Experience log in. Once you are logged in, you will see all of your photos from the trip, organized by park. To download your photos, click the ‘Download Photos’ button in the top right corner. Depending on how many photos you have, it may take a couple of hours. However, mine have never taken longer then 15-20 minutes… if that and we always have a lot of photos.
A bonus about Memory Maker is that professional photos of each main attraction, parades, and other aspects of the parks are included! Even though this is a super fabulous feature, it is not the best one…
Pick your location
View and download your photos
Keep the magic forever!
I have my photos, how can I print them off?
This is honestly the best thing about Disney’s Memory Maker. You receive FULL LICENSING to print ALL THE PHOTOS! Including the professional shots of the park. When you are on your ‘download page’ of the PhotoPass site, in the top left hand corner it will say ‘Download Limited License’. This allows you to use all of the photos for personal use!
Too lazy to print them on your own? No problem! The Disney PhotoPass site allows you to print your photos or add them on different products, like mugs, mouse pads, cards, phone case, and even metal!
Here is an example of professional photo from the parade that comes with your Disney Memory Maker package!
How long do my PhotoPass photos last on the site?
You are able to view and download your photos up to 45 days from when the photo was taken! If this is not long enough for you, you are able to purchase a 15 day extension for $19.95!
The first time I purchased Memory Maker, I also bought the Memory Maker CD that was mailed to me with all of our photos on it. However, it is definitely something that is not necessary. The second time, I just downloaded the photos and never felt like I was missing the CD.
Jack and I attended the Disney After Hours Event at Magic Kingdom. During this event, they have TONS of Disney PhotoPass photographers all around the park. I may or may not have made him stop at each one! 🙂
When Jackson and I went to Disneyland and California Adventure, we did not purchase the Memory Maker since it was just two parks in two days. The special thing about the Disney PhotoPass photographers is that they will use your own camera or phone. I actually found out how to use the portrait mode on my iPhone because of a cast member in California! However, if you have the Disney PhotoPass photographer use your own device, please allow and respect them to take a few shots on their own camera!
Even though cast members are willing to use your own device, there is nothing like a Disney PhotoPass photo to come home to. Make your Disney magic last forever, and buy the dang Memory Maker! 🙂
See ya real soon,
nicole