How Does Memory Maker Work at Walt Disney World?

Did you know anyone can get a professional photo taken at a Disney park? Skip the blurry selfies and crooked pictures of crowded streets as your vacation memories. Disney's PhotoPass service provides professional photographers stationed throughout the Walt Disney World parks who will take professional photos of you and your family. With 100 PhotoPass locations at Walt Disney World, there are many places to snap great pics. You can find PhotoPass photographers at ideal scenic spots throughout the parks, including park icons, character meet and greets, select attractions, and indoor studios. Anyone can visit a PhotoPass location and take a picture. PhotoPass pictures are connected to your My Disney Experience account after they’re taken. However, you must purchase the images separately to download them. That's where Disney's Memory Maker comes in. Below, we discuss how Memory Maker works and whether you should consider getting it for your next trip. 

What is Memory Maker? ​

Memory Maker is a paid service that allows you to download all the PhotoPass photos and videos of your Disney vacation for either one day or the entire length of your trip. 

What’s Included with Memory Maker?

Memory Maker lets you download all your PhotoPass photos and videos during the selected timeframe. This includes PhotoPass pictures taken at PhotoPass stations, attraction photos, videos, Magic Shots, indoor studios, and character dining locations. Memory Maker includes images taken during Capture Your Moment private photo sessions and RunDisney events.

How Does Memory Maker Work? ​

Memory Maker is an optional add-on service that can be purchased before or after your trip. The first step is visiting a PhotoPass location and taking your picture. The photographer will help you link the images to your My Disney Experience (MDE) account. This can be done by tapping your MagicBand, receiving a physical PhotoPass card (which you can enter into MDE later), or scanning your phone with your theme park ticket (if you used MagicMobile to enter the park). You can view all the PhotoPass pictures you take inside the “gallery” on MDE. If you haven’t purchased Memory Maker in advance, these pictures will have a PhotoPass watermark on them until Memory Maker is activated. 
To activate an already-purchased Memory Maker, click on any photo in your gallery. Then click “Activate Memory Maker." You should see the watermark disappear from the pictures shortly after. You can activate your Memory Maker anytime, but we recommend doing it after you take the first PhotoPass photo of your trip. That way, you can view your gallery and enjoy your photos as they’re taken without seeing huge watermarks spread across all your pictures. It’s the best way to have your photos be Instagram-worthy while on your trip (and don’t forget to tag Just Add Magic Travel® when posting!).​

Memory Maker Options

There are two types of Memory Maker at Walt Disney World:

Memory Maker Advanced Purchase
This standard Memory Maker lets you download all the photos from your entire vacation (within 30 days of activation). You get a discount when you purchase Memory Maker at least three days before your trip, so this option offers the best value.

One Day Memory Maker
 This Memory Maker option allows you to download the PhotoPass photos from one specific day of your trip, starting at 6 am EST on the day of activation and ending at 5:59 am the next day. One Day Memory Maker works if you don’t want to spend a lot of time seeking out PhotoPass locations or are visiting the parks for a short time. One Day Memory Maker is also great if you just want the photos from a particularly memorable day of your trip, like your child’s birthday, the day you went to a character breakfast, or the day your daughter visited the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. 

Memory Maker Mid or Post Vacation
If you didn’t purchase Memory Maker before your trip, you can add it at the parks or once you return home. This option is more expensive than purchasing Memory Maker in advance. However, it allows you to view your PhotoPass photos before committing to buying all of them. 

How to Purchase Memory Maker ​

Your  Just Add Magic Travel® agent can order this product for you. We recommend purchasing Memory Maker when you book your vacation package. However, you can buy Memory Maker anytime before, during, or after your trip. Just make sure you buy it at least three days (72 hours) before you want to use it in order to lock in the lower Advanced Purchase price. PhotoPass photos taken within 72 hours of purchasing Memory Maker aren’t included in the Advanced Purchase Memory Maker.
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Don’t stress! Our team at Just Add Magic Travel® is here to help you plan a stress-free, magical vacation. We can help you add Memory Maker for your trip at the right time so you can use it on the first day of your vacation. Contact us today to learn more. ​

How to Purchase Memory Maker After Your Trip ​

If you’re unsure you want to get Memory Maker in advance, you can purchase it after your trip—but it’s more expensive. Here's how to do this:

1. View any PhotoPass photo with a watermark on it in your MDE photo gallery.
   
2. Click on the photo to view your purchase options.
   
3. Select “Memory Maker” or “One Day Memory Maker.” Once Memory Maker is purchased and activated, all your photos will show up without the watermark in your gallery. ​
   

Is Memory Maker Worth It? ​

Whether Memory Maker is worth it depends on you and your family’s desires for your vacation. PhotoPass is a great way to ensure you get pictures of all your family members during your trip. PhotoPass photographers are professionals, so PhotoPass photos have better lighting and are higher quality than most photos you'd take with your cell phone. There are also fun “Magic Shots” you can ask for, which incorporate some Disney magic in specific shots, like having animated characters stand beside you. There are usually lines to take PhotoPass pictures (especially at the park’s icons), so taking PhotoPass pictures takes some minimal time out of your day. Memory Maker is also great if you're celebrating a special occasion where you’ll take lots of photos, like birthdays, family reunions, engagements, honeymoons, pregnancy announcements, gender reveals, and more. 
The best way to determine whether Memory Maker is right for you is to view the price of downloading one PhotoPass picture and multiply it by how many pictures you think you’d want to download. The cost of an advanced Memory Maker is equivalent to purchasing about 10 photos separately. If you want to download at least 10 PhotoPass photos from your trip, Memory Maker is worth it. 

Create Great Memories with Just Add Magic Travel ​

Planning a Disney vacation should be fun, not overwhelming. Let us handle the details so you can look forward to a stress-free trip. From booking your vacation package, making dining reservations, and adding services like Memory Maker, we'll ensure you're set to have a magical vacation. 

Get a free quote for your trip today! 
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