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A Disney World trip is one of those things that you just have to capture in photos. One of the best ways to capture these precious moments is by purchasing Disney’s Memory Maker, which is basically Disney World’s all-inclusive photo package. To help you get the most out of it, here are my best tips for using Disney’s Memory Maker.
The Memory Maker gives you access to all of the photos that Disney’s professional photographers take for one price. But, it is a little expensive. Only you can decide whether it is a good value for your family, but these tips will help you get the most bang for your buck.
Tip #1: Buy it more than 3 days in advance of your trip.
The current price of Disney’s Memory Maker is $199 if you buy it at Disney World and $169 if you buy it online in advance of your trip. But, if you buy it online, you won’t receive any photos that are taken within 3 days of your purchase.
(You can also buy the Memory Maker for one day only for $69.)
So, to save $30 and have all of your photos, make sure you buy the Memory Maker more than three days in advance of your arrival.
If you book your trip directly through Disney, there is an option to add the Memory Maker to your vacation package at the time of your booking. I would recommend doing this so you won’t forget to add it on later.
Tip #2: Take lots of photos!
The price of Disney’s Memory Maker is the same, regardless of how many photos you have in your account. So, to get the biggest bang for your buck, take lots of photos!
The more photos you stop for during your trip, the less the cost per photo will be, making the package more valuable as a whole.
You can take photos for 30 days from the date of your first photo, so your Memory Maker will be good for the entirety of your trip.
Be on the lookout for Disney’s Photopass photographers throughout the parks. You can find them at many of the character meet and greet locations. They are also stationed at numerous photo-worthy spots around the parks, such as in front of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.
Every photo taken by one of these photographers will show up in your Memory Maker account.
Tip #3: Be sure to link your on-ride photos to your account.
Not all rides at Disney World have on-ride photos, but many of them do. All on-ride photos are also included in Disney’s Memory Maker.
Some of the on-ride photo systems read your MagicBand while on the ride and automatically add your on-ride photos to your account. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is one of these. Other rides, however, such as Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and Test Track, will not.
So, be sure you stop in the gift shop at the end of rides to link your photos to your account. Simply find the appropriate photo on the screens and touch your MagicBand to the sensor associated with that photo.
Remember that sometimes, your party will be split among two or more photos, so be sure to link them all!
Tip #4: Ask for Magic Shots.
Magic Shots are when the Disney photographers ask you to pose in some seemingly silly manner and then they add a surprise element to your photo before it appears in your account.
There are many magic shots available. Examples include: Stitch popping out of the ground, Tinkerbell in your hands, and a bunch of balloons carrying you away.
Not all photographers can do all Magic Shots. Some of them are only available in certain areas of Disney World.
Some photographers will have you to pose for Magic Shots without being asked. But some will only do them if you ask. So, don’t be shy about asking for them!
These are extra photos on your Memory Maker that can be a lot of fun.
Tip #5: Don’t forget to download your photos.
This is an important tip! Don’t forget to download your photos!
Your photos will expire, and become unavailable to you, 45 days after each photo is taken. So, be sure you download all of your photos before that 45 day mark.
You don’t want to lose the photos you have already paid for! I recommend either downloading all of your photos a day or two after returning home from your trip or downloading each day’s photos before heading to bed that night while on your trip. This way, you won’t forget and miss out on getting some of your photos!
Tip #6: Add stickers or borders before downloading.
Disney’s Memory Maker has lots of fun stickers, borders, and other fun elements that you can add to your photos. Remember that you must add these elements before downloading your pictures in order to get them!
If you want a photo with more than one border or element, download it with each element. So, you may need to download the same photo multiple times to have all the options you want.
If you are a scrapbooker, this is a great way to customize your photos.
Tip #7: Have fun!
Most importantly, have fun on your trip! While this may not sound like it should be a tip for using Disney’s Memory Maker, it really is. The more fun you have, the more smiles will show up in your photos. And the better your photos will be.
Don’t get stressed trying to hit every Photopass photographer. Don’t worry about whether you are checking everything off your list. Just have fun and enjoy the moment with your family!
This will make all those memories captured in photos more valuable than all the money in the world.
Conclusion
Disney’s Memory Maker can be a valuable add-on to your Disney World vacation. For one flat fee, you can have an army of professional photographers documenting your trip so everyone can be in the pictures! The above tips will help you to get the most value out of the Memory Maker.
For help planning your trip, see my step-by-step guide, best resources, and quick tips.
Happy travels!
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