Disney’s Memory Maker: The $169 (or $199) Question

Disney’s Memory Maker is a package that provides on-line access to digital photography taken of you and your travel party during your stay at Walt Disney World. The service includes any images taken by Disney photographers as well as those captured by on-ride cameras. Disney links the photographs to your account through your Magic Band or a free Disney PhotoPass card. If you purchase Memory Maker prior to arriving at Walt Disney World, it costs $169.  If you purchase it once you’re on vacation (or after!), you will pay $199. So how do you know if Memory Maker is worth the price? Today’s post covers six reasons why Disney’s Memory Maker could make sense for your trip, and a few reasons why it may not.

Let’s start with the positives.

In general, Memory Maker is a good idea for your trip if all or some of the following are true:

(1) Traveling with a large group

This is the biggest benefit of Memory Maker, in my opinion. If you’re traveling in a large group and you’ve linked your travel party together in your My Disney Experience account, the resulting Photo Pass images will include everyone in your party. This is true even when your party splits up for different activities. For example, if your parents are getting their picture taken in front of the castle by a Disney photographer while the rest of your group is riding Space Mountain, all of the images from both groups will appear in your account. The owner of the account does not need to be present.

Memory Maker also makes it easier for larger travel groups to get pictures together. If you’ve ever come home from a vacation and realized you’re missing from every photo, you understand this benefit. Sometimes the people that care the most about the photos are the ones not actually in them. If this is you, Memory Maker is your chance to be included. It also means the person operating the camera knows what he or she is doing. That may not be true for others in your travel party!

(2) Planning to create a photo book or scrapbook of your trip

If you’re planning to create a photo book or scrapbook of your vacation, it also makes sense to purchase Memory Maker. For one, it will motivate you to get your picture taken by Disney photographers more often. Also, you’ll have the ability to customize the photos after your trip. Disney’s PhotoPass website allows you to add borders that feature the date or the attraction name to your images. The site also lets you add embellishments such as characters’ autographs. Third, if you purchase Memory Maker you can download the images and make an electronic photo book anywhere you want. Shutterfly, for example, offers Disney-styled photo books you can customize like a pro.

Sometimes Disney also adds “bonus” photography to your account that can help complete your album. The “bonus” photos are typically linked to whichever parks you visited during your trip. They may also include seasonal events, such as recipes if you visit during the Food and Wine Festival.

The bonus material only appears on the Disney PhotoPass website, rather than in the My Disney Experience App, so be sure to check both places!

(3) Riding attractions with on-ride photos

Although there are exceptions, most of the on-ride cameras at Disney World are located on thrill rides.  If you’re planning to visit a lot of these attractions, then there is obviously more benefit to your purchasing the photos.

Here’s the current list of 13 attractions that offer on-ride photography:  Buzz Lightyear’s Ranger Space Spin, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Frozen Ever After, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Slinky Dog Coaster, Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (photo and video), Splash Mountain, Test Track, Tower of Terror (photo and video). Some of these rides give you the option to swipe your Magic Band or Photo Pass card after you experience the ride. If you’re wearing Magic Bands, the majority of these photos will automatically appear in your account.

Whether or not you want to see what you look like while experiencing these attractions is up to you!

(4) Dining with characters

It also makes sense to purchase Memory Maker if you are planning to dine with characters. The Disney World restaurants that currently offer Photo Pass photography include: 1900 Park Fare, Akershus, Be Our Guest (with the Beast after dinner), Chef Mickey, Cinderella’s Royal Table and the three dinner shows (Spirit of Aloha, Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, and Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review). The list has shortened over the last few years, so make sure you double-check with the restaurant in advance if this is important to you.

Also, please note I’m only referring to the restaurants that have Disney photographers set up at designated spots to capture images of all guests as they enter the restaurant. You’ll need your own camera to take pictures with the characters when they greet you at your table during the meal.

(5) Don’t want to carry a special camera or don’t know how to use it

Self-explanatory, don’t you think? If you don’t want to carry a separate camera or extra lenses around, you can let the Disney associates take photos for you. If you’re tired of getting pictures that are too dark, blurry, off-center or include your travel partner’s thumb, Disney photographers can take care of those problems too.

(6) Magical Extras!

I already mentioned the bonus images that may appear in your account if you purchase Memory Maker. Another fun magical extra is the additional content that appears within the photos themselves. You may find a border already added to your photo from the new Slinky Dog Coaster, for example. Or if a Disney Photographer asked you to pose in a certain way, you may also see that Tinkerbell, Olaf, Sebastian or even a Hitchhiking ghost from the Haunted Mansion has been magically added to your image! Disney has really raised its game in this area over the last few years with more videos, sound clips and unexpected extras that are fun and completely shareable.

I’m not sure the extras are really worth the $169 price on their own, but if you’ve already checked the boxes for a few of the other reasons mentioned above, this can certainly sweeten the deal.

Now that you know the main reasons why Memory Maker could make sense for your trip, here are few additional thoughts to keep in mind.

(1) Disney photographers will take pictures with your camera too! Disney cast members are usually incredibly accommodating with taking pictures for you with your own camera or phone. The shots may not always turn out perfectly, but we’ve received a few gems this way in the past.

(2) If you don’t purchase Memory Maker, you will still have the option to purchase individual photos. If you don’t purchase Memory Maker, you can still view your images on your My Disney Experience account and purchase just the ones you want. A digital download, and the rights to use it wherever you want, costs around $15. That means if you think you’ll only want a few images from your trip (less than 11), you’re better off paying for the pictures you want individually rather than springing for the full $169 package. You can also order individual prints or spring for the full $199 price to get all of your photos once you’re back home.

(3) Whether you purchase Memory Maker or not, your images are only available on-line for 45 days. Your images are only available online for 45 days after the date they were taken. After that, they disappear. Try not to procrastinate about downloading your images or making a decision to purchase individual prints or you could lose your chance!

(4) Memory Maker is now included for “free” with Disney World annual pass purchases. If you’re on the fence about buying an annual pass, “free” Memory Maker is another mark in the “pro” column.

(5) If it’s three days before your trip, skip the pre-purchase. I saved the most complicated one for last. Sorry! For some reason, if you purchase Memory Maker for $169 within three days of leaving for your trip, it will not include the photos from your first few days in the parks. It’s kind of like a three-day waiting period for the package to kick-in. Therefore, you’re better off waiting to purchase the package for $199 while you’re on your trip, because it will include all of your images.

And that’s it. Hopefully this post helped to make your Memory Maker purchase decision easier… or at least more thorough! You can’t really go wrong either way, so just make your best choice and enjoy your vacation!

Add a little (photo) magic to your world!