Disney ParksDisney SpringsPlanningTips
Dos and Don’ts of Disney’s Memory Maker
One of my favorite add ons to a Walt Disney World vacation package is the Memory Maker. Guests can add this to their Walt Disney World vacation package for an additional $169. A price that I feel is well worth it.
With the purchase of the Memory Maker, Guests are given access to all the pictures that they take throughout Walt Disney World. This includes on ride photos, meet and greets with characters, and all the amazing pictures that they take with the extremely talented Disney PhotoPass Photographers.
Once purchased, Guests are able to see, download, and share their photos via the My Disney Experience app. It is a great way to capture some of those amazing memories at Walt Disney World.
If you choose to add Memory Maker to your vacation package, which I highly recommend, I have a few dos and don’ts to help you get the most out of your purchase.
Don’t Focus on the Icons
When visiting the four Disney Parks, you will see Disney PhotoPass Photographers in front of each of the Park icons. Cinderella Castle, Tree of Life, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Spaceship Earth are all great for pictures, but make sure you venture outside of these main icons.
Start my looking for photographers that are taking photos using these icons as a backdrop from a different angle. Instead of getting a picture of the castle on Main Street USA, seek out a photographer on the bridges towards Liberty Square or Tomorrowland. These get a slightly different angle of the icon giving you more options.
After you have taken pictures with the Park icons, look for photographers in other areas of the Parks. In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we like to take pictures with the larger than life Woody as we enter Toy Story Land.
Expedition Everest makes a fantastic background in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and consider any of the beautiful countries around the World Showcase in EPCOT. Many of them such as France, Japan, and Italy will have Disney PhotoPass Photographers willing to take some great pictures.
We love getting our pictures with the icons of the Parks, but we also like to seek out those other areas where Disney photographers are taking pictures for something different.
Do Take All the Pictures
When you have purchased Memory Maker, make sure you get all the pictures taken. There is no limit to how many you can take, so when you see a Disney PhotoPass Photographer, stop and get those photos taken.
Also when taking pictures, don’t be shy about asking for different mixtures of people. Take solo shots of the kids or of mom. Make the kids take pictures together or even Mom and Dad could do a couple shot. The photographers are there to help capture your magical moments, so make sure to take advantage of that throughout the Parks.
Don’t Forget Your Ride Photos
As part of your Memory Maker purchase, you also get on ride photos. Most of the time, these link automatically. Pay attention however to make sure you don’t need to tap your MagicBand at the exit of the ride to link it to your account.
The on ride photos are a lot of fun especially capturing those first time rides on Rock n Roller Coaster or Tron Lightcycle Run. If you have the opportunity to ride more than once, have fun with your photo. Rock out on Rock n Roller Coaster or pretend to sleep on Space Mountain. These are fun memories to capture.
Right now you can get on ride photos on these rides:
Slinky Dog Dash
Rock n Roller Coaster
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
Frozen Ever After
Expedition Everest
Dinosaur
Space Mountain
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Tron Lightcycle Run
Do Get Photos with Characters
Along with ride photos, your pictures at character meet and greets are also included. It won’t matter if you have an actual Disney PhotoPass Photographer at the meet and greet or one of the boxes, either way you can link your photos to your account to keep them forever.
If seeing characters is important to you, having Memory Maker is a huge advantage. You can allow everyone to get into the picture with Mickey Mouse together.
Photos at character meals such as Chef Mickey’s or Cinderella’s Royal Table where Guests take pictures at a special photo spot are also included with your purchase.
Capture those great hugs with your purchase.
Do Visit the Studios
What a lot of Guests don’t know is that there are actually photopass studios. Right now at the Marketplace in Disney Springs and Sir Mickey’s at Magic Kingdom, Guests can find small photo studios. Here you can enjoy a quick photo session with cute backdrops. This is a fun addition feature that many Guests don’t know about.
Don’t Forget Magic Shots
Finally, don’t forget to add some additional magic to your photos by asking for magic shots. These add a little additional magic to your photos that the amazing Disney photographers will add in later.
There are many different ones from Tink being in your hands to balloons pulling you up and away. Many photographers will do these naturally but if not make sure to ask.
Those are my dos and don’ts of Disney’s Memory Maker. I love this feature and with these tips I think you will as well.
