Last week we talked about how Disney’s PhotoPass works and as you may recall, it’s a great way to make sure that your memories are captured by photographers all around the parks. You also may recall that once you get home, you can decide which of the many photographs that were taken, you would like to keep and then purchase the downloads at a cost of $16.95 each. Which, if you think about it, could get pricey in a hurry if there are a number of photos you want to keep! Enter Disney’s Memory Maker photo package as a way to keep all of your (potentially hundreds of) photo memories at a great value.
Years ago, I couldn’t understand what the big deal was about the Memory Maker. It was an added expense that I didn’t think I needed. Then we took our first solo trip with the grand-kids. Since I knew their parents wouldn’t be there to experience their looks on the rides or see them standing in front of Cinderella’s Castle, I went ahead and splurged on our first Memory Maker.
But before I go any further, let me explain how Disney’s Memory Maker works. As I mentioned last week, all those pictures taken by the PhotoPass photographers and the pictures from select attractions are added to your online My Disney Experience account for you to see and then to download the ones you want. Unlike the regular PhotoPass photos though, since you pay a flat fee for the Memory Maker photo package, you don’t pay for each photo download, Everything in your account is included…..even if you have hundreds of photos! So then at the end of your trip, you simply download all the pictures onto your computer without the watermarks on each of the pictures. You can download as many times as you want on as many different devices as you want AND you can share Memory Maker among several families traveling together (as long as everyone is linked together in My Disney Experience). This makes it a tremendous value!
In addition, for about $40, you can get all of your photos on a DVD and there are other items you can purchase at your time of download as well. You can also purchased larger pictures from some of your favorite rides for a discounted price. Included in the download are also miscellaneous Disney pictures from around the parks, some of the characters and even special events. Photos taken at places like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Enchanted Tales with Belle, or Jedi Training will also be included. Some of the select attractions such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride also include several short videos taken along your ride experience.
The Memory Maker can be purchased ahead of time for a discounted price (currently $169) as long as you purchase it more than 3 days in advance. If standard Memory Maker is purchased within 3 days of your trip or at the park when you arrive, the price is $199.
I have now purchased the Memory Maker for the last 4 trips and was I happy I did so? Yes, I am. It allowed us to get pictures in areas that I normally wouldn’t have gotten, along with all the icons from each park. I also didn’t have to carry a camera with me, just my phone! The Magic Shots are also included in the Memory Maker, so be sure and ask each photographer if they have a magic shot available.
We definitely enjoyed the freedom of having a professional photographer taking our pictures and making suggestions for getting the best of each shot. And we especially loved how easy having Memory Maker was at the character greeting areas – it was just one less thing to worry about, what with making sure we always had the autograph book, and a pen…..now we didn’t have to worry about getting everyone in the picture! Talk about making life much easier!
And one of the nicest things of all was having everyone in our party linked together, so with our Magic Bands, even if we split up, we could still all add pictures and they were all there for us to see. It was fun to see where everyone in our party ended up each day!
If you want to make the most of your photo memories at Walt Disney World, having Memory Maker can definitely do just that!
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Debbie and her husband live in Chattanooga, TN. They both are huge Disney fans and try to visit the most Magical Place on Earth at least once a year, if possible. They are enjoying taking each of their now 10 grandchildren and hope to also take their great granddaughter in the near future. One of their favorite trips has been visiting Disney with adults only, including one trip when their son proposed to his girlfriend. Each trip begins with the planning, which can take up to a year, beginning with how to get the grandkids excited about their upcoming trip. They have surprised some of them the day before they left, while the latest one had “presents” every 10 days starting at 90 days all leading up to an exciting trip with her parents along also. Their philosophy on Disney Trips? “Each trip is completely different, like visiting Walt Disney World for the first time.” They both enjoy all that Disney has to offer, but enjoy Animal Kingdom and EPCOT the most. It is their goal that everyone who visits Walt Disney World has a magical trip with lots of memories to last a life time.
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