Hi Janelle,
Thanks for stopping by with your question. Disney Memory Maker is one of my favorite ways to make sure my family gets to enjoy our favorite photo memories for years to come.
I always read the fine print and like you, want to be sure I make the best purchase! To clarify your question, you will get a discount when
purchasing Memory Maker in advance. When you do this, you just need to wait 3 days before you may use it in the parks.
However, this is just the minimum amount of days you must wait to qualify for the discount. The 30-day clock won't start ticking for your Memory Maker until you
download your first photo.
This means you are free to go ahead and purchase it for your August trip with plenty of time to make sure it's ready to go when you arrive. I know you'll want to start capturing photos right away!
Please let us know if we can answer any other questions. Wishing you a vacation full of memorable moments.
Happy planning,
Andrea U.