Hello and welcome to planDisney, Laura!
I'm so glad you stopped by with your question. With new options for guests like
Disney Genie and new additions like
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and
Disney Enchantment, it's an exciting time to be visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Laura, the paid upgrade of Disney Genie: Disney Genie+ allows you to skip the standby queue at a variety of attractions at all four theme parks, but is NOT related to
Memory Maker which allows you to download all of the Disney PhotoPass pictures you take throughout your visit. Some attractions have ride photos to capture the thrills and you'll see Disney PhotoPass photographers at iconic spots at all parks. Laura, my family has taken trips with and without Memory Maker and the purchase of this service really depends on how much you like to document your vacation and how important it is for you to have your whole family (or group) in the photo. In my experience, when you purchase Memory Maker, the pictures will show up in your My Disney Experience account a few hours after they were taken.
Laura, both Memory Maker and
Disney Genie+ are completely optional and the purchase of one does NOT require the purchase of the other. I hope this information helps as you're continuing to plan for your next Disney adventure! Please come on back to planDisney with any additional questions.
Lauren