Hi Jeralyn, welcome to planDisney, and thank you for the question. You are thinking ahead in all the right ways, because Memory Maker is one of those extras that tends to pay for itself very quickly.
The
Disney PhotoPass Service allows professional photographers and attraction cameras throughout the parks to capture your photos so everyone can stay in the moment and actually be in the pictures.
Memory Maker is the add-on that gives you unlimited digital downloads of those photos, including attraction photos and videos, from your vacation. Once it is active, you can view, download, and share your images right from the My Disney Experience app.
After purchasing Memory Maker in My Disney Experience, you may not see an immediate change, and that is completely normal. Memory Maker activates based on the start date you selected at purchase, or on the date your first Disney PhotoPass photo is taken if no start date was chosen. Once you take your first photo, open
the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to Disney PhotoPass, and select Photo Gallery. If Memory Maker has not yet been activated, your photos will appear with watermarks. Simply tap on a photo, and you should be prompted with the option to activate Memory Maker. Once activated, you are all set, and your photos taken from that point forward will be included for up to 30 days.
When Memory Maker is active, you will see it listed under your account in the app, and all linked PhotoPass photos will display without watermarks. If you still see watermarks, that just means Memory Maker has not officially started yet.
One important tip is to make sure all members of your travel party are properly linked in My Disney Experience. That ensures photos taken by different photographers, or on different MagicBand or ticket media, all flow back to the same account, so nothing is missed.
Here is a fun bonus many Guests overlook. If you have time during your visit, head to Disney Springs and stop by the
Disney PhotoPass Studio. It is included with Memory Maker and offers a relaxed indoor setting with professional lighting and themed backdrops, which is a great option for family photos without worrying about weather or crowds.
I hope this clears things up, Jeralyn. If you have any other questions or want recommendations for making the most of PhotoPass or anything else during your trip, make like Tarzan and Jane and swing back by planDisney.com.
I’m always happy to help.
Brent