When I am in the parks, I hear guests asking about the PhotoPass service and Memory Maker. The questions range from “Do I have to pay to take a picture?” to “How much do the photos cost.” The system isn’t extremely confusing, but it can be if you don’t research beforehand, especially if it is your first trip. There are several layers to PhotoPass, so let’s break it down.
What is PhotoPass?
PhotoPass is a service at Walt Disney World where photographers take photos of you and your family. These cast members can be found all around the parks and are easy to see now that they wear neon green shirts. Having your pictures taken by a PhotoPass photographer is free for any guest, with no obligation to buy anything.
What is Memory Maker?
Memory Maker is a product that guests can buy. This service allows you to download digital copies of all the PhotoPass Photographs that you and your travel party took over the course of your trip.
If you don’t need or want all the photos from your trip but have one specific day that you want to take pictures, there’s a package for that. It’s called the One Day Memory Maker. If this is purchased, guests can download all of the photos taken on one day of their stay.
Annual Passholder Add-on
Annual Passholders have the option when renewing their pass to add on PhotoPass for an extra $99. This service used to be included in the Platinum and the Gold Annual Passes, but once Disney changed the names of the passes and raised the prices, they took that perk away; it makes complete sense (that’s me being sarcastic).
How To Link Photos
You will need the My Disney Experience app; this is where you will view, edit, and delete photos. Guests can also manage their friends and family here so that photos of your traveling party can also be included in any photo products you may purchase.
What is a Magic Shot?
A Magic Shot is a special photo that can be taken by Photopass Photographers, and they add special elements to your pictures. These photos are fun for the entire family, and it adds extra magic to your vacation photos. I love these creative images because you never know what Magic Shot you get until you look at them. These take a bit longer to load into the My Disney Experience app and normally show up hours after or even the next day.
Is PhotoPass Worth it?
For me, yes. I have the Annual Pass add-on because I love capturing memories with my friends and family. I have a friend that recently bought the One Day Memory Maker when visiting, and they loved it and felt it was worth every penny. Especially, if you or your travel party are celebrating something special on the trip, this would be a great way to ensure that those memories are caught on camera. If you are anything like me, then you love on-ride photos. Being able to download and save attraction photos is my favorite perk.
Have you ever used PhotoPass or Memory Make on your Disney vacation? If you have, let us know your experience using the service.
Hi, I'm Erica, and I write about all things Disney. Before working for The DIS, I was a theme park performer at SeaWorld, but I also performed at Disney. I have such an immense love for theme parks to the point I studied them in college.
