Everything PhotoPass & Memory Maker

Thanks, I keep hoping they'll add a more useful batch download or sort by date option at some point. I know it doesn't affect most people but it is a massive pain for some of us with such an easy fix.

Are there any reports on how long after the AP expires free photopass downloads might still be available? I've seen conflicting info on the official website. Unfortunately, our AP's are expiring soon. :sad2:
 
Thanks, I keep hoping they'll add a more useful batch download or sort by date option at some point. I know it doesn't affect most people but it is a massive pain for some of us with such an easy fix.

Are there any reports on how long after the AP expires free photopass downloads might still be available? I've seen conflicting info on the official website. Unfortunately, our AP's are expiring soon. :sad2:
I don't have any first hand information about that. I know with the normal Memory Maker, you can continue to download until the last of your photos expire and are deleted from the server, which happens 45 days after they are taken. I could guess that with AP Memory Maker, it might be similar. 45 days after you have your last photo taken, but that is only a guess.
 
There are only two options when downloading with Memory Maker. Option number one is single photo download. You COULD do this for every photo from your most recent trip. This would likely also take a fair bit of time. Option number two is download everything.

A good strategy here might be to take a trip, edit the photos as you see fit, download them all, then delete everything off the server before your next trip. Sorry I don't have a better answer for you :(
I sure wish they would add some type of sorting feature. As an AP we have hundreds of pictures from several trips each year and it’s a nightmare trying to find pictures on the website.
I usually download from my phone while we are on the trip to avoid having to use the website.
 
Thanks, I keep hoping they'll add a more useful batch download or sort by date option at some point. I know it doesn't affect most people but it is a massive pain for some of us with such an easy fix.

Are there any reports on how long after the AP expires free photopass downloads might still be available? I've seen conflicting info on the official website. Unfortunately, our AP's are expiring soon. :sad2:

I don't have any first hand information about that. I know with the normal Memory Maker, you can continue to download until the last of your photos expire and are deleted from the server, which happens 45 days after they are taken. I could guess that with AP Memory Maker, it might be similar. 45 days after you have your last photo taken, but that is only a guess.

I've had an AP with free PhotoPass downloads for several years now, and each photo is labeled with an expiration date that seems to be one year plus 30 days after it was taken. So I assume that if your AP expires and you don't renew, photos will remain until that expiration date whether it's while you have an active AP or after your AP expires.

My AP expired April 30 of this year. I just checked my photos, and the earliest I have was taken August 7, 2017 and says it will be available for download until September 6, 2018.
 


I've had an AP with free PhotoPass downloads for several years now, and each photo is labeled with an expiration date that seems to be one year plus 30 days after it was taken. So I assume that if your AP expires and you don't renew, photos will remain until that expiration date whether it's while you have an active AP or after your AP expires.

My AP expired April 30 of this year. I just checked my photos, and the earliest I have was taken August 7, 2017 and says it will be available for download until September 6, 2018.
Thank you. Now that you said that, it seems to me that I've read that one year plus 30 days somewhere else as well. Great piece of information to have right there!
 
I'm sorry if this has been asked...I looked through the thread as best I could buy didn't see the answer. If I share MM with another party do I only need to add the MDE account holder to my friends and then everyone in their party will be linked? And also, will the added friend be able to see all of my MDE info or is there a way to share only the photos?
Thank you!
 
I'm sorry if this has been asked...I looked through the thread as best I could buy didn't see the answer. If I share MM with another party do I only need to add the MDE account holder to my friends and then everyone in their party will be linked? And also, will the added friend be able to see all of my MDE info or is there a way to share only the photos?
Thank you!

Very good questions. Let me see what I can do in the way of clear answers.

Each person in the other party has to be included in your friends and family list, whether they have their own MDE account, or their profile is managed by someone else (usually a parent managing a child) they still have to be friends with you. For each and every person you add, in your friends and family list, next to their name, click on update, and make certain that you have checked the boxes for only plans we share, and photopass photos. They need to do the same for you. If the other party includes profiles that they manage, they need to click update next to the profiles they are managing, and make certain that you are not listed as a guest that can plan for them. These steps should allow you to see all of their photos (and as a result, download them) and keep you from seeing things like their park tickets.
 


Hello all. Apologies if this has been detailed already - I honestly did not read through all 19 pages of this thread.
I have an upcoming trip with my girlfriend and her daughter, and we are arriving on a Tuesday. My parents (who are APs) are meeting us there on Friday. All 5 of us are connected and sharing plans via MDE. My question is, would we be able to utilize their MM for the days prior to their arrival? Or only the days where out trips overlap?
Not sure if this affects anything, but they have new APs that won't activate until they arrive. TIA
 
Hello all. Apologies if this has been detailed already - I honestly did not read through all 19 pages of this thread.
I have an upcoming trip with my girlfriend and her daughter, and we are arriving on a Tuesday. My parents (who are APs) are meeting us there on Friday. All 5 of us are connected and sharing plans via MDE. My question is, would we be able to utilize their MM for the days prior to their arrival? Or only the days where out trips overlap?
Not sure if this affects anything, but they have new APs that won't activate until they arrive. TIA

Be sure that your girlfriend, her daughter, and you all are in your parents friends and family list, and also, that from all of your profiles, your parents are allowed to share your Photopass Photos. That is all you need to do. When you have your photos taken, they will appear in your parents account. When they upgrade to their AP, they will then be able to download your photos. This will work even for the days that your trips do not overlap. Enjoy your vacation
 
Be sure that your girlfriend, her daughter, and you all are in your parents friends and family list, and also, that from all of your profiles, your parents are allowed to share your Photopass Photos. That is all you need to do. When you have your photos taken, they will appear in your parents account. When they upgrade to their AP, they will then be able to download your photos. This will work even for the days that your trips do not overlap. Enjoy your vacation

This is exactly what I was hoping to hear! Thanks so much for confirming.
 
Not sure if this has been answered already...I purchased memory maker a few weeks ago for my trip that starts this evening. I’m linked with my brother who got down there yesterday. Shouldn’t I be able to see his pics without the watermark? They are still showing as watermarked in my account
 
It is ok that they are watermarked. Your Memory Maker doesn't technically become activated until you download your first photo. That is ok, it is the way it is supposed to work. Your photos will appear the same way. Once you download your first photos, the water marks will be removed.
 
I am planning our first ever (and potentially only) trip to Disney World this August. I will get 6 days ticket, with 5 nights stay on a Disney resort. I have also made reservations for character dining up to three days before I intend to use tickets for the theme parks and these are for restaurants located at Disney resorts which means I won't need park tickets. Does anyone know, if the memory maker will include pictures from the 3 days prior to us using theme park tickets/check in to stay at the resort?
Reading your post was like a roller coaster. Awesome first trip to Disney! Oh no potentially only trip ! Our first trip I described as miserable punctuated with moments of EXTREME CUTENESS ! But the place really is Great. We’ve become DVC members now and I just booked another trip, I’m debating on buying an AP for the discounts. August is going to raise the miserable factor a little but your already one step ahead of us. I didn’t know about the DIS until after our trip ! Keep researching and reading the forums! Have Fun ! I hope you make some Magical memories like we did. A couple of my favorite photos we took ourselves so don’t worry about that. But our first trip they didn’t have the ability to add Disney characters to the photos like they can now! They rotate what’s available and it’s not every photographer but hopefully they’ll have something your family is interested in. When they first introduced it they showed a photo with Tinkerbell in a child’s hand ! My kids would of Loved that ! Although my little one might of been confused, hey I don’t remember Tinkerbell flying above my hand, when I met her she was as big as an adult. Lol
 
Everything PhotoPass and Memory Maker





Overview

Together, Photopass, and Memory Maker are a way for Disney guests to take home many precious memories of themselves and their families enjoying many different Walt Disney World experiences.


Product Definitions

Photopass: Getting your pictures taken


Photopass is the name of the Disney World service which takes photos of you and your family all around the Disney World parks, and resorts. Having photos taken by Photopass Photographers is free for any guest, with no obligation to buy anything.


View attachment 301272
Photopass Photographer taking a photo of a family with Cinderella’s Castle in the background.

My Disney Experience

This encompasses the My Disney Experience mobile app, and the website as well. This is where you will view, edit, and delete photos. You will also manage your friends and family here, so that photos of your traveling party can also be included in any photo products you may purchase.


Gameday Photos Sports Photographer

https://www.espnwwos.com/complex/services/sports-photographer/ Gameday Photos Sports Photographer is a new service offered by ESPN. Packages can be purchased for single player, the team, and times can be from an hour to the length of the game. Prices vary by event.


Fine Art Photography

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/fine-art-photography-video/ Fine Art Photography is an extra charge service providing a dedicated photographer in one of a range of Disney World locations who will pose, and photograph your family. There are numerous locations, and session lengths to choose from. Some of these packages provide the photos immediately on a flash drive. Others include retouching, and send the photos by mail several weeks later. The Magic Kingdom Family Portrait also comes with a 16" x 24" canvas print of one photo of your choice, and a 20 print photo album.


Photo Download

Photo download is a product you can purchase which will allow you to download a single Photopass Photo.


One Day Memory Maker

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/04/what-is-memory-maker-one-day-and-where-can-i-buy-it/ The One Day Memory Maker purchase allows you to download all of the photos that were taken on one day of your stay.


Memory Maker

Memory maker is a product which you can purchase. Memory Maker allows you to download digital copies of all of the Photopass Photographs you and your family have taken over the course of your stay.


Magic Shot

Magic shots are special photos which can be taken by Photopass Photographers, and add special elements into your Photopass photos.

View attachment 301270
Magic Shot from Pandora showing a Banshee flying overhead.

Visit the Magic Shots – Current Listings thread to see all of the Magic Shots that are currently available in each of the parks.


How it works

My Disney Experience

The first step to using PhotoPass, and / or Memory Maker is to set up your account on My Disney Experience. This can be done through the DisneyWorld Website, or through the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device.

Once you have set up an account, you can then link your park tickets, and connect any Magic Bands you have. If you don’t have Magic Bands yet, they can be connected when you get them. It is also possible to use PhotoPass without a Magic Band

Next, make sure everyone who is travelling with you is also set up in My Disney Experience. Now, using the Friends and Family feature of My Disney Experience, connect everyone to your account, and enable sharing and purchasing of PhotoPass photos.

You are now set to get your photos taken.


Choosing the right photo product

This can be tricky, as it can be difficult to know how many pictures you are going to want before you actually have them taken, and choosing the right product depends largely on how many photos you want to keep.

The Photo Download allows you to download a single Photopass photo (as well as some edits of that same photo) from your trip. If you are only going to want a couple of photos, this may be the least expensive option.

The One Day Memory Maker allows you to download all of the photos that are taken on one day of your trip. If you know that you are really only going to want the photos from your Animal Kingdom day, for instance, or you are only going to be in Disney World for one day, then this could be the best deal. Note, the One Day Memory Maker costs slightly more than 4 individual Photo Downloads, so if you want 4 photos or less, it will be less expensive to buy them individually.

If you are going to want photos from more than one day of your trip, and you are going to want 10 or more photos, then the Memory Maker Advance Purchase will be your best deal. For $169, this will allow you to download all of the photos that you have taken over the full length of your Disney World stay. Note, this must be purchased at least 3 days before you have your first photo taken (If you purchase during the day on Friday, then the earliest you can get photos taken will be on Monday).

If you want to purchase Memory Maker less than 3 days before you have your first photo taken, then you will have to pay the regular purchase price of $199, which is slightly less than the cost of 12 single photo downloads.

Members of the military can take advantage of a military discount on Memory Maker, and purchase it for $98. The military Memory Maker is retroactive, so that it includes photos that have already been taken. Therefore, it can be purchased at any point during your trip. This has to be purchased in person in Disney World, from a Guest Relations window, or ticket booth.

Annual Passholders. Most Annual Passholder levels include free digital downloads of PhotoPass photos. If you have this, there is no need to buy any of the above Photo products. When you activate your Annual Pass, any photos which are currently in your PhotoPass account, as well as any you have taken while your Annual Pass is valid, will be available for you to download at no additional charge.

In addition to the above options, you can also purchase merchandise through PhotoPass customized with your PhotoPass photos. Options include CD’s or DVD’s with all of your digital images on them, mugs, cups, calendars, and a host of other products. It is worth noting that if you purchase the digital download of your photos, you can then use other companies to create many of these same products, and likely at a considerably lower price.

The hard part in choosing the right product is knowing what you are going to want. 9 individual Photo Downloads will cost you less than the Memory Maker pre-purchase price. 11 individual Photo Downloads will cost less than the Memory Maker at the non pre-purchase price. If you can figure out ahead of time how many photos you will be happy with, then you have the best chance of picking the right product. If you go into the trip thinking you’ll only want a few, then decide halfway through it that you really want them all, you wind up paying $199 for Memory Maker when you could have had it for $169. Take your time, look online to see what kinds of photos other people are getting from PhotoPass, and hopefully, you will pick the right product before you start your trip.


Getting your photos taken
You can have photos taken in many different ways.

Photopass Photographers can be found at scenic locations throughout the Disney World parks, waterparks (during the summer season, starting after Memorial Day 2018), resort hotels, Disney Springs, and at some special resort meals (usually character meals. These change from time to time.) Resort photographers are most often found in the decorated lobbies of the deluxe resorts around the holidays. Don't be afraid to approach them and ask them to take your photo, that is what they are there for, and they will walk your group around the lobby for the best spots. *tip* Photopass photographers are always willing to take your picture with your own camera, or cell phone, in addition to taking the Photopass photo. Since there is no obligation to buy the Photopass photos, this is a relatively easy way to get family photos taken without asking another park guest to help out.

*Current character meals with PhotoPass photographers:
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion
Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom's Cinderella's Castle
Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort
*These locations are accurate as of 2/15/18

Ride Photos and Videos. Some rides automatically take photos and some even take videos of you on the ride.

Photobooths. Spread around Disney World are some photobooths. There is no official list of where they are, but they can often be found in resort arcades, and around the boardwalk. Sometimes you will spot one in a park. Disney has been converting these photobooths from pay only to pay, or photopass, so some of them aren't photopass yet, but some can be activated with your Magic Band, and the photos will be added to your PhotPass account for free

Character Meet and Greets nearly always have a PhotoPass photographer on hand. Some dining packages (Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Chef Mickey’s for example) have an option to get your photo taken.

Photopass Studios. There is a photography studio in the marketplace at Disney Springs.

Having PhotoPass photos taken is free. There is nothing to buy, or sign up for. Anyone can approach any of the PhotoPass Photographers, and have their photo taken at any time with absolutely no obligation. You can view that photo in your My Disney Experience account on your mobile device, or through the PhotoPass website.

There are also other photography services available for purchase. These include:

Fine Art Photography. This service provides a dedicated photographer in one of a range of Disney World locations who will pose, and photograph your family. There are numerous locations, and session lengths to choose from. Some of these packages provide the photos immediately on a flash drive. Others include retouching, and send the photos by mail several weeks later. The Magic Kingdom Family Portrait also comes with a 16" x 24" canvas print of one photo of your choice, and a 20 print photo album.

Gameday Photos Sports Photographer. This is a new service offered by ESPN. Packages can be purchased for single player, the team, and times can be from an hour to the length of the game. Prices vary by event.


Editing your photos

Once your photos have been taken, it is time to edit. Usually, you will wait until you return home to do this. On the Disney World website, under My Disney Experience click on My Photos, and log in. There, you will have options to view, and edit your photos. Editing options include cropping, adding borders and stickers, changing aspect ratio, changing color to black and white, or orientation from Landscape to Portrait. Once you have edited a photo as you see fit, you can select “Create a Copy” to save the edited photo. You will now have both the original, and the edited version. You can really get creative, and have lots of fun with the editing tools.


Downloading

On the Photopass website, you have two options. You can download a single photo, or you can create a download set with all of your photos. For those using Memory Maker, my suggestion is make all of your edits, then make a full download set. Once you have downloaded your photos, you can get them printed as you see fit, or use them to create products for unique family keepsakes.


Memory Maker Specifics

There are some things to keep in mind with Memory Maker. You will be able to download all pictures taken of anyone that you have linked through Friends and Family, as long as you have enabled “My Disney PhotoPass Photos.” If you aren’t sure, go to your friends and family list, and click on “Update” next to their name. Make certain there is a green box by the “My Disney PhotoPass Photos” option, and you’re set.

Each photo you have taken will stay on the PhotoPass server for 45 days from the day it is taken. This means you need to finish your editing, and download your photos within 45 days of having them taken.

In addition, once you download your first photo, you can add more photos to the Memory Maker for 30 days. After that, you will no longer be able to add new pictures. These deadlines are important to keep in mind, especially if you are taking a longer trip, have a big group whose trips may not all begin and end at exactly the same time, or have other circumstances that might delay your editing and downloading of photos.


Sharing Memory Maker

Memory Maker can be shared with all of the members in your travel party. In order for this to work, you need to either manage the My Disney Experience profiles for all of the members of your travel party, or connect to them via Friends and Family. If someone in your travel party is not connected to you (you don't see their name in your Friends and Family list in My Disney Experience), scroll to the bottom of your list, and click on "Add a Guest." There you can choose to find them through connected guests (say if your married son is on your list, and you want to add his wife and children, you should be able to find them this way), import from a Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservation (If you are all staying on site at Disney, then you could enter the reservation number(s) and add everyone this way) or you can enter their name and age. This last way, you can either manage their profile yourself (say for your children, or spouse) or invite them via email (if they already have an account on MDE, or will make one of their own). Once you have connected everyone this way, any photos they have taken will appear in your MDE, and be available for you to download as part of your Memory Maker.

Conclusion

I hope this gives you a good idea of what PhotoPass and Memory Maker are all about. For sure, these products aren’t for everyone, but they can provide wonderful family photos that will be cherished for many years to come.

If you have any questions, please pos
Everything PhotoPass and Memory Maker





Overview

Together, Photopass, and Memory Maker are a way for Disney guests to take home many precious memories of themselves and their families enjoying many different Walt Disney World experiences.


Product Definitions

Photopass: Getting your pictures taken


Photopass is the name of the Disney World service which takes photos of you and your family all around the Disney World parks, and resorts. Having photos taken by Photopass Photographers is free for any guest, with no obligation to buy anything.


View attachment 301272
Photopass Photographer taking a photo of a family with Cinderella’s Castle in the background.

My Disney Experience

This encompasses the My Disney Experience mobile app, and the website as well. This is where you will view, edit, and delete photos. You will also manage your friends and family here, so that photos of your traveling party can also be included in any photo products you may purchase.


Gameday Photos Sports Photographer

https://www.espnwwos.com/complex/services/sports-photographer/ Gameday Photos Sports Photographer is a new service offered by ESPN. Packages can be purchased for single player, the team, and times can be from an hour to the length of the game. Prices vary by event.


Fine Art Photography

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/fine-art-photography-video/ Fine Art Photography is an extra charge service providing a dedicated photographer in one of a range of Disney World locations who will pose, and photograph your family. There are numerous locations, and session lengths to choose from. Some of these packages provide the photos immediately on a flash drive. Others include retouching, and send the photos by mail several weeks later. The Magic Kingdom Family Portrait also comes with a 16" x 24" canvas print of one photo of your choice, and a 20 print photo album.


Photo Download

Photo download is a product you can purchase which will allow you to download a single Photopass Photo.


One Day Memory Maker

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/04/what-is-memory-maker-one-day-and-where-can-i-buy-it/ The One Day Memory Maker purchase allows you to download all of the photos that were taken on one day of your stay.


Memory Maker

Memory maker is a product which you can purchase. Memory Maker allows you to download digital copies of all of the Photopass Photographs you and your family have taken over the course of your stay.


Magic Shot

Magic shots are special photos which can be taken by Photopass Photographers, and add special elements into your Photopass photos.

View attachment 301270
Magic Shot from Pandora showing a Banshee flying overhead.

Visit the Magic Shots – Current Listings thread to see all of the Magic Shots that are currently available in each of the parks.


How it works

My Disney Experience

The first step to using PhotoPass, and / or Memory Maker is to set up your account on My Disney Experience. This can be done through the DisneyWorld Website, or through the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device.

Once you have set up an account, you can then link your park tickets, and connect any Magic Bands you have. If you don’t have Magic Bands yet, they can be connected when you get them. It is also possible to use PhotoPass without a Magic Band

Next, make sure everyone who is travelling with you is also set up in My Disney Experience. Now, using the Friends and Family feature of My Disney Experience, connect everyone to your account, and enable sharing and purchasing of PhotoPass photos.

You are now set to get your photos taken.


Choosing the right photo product

This can be tricky, as it can be difficult to know how many pictures you are going to want before you actually have them taken, and choosing the right product depends largely on how many photos you want to keep.

The Photo Download allows you to download a single Photopass photo (as well as some edits of that same photo) from your trip. If you are only going to want a couple of photos, this may be the least expensive option.

The One Day Memory Maker allows you to download all of the photos that are taken on one day of your trip. If you know that you are really only going to want the photos from your Animal Kingdom day, for instance, or you are only going to be in Disney World for one day, then this could be the best deal. Note, the One Day Memory Maker costs slightly more than 4 individual Photo Downloads, so if you want 4 photos or less, it will be less expensive to buy them individually.

If you are going to want photos from more than one day of your trip, and you are going to want 10 or more photos, then the Memory Maker Advance Purchase will be your best deal. For $169, this will allow you to download all of the photos that you have taken over the full length of your Disney World stay. Note, this must be purchased at least 3 days before you have your first photo taken (If you purchase during the day on Friday, then the earliest you can get photos taken will be on Monday).

If you want to purchase Memory Maker less than 3 days before you have your first photo taken, then you will have to pay the regular purchase price of $199, which is slightly less than the cost of 12 single photo downloads.

Members of the military can take advantage of a military discount on Memory Maker, and purchase it for $98. The military Memory Maker is retroactive, so that it includes photos that have already been taken. Therefore, it can be purchased at any point during your trip. This has to be purchased in person in Disney World, from a Guest Relations window, or ticket booth.

Annual Passholders. Most Annual Passholder levels include free digital downloads of PhotoPass photos. If you have this, there is no need to buy any of the above Photo products. When you activate your Annual Pass, any photos which are currently in your PhotoPass account, as well as any you have taken while your Annual Pass is valid, will be available for you to download at no additional charge.

In addition to the above options, you can also purchase merchandise through PhotoPass customized with your PhotoPass photos. Options include CD’s or DVD’s with all of your digital images on them, mugs, cups, calendars, and a host of other products. It is worth noting that if you purchase the digital download of your photos, you can then use other companies to create many of these same products, and likely at a considerably lower price.

The hard part in choosing the right product is knowing what you are going to want. 9 individual Photo Downloads will cost you less than the Memory Maker pre-purchase price. 11 individual Photo Downloads will cost less than the Memory Maker at the non pre-purchase price. If you can figure out ahead of time how many photos you will be happy with, then you have the best chance of picking the right product. If you go into the trip thinking you’ll only want a few, then decide halfway through it that you really want them all, you wind up paying $199 for Memory Maker when you could have had it for $169. Take your time, look online to see what kinds of photos other people are getting from PhotoPass, and hopefully, you will pick the right product before you start your trip.


Getting your photos taken
You can have photos taken in many different ways.

Photopass Photographers can be found at scenic locations throughout the Disney World parks, waterparks (during the summer season, starting after Memorial Day 2018), resort hotels, Disney Springs, and at some special resort meals (usually character meals. These change from time to time.) Resort photographers are most often found in the decorated lobbies of the deluxe resorts around the holidays. Don't be afraid to approach them and ask them to take your photo, that is what they are there for, and they will walk your group around the lobby for the best spots. *tip* Photopass photographers are always willing to take your picture with your own camera, or cell phone, in addition to taking the Photopass photo. Since there is no obligation to buy the Photopass photos, this is a relatively easy way to get family photos taken without asking another park guest to help out.

*Current character meals with PhotoPass photographers:
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion
Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom's Cinderella's Castle
Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort
*These locations are accurate as of 2/15/18

Ride Photos and Videos. Some rides automatically take photos and some even take videos of you on the ride.

Photobooths. Spread around Disney World are some photobooths. There is no official list of where they are, but they can often be found in resort arcades, and around the boardwalk. Sometimes you will spot one in a park. Disney has been converting these photobooths from pay only to pay, or photopass, so some of them aren't photopass yet, but some can be activated with your Magic Band, and the photos will be added to your PhotPass account for free

Character Meet and Greets nearly always have a PhotoPass photographer on hand. Some dining packages (Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Chef Mickey’s for example) have an option to get your photo taken.

Photopass Studios. There is a photography studio in the marketplace at Disney Springs.

Having PhotoPass photos taken is free. There is nothing to buy, or sign up for. Anyone can approach any of the PhotoPass Photographers, and have their photo taken at any time with absolutely no obligation. You can view that photo in your My Disney Experience account on your mobile device, or through the PhotoPass website.

There are also other photography services available for purchase. These include:

Fine Art Photography. This service provides a dedicated photographer in one of a range of Disney World locations who will pose, and photograph your family. There are numerous locations, and session lengths to choose from. Some of these packages provide the photos immediately on a flash drive. Others include retouching, and send the photos by mail several weeks later. The Magic Kingdom Family Portrait also comes with a 16" x 24" canvas print of one photo of your choice, and a 20 print photo album.

Gameday Photos Sports Photographer. This is a new service offered by ESPN. Packages can be purchased for single player, the team, and times can be from an hour to the length of the game. Prices vary by event.


Editing your photos

Once your photos have been taken, it is time to edit. Usually, you will wait until you return home to do this. On the Disney World website, under My Disney Experience click on My Photos, and log in. There, you will have options to view, and edit your photos. Editing options include cropping, adding borders and stickers, changing aspect ratio, changing color to black and white, or orientation from Landscape to Portrait. Once you have edited a photo as you see fit, you can select “Create a Copy” to save the edited photo. You will now have both the original, and the edited version. You can really get creative, and have lots of fun with the editing tools.


Downloading

On the Photopass website, you have two options. You can download a single photo, or you can create a download set with all of your photos. For those using Memory Maker, my suggestion is make all of your edits, then make a full download set. Once you have downloaded your photos, you can get them printed as you see fit, or use them to create products for unique family keepsakes.


Memory Maker Specifics

There are some things to keep in mind with Memory Maker. You will be able to download all pictures taken of anyone that you have linked through Friends and Family, as long as you have enabled “My Disney PhotoPass Photos.” If you aren’t sure, go to your friends and family list, and click on “Update” next to their name. Make certain there is a green box by the “My Disney PhotoPass Photos” option, and you’re set.

Each photo you have taken will stay on the PhotoPass server for 45 days from the day it is taken. This means you need to finish your editing, and download your photos within 45 days of having them taken.

In addition, once you download your first photo, you can add more photos to the Memory Maker for 30 days. After that, you will no longer be able to add new pictures. These deadlines are important to keep in mind, especially if you are taking a longer trip, have a big group whose trips may not all begin and end at exactly the same time, or have other circumstances that might delay your editing and downloading of photos.


Sharing Memory Maker

Memory Maker can be shared with all of the members in your travel party. In order for this to work, you need to either manage the My Disney Experience profiles for all of the members of your travel party, or connect to them via Friends and Family. If someone in your travel party is not connected to you (you don't see their name in your Friends and Family list in My Disney Experience), scroll to the bottom of your list, and click on "Add a Guest." There you can choose to find them through connected guests (say if your married son is on your list, and you want to add his wife and children, you should be able to find them this way), import from a Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservation (If you are all staying on site at Disney, then you could enter the reservation number(s) and add everyone this way) or you can enter their name and age. This last way, you can either manage their profile yourself (say for your children, or spouse) or invite them via email (if they already have an account on MDE, or will make one of their own). Once you have connected everyone this way, any photos they have taken will appear in your MDE, and be available for you to download as part of your Memory Maker.

Conclusion

I hope this gives you a good idea of what PhotoPass and Memory Maker are all about. For sure, these products aren’t for everyone, but they can provide wonderful family photos that will be cherished for many years to come.

If you have any questions, pleas
Everything PhotoPass and Memory Maker





Overview

Together, Photopass, and Memory Maker are a way for Disney guests to take home many precious memories of themselves and their families enjoying many different Walt Disney World experiences.


Product Definitions

Photopass: Getting your pictures taken


Photopass is the name of the Disney World service which takes photos of you and your family all around the Disney World parks, and resorts. Having photos taken by Photopass Photographers is free for any guest, with no obligation to buy anything.


View attachment 301272
Photopass Photographer taking a photo of a family with Cinderella’s Castle in the background.

My Disney Experience

This encompasses the My Disney Experience mobile app, and the website as well. This is where you will view, edit, and delete photos. You will also manage your friends and family here, so that photos of your traveling party can also be included in any photo products you may purchase.


Gameday Photos Sports Photographer

https://www.espnwwos.com/complex/services/sports-photographer/ Gameday Photos Sports Photographer is a new service offered by ESPN. Packages can be purchased for single player, the team, and times can be from an hour to the length of the game. Prices vary by event.


Fine Art Photography

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/fine-art-photography-video/ Fine Art Photography is an extra charge service providing a dedicated photographer in one of a range of Disney World locations who will pose, and photograph your family. There are numerous locations, and session lengths to choose from. Some of these packages provide the photos immediately on a flash drive. Others include retouching, and send the photos by mail several weeks later. The Magic Kingdom Family Portrait also comes with a 16" x 24" canvas print of one photo of your choice, and a 20 print photo album.


Photo Download

Photo download is a product you can purchase which will allow you to download a single Photopass Photo.


One Day Memory Maker

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/04/what-is-memory-maker-one-day-and-where-can-i-buy-it/ The One Day Memory Maker purchase allows you to download all of the photos that were taken on one day of your stay.


Memory Maker

Memory maker is a product which you can purchase. Memory Maker allows you to download digital copies of all of the Photopass Photographs you and your family have taken over the course of your stay.


Magic Shot

Magic shots are special photos which can be taken by Photopass Photographers, and add special elements into your Photopass photos.

View attachment 301270
Magic Shot from Pandora showing a Banshee flying overhead.

Visit the Magic Shots – Current Listings thread to see all of the Magic Shots that are currently available in each of the parks.


How it works

My Disney Experience

The first step to using PhotoPass, and / or Memory Maker is to set up your account on My Disney Experience. This can be done through the DisneyWorld Website, or through the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device.

Once you have set up an account, you can then link your park tickets, and connect any Magic Bands you have. If you don’t have Magic Bands yet, they can be connected when you get them. It is also possible to use PhotoPass without a Magic Band

Next, make sure everyone who is travelling with you is also set up in My Disney Experience. Now, using the Friends and Family feature of My Disney Experience, connect everyone to your account, and enable sharing and purchasing of PhotoPass photos.

You are now set to get your photos taken.


Choosing the right photo product

This can be tricky, as it can be difficult to know how many pictures you are going to want before you actually have them taken, and choosing the right product depends largely on how many photos you want to keep.

The Photo Download allows you to download a single Photopass photo (as well as some edits of that same photo) from your trip. If you are only going to want a couple of photos, this may be the least expensive option.

The One Day Memory Maker allows you to download all of the photos that are taken on one day of your trip. If you know that you are really only going to want the photos from your Animal Kingdom day, for instance, or you are only going to be in Disney World for one day, then this could be the best deal. Note, the One Day Memory Maker costs slightly more than 4 individual Photo Downloads, so if you want 4 photos or less, it will be less expensive to buy them individually.

If you are going to want photos from more than one day of your trip, and you are going to want 10 or more photos, then the Memory Maker Advance Purchase will be your best deal. For $169, this will allow you to download all of the photos that you have taken over the full length of your Disney World stay. Note, this must be purchased at least 3 days before you have your first photo taken (If you purchase during the day on Friday, then the earliest you can get photos taken will be on Monday).

If you want to purchase Memory Maker less than 3 days before you have your first photo taken, then you will have to pay the regular purchase price of $199, which is slightly less than the cost of 12 single photo downloads.

Members of the military can take advantage of a military discount on Memory Maker, and purchase it for $98. The military Memory Maker is retroactive, so that it includes photos that have already been taken. Therefore, it can be purchased at any point during your trip. This has to be purchased in person in Disney World, from a Guest Relations window, or ticket booth.

Annual Passholders. Most Annual Passholder levels include free digital downloads of PhotoPass photos. If you have this, there is no need to buy any of the above Photo products. When you activate your Annual Pass, any photos which are currently in your PhotoPass account, as well as any you have taken while your Annual Pass is valid, will be available for you to download at no additional charge.

In addition to the above options, you can also purchase merchandise through PhotoPass customized with your PhotoPass photos. Options include CD’s or DVD’s with all of your digital images on them, mugs, cups, calendars, and a host of other products. It is worth noting that if you purchase the digital download of your photos, you can then use other companies to create many of these same products, and likely at a considerably lower price.

The hard part in choosing the right product is knowing what you are going to want. 9 individual Photo Downloads will cost you less than the Memory Maker pre-purchase price. 11 individual Photo Downloads will cost less than the Memory Maker at the non pre-purchase price. If you can figure out ahead of time how many photos you will be happy with, then you have the best chance of picking the right product. If you go into the trip thinking you’ll only want a few, then decide halfway through it that you really want them all, you wind up paying $199 for Memory Maker when you could have had it for $169. Take your time, look online to see what kinds of photos other people are getting from PhotoPass, and hopefully, you will pick the right product before you start your trip.


Getting your photos taken
You can have photos taken in many different ways.

Photopass Photographers can be found at scenic locations throughout the Disney World parks, waterparks (during the summer season, starting after Memorial Day 2018), resort hotels, Disney Springs, and at some special resort meals (usually character meals. These change from time to time.) Resort photographers are most often found in the decorated lobbies of the deluxe resorts around the holidays. Don't be afraid to approach them and ask them to take your photo, that is what they are there for, and they will walk your group around the lobby for the best spots. *tip* Photopass photographers are always willing to take your picture with your own camera, or cell phone, in addition to taking the Photopass photo. Since there is no obligation to buy the Photopass photos, this is a relatively easy way to get family photos taken without asking another park guest to help out.

*Current character meals with PhotoPass photographers:
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion
Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom's Cinderella's Castle
Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort
*These locations are accurate as of 2/15/18

Ride Photos and Videos. Some rides automatically take photos and some even take videos of you on the ride.

Photobooths. Spread around Disney World are some photobooths. There is no official list of where they are, but they can often be found in resort arcades, and around the boardwalk. Sometimes you will spot one in a park. Disney has been converting these photobooths from pay only to pay, or photopass, so some of them aren't photopass yet, but some can be activated with your Magic Band, and the photos will be added to your PhotPass account for free

Character Meet and Greets nearly always have a PhotoPass photographer on hand. Some dining packages (Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Chef Mickey’s for example) have an option to get your photo taken.

Photopass Studios. There is a photography studio in the marketplace at Disney Springs.

Having PhotoPass photos taken is free. There is nothing to buy, or sign up for. Anyone can approach any of the PhotoPass Photographers, and have their photo taken at any time with absolutely no obligation. You can view that photo in your My Disney Experience account on your mobile device, or through the PhotoPass website.

There are also other photography services available for purchase. These include:

Fine Art Photography. This service provides a dedicated photographer in one of a range of Disney World locations who will pose, and photograph your family. There are numerous locations, and session lengths to choose from. Some of these packages provide the photos immediately on a flash drive. Others include retouching, and send the photos by mail several weeks later. The Magic Kingdom Family Portrait also comes with a 16" x 24" canvas print of one photo of your choice, and a 20 print photo album.

Gameday Photos Sports Photographer. This is a new service offered by ESPN. Packages can be purchased for single player, the team, and times can be from an hour to the length of the game. Prices vary by event.


Editing your photos

Once your photos have been taken, it is time to edit. Usually, you will wait until you return home to do this. On the Disney World website, under My Disney Experience click on My Photos, and log in. There, you will have options to view, and edit your photos. Editing options include cropping, adding borders and stickers, changing aspect ratio, changing color to black and white, or orientation from Landscape to Portrait. Once you have edited a photo as you see fit, you can select “Create a Copy” to save the edited photo. You will now have both the original, and the edited version. You can really get creative, and have lots of fun with the editing tools.


Downloading

On the Photopass website, you have two options. You can download a single photo, or you can create a download set with all of your photos. For those using Memory Maker, my suggestion is make all of your edits, then make a full download set. Once you have downloaded your photos, you can get them printed as you see fit, or use them to create products for unique family keepsakes.


Memory Maker Specifics

There are some things to keep in mind with Memory Maker. You will be able to download all pictures taken of anyone that you have linked through Friends and Family, as long as you have enabled “My Disney PhotoPass Photos.” If you aren’t sure, go to your friends and family list, and click on “Update” next to their name. Make certain there is a green box by the “My Disney PhotoPass Photos” option, and you’re set.

Each photo you have taken will stay on the PhotoPass server for 45 days from the day it is taken. This means you need to finish your editing, and download your photos within 45 days of having them taken.

In addition, once you download your first photo, you can add more photos to the Memory Maker for 30 days. After that, you will no longer be able to add new pictures. These deadlines are important to keep in mind, especially if you are taking a longer trip, have a big group whose trips may not all begin and end at exactly the same time, or have other circumstances that might delay your editing and downloading of photos.


Sharing Memory Maker

Memory Maker can be shared with all of the members in your travel party. In order for this to work, you need to either manage the My Disney Experience profiles for all of the members of your travel party, or connect to them via Friends and Family. If someone in your travel party is not connected to you (you don't see their name in your Friends and Family list in My Disney Experience), scroll to the bottom of your list, and click on "Add a Guest." There you can choose to find them through connected guests (say if your married son is on your list, and you want to add his wife and children, you should be able to find them this way), import from a Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservation (If you are all staying on site at Disney, then you could enter the reservation number(s) and add everyone this way) or you can enter their name and age. This last way, you can either manage their profile yourself (say for your children, or spouse) or invite them via email (if they already have an account on MDE, or will make one of their own). Once you have connected everyone this way, any photos they have taken will appear in your MDE, and be available for you to download as part of your Memory Maker.

Conclusion

I hope this gives you a good idea of what PhotoPass and Memory Maker are all about. For sure, these products aren’t for everyone, but they can provide wonderful family photos that will be cherished for many years to come.

If you have any questions, please post, ask.
WOW Tomh, are you a DIS employee?! If not they should hire you. This has been one of the most informative posts I’ve read! It has answered all my questions I had about memory maker vs photo pass and informed me about products I didn’t know about like the private photographer. Keep up the good work!!! Now if you could put your attention to detail in reviewing Every restaurant on property and comparing and contracting them. If you could just post that before my ADR window that would be great ! LOL
Seriously though Great Job ! :)
 
WOW Tomh, are you a DIS employee?! If not they should hire you. This has been one of the most informative posts I’ve read! It has answered all my questions I had about memory maker vs photo pass and informed me about products I didn’t know about like the private photographer. Keep up the good work!!! Now if you could put your attention to detail in reviewing Every restaurant on property and comparing and contracting them. If you could just post that before my ADR window that would be great ! LOL
Seriously though Great Job ! :)
Well, first off, no, I am not a DIS employee. I am just a guy whom happens to enjoy Disney World, and was asked by one of the moderators here on the DIS if I might be willing to write up a sticky for Memory Maker and PhotoPass, and so I did.

I do appreciate the compliments, and am quite happy that you find my thread so helpful. That is exactly why it is here, to help folks out.

While I wish that I could help you with the restaurants, that truly isn't feasible, and especially not before your ADR window opens. Restaurants are a far different story than PhotoPass is. For one thing, taste is so very subjective, so what I find appalling might be divine to you, while what you find to be mundane could well be exactly the thing that I enjoy. As a matter of fact, I often find such differences to be the case. Many restaurants that are regularly raved about on the internet don't have a thing on their menu that I would enjoy, while the restaurants that I do enjoy regularly get bad reviews.

Add to that the fact that restaurants change fairly regularly with new menu options, and often with new executive chefs, and that means that in order to have any kind of value in restaurant reviews, the reviewer needs to be able to dine at the restaurant with some degree of regularity. Sadly, since I live in NY, and only visit Disney World for two weeks a year, that is a bit out of my reach :(

I would LOVE to be able to help though :) And, with that in mind, I guess the best help I can offer boils down to a couple of things. 1) Visit the restaurant forum HERE on the DIS where you will find plenty of information about the various restaurants. 2) Check out online menus for any restaurant that you think you might be interested in HERE on the DIS 3) check out the Disney Dining Show (produced by the DIS) HERE (I hope that link brings up the right playlist for you!) And finally, 4) Don't pay too much attention to online reviews. Try a restaurant for yourself, and see if you like it. Some restaurants that have often gotten mediocre, or worse, reviews, which we enjoyed include Liberty Tree Tavern (one of our favorite meals), The Coral Reef, Tony's Town Square, and Sci-Fi Dine-In.
 
What's the current advice on locating missing photos? PhotoPass was super dodgy for us last week and a set of photos from our last day (scanned on my band and my girlfriends) are just completely missing. She's already emailed Disney about it, but will be trying to call tomorrow. The photos are pretty important to us, as they're part of a tradition of getting all the Epcot frame photos, one for each trip, and this trips are now missing :(. I know it's a silly thing, but it's our tradition!

Matt
 
What's the current advice on locating missing photos? PhotoPass was super dodgy for us last week and a set of photos from our last day (scanned on my band and my girlfriends) are just completely missing. She's already emailed Disney about it, but will be trying to call tomorrow. The photos are pretty important to us, as they're part of a tradition of getting all the Epcot frame photos, one for each trip, and this trips are now missing :(. I know it's a silly thing, but it's our tradition!

Matt


Contact PhotoPass Help and Support HERE by filling out the form as completely as possible. Include a photo of your party taken the day that the photos are missing if at all possible, as it will greatly increase their chances of locating your photos. They are pretty good at finding the missing photos!
 
can you do this only on day of ?
I leave in 10 days!!!

on app trying to figure out... I don't see "refresh"
 
can you do this only on day of ?
I leave in 10 days!!!

on app trying to figure out... I don't see "refresh"
You are asking about refresh in the PhotoPass and Memory Maker thread. Were you perhaps meaning to post in a thread about Fast Passes?
 

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