Disney's PhotoPass and Memory Maker: Pros, Cons & Everything in Between

by Vern Woodruff on December 18, 2015 118

A visit to Walt Disney World will be sprinkled with many magical and memorable moments, especially if this is a first visit for a child. For them, it is a place of enchantment and wonderment, a feast for their senses, and where they can meet some of their favorite characters. To little ones that believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy, Mickey Mouse and Cinderella are not just people either in a costume or just dressed up, but the REAL Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. If you are like the vast majority of visitors, you will have your camera and be ready to capture these moments. To assist you in your quest to capture the magic, Disney has developed a service for this – PhotoPass.

PhotoPass is a complimentary service open to everyone wherein Disney photographers will take your picture and give you either a PhotoPass card tied to the pictures or scan your MagicBand to tie the pictures to your “My Disney Experience” account. If you don’t have a MagicBand, additional pictures can be tied to the same card by the photographer scanning it, or different cards can be obtained from the photographer. Once you create an account at www.disneyphotopass.com, you enter the codes from all of your cards to view your photos. You can then look through the assorted products that are offered and choose items you want to purchase.

For those that would likely be interested in obtaining more than just several photos, Disney offers an enhancement to PhotoPass called Memory Maker. Memory Maker is a photo package that includes digital copies of all the photos taken by PhotoPass photographers as well as attraction photos. Disney tends to use the terms PhotoPass and Memory Maker interchangeably, so it can be confusing at times. Just remember that PhotoPass is the name for the service and individual photos, while Memory Maker is the name of the photo package containing all of your PhotoPass pictures.

If you first find out about the Memory Maker option when you are at the park, you will not be able to optimize your use of the service and you will also miss out on a discount. With a little bit of planning and research (which you must be doing or you would not be reading this), you can determine ahead of your visit if the Memory Maker entitlement is something that will be of value to you. The goal of this post is to help you with that determination and to optimize your Memory Maker experience if you choose to take advantage of the service. Prior to a visit, it can be difficult trying to find out more about the service, the pros and cons, and whether it would be worth the expense. After all, you likely have a camera and feel that you could take pictures of your family and friends standing with a character just as easily as a PhotoPass photographer. So, why spend the money for something you can do for free?

When you visit Disney’s PhotoPass website, there are several aspects of the service that are highlighted.

1. Utilizing PhotoPass photographers, the entire party can be in the picture instead of missing the person who usually takes the pictures.

2. PhotoPass photographers are located throughout Disney World, especially around prime locations, spots with photogenic backgrounds, and at many character greetings. Two interactive attractions, Enchanted Tales with Belle and Star Wars Jedi Training Academy, are also staffed with a PhotoPass photographer. Note: At these attractions, you will be given a PhotoPass card tied to the attraction’s pictures even if you have a MagicBand.

3. A PhotoPass exclusive is Magic Shots, where the photographer will pose you as needed and then digitally add a character (like Tinker Bell or Stitch) or balloons to the picture. An enhancement to this for Memory Maker is Animated Magic Shots, where a short animation occurs overlaid on your still photo. For example, at Epcot a still photo of my family has Olaf walk across the bottom of the photo and wave his arm.

4. Memory Maker is a digital-only entitlement, so any of the pictures you want from your account will need to be downloaded over the Internet. You can download pictures multiple times and either select them individually or select all of the photos in your account. The photos are put together in .zip files that you then download from the website. A limited number of photos are collected in each .zip file, so there can be quite a few .zip files if you have a large number of photos in your account.

5. For those people who are familiar with or used the predecessor to Memory Maker, PhotoPass+, there are two main differences. The Photo CD is no longer included, but you can purchase a Memory Maker archive disc with all of your account’s photos for $29.95 plus shipping. The second change is that complimentary physical print packages from certain dining locations (i.e. Chef Mickey’s) are no longer included.

6. If you plan ahead, you can save $20 on the Memory Maker enhancement. Purchasing it at least three days prior to your vacation costs $149, versus $169 if you wait until after you are at the parks.

Since I have used the service, here is a list of pros and cons that I found from my experience.

Disney PhotoPass and Memory Maker Pros

You can quickly obtain a picture while walking through an area and passing a PhotoPass photographer.
With someone else taking the picture, you can focus on trying to get your kids to smile or pose how you want.
There was no problem with having the PhotoPass photographer take a picture of just the kids first, then a photo of all of us. They were very accommodating.
You do not have to hunt for a random person to take a picture with your camera of the entire family.
The photographers are generally positioned at optimal locations for pictures with the major backdrops and icons.
The photographers were in the park and taking pictures prior to opening, so I did not need a tripod to have a picture taken of my family with Cinderella's Castle in the background when we had a breakfast dining reservation prior to official park opening.
The PhotoPass photographers will take a picture with your camera too, but they take many more pictures and are extra enthusiastic using their own. Also, they generally have their camera settings correct, while yours may be off (i.e. forgetting to change your camera from an indoor setting to bright sunshine outside, not having the flash set correctly).

Ride attractions and dining locations with photos are included in your account. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tower of Terror have short ride video that will be added to your account.
If you have a daughter who has a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Cinderella’s Castle, visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Studio in Castle Couture (by the Cinderella Fountain near the castle). Royal portraits of your princess will be taken, with digital copies added to your account.

Make sure to take advantage of Magic Shots and Animated Magic Shots. My three kids loved these special pictures and routinely asked the PhotoPass photographers if they could take one. They then later enjoyed seeing how the picture turned out when my wife went to our “My Disney Experience” account on her phone while we were waiting in line or for a show to start.

Typically, if you wanted to take a photo with your camera too, the PhotoPass photographer would wait until you had taken your photo first. However, if you are taking photos at the same time, make sure that you are very close to the PhotoPass photographer. If you are off to the side, the kids will look at you and they will not be looking straight ahead in the PhotoPass pictures. I want to emphasize this because I was aware of it during our last visit, but I still found a number of photos where the kids were looking off to the side where my wife or I was standing instead of at the PhotoPass Photographer. In the accompanying photo, you can see that my two sons are looking off to the side while my daughter is the only one looking at the PhotoPass photographer.
All photos for up to a 30-day period from first use are included. However, if you purchase Memory Maker at the discounted price, photos taken within 72 hours of the purchase time will not be included and would have to be purchased separately.
The entitlement is tied to the Magic Bands of everyone in your “My Disney Experience” family and friends list. This works well if your party separates because any one can have a picture taken and tied to the Memory Maker account with their MagicBand. For example, while my daughter and I were seeing Anna and Elsa, my wife took our two sons to ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. With the MagicBands, all of the photos from both places were in the account.
By purchasing the package in advance, you know to take advantage of any PhotoPass photographers you see.
A copyright release that allows you to print your own photos can be downloaded from the website. I had no problems printing off my pictures at a local store and it is significantly cheaper than purchasing individual prints of the photos from Disney.
After returning home, you will want to review your photos and add borders, character signatures, or stickers before downloading your pictures. There are a number of neat borders and overlays available to enhance your photos. The functionality of this has been enhanced because you can make multiple additions to the same photo (i.e. border, autograph, sticker). Previously, you could only make one addition to a photo. All of the photos accompanying this post had something added to it.

Disney PhotoPass and Memory Maker Cons

The price of the package. If you purchase in advance, you can save $30, but you do not know how your photos will look and how much you will use the service. If you wait until after using the service to decide, it costs $30 more and you may have missed using it at times because you did not know if you would purchase it.
The online photo editing tools are fairly limited and the web page response is slow at times. The other issue with the borders/overlays is that the available options can vary from day to day. For example, a number of borders, character autographs and stickers disappeared for over a week before finally reappearing.
Photos in your account expire and are deleted 45 days from the date the photos were taken. Hence, you need to be disciplined and make time to go through your pictures shortly after returning from your trip.
The price is the same whether you are in the parks for one day or 10, so it obviously makes more sense for longer visits.
If you do not plan on having many photos taken, then it is pricey for just a handful of pictures. In this case, just hand the PhotoPass photographer your camera to obtain the pictures you want.
While PhotoPass photographers are with many of the characters, they are not with all of them. Surprisingly, there were no photographers present with any of the three character meals we attended (Garden Grill, Chef Mickey's and Cinderella's Royal Table). So, you'll need to carry around and make sure you have your own camera available for such times.
PhotoPass photographers are not always available at the different locations they are supposed to be at. For example, the photographer had not arrived yet when the kids visited with Daisy Duck at Hollywood Studios.
The quality of the pictures can vary from one photographer to another. However, you can always use your own camera. Also, if you had instead handed your camera to a random person, there is no guarantee as to how they will frame and take the picture. At least the PhotoPass photographers would take a number of shots each time so hopefully at least one of them turns out well. Having multiple shots are nice to choose from, especially if someone blinks or frowns in one of the pictures.
Even though your PhotoPass card or MagicBand is scanned by the photographer, it is possible for pictures from that photographer to be lost. You might be able to reclaim the photos if you can remember when and where the missing photos were taken. However, this means you need to go through the pictures immediately after returning and try to determine if any photos are missing. After spending a number of days in the parks and stopping countless times for photos, remembering missing photos can be a challenge. Also, you have to submit a missing photo claim form within 30 days of the date of the photo. The PhotoPass cast members were able to locate a missing set of photos from my visit, but there is no guarantee that missing photos will be found. If there is something that you really want to make sure you have a picture of, be certain to have the PhotoPass photographer use your camera too.
With the MagicBands, ride attraction photos are to be added to your account automatically. However, the ride cameras may not be working (this happened to us on Space Mountain) or the photo is just lost and never appears in the account (this happened with Test Track).

Disney PhotoPass and Memory Maker Summary

I would highly recommend this service for people who are visiting for multiple days and plan to see a lot of characters, especially if they have little ones and this is their first visit. My family visited for eight days and we had a 7-, 9- and 10-year-old who met many of the characters. We ended up having more than 1,200 photos from our visit, prior to additional ones that were added to the account as I edited the pictures. Also, when comparing the photos I took with my camera versus the PhotoPass shots, the PhotoPass pictures were typically better and clearer. For an eight-day visit, the cost ended up being just over $21 a day.

If you are only interested in obtaining digital copies of your ride photos, there is an option called Disney Attractions+ which can be purchased at the parks. When exiting a ride with photos, stop by the Attraction’s Photo Sales Center and purchase it for $49.95. This option includes all attraction photos during a 14-day window.

For more information on Memory Maker and PhotoPass, visit the Walt Disney World Resort’s home page. At the bottom of the page, under the “My Disney Experience” heading, you will find links to Memory Maker and PhotoPass. If you purchase Memory Maker, make sure to link it to your “My Disney Experience” account so that it will be tied to the Magic Bands and your family and friends list.

If you’re thinking about a trip to Disney World, make sure to check out the other news, tips and information we post to the blog throughout the week. If you’re ready to plan your trip, we recommend you start with our planning pages.

Vern and his wife are the parents of two boys and a girl that all love Disney’s animated movies and shorts. He lives in Ohio and is employed as a mechanical engineer, which helps to explain his excessive attention to detail, organization and planning. His oldest son enjoys watching the animated shorts from the Disney Treasures series, his youngest son has the middle name “Donald” and he likes telling people that he was named after Donald Duck, and his daughter loves the Disney Princesses, especially Rapunzel and recently Elsa. Have a guest post you would like to share with us? Review our guidelines.

Tags: Character Dining, Disney PhotoPass, memor

Comments

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Andrea Jul 25, 2017 at 6:33 p.m.

One thing to mention - UK visitors currently have Memory Maker included free with all Disney Ultimate tickets - this is the case until the end of 2018 though I suspect it may carry on after then. Our direct flights are about 9 hours long though (indirect flights are longer of course) and that's without transport to the airport and often an overnight stay before the flight out to Orlando - so time consuming and expensive before we add on the cost of accommodation. I guess this is a sweetner for us :-)

Felicia Jun 25, 2017 at 10:16 p.m.

Hello, My Family of 4 will be going to Disney Dec 23-25. Do you think it's worth it at that time since its going to be so busy those days. This will be our 1st time at Disney. And if I do purchase it, will it be good for those 3 days? And No telling How many rides we will be able to get on. Any advice and tips will help.

2 Adults and 2 Kids ages 5-Girl and My son is 10.

Thank You

Deonie Jul 18, 2017 at 11:48 p.m.

Hi Felicia, We are heading over to WDW again in September our first trip was 5 years ago ( from Australia) the kids were then 15 & 7, we also had my MIL & SIL with us. I would definitely reccomend the photo package, there is heaps of opportunity for photos the photographers are everywhere and are very quick (but dont rush you) they take snaps every day so they just know what they are doing. We got a massive amount of images the ones with the "magic" are super special, and there is not a bad picture among them! I'm just about to add it to our package today to get the discount, we were lucky in that we found a photographer outside a pavillion the one with the images of the park ideas who wasnt busy and he took our daughter for a solid 30 minutes and got her to pose. We have about 10very special images from that sitting . That was worth it alone for us although it wasnt the current package still good value.

Nikki Jul 14, 2017 at 7:49 a.m.

Felicia,

Sorry, I hit the "Submit" button too early. As I was saying...

I thought the PhotoPass was a waste of money but my cousin wanted to do it and paid for it. She gave me her access and I reaped the benefits. I was glad she did! Upon returning home from my vacation, I went online and edited my photos. I really enjoyed the Magic photos where they pretend your flying away with Mickey balloons or holding Tinkerbell or baby Simba. The add-on stickers were cool too. They had many of the characters' signatures as stickers so you could place Belle's signature with your picture of Belle and family and borders to match certain characters (as seen in the post). They also had holiday themed borders for Christmas and the New year. Mickey and Minnie were wearing holiday attire and Pluto strung ornaments on his tail.

Again, my opinions are based upon my visit back in 2013 but I am currently planning another Disney World vacation for November 2017 and looking into the PhotoPass/Memory Maker options too.

Do you think it is worth the money for your family's first visit? How many photos could you have taken over 3 days? Can you go into the Disney Photoshop store to edit your favorites and purchase a few photos? Lastly, consider the time you'll spend waiting in ride and photo op lines, watching shows versus truly enjoying the park and your family. You may not have/want to buy a lot of pictures to surpass the $169 fee.

Hopefully this information has helped you.

Sincerely, Nikki

Nikki Jul 14, 2017 at 7:25 a.m.

Hi Felicia,

I went to Disney the first week of December in 2013. Although it was not too crowded but enough crowds at times because Disney was filming their Christmas Parade to be aired on Christmas (therefore everyone wanted to be on TV). At the most popular PhotoPass spots (ie. Cinderella's Castle), there were unofficial waiting lines to get that good picture. I could imagine going during Christmas vacation, you'll not only have lines for rides and character greetings, but also for PhotoPass oppurtunities.

Also, consider the quality of your photos versus the Disney photographers photos. Either way, you're going to have a sea of people at Cinderella's Castle in your picture. Do you want a free photo with your camera or pay for the professional photo?

Is it worth paying $149 or $169 to have a few photos or just pay by the picture?

Personally, It was my boyfriend's first time at Disney and I honestly thought the PhotoPass/Memory Maker was a waste of money. I really enjoyed the Magic photos and add-on stickers to

FrogBlog Jun 26, 2017 at 7:33 a.m.

Hi Felicia,

As for PhotoPass/Memory Maker, it is good for the length of your visit.

It will be VERY busy during Christmas Break. We have tips to help you manage the crowds right here.

Keep hopping,

Leap

Kristian Jun 12, 2017 at 1:38 p.m.

Hi. Do you still need to pay for the photos you want or is that included. Thanks

FrogBlog Jun 12, 2017 at 9:39 a.m.

Hi Kristian,

If you purchase MemoryMaker, then all of your photos are included.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

De Jun 7, 2017 at 12:54 p.m.

Hi,

Thanks for the great info. A friend who goes to Disney a couple of times a year told me that the memory maker is not worth it because you wind up waiting forever on lines just to get your picture taken and you are much better off not spending the money and just asking a person passing by to take a family pic. Have you found that to be the case at all? I am going to Disney from July 11th-18th.

Jessica Phillips Jun 16, 2017 at 5:49 a.m.

Can you purchase individual digital images that are taken by the Photo Pass Photographers online?

FrogBlog Jun 16, 2017 at 7:26 a.m.

Hi Jessica,

Yes, you may purchase individual pictures from https://mydisneyphotopass.disney.go.com/.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

FrogBlog Jun 7, 2017 at 8:22 a.m.

Hi De,

We find Disney Photo Pass Cast Members to be helpful. They are perfectly positioned in front of icons such as Cinderella Castle and most always accompany a character. Know that they will always take a picture with your camera if you ask them. Your wait times will vary.

You can always ask a stranger to snap a pic. Find someone with a DSLR camera, as they usually take their photos seriously, and that will help with your shots.

You don't need Magic Bands. Memory Maker can be applied to your regular paper ticket. Memory Maker is a convenience and not a necessity. It really depends on how much you value those iconic family photos.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

Lindsey May 29, 2017 at 4:54 p.m.

We have 11 (6 adults) in our group going to DW in three weeks. We do not have Magic Bands because we bought our tickets through Shades of Green resort. Can all 6 adults use my Memory Maker account if we are not always together?

FrogBlog May 29, 2017 at 12:57 p.m.

Hi Lindsey,

Yes. Make sure everyone is linked together in My Disney Experience.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

Lindsey May 30, 2017 at 10:20 p.m.

There are 3 couples (hubby and me, daughter,and son) and we have three separate My Disney Experience accounts. Is there any way to link them to my account for one Memory -maker account or will we need to buy three cards?

FrogBlog May 31, 2017 at 12:40 p.m.

Hi Linsday,

If you add everyone in MDE as Friends/Family then you should be able to share one MemoryMaker account.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

Barbara May 31, 2017 at 5:47 p.m.

Thank you for being so helpful!

FrogBlog May 31, 2017 at 3:08 p.m.

Thank you for reading our blog!

Keep Hopping!

Leap

TODD Apr 7, 2017 at 8:25 p.m.

I live about an hr away from Disney and my family and I are thinking of purchasing the photo pass. is this a yearly fee, or only for the trip you go on? if I go 4 times a year and want all my photos for the whole year, am I paying 1 time or each time, or is this a lifetime membership?

FrogBlog Apr 10, 2017 at 8:29 a.m.

Hi Todd,

The PhotoPass fee includes all photos for up to a 30-day period from first use. Afte those 30days, you'd need to get a new package.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

Niki Mar 26, 2017 at 12:48 a.m.

An annual passer is going with our group to Disney World in June. If we are in 2 different parks will our pics link to their memory maker? Thank you for your time

FrogBlog Mar 26, 2017 at 8:31 p.m.

Hi Niki,

The entitlement is tied to the Magic Bands of everyone in your “My Disney Experience” family and friends list. If everyone in your party is on the list, then Memory Maker will update with the photos.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

Lindsey L. Feb 7, 2017 at 5 a.m.

Do you know if you can link more than one magic band to your magic maker photo package? We're going with a large group and I'm wondering if we can all take advantage of getting our pictures taken if we split up throughout the day.

Mel Feb 11, 2017 at 3:51 p.m.

This is from the post above in the "pro" part of the article......

"The entitlement is tied to the Magic Bands of everyone in your “My Disney Experience” family and friends list. This works well if your party separates because any one can have a picture taken and tied to the Memory Maker account with their MagicBand. For example, while my daughter and I were seeing Anna and Elsa, my wife took our two sons to ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. With the MagicBands, all of the photos from both places were in the account."

FrogBlog Feb 7, 2017 at 8:24 a.m.

Hi Lindsey,

It does not appear that you can link more than one MagicBand to your Magic Maker Photo Package. However, you can allow others to view your photos by adding them as Friends and Family in the Disney MyExperience app.

Keep Hopping!

Leap

Gustavo Feb 1, 2017 at 1:48 a.m.

Hi! Just purchased the memory maker in advance. I understood I'll have 30 days after my first photo, right? My trip in on May. Do you know the size of each photo? Nice definition for print later? Thanks!

FrogBlog Feb 1, 2017 at 8:31 a.m.

Hi Gustavo,

Correct, you have 30 days access to Memory Maker from the first day you use it. The individual files are about 4MB in size, and you shouldn't have any problems with printing them later on.

Hoppy Planning!

Mommy Frog

Stacey Dec 30, 2016 at 10:15 p.m.

Is there a way to upload your own photos into the memory maker to add borders and stickers? I haven't found one but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.

FrogBlog Dec 31, 2016 at 12:13 p.m.

Hi Stacey,

Sorry. There's no way for you to add your own photos to Disney's Memory Maker.

Hoppy Planning!

Mommy Frog

Jonnice Oct 15, 2016 at 11:11 p.m.

Question: We're new Annual Pass holders and we qualify for the the photo pass. Does this basically mean we qualify for a free Memory Maker? Do i still need to purchase the memory maker for our vacation?

Lisa R Dec 27, 2016 at 2:51 p.m.

Check the Disney Annual Passholders site. It comes with a number of the passes. I am a Gold pass holder and it came with my pass. I only had the 2 blackout periods with my pass Christmas and Easter

Lindsey Oct 1, 2016 at 5:17 p.m.

We are staying at a hotel not on Disney property. I am interested in this because we have a 5 day trip planned and 8 people, so I think this would be a great deal. But, it says you have to have a wrist band linked to your My Disney Exp account. I thought the wrist bands were only for guests staying at a Disney Resort. Are we able to purchase a wristband for use just for the Memory Maker?

Thank You

FrogBlog Oct 3, 2016 at 10:39 a.m.

Hi Lindsey,

You do not have to have a wristband. Your ticket can be scanned just like the wristband to be used with PhotoPass photographers and ride photos.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Kathi Oct 25, 2016 at 3:48 p.m.

I'm finding out the hard way that only those with Magic Bands will get the Mine Train and Frozen Ever After ride pics. No dice with the cards. We had a day at the parks as part of a DCL cruise and I am currently trying to get PhotoPass to add the Mine Train photo to the account. I have also learned that if we wore our magic bands from a previous trip, that the Mine Train photo would have linked. We didn't know that was an option....

Kathleen Denison Oct 10, 2016 at 2:42 a.m.

We are also staying off site and I just ordered our Magic Bands off Disney.com. I like the convenience of not having to carry my credit card, tickets, etc around for all of us. :)

Skeeter Oct 12, 2016 at 4:25 a.m.

Hey there! Make sure to bring your credit card! If you are staying off site the MagicBand will not be able to be linked with a credit card for fast payments! (We learned this the hard way!!)

corrine Sep 18, 2016 at 4:58 p.m.

does it cost any money to download the pictures from the disney account?

Heather Aug 19, 2016 at 4:29 a.m.

Just need some clarification, if we purchase the memory maker, are all the photos ours to download, save and print? Can we print individual photos or make an album using an outside source like Walgreens or Target?

FrogBlog Aug 22, 2016 at 9:01 a.m.

Hi Heather,

Yes, that is correct.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Claire Aug 23, 2016 at 6:46 p.m.

If you purchase the memory maker, can you save all of the digital images on something like a flashdrive, so you always have a digital copy and can reprint them whenever?

FrogBlog Aug 24, 2016 at 12:56 p.m.

Hi Claire,

Yes, you can!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Chuy Varela Aug 2, 2016 at 4:39 a.m.

One question: are PhotoPass photographers available at Disney Springs?

Thanks for your time.

Regards...

Mom to 3 Aug 5, 2016 at 7:31 p.m.

We were just at Disney Springs last week and they did have a photo pass photographer there at the little playground area where all the kids were. They might have had more, but it started raining hard and we headed back to the resort.

FrogBlog Aug 3, 2016 at 1:54 p.m.

Hi Chuy,

No, they are not.

Hoppy Planning!

Mommy Frog

Tazz Jul 30, 2016 at 12:21 a.m.

Planning on a Disney trip in 2 weeks. I plan on getting the park hopper and water park fun and more option multi day ticket. If I get memory maker will it be 1 fee for every park I visit for the entire ticket days purchased??

FrogBlog Aug 9, 2016 at 11:11 a.m.

Hi there,

Memory Maker is the photo package. It is sold independently of tickets.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

alex Jul 24, 2016 at 10:52 p.m.

Is the Attractions+ option still available at the parks?

We did this in 2014, instead of the larger package, because my kids aren't into the character meals...or posing for lots of photos! Our best, most memorable moments were on the rides!

FrogBlog Jul 25, 2016 at 8:29 a.m.

Hi Alex,

While this is no longer an option, you can purchase your photos individually.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Michelle Jul 24, 2016 at 8:24 a.m.

Can I purchase memory maker if I buy my room and tickets off of undercover tourist site?

FrogBlog Jul 25, 2016 at 8:34 a.m.

Hi Michelle,

Yes, you can, you would just need to do this through Disney.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Mrs. Disney Jul 19, 2016 at 5:40 p.m.

Quick question. My pictures on my app expire next week. Can I still purchase Memory Maker or Photo Pass? Which one do I need?

Njaba Anne Jul 25, 2016 at 2:07 a.m.

Picture on my trip to animal kingdom, Hollywood resort, and magic kingdom

FrogBlog Jul 21, 2016 at 7:33 a.m.

Hi Mrs. Disney,

Yes, you can still purchase Memory Maker, or you could purchase the pictures you want separately off of the site.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Sonny Jun 27, 2016 at 11:53 p.m.

The Photo Pass website is almost completely unusable. I don't see how anyone can get it to function. I have tried to select and download about 20 photos for 5 hours now and still with no success. It won't load the photos, the buttons are unresponsive, or the website simply comes down altogether. When I call the help line, there is a 60-minute wait.

Kelly Sep 10, 2016 at 4:18 a.m.

I had the same issue at the same time period...I tried purchasing the disc and only one days' photos were on it. Were you able to get any or your pictures?

Jennifer Tinsley Jun 9, 2016 at 9:30 p.m.

How late do they take photos in front of the castle in the evening

FrogBlog Jul 5, 2016 at 11:15 a.m.

Hi Jennifer,

Pretty much throughout the evening, minus the nighttime entertainment times.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Danielle May 31, 2016 at 1:23 p.m.

Hello, I'm confused about the part that says the discounted Memory Maker will expire after 72 hours and another will need to be purchased. Can you explain this please? I'm going for 6 days and don't want to have to buy 2! Thank you :)

FrogBlog Jun 2, 2016 at 3:19 p.m.

Hi Danielle,

You would just need to purchase it 72 hours before you arrive to take advantage of the discount.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Marc W May 17, 2016 at 8:15 p.m.

Beware Memorymaker. Memorymaker is a deceptive, overpriced product, UNLESS you spend all your time waiting in long lines for character photos. Disney will tell you that photos are not taken on 100% of the rides. What they WON'T tell you is that photos are actually taken on less than 15% of the rides. Our tally of 257 photos at the end of a 7 day trip riding 75% of the rides in all the parks turned out to be 100 stock disney photos, plus 18 ride shots duplicated anywhere from 5 to 12 times (e.g. on coaster they shoot up to 12 shots in less than a second).

Patrick Jakubowski Mar 17, 2016 at 9:27 p.m.

So, is there only a 1 day Option in Disneyland. In the past there was the multiple days which was such a fantastic bargain...

Susan Apr 14, 2016 at 10:16 p.m.

I can't seem to find anything but a one day pass either.

Bob G Dec 22, 2015 at 3:17 a.m.

I meant memory maker not photo pass

Bob G Dec 22, 2015 at 3:15 a.m.

When the photo pass is purchased, do you get a cd with all of the photos that you can take to a store for prints?

Dodie Dec 19, 2015 at 4:40 p.m.

Hi! We are Florida residents and are considering (okay we are going to do it!) purchasing the Gold Annual Pass. One of the perks is "Disney PhotoPass Downloads". I can't find any definitive explanations about this, so maybe you can help. Does this mean that any photos taken during our visit will be available to download for free? Or is it just stating that we can download them, but that we will need to pay?

Thanks for your help!

Kaye Oesterle Dec 14, 2015 at 5:10 p.m.

I was contemplating on renewing my annual pass (which now includes photopass downloads) or letting it expire to renew before our trip to WDW in April. The rub is that we are going to Disneyland in January. So my question is - If I renew my WDW annual pass, will it include any Photopass photos made at Disneyland or are they completely separate?

Thanks

Kaye

FrogBlog Dec 16, 2015 at 7:36 a.m.

Hi Kaye,

I believe the photos would be separate.

Keep hopping!

Leap

Carrie Madley Nov 8, 2015 at 6:06 a.m.

Hi,

Have you ever had anyone reach out to you regarding expired Memory Maker photos? When we booked our trip out Disney consultant created the guest email account and we never got the reminder email that our photos were about to expire and we thought we had 30 days from the download to get them off the site. We are still within 60 days of our trip and I sent an email to Disney just now but I am so upset about this that I am reaching out to anyone that might be able to help. I read on one blog site that a couple was able to get their photos retrieved after the expiration but that was from about a year or so ago. I am praying so hard that with all the technology we have that we will have our prayers answered. This was my first visit as well as our son's first visit (he's 6). I am hoping you will be able to help. Thanks so much. :)

Christina Nov 14, 2015 at 5:07 p.m.

We just recently retrieved our photos last week from a visit in the end of July! You need to call and talk to someone from photo pass. They were also able to send us a cd with all of our photos to be sure we didn't lose them while editing. Our call was right before they would be deleted. I wouldn't wait for a response in email even though the wait on the phone can be long, it's worth it!

Good Luck:)

Veronica Nov 6, 2015 at 8:25 p.m.

I got the photopass plus online for our recent trip to Disneyland. If you are doing any character meals then this is a great value. With the photopass plus the prints of the photos they take of you when you first get to the meal are included at no charge (without photopass plus it would cost around $37US if you want the prints). We did 2 meals so the prints from those alone were worth the $60.00 I paid for the photopass plus. However their website after you get home is not great at all!! I have been trying for days to make a calendar with our photos for Christmas gifts and it keeps freezing and logging me out, very frustrating. I emailed customer service and all they said was download Google chrome, our site works best through there. I am not downloading something just to use your site, it should work with any browser. I guess I will order my prints and calendar through Wal-Mart instead, will be cheaper anyway.

John Oct 26, 2015 at 2:28 a.m.

I was going to download my photos as 4x6 but I wanted to know if when I decide to print them on my own can I then make them a bigger size and still be high quality?

Amma Nov 4, 2015 at 4:24 p.m.

We were very disappointed in the quality of photos. Shots with characters were great but shots around the park, quite poor. Our Main Street shot was crooked and underexposed - unacceptable as the photographer does this same shot ALL DAY. Tree of life group shot overexposed.

Vern Woodruff Oct 28, 2015 at 1:09 a.m.

Hi John,

The photos you download will be high resolution (around 3 - 4 MB in size, 300 dpi), so you should not have any issue printing them at a larger size. The base photos are in a 4 x 6 aspect ratio through PhotoPass, so the quality of a picture cropped to a different aspect ratio will be the same whether you do it through the PhotoPass website or on your own after you download the file. If you are planning on downloading the pictures, the main advantage for cropping a picture to a different aspect ratio on the PhotoPass website is that the Disney themed borders will be fit correctly on the picture. For example, when I was editing my photos, I added Disney borders to many of the pictures. Pictures I especially liked and thought that I might print in a 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 aspect ratio, I would edit those on the PhotoPass website and add the border. If you are not adding a border, then you do not need to crop the picture to a different aspect ratio and should be fine downloading the pictures as 4 x 6's and printing them at a larger size.

Kris Oct 15, 2015 at 10:37 p.m.

On our last trip, 4 years ago, we bought the photo package and actually created an album on their website with some of our additional photos uploaded and included too. What was great about it was they had Disney backgrounds on all the pages and special Disney borders and clip art to include in your photo books. I was wondering if any one has made one with Memory Maker and if they are still including all the extra clip art and Disney pages in their albums.

Sandra Sep 15, 2015 at 10:02 p.m.

Hi, I would like to know if you have the memory maker and fast pass for Disneyland, California in LA?

Does the disney app also applies for this park?

FrogBlog Sep 22, 2015 at 10:19 a.m.

Hi Sandra,

You can read more about Disneyland's PhotoPass Service here. You can read more about FastPass here.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Trisha Apr 28, 2016 at 4:52 p.m.

They don't have a price listed, and it is only 1 day? The link goes nowhere

FrogBlog May 12, 2016 at 10:36 a.m.

Hi Trisha,

We've updated with the new link. Pricing is currently $149 if you purchase three days in advance.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Jennifer H Sep 10, 2015 at 2:25 a.m.

I am looking for confirmation. We will have 9 in our party - 7 adult tickets & 2 children tickets (really 4 adults & 5 between 9-14). Can I add all 9 to the Memory Maker if they are all in my friends list. I am managing all of our activities. I wasn't sure if there was a limit on the number for an account. Thank you!

Jess Sep 27, 2015 at 4:01 p.m.

Jennifer

You can link many people to your photo pass, just link their magic band or park ticket card to your My Disney Experience app. My kids even touched their magic bands on ride picture screens of complete strangers and those photos were added to my memory maker app. So if you don't want to link their accounts to yours just hand over your band or photo card to any photographers or touch to any ride screen to add those photos to your account.

Natalie Sep 21, 2015 at 11:06 p.m.

Yes you can if you link all the reservations in your app. I was with my sister and her family and all our photos showed on my app because I linked their reservation with my Disney app. This makes it nice because we will be splitting the cost of the memory maker price :)

Tiffany Oct 6, 2015 at 1:47 a.m.

I am having problems with this right now. My sister and I linked up and all of our pictures (including ones on days our families weren't together) showed up on her photopass account where she bought the memory maker except for a few pockets of photos. These photos are, however, showing up on my acct where I did not purchase the memory maker. The only thing I can think of is that one of my kids must have handed their magic band to the photographer and it is not linking with my sisters account. Thoughts? Any way to get those pics from my account to my sisters. It stinks that all of our other photos came through because we are linked except these. I am dreading having to purchase a memory maker just to keep the pictures of my son's favorite character Sorcerer Mickey (and my sisters kids are even in these photos too!).

Daisy Nov 3, 2015 at 2:08 p.m.

You need to get your sister to add your child to her mde. Do this by add a guest people I may know and the name of the child will be sent to your email and you accept. Should work then.

Vern Woodruff Oct 28, 2015 at 1:24 a.m.

Hi Tiffany,

Sorry I did not see your question earlier, however I unfortunately do not have an answer other than contacting the PhotoPass help through either e-mail or on the phone. If it is just a few pockets of photos, hopefully there are just a couple of interest and you could purchase them individually instead of having to purchase the entire package.

Julia Sep 3, 2015 at 5:47 a.m.

hi,

I just wanted to ask if the memory maker included universal studios, or if there was a similar package with them?

Thanks

FrogBlog Sep 8, 2015 at 8:13 a.m.

Hi Julia,

It does not include Universal, which has its own package.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Barbara Aug 28, 2015 at 1:56 p.m.

Hi guys. Do you know what ride photography company operates at Disney? Thank you!

Mari Aug 16, 2015 at 4:49 p.m.

You have been very informative and I wish I had seen your posting before my daughter took her trip to Orlando last month. Do you know if you can buy the MemoryMAker after you return home instead of having to purchase each picture as a download. I am a little confused. Thanks

Vern Woodruff Aug 18, 2015 at 4:52 p.m.

Mari,

From what I have found on Disney's PhotoPass website, I think that you can purchase Memory Maker after returning from your trip as long as the photos associated to your daughter's My Disney Experience account have not expired. However, the FAQ on the website that addressed this question was not very clear and an answer on the Disney Mom's Panel said that you could not purchase all of the photos after returning. Also, Disney tends to change the details every so often, so the best option would be to go to the PhotoPass website, click on Help and either e-mail or call them directly.

Monica Aug 2, 2015 at 10:19 p.m.

Thanks for the comprehensive overview! A bit off topic, but do you know anything about the Gallery disc (300 photos) vs the Entertainment disc (600 photos)? I know they are stock photos, but they cost the same and I can't get much info as to the difference between the discs.

Vern Woodruff Aug 3, 2015 at 5:07 p.m.

Thanks Monica! Sorry, but I don't know much about the Gallery disc versus the Entertainment disc because I don't have either of these. From the descriptions, it sounds like they cover different aspects of Disney, so the pictures between the two may be completely different. I would recommend calling or e-mailing the PhotoPass Help with your question. I have had good success contacting them with questions before.

Monica Aug 4, 2015 at 5:40 a.m.

Thanks Vern! I'll email the Photopass people.

Megan Jul 28, 2015 at 6:10 p.m.

Hi, and thank you so much for this great post! Most of my questions have been cleared up, but as I've read A LOT of conflicting information on various sites I was hoping you could help me fully grasp just one or two things.

First - pictures from rides. This is where I've seen the most amount of conflicting information. Can you confirm (or deny) that a) pictures from everyone in my MyDisneyExperience Friends & Family list will show up whether I am on a particular ride or not and b) clarify whether or not someone needs to physically stop by the photo desk at the attraction to get the picture in our account? The ride pictures are the second-biggest plus to me of Memory Maker so I want to be sure I fully understand how this part of it works before I commit to the $169.

Secondly - making sure our whole group is linked up and pictures get taken even when we're split up. I think this may be a feature that they updated after the release of MM, because typically the posts I see from 2013 and early 2014 say the MM owner has to be there, but more recent posts say they do not. So again, can you clarify or confirm that, even when our party of 5 is split up, pictures taken of any of us will show up in my MM account? Is any special action required if I (the MM owner) am NOT present, or will having Magic Bands take care of it all?

In a perfect world, the answers would be that yes, our group can be split up and all we have to do is have our Magic Band scanned by the photographer and the pictures will show up in my account. Also, yes, ride pictures are automatically saved through the magic of Magic Bands and it doesn't matter if I ride the ride or not, and we don't even have to stop by the desk on our way out. :) I know we hardly live in a perfect world, though!

Thank you so much for your time and help.

Vern Woodruff Jul 30, 2015 at 9:56 p.m.

Hi Megan,

Thanks for your compliments. I'll try my best to answer your questions based on my last experience.

1a. In theory, everyone in your My Disney Experience Friends and Family listing should have any ride photos show up automatically in your account even if you are not with them. On my visit, my wife took my two sons to ride Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger spin while I took my daughter to see a princess. The pictures showed up in our account even though I was not there.

1b. The photos are supposed to be automatically added to your account, without a need to stop by the photodesk or stopping by the picture previews and scanning your Magic Band at a touch point under the picture. I also valued the ride pictures, so I usually stopped by the photo desk or scanned my Magic Band at the touchpoint under the picture preview just to make sure the photo would be added to my account. Disney seemed to be in the process of automating this process when I was there, so they were still working out some bugs. After riding Expedition Everest, there was a person at the photo preview area telling people that the automatic process was not working and that you needed to stop by the photo desk if you wanted the picture. Some rides, like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, do not even have a place to scan your Magic Band and the ride photo / video is automatically added to your account. However, there are times the system is down (we had this occur on Space Mountain), or the photo is lost even if you stop by the photo desk for some reason (this happened to us on Test Track).

2. As long as everyone is linked together, the MM owner should not need to be there and any one in the group can have their Magic Band scanned. I usually had mine scanned, but there were times the kids wanted their bands scanned. Another time I was waiting in line for a visit with Belle, and my wife took the kids to explore the France pavilion where they had a few photos taken.

The pictures should show up within a few hours in your My Disney Experience account, so I would recommend that you check it out every so often and you can verify that the photos are being added correctly.

The earlier posts you've seen regarding the need for the MM owner to be present may be accurate, because Disney went through some growing pains with the Magic Band rollout, but they have added a lot of functionality since then. For example, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train photo / video being automatically added to your account only started last fall.

Disney does change details or add features relatively frequently, so I would also recommend that you check through the recent answers on MM on the Disney Mom's Panel. You can also send an e-mail or call the Photopass / Memory Maker help. I have had good communications with them before.

Hopefully this is helpful. Have a great trip!

Megan Aug 1, 2015 at 5:34 p.m.

Thank you SO very much, Vern!!

Vern Woodruff Aug 5, 2015 at 4:38 p.m.

Megan,

Thinking about my answers, I want to make clear to everyone that my experiences and most of the answers depend on everyone having a Magic Band. For example, if you don't have a Magic Band, the ride ride photos will not automatically be associated to your account. To associate the photos to your account, after the ride you will need to find your photo on the preview wall and touch your park ticket (one with an RFID in it) or Memory Maker card to the touch point associated to your photo.

If you don't have the Magic Bands, then the person with the Memory Maker card would need to be present to have photos taken elsewhere directly associated to the account. However, if the person with the Memory Maker card is not present, you should receive a regular PhotoPass card that can be tied to the account later. Even with my family having Magic Bands, we needed to do this with photos taken during Enchanted Tales with Belle and Jedi Training Academy.

Keeping all the details about Memory Maker is difficult enough, without considering whether everyone has Magic Bands or not. Hope this has been helpful.

Lauren Jul 24, 2015 at 2:46 p.m.

I'd love to hear from someone who was in the parks recently if Attractions+ is still available. According to a CM I spoke with over the phone, it is no longer an option - however, I'm not convinced she knew it was an option to begin with.

Marie Jul 24, 2015 at 1:54 p.m.

Regarding the price, we had four families going on the trip and were all linked together on MDE, one of use purchased the Memory Maker package and then we split the price between the four families, we all used it, downloaded the pics and printed the ones we wanted. We all overlapped for a number of days but had days just our own families as well so it worked out great. We literally had about 400 pictures on the Memory Maker and for $42.25 each family it was fabulous!

Vern Woodruff Aug 18, 2015 at 4:59 p.m.

One item that I should mention if you are going with a group of families and decide to purchase Memory Maker to share, make sure that everyone goes into their My Disney Experience account and sets the photo sharing permissions using the Family and Friends page in their Profile so that the photos can be shared.

Carole Jul 21, 2015 at 11:32 a.m.

If you buy the "Disney Attractions+" inside a park:

- can you use it in all the 4 DWD Parks?

- is it valid only for Pictures in the attractions or also for the Videos that are avaible in some attractions?

Thank you for your answers!

Vern Jul 21, 2015 at 9:41 p.m.

Hi Carole,

With the Disney Attractions+ option, you have access to digital copies of all the attraction photos that are taken during your visit, up to 14 days. This includes attractions at all four of the parks.

As far as I can tell, the ride videos from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are not included and are only available for downloading to those that purchase the Memory Maker option. However, this could change or Disney could add additional attractions, so if this is something that is important to you, I would encourage you to visit Disney's Memory Maker website and e-mail them a question or call. Hope this helps.

Aaron Jun 28, 2015 at 2:14 a.m.

Can you please elaborate on if someone just wanted to do the Photo Downloads for $14.95 instead of the Memory Maker and what that entails? I'm confused by the description of the product, as it says, "Photo Downloads expire 30 days after purchase". I assume that doesn't mean that they only last 30 days on your computer and they're removed, but that you just have 30 days to download them from the site after you buy the $14.95 product?

Vern Jun 30, 2015 at 4:29 p.m.

Hi Aaron,

The photo download option for $14.95 allows you to download a high-resolution digital copy of one photo from your account. For someone that may only be interested in having high-resolution digital copies of a handful of pictures, it would be cheaper to buy those pictures of interest at $14.95 each rather than all the pictures with the Memory Maker entitlement for $169 (advance purchase) or $199 (i.e. 5 pictures at $14.95 each would be $74.75).

The 30-day expiration period does mean that it is available in your PhotoPass account for 30 days to download. Once you download it, it is yours to keep for as long as you want on your own computer, CD, flash drive, etc. Hope this helps!

Mary Nov 6, 2015 at 3:49 a.m.

Hi. Thanks for all the information. I would like to get a digital download of a couple pictures. I understand I pay 14.95 per download. Do I get photo rights to print these pictures at Walmart or on shutterfly? Or do I have to buy the whole memory maker package to have printing rights?

John Johnson Jun 25, 2015 at 3:48 a.m.

was wondering i purchased memory maker for my stay in december we are doing a few character meals so if we get the pictures taken before we eat how can we get the cardboard frames they usually put them in thats what makes the pictures cool.

FrogBlog Jun 25, 2015 at 8:35 a.m.

Hi John,

I know! Lily has a great picture of herself with Belle from Akershus. Unfortunately, they are no longer offering print photos at character meals.

Mommy Frog

Cami Jun 24, 2015 at 12:29 a.m.

We were really pleased with the new PhotoPass+ this past January. There seemed to be a LOT more photographers roaming the parks compared to our previous visits. We didn't carry our big SLR camera this year and so it was really nice to get some high quality shots from the professionals. We did lose one photo of my husband on Space Mountain, but we called the help number and described what he was wearing and about what time he was on the ride. With that info, the PhotoPass+ people were able to locate it for us!

Stella Jun 18, 2015 at 6:19 p.m.

i am going to Disney in January and taking my parents this time. I have used memory maker and loved it. While we are only there for three days this time I would like to get it again because it is their first trip (in over 30 years). We will be under one reservation but two rooms. Can we use the same one or would is it one per room?

Vern Woodruff Jun 19, 2015 at 9:49 p.m.

Hi Stella,

My family was all together, so this was not a question for us. However, from everything I have read, you should all be able to share one Memory Maker entitlement as long as you are all connected as friends and family through the My Disney Experience account. The Memory Maker FAQ on the Disney web-site has an answer for this (https://mydisneyphotopass.disney.go.com/help-and-support/memory-maker). Since Memory Maker is open to all Disney guests, and not just those that are staying on-site, it makes sense that it would not be tied to hotel rooms but rather tied to your friends and family through the My Disney Experience account. Hope this helps!

Vern Woodruff May 19, 2015 at 5:05 p.m.

Hi Isabella,

I'll try my best to help you decide. There are several factors to consider whether MemoryMaker (as it is now called) would be worth it for a 3 day visit.

1. With an advance purchase price of $169, it would be about $57 a day. This may seem high, but SeaWorld's photo service is $74.99 for one day.

2. Is this a first visit for anyone?

3. How many characters do you plan to visit? A large number of my family's pictures were of my kids with the characters.

4. Are the Magic Shots something you would really like (i.e. pictures holding Tinkerbell or a bunch of balloons)?

5. Attractions that offer photos are included (i.e. Space Mountain, Test Track). Are you planning on riding many of those attractions and are those photos something of interest?

6. How likely would you be to stop if you were walking and passed by a PhotoPass photographer? We usually stopped at each photographer that we saw because they were set up throughout the parks so we could obtain a wide variety of backgrounds. Also, different photographers would have different Magic Shots or the recently added animated Magic Shots.

7. How often would you like to have a picture taken of your entire group? With a PhotoPass photographer, you don't have to find some random person to take your picture. However, even if you don't purchase Memory Maker, the PhotoPass photographer will be happy to use your camera for a picture too.

8. Will you be disciplined enough to go through your pictures shortly after returning home? Would you like to add special Disney borders, character autographs or small Disney images to your pictures?

9. Only one person in your group needs to have Memory Maker in order for all of you to take advantage of the service, as long as you are all connected as friends and family through the My Disney Experience account. Taking advantage of this, you might be able to split the cost up amongst several people.

10. Will you want a lot of pictures after your trip to put in a photo album or scrapbook, or would you be happy with a handful of pictures? From our visit, I put together a photo album with 300 pictures (and I still had a tough time narrowing it down to just 300).

I know this is a lot to think about, but hopefully it will help you to make an informed choice. Have a great time!

Isabella May 7, 2015 at 12:38 p.m.

Would you recommend photo pass for a 3-day/2-night trip? I'm going to Disney World with my family(mom, dad, older brother)&my friend. My friend&I plan on visiting all 4 parks, though we have to visit 2 of them in the same day(Hollywood Studio during the afternoon, and then Animal Kingdom for dinner and nighttime). Do you think it'd be worth it?

Catherine M. Williams Oct 15, 2013 at 6:02 p.m.

This is a great overview of PhotoPass. I agree that it is surprising that there are no PhotoPass photographers assigned to the character meals. It detracts so much from the experience and the meal to constantly have to fiddle with the camera and get up to take pictures I would happily pay more for the service to have PhotoPass photogs at the character meals.

Also agree that the website needs major help. It is so slow and the editing options are so limited.

Even with the gripes of the lack of photographers at the character meals and the website issues, I would still recommend it for an extended family trip. It eliminates so much of the hassle of having to pull out the camera and deal with camera settings in the park, plus everyone gets to be in the picture.

Vern Woodruff Oct 16, 2013 at 9:57 p.m.

Thanks for the comments Catherine. The only reasons I could think of as to why PhotoPass photographers are not at the character meals is that it would either slow down the characters as they make their way around a room, or they do not feel there is enough room in the restaurants for a photographer. Like you, I would have been glad for a PhotoPass photographer to take pictures in addition to the ones I took. The lighting in the restaurants can be tricky when you are trying to get your camera settings correct.

Natasha Oct 9, 2013 at 2:10 a.m.

Hi! Thanks for this really good post, it is really well rounded. There are a few things that have been updated, though, that I wanted to tell you about. I was a photopass photographer for an internship earlier this year, so I have the inside scoop ;D. You can now do a border and a signature (at least in store). On the whole, editing is a whole lot easier in store. So, if you go, come during the day, usually early morning or during a parade (if you've already seen it, or if you want to come in while your kids are watching it). That way a photopass photographer can help you go through the pictures and edit them the best way you can, cause we know all the ins and outs. plus we can tweak and edit the photos if need be. Plus, just the computer system as a whole is a lot more user friendly in store than it is online. The online website is really annoying. And there are a couple reasons for not doing magic shots in front of the icons. Some photographers do it, some don't. It's generally frowned upon because the magic shots are big sellers and if the shots have the icon in it as well, we'd lose money, cause why would you buy both the icon shot and the magic shot if you can just get one with both of them in it. I'm one of those photographers that say 'Screw it, I'm gonna give you guys the best picture I can'. I remember doing one picture when I was located right next to the Sorcerer's hat in Hollywood Studios (and I mean RIGHT next to it, practically underneath) and I had a little boy jump up with his one hand out high while I was down on my knees, so that it seemed like he was being carried away by balloons right past the Sorcerer's hat. It. Was. Epic. A great shot and the family loved it later (I was working in the store later when they came in). Another reason why they don't do it, is a lot of the locations are just too far away from the icon to get a good picture of it and say your little girl holding a very small Tinkerbell. It just wouldn't turn out to be a good picture. Tinkerbell would be a dot on the page. Also, the equipment can be faulty sometimes, the scanners mostly. So, when that happens, the photographer has to leave their post to go call base, and usually they'll tell them to come back to base, leaving their location empty for a little while while the replacement photographer gets there. That's usually why a location is empty. Either that, or they were short that day. When that happens, locations like Tower and SM are secondary, so not as important as say, Main Street castle locations. Anywho, Thanks so much for sharing this awesome post. Very well rounded and informative!

Paul Apr 17, 2015 at 5:28 a.m.

Hi Natasha,

Great info. I was wondering how does the camera match the photos to the person. Is there something tethered to the camera. Thanks, Paul

Vern Woodruff Oct 10, 2013 at 5:04 a.m.

Thanks so much Natasha for taking the time to write your thoughts and add insider information to my post. Your notes are a great enhancement to what I had written, especially since it answers some questions I had and contains information that only someone who had worked as a PhotoPass photographer would know. I had never tried editing a picture in the store, and only looked at a handful of pictuers in a store when I had the Jedi Training Academy photos added to my account. Since I knew I would be receiving all of the photos taken with the PhotoPass+ package, I did not take the time to review them in a store during our visit. I wonder why the editing tools in the store are so much better than they are on-line? There is no way I could have edited my pictures in a store because I'm certain that I spent more time going through and editing my pictures than the total time I spent in the parks during our 7 day visit. Hopefully Disney will add some upgrades to the on-line editing tools in the future, especially since I plan to use the PhotoPass service again in just over a year. Just a couple of enhancements, like being able to add a border and an autograph or being able rotate a picture by a degree or two to straighten out one that is slightly crooked, would be great.

FrogBlog Oct 9, 2013 at 1:29 p.m.

Wow! Terrific information, Natasha. Thank you for sharing!

-- Mommy Frog

Erin Oct 8, 2013 at 9:09 p.m.

One quick note: I used the PhotoPass+ recently, and while they tell you the ride photos are only available that day, this does not seem to actually be the case. I had the photo numbers and the day I had the picture taken for a few pictures, one of which was three days earlier, and they were still able to find it for me. I was very glad too, it was a great picture frim Splash Mountain taken during extra magic hours when the photo pick up area was closed.

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