Everything PhotoPass & Memory Maker

Tomh

1100 miles too far North.
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Everything PhotoPass and Memory Maker

There has been a change to the Disney PhotoPass Website.
The URL has changed from https://mydisneyphotopass.disney.go.com/
to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/photopass/.

Additionally, it appears that after recent updates, photo editing is no longer available through PhotoPass. For basic cropping, filters, color and exposure correction, I suggest using the built in Photos app in Windows. For more in depth photo editing, Gimp is a powerful, and free photo editing program.

NEW, I have added some (hopefully) useful links to resources related to PhotoPass at the bottom of this post.





Pricing.jpg



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.


Photopass Photographer.jpg
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.

Magic Shot.jpg
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. The Military Memory Maker discount is available to both current, and retired members of the Military.

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.

Photo Boxes

Recently, Disney World has begun testing the use of photo boxes in place of human photographers at some meet and greet locations. Disney has said that these photo boxes are currently being tested in 9 locations. As of August 2019, we know that Tink, Kylo Ren, and Chewie all have photo boxes.
On September 13th, 2019 DIS poster Disneyfan754321 reported that there is now a photo box at the Mickey and Minnie meet and greet location in Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom.
On October 1st, 2019 it was reported by insidethemagic.net that there is once again a live PhotoPass photographer at the Mickey meet and greet. No other changes to photo box locations have been reported at this time.
If you have come across any others, feel free to post and I will update this list.

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

It appears that photo editing is no longer part of the PhotoPass website. For basic photo editing, I suggest using the built in Windows Photos app. For more in depth editing, Gimp is a powerful, and free photo editing program, and is well worth looking into.

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

Individual photos can be downloaded from the Photopass website, OR through the My Disney Experience phone app. For those who have Memory Maker, the method of downloading photos from the Photopass website has changed recently. In the past, you had the option of creating a full set of photos, or downloading a single photo directly on the main page. Now, it works a little differently. From the main page, you have to click on a photo. From there, you can either download that single photo, OR you can choose to select "all visible media." The wording is a bit confusing, but if you choose "all visible media" it will actually select all of your photos, not just the ones that are visible on screen. At that point, you can download, and you will get all of your photos. Do be certain that you are viewing the photos from all parks, not just from one park. 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.

For those whom have the Memory Maker as part of an Annual Pass, things work just a bit differently. You will be able to continue downloading your photos until they expire and are removed from the server just like with the normal Memory Maker. However, there are two important differences: First off, your first download doesn't start a 30 day timer for adding more photos. You can download as often as you like, and you can continue to add photos through the last day that your Annual Pass is valid for admission. The second difference is that your photos will not expire in 45 days, instead they expire in 365 days. That means that you have one full year to download any photos you have taken.



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.


Useful Links

I have included some links below which you might find useful.

MK Meet and Greet Locations A page on WDWInfo.com showing all the character Meet and Greet locations in Magic Kingdom

Epcot Meet and Greet Locations A page on WDWInfo.com showing all the character Meet and Greet locations in Epcot

Hollywood Studios Meet and Greet Locations A page on WDWInfo.com showing all the character Meet and Greet locations in Hollywood Studios

Animal Kingdom Meet and Greet Locations A page on WDWInfo.com showing all the character Meet and Greet locations in Animal Kingdom

Magic Shots - Current Listings A thread on DISboards by FoxC63 showing the locations of all currently available Magic Shots

Missing PhotoPass Photos An official Disney page where you can report missing PhotoPass Photos. They are quite good at tracking down missing photos if you give them the information they need
 
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So I have an AP, the rest of my party doesn’t. Will we all have access to photos we take? I will be leaving a few days before the rest of them. Can they continue using PhotoPass even though I will no longer be there?
 
So I have an AP, the rest of my party doesn’t. Will we all have access to photos we take?
You will see photos taken for anyone listed in your Family & Friends list.

Only the AP holder will be able to download the photos/videos. Any connected friends (those with their own MDE account) will see the photos, but they will have a watermark on them.

I will be leaving a few days before the rest of them. Can they continue using PhotoPass even though I will no longer be there?
Yes.
 


So I have an AP, the rest of my party doesn’t. Will we all have access to photos we take? I will be leaving a few days before the rest of them. Can they continue using PhotoPass even though I will no longer be there?
As long as you make certain you are all connected in My Disney Experience, with the My Disney PhotoPass option checked, everything will work fine. If they are going to edit their photos, they will have to do so while logged into your account. They can use PhotoPass after you have left, that will not be a problem. You will be able to see, and download all of their photos.
 


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?
 
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?
As long as you buy your Pre-Purchase Memory Maker at least 3 days before your first photo is taken, you will be fine. In case you don't know, not all character meals include photos. The last time we were there, they were still taking photos at Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but not at 1900 Park Fare, or 'Ohana. I suspect though that this is something that changes from time to time.
 
As long as you buy your Pre-Purchase Memory Maker at least 3 days before your first photo is taken, you will be fine. In case you don't know, not all character meals include photos. The last time we were there, they were still taking photos at Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but not at 1900 Park Fare, or 'Ohana. I suspect though that this is something that changes from time to time.

Okay. Thanks. I figured that's how it should work, I just didn't find anything that explicitly states that. Ermm.. It didn't occur to me that there was a chance those character dining may not have photos. I guess I will have to still be prepared to use our own camera. Thanks for the info.
 
Thanks for the opening post, very helpful and full of great information!

2 questions...We had MM that changed to Photopass when we upgraded to APs this past January, so instead of 45 days we now have 365 days to play around with the photos on the Photopass website.

1. I had MM under my name so I was the one who had my Magicband scanned for the first few days. My wife then upgraded to an AP, and I upgraded a few days later. During the rest if the week, either she or I scanned our Magicband at the Photopass sites. We are both linked within MDE. Is there a way that I can see all of the photos that either of us scanned when I log into the Photopass site under my account? Or is it set up that photos only show up by Magicband, and they can"t be combined into one consolidated viewing on the website? I can only see the photos that I scanned with my Magicband, and the same goes for my wife. Within the app though, we can see all of the photos.

2. Is there a way online to delete photos? I have a whole bunch of photos of other kids from the Jedi training experience that I don't want or need.

Thanks all!
 
Thanks for the opening post, very helpful and full of great information!

2 questions...We had MM that changed to Photopass when we upgraded to APs this past January, so instead of 45 days we now have 365 days to play around with the photos on the Photopass website.

1. I had MM under my name so I was the one who had my Magicband scanned for the first few days. My wife then upgraded to an AP, and I upgraded a few days later. During the rest if the week, either she or I scanned our Magicband at the Photopass sites. We are both linked within MDE. Is there a way that I can see all of the photos that either of us scanned when I log into the Photopass site under my account? Or is it set up that photos only show up by Magicband, and they can"t be combined into one consolidated viewing on the website? I can only see the photos that I scanned with my Magicband, and the same goes for my wife. Within the app though, we can see all of the photos.

2. Is there a way online to delete photos? I have a whole bunch of photos of other kids from the Jedi training experience that I don't want or need.

Thanks all!
1. In MDE, go to friends and family, then next to her name, click on update. Make certain that the box next to My Disney PhotoPass Photos is filled in green. Log into her MDE and do the same for your name. Also, under My Disney Experience, under Photography, click on My Photos. There, under Want to share photos with others make sure to put a check mark next to Include photos shared by Family and Friends.

2. I believe there is, however at the moment, I don't have an active photopass / memory maker to verify with, but I believe if you view your photos, click on the photo you want to delete, and when it pops up, there should be the word delete and a trash can icon on the lower right corner that you can click on to remove it.
 
Okay. Thanks. I figured that's how it should work, I just didn't find anything that explicitly states that. Ermm.. It didn't occur to me that there was a chance those character dining may not have photos. I guess I will have to still be prepared to use our own camera. Thanks for the info.
I love PhotoPass, and Memory Maker. For certain, over the years I have gotten some great pictures using them, but it is never a replacement for my own camera. Some of the most amazing pictures I have from Disney World are pictures I have taken myself. Always have that camera with you, or at least the smart phone ready to go. Last summer, the absolute ONLY picture I got with my then 13 year old son smiling was one I took at 1900 Park Fare, with him and the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter, by the way, has been amazing every time we have gone to 1900 Park Fare for breakfast, really, every time!
 
Hi I am new to this forum. I plan a trip on September 2018. Our plan is to do MNSSHP on our trip. We are all linked to my daughter in laws memory maker. If we do not use a park ticket that day but only our hard ticket admission to the party will the memory maker still apply that day or is it a separate cost. Thank you
 
Hi I am new to this forum. I plan a trip on September 2018. Our plan is to do MNSSHP on our trip. We are all linked to my daughter in laws memory maker. If we do not use a park ticket that day but only our hard ticket admission to the party will the memory maker still apply that day or is it a separate cost. Thank you

Hello, and :welcome:

September is a great time to visit Disney, and MNSSHP is amazing! Now, on to your question. Everyone is linked to your daughter in law, that is good. In each of your MDE accounts, under friends and family, next to your daughter in law, click Edit, and be certain that the box next to My Disney PhotoPass Photos is filled in solid green. She should do the same for each of you. Also, under My Disney Experience, under Photography, click on My Photos. There, under Want to share photos with others make sure to put a check mark next to Include photos shared by Family and Friends.

With those steps done, everything should work just fine. Memory Maker, and PhotoPass are not dependent on park tickets. They work at resorts, Disney Springs, ESPN etc.

Enjoy MNSSHP, and be sure to collect some of the special photos that are available. One of our favorite memories from our last party is a photo we got in front of the Haunted Mansion!

Edit: I just realized . . . wow, you really are NEW to the forum, your first post. I feel honored to have answered it :) The DISboards are an amazing source for all kinds of information about Disney World vacations, with lots of helpful people here. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Someone here will know the answer to pretty much everything :)
 
Hello, and :welcome:

September is a great time to visit Disney, and MNSSHP is amazing! Now, on to your question. Everyone is linked to your daughter in law, that is good. In each of your MDE accounts, under friends and family, next to your daughter in law, click Edit, and be certain that the box next to My Disney PhotoPass Photos is filled in solid green. She should do the same for each of you. Also, under My Disney Experience, under Photography, click on My Photos. There, under Want to share photos with others make sure to put a check mark next to Include photos shared by Family and Friends.

With those steps done, everything should work just fine. Memory Maker, and PhotoPass are not dependent on park tickets. They work at resorts, Disney Springs, ESPN etc.

Enjoy MNSSHP, and be sure to collect some of the special photos that are available. One of our favorite memories from our last party is a photo we got in front of the Haunted Mansion!

Edit: I just realized . . . wow, you really are NEW to the forum, your first post. I feel honored to have answered it :) The DISboards are an amazing source for all kinds of information about Disney World vacations, with lots of helpful people here. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Someone here will know the answer to pretty much everything :)
Thank you very much!
 
I purchase Memory Maker a few days ago for my trip in April I saw the charge on my credit card. But I'm not really seeing anything on my Disney Experience that shows I purchased it or that it's there. Can someone show me a screenshot of what it looks like when you purchase it thanks
 

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