Why We Got Memory Maker

We're coming close to the end of our pre-Disney World Walt Disney Wednesdays, but I have a few ideas for some post-Disney World posts as well, but I'll reveal those after our trip.  Today, we're going to talk about Memory Maker (some people refer to it as PhotoPass, but it's the same thing).  This was something I insisted we add to our trip, and I even offered to pay for all of it, but Bryan said it was fine (we split the trip down the middle at my insistence).

You might have been able to figure out from the other name, PhotoPass, that Memory Maker is the photo package for Disney World.  I've never gotten a photo package at a theme park before, I usually just take my own photos, and I call it a day.  Memory Maker, however, offers so much more than just random photos of you throughout the park.  Plus, I love to scrapbook (see my previous post about preparing for a Disney scrapbook if you haven't read it already), and I love having photos of Bryan and I, so this seemed like a no brainer.

It's important to note that Memory Maker definitely isn't cheap.  If you order it ahead of time, it costs $169, but if you order it when you get to the park, it costs $199.  We ordered it ahead of time and saved $30.  It's still quite a bit of money, but it's important to break down what exactly you get in the Memory Maker package.

Before I go any further, I want to give a huge shoutout to my cousin, Sam, who kindly sent me some of his Memory Maker photos to use for this post, as I don't have any yet.  He said I can use any of the ones he sent me, so you're going to see some amazing pictures of him and his friends.

First, one of the biggest ways you're going to use Memory Maker is with character experiences.  You simply tap your Magicband against the sensor or use the card they give you if you don't have a Magicband, and it will automatically sync up the photos to your account for you to download later.  Instead of just having the posed character pictures, however, they start taking photos right away, which results is some wonderful candid shots that may be better than the posed photos.  You can see that in the photo of Sam with Woody and Bo-Peep, it's just them joking around and talking.  If you have kids, this is the perfect way to capture their reaction to meeting their favorite character for the first time.  Even if you don't have kids, it's a great way to capture some magical moments.

Memory Maker also includes something called "magic shots".  In these photos, Disney adds in little animated characters or features to your photo.  It might seem strange reacting to something that's not there, but once you see the completed product, it's so worth it.  You can see that in the photo with Sam and his friends reacting to Lumiere appearing to hang out with them.  There's a wide range of characters who they can add to your photos, depending on where you are in the park.  Magic shots also include adding different features to the photos, not just characters.  In Pandora, you can have banshees fly above your head.  They can also add Mickey Mouse shaped balloons on Main Street, USA in Magic Kingdom.  Sam had snow added in his picture of him in front of Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom.  These magic shots really only work if you react to whatever is being added into the photo; if you don't, it just looks strange and out of place.

Scattered throughout the park is the opportunity to simply have wonderful, beautiful pictures taken.  This includes in front of famous locations (such as Spaceship Earth, Cinderella's Castle, the Tree of Life, etc) or just random places throughout the park.  This is a great opportunity to simply capture the magic of your trip to Disney World.  Simply look for a Disney cast member with a camera.

Now, if you're like me, you want to get the most out of your Memory Maker package.  Thankfully, Disney is one step ahead, and you can scope out where all the Memory Maker locations are in each park and even get walking directions to one you're interested in visiting simply by using the Disney World app.

When you open up the app, you'll get a screen that looks like this (at least this is what it looks like as of right now, I'm imagining once they get rid of boarding groups for Rise of the Resistance, the homescreen for the app will change.  You're going to want to click on the closeup of the map of Magic Kingdom.  This will bring you to the map of all the parks in Disney World.  The default is the wait times for the rides at Magic Kingdom, but you can easily switch it around.  If you can't figure out how, don't worry, I'm going to show you how to switch it up to different parks, including Disney Springs.

Once you see the map of Magic Kingdom, you're going to click on the top of the screen where it says "Wait Times", along with a little arrow pointing down.  This is a drop down menu with all sorts of options for you to pick.  There are plenty of types of maps for you to refer to in the app.  It's going to be your best friend on your trip, trust me.

Like I said before, the default for the maps is the wait times, but you can also see where various characters will be (along with what times), where restaurants are located (and if they utilize mobile ordering), various entertainers (not just shows, but also street performers), bathrooms, guest services, etc.  For today, we're going to select "PhotoPass", which is the same as Memory Maker.

You'll immediately see a screen like the one pictured to the right.  Each of the little geotags coordinates with a Memory Maker location in the park.  When you select a geotag, it will tell you what the Memory Maker will be, (ie: which character or what it is so you know if it's one you want to do).  If it says "Character Experience", that means it's a character who is regularly scheduled to be there.  Please note, some characters simply wander around, so you might not know they're going to be there because there's not schedule for them.  So, always keep your eyes open!  If the description says "attraction photos", then that is an in-ride photo, which I'm going to get into momentarily.

Now, just like the app defaults to wait times for rides and attractions, it also defaults to showing you all of the parks at once, with Magic Kingdom being the center point.  Instead of trying to zoom out and move the map all over the place to find another park, there's a way that the app will only show you one park at a time.

If you go back to the top of the map, next to where you can select the content of the map, there's a small button that says "Filter".  This is what you want to select.

Now, you're going to have all sorts of options.  In addition to the four parks in Disney World, you can also select Disney Springs, Galaxy's Edge (although those attractions also show up when you select Hollywood Studios), and even the Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon (although they don't appear with every type of map).  Simply select the park or location you want to focus on, and the map will appear.  It updates fairly often, so you'll have fairly accurate information, although it's not entirely full proof.

One aspect of Memory Maker I'm super excited to take advantage of are the ride photos.  I've always loved looking at photos of me on rides, but the photos are always so expensive, so we never get them.  With Memory Maker, they're already included.  The best part is that you don't need to stop anywhere to get them added to your account, there's a small RFID chip in your Magicband, so it will sense you on the ride and add the photos.  Now, if you know you took some photos, and they don't show up in your account, that's no problem.  Simply contact Memory Maker, tell them where the shot was taken, about what time and what you were wearing.  They'll find the photos and add them to your account.  You also might end up with some random peoples' photos on your account every once in a while.  It's not a perfect system...yet.

Anyway, back to the ride photos.  This is something I'm definitely looking forward to the most.  I did a little research, and to help you out, I've compiled a list of the various rides throughout Disney World that have in-ride photos, and I've even researched where the cameras are if you want to know and make sure you're looking in that general direction (if you don't want to know and want more of a candid shot, that's fine too).

Magic Kingdom
There are six rides in Magic Kingdom that include in-ride photos: Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (pictured above), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.

Space Mountain
The camera for Space Mountain is near the beginning of the ride.  At the end of the blast-off part/end of the star tunnel before you really start the ride, there is a camera.  The side that the camera on depends, however, as there are two different lines to get on the ride in the first place.

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
This camera is near the end of the ride.  You'll probably be so focused on scoring as many points as possible that you won't notice the camera.  In the room with the giant Zurg, you'll notice a flash come from Zurg; that's the camera.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
The Memory Maker experience on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a little different from other rides in Disney World.  First, there are two cameras.  On the left of the track right before you go down the big hill, that's where you'll find the first camera.  At the bottom of the hill, you'll see another camera.  In addition to the photos, you also get a video of you enjoying the ride, which should be amusing.  Verbolten in Busch Gardens Williamsburg has a similar video experience.

Splash Mountain
Unfortunately, Splash Mountain will be closed for its annual maintenance when we're in Disney World.  The photos from Splash Mountain, however, are some of the most famous.  People are known for bringing in all sorts of props and really having a blast with this one.  Simply Google "Splash Mountain photos" to see all sorts of them.  You won't be disappointed, I promise.  Predictably, the photos are taken on the big drop, about a third of the way down.  The drop is so quick, however, it's best to be prepared and ready for the entire duration of the drop.

Pirates of the Caribbean
This ride photo is fairly new, as it was added in 2017.  This camera is located at the beginning of the ride.  As you ride, you'll see a skeleton steering a ship.  The camera is located in the talking skull on the side of the boat, just to the left of your ride vehicle.

Haunted Mansion
This is another fairly new ride photo.  And when I say fairly new, I mean it was added in April of 2019, so it's not even a year old.  This photo is taken near the beginning of the ride.  After boarding your doombuggy, you'll enter a room plagued with lightning and with paintings on one side.  The last two photos are of a horseman and Medusa, and these are where the camera is.  The flash is hidden by the lightning, so you won't even realize it's taking your picture.

Epcot
Unfortunately, Epcot only offers two ride photos (but there are tons of other Memory Maker spots throughout Future World and the pavillions).  The first is Test Track, which will, unfortunately, be closed when we're there (I'm really upset about this).  The second is Frozen Ever After.

Test Track
After designing and testing your car, your car will go on a test drive.  Once you get outside, you'll go down a little hill.  Immediately after the hill, the camera is to the right of the track.

Frozen Ever After
When they replaced Maelstrom with Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion, they didn't change a whole lot in terms of the track.  Your boat will go down a small drop, and that's where the camera is located (think of it like a super small Splash Mountain, just without the splash...or the racist undertones).

Hollywood Studios
In Hollywood Studios, there are three rides that have in ride photos: Tower of Terror, Rock'n'Roller Coaster and Slinky Dog Dash.  I'm curious to see if they'll add one to either Smuggler's Run or Rise of the Resistance; one can dream.

Tower of Terror
Bryan and I have decided not to ride Tower of Terror (why ride it when we live it every time we get into the super sketchy elevator in his apartment building?)  When you get to the top of the elevator shaft, the doors open, giving you a wonderful view of the park.  Moments later, you're dropping at a rate faster than gravity (that's right, the cables pull your car down at a rate faster than you would if you were free falling).  So, make sure you smile, or at least try to conceal your nerves to the best of your ability.

Rock'n'Roller Coaster
Honestly, I think Rock'n'Roller Coaster gives you the best chance for a candid ride photo.  Immediately after your limo is launched (that's right, it's a launch roller coaster), you get your photo taken.  You're so wrapped up in the launch and the blaring music, you don't really have time to react.  This leads to incredibly amusing photos.  Last time we went to Disney World, we almost bought the photo for this ride, since my dad's face was hilarious.  Needless to say, he didn't enjoy the ride very much, and his face gave that away.  I wish we had that photo.

Slinky Dog Dash
It's kind of hard to describe where the camera is for Slinky Dog Dash.  After the second launch, you go over four mini hills, followed by a u-turn to the left, then a turn to the right.  When Slinky gets ready to turn right, get ready, because that's where your picture will be taken!

Animal Kingdom
Just like Epcot, there are only two rides in Animal Kingdom that have in ride photos: Expedition Everest and Dinosaur.

Expedition Everest
Part of Expedition Everest includes going backwards after you discover that the yeti has ripped up part of the track (oh no!).  Right after you start going forward again, you go down a big drop.  This is where the camera is located, just to the right of the track.

Dinosaur

I still can't believe Bryan is dragging me on this awful ride.  I keep telling him that the only consolation for me is the fact that he'll get a nice picture of my death for a keepsake.  The facial expressions on this ride are hilarious.  Just like Rock'n'Roller Coaster, it's the perfect opportunity for some wonderful (and terrifying) candid shots.  When the dinosaur charges at you from the right (why am I going on this ride again?), the camera is located up and to the right to get your reaction to the terrifying dinosaur.  I mean, look at it!  I'm thoroughly convinced that this ride will in fact be the death of me.

So, that's it; an overview of Memory Maker, along with a crash course on how to use the app.  I can't believe we only have two more pre-trip Walt Disney Wednesdays left, but, like I said, I have a few ideas for post-trip Walt Disney Wednesdays, so these will be around for a little while longer.  Next week, I'm going to talk about all the Disney movies Bryan and I have watched to prepare for this trip.  I don't think we'll be 100% done with all of them yet, but we're getting pretty close (yay!).  Until next week!