Making Memories

Making Memories…

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m guilty of being the one BEHIND the camera and not being in any of my family vacation pictures.  In fact, if you were to look back through the thousands of my family photos taken over the years while at Walt Disney World you might not believe I was on any the trips!  Have you ever come back from a vacation only to look back through your pictures and realize that you are not in any of them either?  Is someone in your family also the DP (“designated photographer”) and missing from your vacation memories?  In hindsight, I really wish I had have been in more of the pictures to be part of the memories captured on film or by a digital camera.  It seems that the only pictures we had of the entire family were ones taken by random strangers who offered to assist and they often came out blurry or with heads cut out of the picture.  I think all of us at some time have found some of these pictures in our collections.

For these reasons and more, I was a fan of Disney’s PhotoPass service when they debuted it years ago.  It allowed all of us to get in on the magic and create vacation memories that we would treasure forever, but purchasing individual pictures was expensive and time consuming.  I am happy to say that those days are gone and Disney has now “rebranded” their PhotoPass service at Walt Disney World.  It is now called “Memory Maker”, a very fitting name in my opinion, and it’s EVERYWHERE at Walt Disney World.  It seems like you can’t turn a corner or walk into a store without seeing one of the Memory Maker displays offering the opportunity for you to purchase the Memory Maker service. 

What is Memory Maker you ask?  It’s Disney’s answer to the always-missing family photographer and/or the stranger-masquerading-as-family-photographer problems.  Disney has “PhotoPass” photographers all over the theme parks, ready to take your pictures and capture those perfect shots (including some magical surprises!)  Memory Maker allows guests to have everyone in the picture, and to link them to their DisneyExperience account so that friends and family can view them (if you allow for sharing.)  The Memory Maker service is 100% digital and it allows for unlimited downloading of photos from the day the pictures are taken until the photos expire (which is 45 days after they are taken.)  Also, you can collect pictures for up to 30 days after your vacation begins, so if you have an extended park visit you have plenty of time to gather those memories. 

How does it work?  When you see a PhotoPass photographer, have them take your picture(s).  Then touch your MagicBand or Memory Maker Card to the photographer’s electronic card reader to link the pictures to your DisneyExperience account.    It’s that simple!  There are PhotoPass photographers located at hundreds of locations throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, including almost all of the “flagship” locations. The Memory Maker even includes pictures taken at select attraction and dining locations.  You can also customize these pictures with borders and stickers, crop them, and/or make them black & white.  By purchasing the Memory Maker you get the digital rights to have these printed at any location you would like. Who knows? You may just find that perfect family picture for your holiday cards!  Be sure to ask your DreamFinder agent for more information on using the Memory Maker service.  We have lots of tips and information we can offer you on getting the most out of using the service.

 

Memory Maker can be added to your Magic Your Way Package in advance of arrival for $149 (a $50 savings), or you can purchase it after you arrive for $199.  Want to get your Memory Maker included with your Disney trip for free?  Book your vacation by April 20, 2014, for travel between now and June 15^th or between August 15 – September 30, 2014, and not only will you get great savings on your resort stay, but the Memory Maker feature is included for FREE!  There are also other great promotional discounts available for summer travel between June 15^th and August 28, 2014 as well.  Contact DreamFinder Travel today for more information or to get your complimentary, no-obligation pricing quote. 

Time is precious and passes so quickly, and making memories with friends and family is important.  So while visiting Walt Disney World last week for the Flower & Garden Festival I added the Memory Maker to my account.  I took full advantage of taking as many pictures as I could with my friends and my family.  Now instead of being just the face BEHIND the camera, I am now in the picture too, and as a result have many great memories to treasure.  No more missing out on being included, and wishing that I had taken the time to be in the pictures.  Guess what!  I even found a friend who “popped” up into one of my pictures    (you never know where some Disney magic may appear!)