Disney PhotoPass Pros and Cons: Is Memory Maker Worth It?
June 24, 2013
Last updated: October 2026
Quick Answer: Disney PhotoPass is Disney’s professional photography service, with photographers at more than 175 locations around Walt Disney World and cameras on 15 attractions. Having your photos taken is free, and you pay to download them. At Disney World, Memory Maker downloads every PhotoPass photo and video from your trip for $185 when you buy it at least 3 days ahead ($210 otherwise), or $85 for a single day. Disneyland works differently, since Lightning Lane Multi Pass there includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads from that park day. For most families planning character meals and greetings, Memory Maker is worth it (especially if Mom is usually the one behind the camera).
I first wrote this post in 2013, after trying PhotoPass+ on a trip to Disneyland. Back then you got a plastic card on a lanyard, a voucher you had to trade in at a shop on Main Street, and a CD of your photos after the trip. (Yes, a CD.) Almost none of that exists anymore, so this post needed a real update.
What hasn’t changed is the reason PhotoPass exists. Someone in your family is always behind the camera, and it’s usually Mom. Disney’s photographers solve that problem, and the question families ask us is the same one I asked back then: is it worth paying for?
What Is Disney PhotoPass?
Disney PhotoPass Service places professional photographers at the iconic spots in every park: in front of the castle, at character greetings, at the Tree of Life, and dozens of other places. Walt Disney World has more than 175 PhotoPass locations, plus ride cameras on 15 attractions. Most photographers wear green shirts, so they’re easy to find.
Getting your photo taken costs nothing. The photographer scans your MagicBand, your phone, your park ticket, or a free PhotoPass card, and your photos show up in the My Disney Experience app within minutes (Magic Shots, the ones with characters or effects added, can take up to 24 hours). Looking at your photos is free, too. What you pay for is downloading them.
How Much Does PhotoPass Cost at Disney World?
At Walt Disney World, the download package is called Memory Maker. It includes every PhotoPass photo and video taken of you and your linked family and friends for 30 days from activation.
| Option | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Maker (bought at least 3 days ahead) | $185 | All photos and videos for 30 days |
| Memory Maker (bought later) | $210 | All photos and videos for 30 days |
| Memory Maker One Day | $85 | All photos and videos from one day |
| Annual Pass photo add-on | $109 plus tax | All photos for the year your pass is valid |
A few details matter as much as the price. One purchase covers photos of up to 25 people on your Family & Friends list who share photos with you, so the whole group is covered as long as everyone is linked. Photos expire 45 days after they’re taken, which means downloading them should be one of the first things you do after you get home. The advance price also comes with a catch: photos taken within 3 days of your purchase aren’t included, so buy it well before your trip rather than the night before.
There’s one more perk that surprises people. At Disney World, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Premier Pass include digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos from that day. If you’re buying Multi Pass for every park day (our Lightning Lane guide explains when that makes sense), your ride photos are already covered, and Memory Maker becomes a decision about character and park photos.
How Does PhotoPass Work at Disneyland?
Disneyland handles PhotoPass differently. Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which starts at $35 per person per day, includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads from your park day, along with PhotoPass Lenses for augmented-reality photo effects. Disney PhotoPass+ One Day is the other option, and it adds select dining photos. Attraction photos are also free to download right now on Space Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy, the Incredicoaster, and Radiator Springs Racers.
If you were already planning to buy Multi Pass for your Disneyland days (and most families should), PhotoPass is built in. Choosing between the two coasts for a first visit? Our Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World guide walks through it.
Not sure which add-ons are worth it for your family? We’ll tell you what to buy (and what to skip) when we build your plan.
The Pros of Disney PhotoPass
Everyone is finally in the picture. This is the big one. Without PhotoPass, the family photo album is missing whoever held the phone, and years later you notice.
The photos are better than yours. Disney’s photographers know the angles, the light, and exactly where to stand so the castle doesn’t sprout out of someone’s head.
You get shots you can’t take yourself. Magic Shots add characters and effects to your photos. Tiny World Magic Shots use 360-degree cameras at Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, the Tree of Life, and Toy Story Land, and Super Zoom videos are filmed from high above the castle, Galaxy’s Edge, the Tree of Life, and Spaceship Earth.
It reminds you to stop. I noticed this on that first PhotoPass trip. Places we would have walked right past became moments, because we were looking for the photographers.
One package covers a lot. Character photos from more than 40 character experiences, ride photos, and park photos all come with Memory Maker, which is a lot of value if you plan to use it.
The Cons of Disney PhotoPass
It isn’t cheap. At $185 or more, Memory Maker is a real line item on an already expensive trip. Families who only stop for a few photos won’t get their money’s worth.
Photo spots have lines. The castle photo spot in the middle of the day can have a line of its own, and that time comes straight out of your park day.
Quality varies. Most of our photos have been lovely, but you’ll get a few duds. On that 2013 trip, a couple came back with harsh shadows or washed out by the flash.
Ride cameras don’t always work. We rode Radiator Springs Racers twice on that Disneyland trip, and the camera was down both times. Attraction photos are a bonus, not a guarantee.
You have to remember to download. With a 45-day expiration, it’s easy to come home, get busy, and lose photos you paid for.
Is Memory Maker Worth It?
Here’s how we think about it with our families.
Memory Maker is worth it if you have three or more park days, you’re planning character meals or greetings, you have little ones (whose faces will look different by next year), or you’re celebrating something. If you’re tired of being the person who is never in the photos, that alone may be reason enough.
One Day is the better buy if your trip has one photo-heavy day (a castle day, a birthday, a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique morning) and the rest is about rides. At $85, it’s less than half the price of the full package.
You can skip it if you’re adults on a short, ride-focused trip, or you’re buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass every day and mostly care about ride photos.
The quick math helps, too. Since One Day costs $85, using PhotoPass on three or more days makes the full $185 package the better deal. Still deciding how long to stay? Start with how many days you need at Disney World.
Want More Than Snapshots?
For a milestone trip, Disney World also offers private sessions. Capture Your Moment is a 20-minute photo session for $99, available in all four parks. Signature Portrait Sessions at select Disney resort hotels run 40 minutes for $399 and include retouching and downloads.
Want great photos without the guesswork? We’ll build your days around the moments you want to remember.
Disney PhotoPass FAQ
Yes. Having your photos taken by a PhotoPass photographer and viewing them in the My Disney Experience app is free. You pay to download them, through Memory Maker at Walt Disney World or Lightning Lane Multi Pass or PhotoPass+ One Day at Disneyland.
Memory Maker costs $185 when purchased at least 3 days in advance and $210 otherwise. The One Day version costs $85 and covers one day of photos and videos.
At Walt Disney World, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Premier Pass include digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos from that day. Disneyland is more generous: Lightning Lane Multi Pass there includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads from your park day.
Yes. Once Memory Maker is linked to your account, you can download photos of up to 25 people on your Family & Friends list who share photos with you.
PhotoPass photos expire 45 days after they are taken. Download everything soon after your trip so nothing is lost.
For most families with three or more park days, character meals, or young children, yes. If you only want photos from one special day, Memory Maker One Day is the better value.
The Bottom Line
PhotoPass has changed a lot since I first tried it, and mostly for the better. No cards to trade in and no CDs in the mail, just photos in your app before you’ve left the park. For families who plan character moments and want everyone in the picture, Memory Maker is one of the few add-ons we recommend almost every time. The key is planning for it, so you get the photos without giving up your ride time.
Let’s plan a Disney trip with photos you’ll treasure (and the whole family in them).
Prices and details in this post come from Disney’s official Walt Disney World and Disneyland websites and are subject to change, so we always confirm current details before booking.
About the Author: Sabrina Tinius is a Disney strategy specialist and founder of The Enchanted Traveler, an EarMarked by Disney Authorized Travel Agency. Since 2012, she and her team of travel advisors have built custom Disney vacations and handled every detail of travel for thousands of families.
