Walt Disney World adds video to Memory Maker

August 13, 2014, 3:03 PM · If you've visited the Walt Disney World Resort in the past year, you've likely been pitched to add the "Memory Maker" photo option to your vacation package. Think of Memory Maker as an unlimited PhotoPass — for $199 ($149 if bought at least three days in advance) you get unlimited photos by Disney's PhotoPass photographers, all uploaded to your My Disney Experience [MDE] account. In addition, Disney now includes attraction photos in the Memory Maker package at no additional charge, with Disney using your MagicBand's RFID tag to associate your attraction photos to your MDE account on the fly.

But while still photos provide a nice way to remember your vacation, many visitors love to have video of their trip, as well. Now, in the latest addition to the MyMagic+ system, Disney's adding a customized video benefit to the Memory Maker package — an on-ride snippet of subscribing visitors on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Here's Disney promo video for the new feature:

The video automatically will upload to your MDE account, if you've bought Memory Maker and you're wearing your associated MagicBand while you ride. Any linked "Family & Friends" and "Managed Guests" on your MDE account will also be able to view and share the video, too.

Have you bought Memory Maker? If so, what did you think of it? If you haven't bought it before, would adding video like this help convince you to get it?

Replies (7)

August 13, 2014 at 3:18 PM · "Have you bought Memory Maker? If so, what did you think of it? If you haven't bought it before, would adding video like this help convince you to get it?"

Yes, I loved it, but I felt there were two negatives.

On occasion, I lost photos. Some surly photographers or photo clerks would insist that some in my party are linked together when that isn't the case at all times. I would lose photos as a result. One time, a guy said the other person in my ride photo was my wife and she already gotten the photo. I was speechless. I asked him to put it on my MagicBand anyways and he reluctantly did it. (Dumb-ass)

The problem is MagicMaker says only one person is the designated user and when there are other persons linked with your account, it is hard to know if the photo transferred to your account if the photographer insists on swiping the non-designated user. This is a known bug.

Certainly adding video is a good idea. The one place where I thought so was Epcot's Spaceship Earth. The ride video featured your photo. I thought when I entered my email address at the end of the video, I would get the version that I saw in the ride. No, I just got a standard video. Some good video moments are the Test Track race, meeting a princess, and the safari ride.

August 13, 2014 at 3:27 PM · this is so cool! I bought memory maker to use at SWW this year and I took TONS of photos, so to me it was totally worth the hefty price rage!
August 13, 2014 at 3:36 PM · Sound more like Money Maker to me.
August 13, 2014 at 11:21 PM · I never saw the value in this service. We bring our own cameras; why do we need a Disney photographer? Although we never have a problem asking one of the Photopass guys to take our picture.
August 14, 2014 at 6:20 AM · Dammit this is WDW and if you know to the minute 6 months in advance when you are going on Splash Mountain, you are dang sure going to have your video taken while you do it!!! Cash cow....
(I am getting so cynical in my old age :-))
August 14, 2014 at 7:52 AM · Well, here's one way that Disney sees how they can get people to use Magic Bands. I expect this is the first of many examples in driving more revenue from the parks.

For me, it's just not worth the cost.

August 15, 2014 at 4:51 AM · The more I see how Disney is using MyMagic+ and the Magicbands, the more I'm impressed with the investment that they've made with the system. It looks like Disney is trying to turn the theme park experience into something similar to the cruising experience. Pay one price (albeit a huge price) and you get food, lodging, transportation, entertainment, pictures and video, leisure, and side adventures.

This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.

Park tickets

Weekly newsletter

New attraction reviews

News archive