Advantages of the Disney Memory Maker

Advantages of the Disney Memory Maker

Disney Memory Maker is a convenient way to document your Walt Disney World vacation with photos and videos. Have access to professionally taken photos during your vacation to print them out, edit, order copies and to share!

Advantages of the Disney Memory Maker:

• Select ride photos and videos- capture your party's excitement or even fear  during certain attractions. No need to rush off the ride to see your photo or pay extra to have one printed out, it will be available in your My Disney Experience account.
• Magic Shots- the photographer will position your party in certain ways then Disney magic will add a character to your photo. Who doesn't want a photo holding Tinker Bell or being scared by Stitch. Magic Shot locations can be found here: Epcot- behind Spaceship Earth, Disney's Hollywood Studios-Hollywood Boulevard, Epcot- Norway Pavilion and Disney's Animal Kingdom- on the bridge near Expedition Everest.
• Unlimited downloads of all your Disney PhotoPass photos and videos- you can download and print as many copies as you want of your photos and videos. You can even add boarders and stickers to personalize your photos. Share away, you have the rights to your photos.

• Picture quality- professional photographers equipped with digital SLRs take your photos with the perfect photo settings. No more worrying about if you need to use the flash or not or how the photo will turn out in low lighting. No asking strangers to take photos on your phone that maybe they aren't familiar with and ending up with blurry or cut off photos. Get vibrant, clear photos that are perfect for larger prints.
• Everyone is apart of the picture- no more photos with someone from your party missing or having to track down someone to take your picture. Everyone is included, every time. Want a photo of just the kids then one of everyone? Done. Disney's photographers are accommodating to your requests. 

Cost: 

• Advance purchase- $149.00 
• You can activate and start using Memory Maker three days after purchase. Purchase is nonrefundable.
• Immediate start- $169.00
• Begin downloading photos immediately. Purchase is nonrefundable.

The Long and Short of It

I saw this quote recently and it stopped me in my tracks.

"The days are long, but the years are short" - Gretchen Rubin 

As a mom to two young daughters, I'm acutely aware of how true those words are. Sometimes the days seem endless, don't they?

Diapers. Tantrums. Spilled food. Homework. Chores. "Tween" drama.

By the end of the day, I'm exhausted. Ready to collapse in my bed only to wake in six hours to do it all over again. Yes, some days can be really l-o-n-g.

But the years? Oh man, the years go by so fast.

I recently got a new computer and decided I'd try to organize some of my digital photos. I chose a random year - 2008 - and began what I thought would be a tedious task. Instead, I found myself captivated by each photo.

My 9 year old was only 4 then and my two year old hadn't even been born yet. I saw photos of preschool, apple-picking, Santa visits, and a trip to the Magic Kingdom. She was so young and small compared to the young lady of today who loves fractions, Instagram and painting crazy designs on her fingernails.

My daughter in 2008, age 4

Looking at the photos, I don't remember the daily frustrations I invariably felt as a new mom. Instead, I found myself cherishing the feelings of nostalgia and remembering how quickly everything seemed to happen.

I love that I have a little time capsule on my computer. (Note: I realize these photos really should be in photo books or in frames displayed in my home, but that's another post for another time).

Ask any parent and they'll nod their heads in agreement - sometimes the days are unbearably long, but the years are most definitely short. 

My husband and I have resolved to buy less things for our girls and try to give them more experiences. Memories they can treasure and take with them out into the world. We try to travel as much as we can, even if it's just quick day trips to surrounding towns and cities. We're not really souvenir people, but we do take a bunch of photos in a futile attempt to capture the magic of the experience forever.

One thing I've realized is that no matter how hard we try to stop time - and I think we all try to do this at some point - we can't fight the inevitable. Time will pass whether we're paying attention or not. So I'm trying my hardest to be grateful for each day (however long!) and hope that in the end, I'll look back fondly and cherish the years.

What do you think? Do you agree? What special magical moments come to mind when you look back over the years?

Nemo's Been Found! Now Where's Mom?

Think about your family photos.

Now be honest, moms. How many of these pictures are YOU in?

I've had some phone trouble lately. So while I wait for my replacement phone to be ready, I decided to download all 1,648 photos to my computer. I couldn't believe how many pictures were on my phone!

What's even more amazing is that I'm only in a handful of these pictures. Same for the memory card on my digital camera. How could this happen? I'm pretty much the family historian. I'm the dutiful one at school plays, spring concerts and swim lessons with my camera set in my hand, ready to point and shoot. I'm the one with shoeboxes full of photos (yet to be sorted). And yet, I'm not in these pictures. Isn't that the way when we're on vacation, too? Usually the one parent wielding the camera is the one missing from most of the family photos. Am I talking about you?

Disney's PhotoPass Makes Sure Everyone Gets in the Shot

When you're on vacation, there are so many things to do, including charging your phone or camera battery. Wouldn't it be nice if you could have all your family memories captured by someone else? Wouldn't it also be nice to have the whole family in one shot - including mom!

Disney's PhotoPass+ might be a good option to consider. For a one-time fee paid in advance of your trip, all your memories can be captured and available on a CD. Now you can actually enjoy watching your child meet Mickey for the first time without fumbling for your phone, your camera or, worse, a replacement battery.

It's pretty seamless. You give the pass to the Disney photographers (and they're everywhere!), they'll snap some shots and hand the pass back to you. You can do this with character greetings, while dining, at the resorts, and even on some attractions.

In fact, if you've ever had your photo taken on rides like Splash Mountain, rather than purchase the picture right there - which can be kind of costly, you can just add it to your PhotoPass and it will appear on your CD.

This video gives a great overview of Disney's PhotoPass+

If it's something you want to consider for your next trip, just let us know. We'll work out the details so your family photographs will show something really special. Finally, they'll show the happy, smiling faces of everyone in your family.