Memory Maker Opinions

[VTdisneytravel]

Hello everyone. I know I ask a lot of questions, I am very obsessive compulsive and like to PLAN PLAN PLAN... With that being said, Disney is seriously trying to pressure me into this Memory Maker plan. What is everyone's thoughts on this? It seems like a good idea at first glance, but then I think:

#1) that there must be lines for this (as a ton of people probably do it)
#2) I also wonder if there are a lot of "spots" for photos
#3) Lastly, I think it will most likely be more time consuming to have someone else take your photo than just taking your own photo?

The cost doesn't bother me, but the time & waiting would. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[cbettua]

It may take up a bit more of your time to stop and take a picture or maybe wait 1-2 minutes. I still feel it is way worth it though. Do you already stop at characters? If so, these pictures will be taken there. You also get ride photos, and video on the mine train.

At the end of our trip we had over 800 photos and I didn't feel we wasted any time doing it. Plenty of spots, not much of a wait.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Also consider, if you are planning to meet any of the characters, the photographers will often take the candid (non-posed pictures) of you first walking up to the characters, the hugs, the initial reactions... WAY more photos than just the single posed photo you'd get if you handed them your camera.

If you have the My Disney Experience, you can actually see where all the PhotoPass photographers are (Click on the "Guest Services" tab along the top then scroll down to "Disney Photo Pass Service"). They are really EVERYWHERE and you can be sure if there is an area where lots of people stop to take a picture anyway, there is probably a PhotoPass person there to take pics too. On top of that, if it's a really popular area to take pics (like in front of major park icons), they'll most certainly have multiple photographers keeping lines to a minimum.

 

[RinkaDink]

I've stopped carrying my camera to the park, because of PhotoPass. (I still have my cell phone for candid shots) The PhotoPass folks have better cameras, they have primo spots set up, and their cameras are set for the lighting at night. Besides that, they are nice people. I've NEVER had a negative experience with a PhotoPass Castmember.

IMO - If you do the rides that have ride photos, it is worth going with the Memory Maker
- Space Mountain® Attraction
- Splash Mountain® Attraction
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin® Attraction
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
- Rock ‘n Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
- Expedition Everest® Attraction
- Dinosaur Attraction
- Test Track® Attraction

I like being able to have ALL the pictures after my trip. I make a point of stopping to pose every now and then.

On some trips, I have also opted NOT to purchase Memory Maker, and instead, in the week or two after my trip, I went online and made a photo book on the PhotoPass website, which ran me about 90 bucks, utilizing the PhotoPass photos.

The wait is only a minute or two.

 

[MissingDisney]

Totally worth it, in our opinion. Lines are minimal and it only takes a second. Magic shots are way cool, especially with kids, and you can spend days editing, adding borders, cropping, etc. to make them your perfect pictures. No comparison to just getting one photo taken with your own camera. If the cost is not an issue, DO!

 

[RKSteel]

Well worth it. Had it free last year during our trip and I am going to pay for it for our trip in June. Cannot beat the pictures you get from the CMs, or the ride pictures. Now we pose for the ride cameras since we will actually have the pics.

 

[Mr Toad]

I decided not to get memory maker last year. A miss on my part. She we go back in 2017, we will have it. One less thing to worry about.

 

[andy773]

We were there in February and a couple times when entering one of the parks, the first photographer you would run into would have a small line (1, maybe 2 families) so we would keep going only to find that 30 feet later there was another photographer with no one there.

Also, you get the on-ride videos from Tower of Terror and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Ours were hysterical.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Just to give the flip side of the coin - for my family, it was not worth it. Although we did end up with over 150 Memorymaker pictures, most of the photos we took (or had CMs or the photographers take) with my Canon Powershot were clearer and better than the Memorymaker/Photopass photographs. The on-ride photos were cool, but they don't turn out to be very clear (and in one case, they didn't turn out at all -- the CM just shrugged and said the flash must not have worked properly) so you can't exactly frame them for the mantle. Also, no stock photos are included in Memorymaker, so when I went to create a souvenir photo book afterwards, I had to spend a lot of time searching for some online. We didn't attempt, or want, any magic shots -- just a personal preference, as we're not fans of them. All in all, Memorymaker was fun to try once, but I don't consider the expense to have been worth what we got in return -- we could have used the same money to spend another night in our hotel, dine at a signature restaurant, buy an even better camera, or pay somebody's airfare home!

 

[Lord_Vader]

We feel that MM is definitely worth the price, high as it may be. The photos they take are generally good, some are great while some are just okay but we'll take them all. If you and your family is willing to take the extra few moments to stop and have your photos taken, capture the moment then it is worth paying for but use it as much as you can and don't be shy to ask for MagicShots too.

The MagicShots insert various characters or scenes into your pictures and include Stitch, Mickey Balloons, Simba, Anna & Elsa, Sabastion and many, many more. This link (http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/wdw/parks/photopass_magic_shots.html) has some good examples of them.

The videos that now appear as part of the MM package are great, certain attractions including ToT and 7DMT include little videos and we were photo bombed (via video) by Baymax in DHS last Christmas.

 

[grim-grinning_toast]

Honestly, I purchased MemoryMaker once (in September) and I still receive all of my ride photos on my account moments after I exit the ride...

You're essentially paying for the ride photos, as you would receive the character photos as part of the free Photopass with or without the MemoryMaker option. With the pictures in front of the castle, character meet and greets (aka, all of the free options), you just take the photo and then they place this little machine against your magicband, you feel a tiny vibration, and it is almost instantly uploaded to your My Disney Experience account. The lines are usually minimal (unless you're waiting to meet a Princess, of course!)

I'm not sure if there's a glitch on my magic band, but having the ride photos makes it SO worth the price!!

 

[Lord_Vader]

Honestly, I purchased MemoryMaker once (in September) and I still receive all of my ride photos on my account moments after I exit the ride...

You're essentially paying for the ride photos, as you would receive the character photos as part of the free Photopass with or without the MemoryMaker option. With the pictures in front of the castle, character meet and greets (aka, all of the free options), you just take the photo and then they place this little machine against your magicband, you feel a tiny vibration, and it is almost instantly uploaded to your My Disney Experience account. The lines are usually minimal (unless you're waiting to meet a Princess, of course!)

I'm not sure if there's a glitch on my magic band, but having the ride photos makes it SO worth the price!!

The ride uploads are automatic now with MagicBands. You can always look at your photos with the free Photopass but you have to purchase the downloads/prints individually if you want to keep them.

 

[KTaylor]

Quick question...if I purchase the MemoryMaker under my resort reservation can other family members have access to the pictures or would we have to purchase one for each room? Our reservations are all linked through My Disney Experience. Thanks in advance!

 

[R. Mexico]

For me personally, this is one expense that i skip. I mean $170 is a ton of $$$$ for pictures. I bring my small camera and get really good pictures of my boys at characters/character dining and such.

 

[disneygirl76]

Hello everyone. I know I ask a lot of questions, I am very obsessive compulsive and like to PLAN PLAN PLAN... With that being said, Disney is seriously trying to pressure me into this Memory Maker plan. What is everyone's thoughts on this? It seems like a good idea at first glance, but then I think:

#1) that there must be lines for this (as a ton of people probably do it)
#2) I also wonder if there are a lot of "spots" for photos
#3) Lastly, I think it will most likely be more time consuming to have someone else take your photo than just taking your own photo?

The cost doesn't bother me, but the time & waiting would. Anyone have any experience with this?

One of my most precious souveniers from trips to Disney World is the pictures. When it was Photo Pass, and then Photo Pass +, we always got those and now as Memory Maker, we wouldn't travel without getting it. I think the biggest line I run into is on Main Street but there are several photographers and we never wait long. Maybe only have to one, maybe two families while they are taking their pics. There are several spots - there's actually a magic shot thread on where you can get those magic shots. I will say, one on trip, in Feb of 2013, I had a tough time finding the photographers. But that was the only time we had trouble. I like to not have to bother with my big camera or taking pics - I let Disney do the work for me now.

 

[DisneyGigi]

I love it, same as I did with photopass CD, Memorymaker has even more opportunities with photos and videos. We end up with so many photos it ends up being a few cents each. Would not go without it.

 

[Lord_Vader]

For me personally, this is one expense that i skip. I mean $170 is a ton of $$$$ for pictures. I bring my small camera and get really good pictures of my boys at characters/character dining and such.

$170 for all the photos you can have taken plus all the ride videos/photos is inexpensive. Many of the photo pass photographers are good at their jobs, most take good pictures.

We typically have 300-400 hundred shots plus the videos after a vacation making each photo cost less than fifty cents which in my eyes is a bargain.

 

[gooftroop5]

I'm going to also recommend it! I know CMs will use your camera to take pictures, but only a few. My kids love meeting characters and I love seeing all the candids that the CMs take with photopass. I am always too busy enjoying the moment to worry about taking pictures so I leave it up to the CMs. We come home with hundreds of pictures and these moments are captured forever. We utilize photopass as much as possible (used to order the CD before memory maker). Looking back over the years makes me so glad I always got the CD and now memory maker. Kids are only kids for a short time!

 

[sxeensweet]

It may take up a bit more of your time to stop and take a picture or maybe wait 1-2 minutes. I still feel it is way worth it though. Do you already stop at characters? If so, these pictures will be taken there. You also get ride photos, and video on the mine train.

At the end of our trip we had over 800 photos and I didn't feel we wasted any time doing it. Plenty of spots, not much of a wait.

You get video on Tower of Terror too, and any new ones they will come out with in the future.
There was a few short lines for some spots but it does not take long. I would highly reccomend it! Just ride photos/videos alone if you pay for them oop can add up quickly and go over the cost of just purchasing the memory maker.

 

[R. Mexico]

$170 for all the photos you can have taken plus all the ride videos/photos is inexpensive. Many of the photo pass photographers are good at their jobs, most take good pictures.

We typically have 300-400 hundred shots plus the videos after a vacation making each photo cost less than fifty cents which in my eyes is a bargain.

Yeah i guess that is a decent deal. I do love my photos but this is something I would probably not get. Saves me some $$$ and helps me save to go to WDW on a yearly basis instead of once every other or every 3 years. Like driving down. Much more cumbersome but really saves so much $$$.