Memory Maker Questions

[chrisd68]

I hope someone can provide help regarding MM.

My family and I are staying off site for 14 nights next month and are considering purchasing MM for the first time, however, we have a few questions:

1) Is there any benefit in me upgrading my admission RFID card to a Magic Band? (The MM will be purchased against my MDE account and the rest of the family are on my family and friends list).

2) If we split up in the park can another member of my family use their own RFID card to have photos taken with photographers and on ride photos uploaded to my MM / MDE account?

3) Do you always have to ask the photographers for a Magic Shot?

4) As I wouldn't be able to use my RFID card when I'm in the water parks, I assume I could take the small photo pass card the photographers give you in the park and link this to MM?

5) When I return home will I be able to manipulate the photos i.e add borders, create magic shots etc?

Apologies for so many questions but I just want make sure that MM is worth purchasing.

 

[fireworksandfairytales]

I worked in Camera Center at Epcot last year when Memory Maker was first rolled out and as far as my memory serves me;
1) I don't see why it would be necessary or beneficial to purchase a magic band other than the convenience of having it right on your wrist.
2) everyone's photos in your friends/family list will be in one place for memory maker.
3) you usually don't have to ask a photographer for a magic shot, normally they'll tell you to do a special pose and when you see the picture you'll realize it's a magic shot. but, if you want to ensure that you get several magic shots, I don't see any harm in asking the photographer to do so.
4) not 100% sure about this, but i believe so? if not, this would be one time where having a magic band would come in handy because magic bands are waterproof so you could easily wear it around the water parks.
5) yes to manipulating the photos and adding borders and doing all sorts of fun editing, but I don't believe you can create your own magic shots.

I hope this helps! Have a great vacation!

 

[MatamanKrungle]

We're staying off-site in a few months, and I am also wondering about MM as I've been very confused about it too. As far as I know, there is somewhat of a benefit to having a MB. I think on-ride videos and photos can only be received via MB, and from what I understand those are quite fun to have. I have not been to WDW since the on-ride videos have been introduced, but I know I'd definitely like to take advantage of everything MM has to offer. Correct me if I'm wrong on this more knowledgable folk.

 

[4disneylovers]

I will say when we were there in June the photographers were not providing magic shots as much as previously. The only ones I got I asked for and we were there 16 days. Don't be afraid to ask unless they are on tripod. They can't do magic shots on tripod.

 

[catmom46]

I hope someone can provide help regarding MM.

My family and I are staying off site for 14 nights next month and are considering purchasing MM for the first time, however, we have a few questions:

1) Is there any benefit in me upgrading my admission RFID card to a Magic Band? (The MM will be purchased against my MDE account and the rest of the family are on my family and friends list).

2) If we split up in the park can another member of my family use their own RFID card to have photos taken with photographers and on ride photos uploaded to my MM / MDE account?

3) Do you always have to ask the photographers for a Magic Shot?

4) As I wouldn't be able to use my RFID card when I'm in the water parks, I assume I could take the small photo pass card the photographers give you in the park and link this to MM?

5) When I return home will I be able to manipulate the photos i.e add borders, create magic shots etc?

Apologies for so many questions but I just want make sure that MM is worth purchasing.

I can definitively say "yes" to number 4! We were given the small photo pass card at Typhoon Lagoon a couple weeks ago and linked it to MM account.

 

[Jon81uk]

The biggest advantage to purchasing a MagicBand would be that ride photos auto-add to your account, you won't need to touch an RFID card to the monitor to save the photo as the long-range battery-powered RFID in the band means they can automatically work out who is in each ride vehicle.

 

[PrincessVic]

I have purchased the MM for our upcoming trip, but as our bands would be 2 years old I was concerned the long-range RFID wouldn't pick up the in-ride photos. I emailed Disney, and they said no problems as can just touch them on the monitor at the end if they aren't detected, so it would be the same with using a photopass card

 

[MatamanKrungle]

I will say when we were there in June the photographers were not providing magic shots as much as previously. The only ones I got I asked for and we were there 16 days. Don't be afraid to ask unless they are on tripod. They can't do magic shots on tripod.

I was wondering about this. I'm not so much concerned about magic shots but PP photgraphers in general. We haven't been inside a park since late 2013 (had a few non-park trips lately) and we will only be having four park days this trip. Our last few trips gave us at least 100 keeper PP photos, so MM would definitely be worth it for the price. However, if there are not as many photographers, or if they aren't as quality as they used to be (as I've heard several times now), MM would not be worth it at all. Does anyone have any opinions on this? Have the photographers declined in quanity or quality of late?

 

[Kate Alan]

I was wondering about this. I'm not so much concerned about magic shots but PP photgraphers in general. We haven't been inside a park since late 2013 (had a few non-park trips lately) and we will only be having four park days this trip. Our last few trips gave us at least 100 keeper PP photos, so MM would definitely be worth it for the price. However, if there are not as many photographers, or if they aren't as quality as they used to be (as I've heard several times now), MM would not be worth it at all. Does anyone have any opinions on this? Have the photographers declined in quanity or quality of late?

I started using Memory Maker last year on multiple trips and I have to say I absolutely love it. We made a point to stop at every single PP location on the maps in the parks, usually both during the day and at night, and the quality of our photos was great each time. Our last trip we came home with more than 300 photos. If you make the most of it it can definitely be worth the price.

 

[MatamanKrungle]

I started using Memory Maker last year on multiple trips and I have to say I absolutely love it. We made a point to stop at every single PP location on the maps in the parks, usually both during the day and at night, and the quality of our photos was great each time. Our last trip we came home with more than 300 photos. If you make the most of it it can definitely be worth the price.

I'm glad to hear MM is worth it and that there still seems to be a lot of photographers around. When we used PP in the past we obsessively stopped at each PP location and went to a lot of characters as well, so we did have a lot of photos then, but I didn't know if things had changed in terms of the quantity/quality of the phographers. We have been debating between 3, 4 or 5 park days, and may just switch over to five since we just found out our hotel is costing a lot less than previously thought. Five park days would certainly make it worth it! Thanks so much for your thoughts.

 

[dreamfinder]

I hope someone can provide help regarding MM.

My family and I are staying off site for 14 nights next month and are considering purchasing MM for the first time, however, we have a few questions:

1) Is there any benefit in me upgrading my admission RFID card to a Magic Band? (The MM will be purchased against my MDE account and the rest of the family are on my family and friends list).

Only that the Magic Band will let the long range readers auto add the picture. So instead of having to claim it after the ride, it SHOULD be automatically added to your account.

2) If we split up in the park can another member of my family use their own RFID card to have photos taken with photographers and on ride photos uploaded to my MM / MDE account?

Yes. You can add multiple Photopass cards to your account, as well as claiming pictures that your Friends/Family have on their Photopass account if they are set up to share with you.

3) Do you always have to ask the photographers for a Magic Shot?

You don't need to ask, but some people do just to try to get more.

4) As I wouldn't be able to use my RFID card when I'm in the water parks, I assume I could take the small photo pass card the photographers give you in the park and link this to MM?

The Magic Band would work in park and is waterproof, or once again you can link the small card to your Photopass account.

5) When I return home will I be able to manipulate the photos i.e add borders, create magic shots etc?

Apologies for so many questions but I just want make sure that MM is worth purchasing.

Yes and no. You can do basic edits, cropping, adjusting, adding borders etc. However you cannot create your own magic shots. At times some of the borders/stickers have been characters, but it's not quite the same as what they would do in parks.

 

[4disneylovers]

In my opinion the quality of photos this past June was not as good as it has been. We had to ask for magic shots. We actually had a photographer mess with us. We thought there would be magic and when there wasn't I called to check on it. They had no idea what the photographer was doing with our pose. But I would still buy.

 

[Micksmaster54]

Only that the Magic Band will let the long range readers auto add the picture. So instead of having to claim it after the ride, it SHOULD be automatically added to your account.



Yes. You can add multiple Photopass cards to your account, as well as claiming pictures that your Friends/Family have on their Photopass account if they are set up to share with you.



You don't need to ask, but some people do just to try to get more.



The Magic Band would work in park and is waterproof, or once again you can link the small card to your Photopass account.



Yes and no. You can do basic edits, cropping, adjusting, adding borders etc. However you cannot create your own magic shots. At times some of the borders/stickers have been characters, but it's not quite the same as what they would do in parks.

I am considering the Memory Maker package for our trip in December. Have not used them before. What exactly is a magic shot?

 

[Kate Alan]

I am considering the Memory Maker package for our trip in December. Have not used them before. What exactly is a magic shot?

A magic shot is when the photographers will have you pose a certain way and then digitally insert something (usually a character) into the shot.

For example, we've had shots where they had us point to the ground, and when we viewed the photo later it had Stitch popping up from the floor, or we had to cup our hands together and the photo shows Tinkerbell in them. In another they have you hold your hand out and it digitally inserts you holding a bunch of balloons.

They vary based on the locations and even time of year. There are a couple posts on here that detail exactly what kind of magic shots are available.

This was the Stitch photo we had this December:

 

[FrostyNaples]

The convenience factor and for long range ride photo's/video's without kiosks, go the magic band route. Have everyone linked via MDE (sharing photos) - and it will all be automatic, everyone's pictures will be there.

If you use only the cards, just add them to your profile after the fact, and download your photo's using MM+. But you may miss out on certain things.