Memory Maker

[magicmom4]

We are Fl resident passholders (live in NW Fl so 7 hours away) and go at least once a year to Disney, but have never tried the Memory Maker. We are leaving in a little over a week and got the little advertisement with the pre-order discount price and have been seriously debating trying MM this time. I would like to hear from someone who has used it this year, as I am finding outdated and conflicting reports on the internet about Memory Maker's value. To be honest, after decades of Disney trips we have TONS of personal photos and maybe a trip with professional ones would be a nice change. We are also having an anniversary breakfast at the Crystal Palace, I wonder if photographers are there. Anyway, any input is appreciated.

 

[Wildflower]

First question is how long is your trip? For us lately, it has come down to a financial breakeven, and the longer the stay, the higher the chance there would be more pictures we'd want to buy. Second thought would be how much we wanted to seek out / stand in line for photographers (not that they're generally long lines). We've also done it when we knew the trip was going to include more meet and greets (or conversely not get if we'd done a lot of that and our focus would be on other things). And that being said, at the M&Gs they'll still use your camera if you hand to them... "Magic shots" can be nice addition, but I've found the animated ones to be just so-so. *We used it in October, so not this year per se but fairly recent. The quality was great on some, others not so much. I am kicking around getting again for our trip in June, but mostly because it will be a little over a week long and have other family joining us for part of the time.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

MemoryMaker has more value if some combination of the following apply to you:

• Large party
• Long stay
• Ride all of the "ride photo" rides
• Visit infrequently
• Meet and greets

If you visit frequently (as you said you do), it might be worth it to try one but probably not every time.

 

[Rob562]

A question for the OP:
You mention that you're FL Resident passholders. What level of pass do you have? They recently changed the names and entitlements of the annual/seasonal passes, but if you have at least the Gold level pass, it includes PhotoPass downloads as part of the pass.

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but if you only have the Silver pass and are up for a renewal ,it might be cost-effective for one person in your group to go up to the Gold level pass to get the PhotoPass option.

-Rob

 

[magicmom4]

We have the weekday only passes and will be staying a week this time and visiting each park at least once.

 

[FrostyNaples]

Spend the $150, get as many photo's taken by the photo pass CM's as possible.

At the end of your trip, run through the photo's online. If your happy with what you got for what you paid, that is your "Value".

If your not happy, you won't do it again.

We always get hundreds and hundreds of photo's, so we love it. We are however upgrading to Gold AP in May, so it will be saving us hundreds upon hundreds

 

[YozhikRoth]

Was just at WDW President's week and bought the MM, and here are my thoughts:

• Make sure the photographer takes several pictures. IMO, most of the photographers were quite competent. A few even could carry on a conversation with me on a hobbyist level. A couple of photographers, especially at character greetings, wanted to rush and I politely asked them for a couple of extra pictures.
• Every photographer we came across we asked for a photo. It got awkward when a couple were on breaks
• Have a lot of fun with the ride photos. AK was fairly empty when we went, so the kids and I went nuts with many goofy poses on EE.
• None of the three character dining experiences (Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, Cinderella) used MM, save for the greetings at CM and Cindy.
• After about 10 minutes, pix were on the MDE app, and I could download to my iPhone's camera roll.
• After I got home, it took about an hour to download the 250-ish photos

 

[magicmom4]

Thanks for all the input. I think we are going to get MM this time and try all your tips. After all these years it's exciting to try something new!

 

[disneygirl76]

We do the memory maker every trip. It's my favorite souvenir! I agree - ride every ride where you get a photo, do lots of character meet and greets, ask for magic shots from each photographer (there are loads including a different Tinkerbell at each park), and stop often for the photographers. Enjoy!!

 

[allisonmomofthree]

I am so glad you asked this, I was wondering too

 

[Ted Daggett]

Another benefit of the MM is that you get a video of your ride on 7DMT and ToT.

 

[magicmom4]

Well, we did it! Like most of these things it was hit and miss. Some CM were great and talked to us enough to get some interesting shots, others were just perfunctory and did the standard three shots. The videos are so cool, especially the Mine Train one. One thing I figured out was to ask the CM to take a pic of the scene without us in it...otherwise I would have missed out on some cool shots.

 

[wendysue]

We are Fl resident passholders (live in NW Fl so 7 hours away) and go at least once a year to Disney, but have never tried the Memory Maker. We are leaving in a little over a week and got the little advertisement with the pre-order discount price and have been seriously debating trying MM this time. I would like to hear from someone who has used it this year, as I am finding outdated and conflicting reports on the internet about Memory Maker's value. To be honest, after decades of Disney trips we have TONS of personal photos and maybe a trip with professional ones would be a nice change. We are also having an anniversary breakfast at the Crystal Palace, I wonder if photographers are there. Anyway, any input is appreciated.

Just an FYI... We just returned from WDW and some of the photos that were taken (especially ride photos) were of someone else. We probably have some nice photos of other people's children, but not of us.

 

[allisonmomofthree]

Just an FYI... We just returned from WDW and some of the photos that were taken (especially ride photos) were of someone else. We probably have some nice photos of other people's children, but not of us.

Oh no

 

[YozhikRoth]

Just an FYI... We just returned from WDW and some of the photos that were taken (especially ride photos) were of someone else. We probably have some nice photos of other people's children, but not of us.

I'm curious how that happened, aside from Seven Dwarves and TOT, all the ride photos require a user to pick out their ride photo and scan to their magic band. Seven Dwarves and TOT have RFID scanners during the ride. Over the week, I don't think I got any incorrect ride photos. If anything I got duplicated, as my kids fought to see who would scan the photo.

 

[Rob562]

I'm curious how that happened, aside from Seven Dwarves and TOT, all the ride photos require a user to pick out their ride photo and scan to their magic band. Seven Dwarves and TOT have RFID scanners during the ride. Over the week, I don't think I got any incorrect ride photos. If anything I got duplicated, as my kids fought to see who would scan the photo.

Most rides with on-ride photo now link automatically using the MagicBands. If you scan the Band after you get off the ride you just end up with the same photo on your account twice. (If I like a photo I always scan my Band in case the auto-link didn't work properly)

My friend just got back from a couple days in the parks and he ended up with an additional ride photo on his account on both Buzz Lightyear and Test Track.

-Rob

 

[wendysue]

Just an FYI... We just returned from WDW and some of the photos that were taken (especially ride photos) were of someone else. We probably have some nice photos of other people's children, but not of us.

Not sure how it happened. We did not scan our magic bands or purchase the memory maker, but the photos showed up in my email from Disney.

 

[Rob562]

Not sure how it happened. We did not scan our magic bands or purchase the memory maker, but the photos showed up in my email from Disney.

Photos will link to people wearing MagicBands automatically. It's not required to have Memory Maker. (Though with the reports of getting photos that aren't theirs, there have obviously been some scanning accuracy issues lately...)

Memory Maker is simply a photo package that you purchase that allows you to download any and all photos linked to your account.

From Disney's standpoint, linking the photos automatically to people who haven't bought Memory Maker gives them the ability to try and up-sell those guests. They can send an email saying "hey, look at these great pics of you on these rides! Why don't you consider buying one for $15? Or download them all now for the low-low price of $200 by purchasing Memory Maker..." Or perhaps the guest will stumble upon the photos when they open the MDE app. Either way, for the up-front expense of installing the on-ride auto-linking readers, they can now offer the up-sell to Guests for decades to come. All they need are those few guests each day who normally wouldn't buy one of the photos to then think "you know, that *is* a fun picture, I think I'll buy it"

-Rob

 

[wendysue]

Photos will link to people wearing MagicBands automatically. It's not required to have Memory Maker. (Though with the reports of getting photos that aren't theirs, there have obviously been some scanning accuracy issues lately...)

Memory Maker is simply a photo package that you purchase that allows you to download any and all photos linked to your account.

From Disney's standpoint, linking the photos automatically to people who haven't bought Memory Maker gives them the ability to try and up-sell those guests. They can send an email saying "hey, look at these great pics of you on these rides! Why don't you consider buying one for $15? Or download them all now for the low-low price of $200 by purchasing Memory Maker..." Or perhaps the guest will stumble upon the photos when they open the MDE app. Either way, for the up-front expense of installing the on-ride auto-linking readers, they can now offer the up-sell to Guests for decades to come. All they need are those few guests each day who normally wouldn't buy one of the photos to then think "you know, that *is* a fun picture, I think I'll buy it"

-Rob

I understand all of that, but just wonder where OUR pictures were sent, and who these lovely children belong to that we got pics of..

 

[Noellikechristmas]

I bought the MM last year and thought it was worth every penny. We had about 200 or so photos, and I was happy that I didn't have to lug around my very expensive camera and didn't have to worry about it being stolen if I had to leave my bag in the stroller. Also, if you were to bring your own camera, all the picture perfect spots have a photographer at them, so its not like you can use them. I've told photographers will take a pic for you, but you still need to wait in that line. The quality of the pictures are very good. I've used the pictures to make some canvas prints on a 20X30 and they've come on great.

Also, speaking of annual pass holders. My co worker is friends with my on MDE and says he can see all my pictures without the proof stamp?