My sister is Photopass and she was told that Launch Bay will be transitioning to the automated system soon too.
Honestly, (albeit with bias considering this is affecting my sister) I think this is a short sighted cost cutting measure by Disney. While a lot of people here aren't users of Memory Maker, it actually is still a huge source of income for the parks. The problem is that anyone who buys pictures is driving money to the Merchandise line of business, not the Disney Photo Imaging line of business, so it's really easy to look at a balance sheet and say, "DPI is costing us too much money, how can we use automation to save a little."
My sister is academically trained as a photographer and is naturally gifted with good guest interaction skills, so it's a personal point of pride for her when she can coax children out of their shells and catch a good picture, or respond when she sees a couple wearing engagement buttons and encourage poses for a fun photo. Not only that, but when Disney is staffing a character meet and greet with only one attendant, the attendant is dividing their time between character and line mangagement. A Photographer can provide additional safety and management of the character, and many characters will tell you that a good photographer makes for a much easier shift. While an automated system is great for a step-and-repeat style instagram wall, character interactions are different.
