Is buying Memory Maker worth it?

[Nick6300]

We're considering buying memory maker for character greets and landmark photos. We had an AP w/ MM on the prior trip and buying PHs this trip. This is the 1st trip with infant, but we also come every yr. I suspect that Photopass photographers and CMs assisting characters have not resumed taking photos with your device, upon request, since Covid? I think that answer will be a factor. Thanks.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Is-it-worth-it questions are always totally relative Having said that, I think it's worth it *if* you make a point of using it. So when you see that PhotoPass photog on Main Street, make use of it and stop to have a photo taken. Things like that. We like it because then everyone is in the photo (including the one who normally takes all the pics), so these are a good complement to the pics you take yourself. Plus you get the bonus ride photos etc. like Haunted Mansion. I download each day's photos each evening so that it isn't a big deal to do it at the end. So for us it's worth it, but for others maybe not. Depends if you value the photos you'll get with it.

 

[Her Dotness]

I like to get a fridge magnet made with one of our photos from each trip. My favorite is one of Minnie kissing DH's cheek and him blushing spectacularly. SO cute!

DH and I both have a mousepad with a collage of photos from a trip. He has his at work and has gotten all sorts of compliments and questions about where he got it.

Yes, these products are expensive, but with a baby, you might end up with a keepsake you'll value the rest of your lives.

Something to consider...

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I would this time since it’s a first trip for the infant.

My husband and I went together in 2019 so didn’t pay for it since it was just us and they took photos for us with our phones.

This is a first trip for our 2 year old and so we are paying for it, especially since we can get the ride photos also. Next time we probably won’t pay for it but kiddos first trip yes.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Yes. And first trip for infant?? For sure. Pre pay for 169. I just got back and we really didn't go out of our way to find photopass photographers and I have well over 250 pictures. Those photopass people are great and they are everywhere.

 

[rangerxenos]

Just an FYI, if you're not looking for Magic Shots, the Disney photographers will be happy to use your phone or camera to take photos for free with the characters, in front of the castle, etc.

 

[Nick6300]

Just an FYI, if you're not looking for Magic Shots, the Disney photographers will be happy to use your phone or camera to take photos for free with the characters, in front of the castle, etc.

Thank you. Have you done this yourself or seen CMs use a guest's phone/camera on a recent trip, or heard from others that they're resuming this? We've had MM for the past few years and haven't paid attention.

I expected to hear from you guys that photographers and character greet CMs will no longer take photos with your phone, for whatever reason - sell more MM's, liability.

 

[Nick6300]

Thank you guys for your thoughts. Our average has been something like 3-4x visits per year, and so I sometimes don't even take more than a couple of dozen photos. But since last year, I think we're going to be mostly going only once annually, and I even thought to break up my current streak since '87 for our infant. And despite wanting to keep my trip streak alive, I actually asked if we shouldn't take a few years off for the baby, and my wife still wanted to go, in the extreme heat/torrential rain of early Sept.

If we buy it, the priority will be the character greets with the baby. We typically don't have a lot of luck with ride photos, and this time around there will be some rider swapping. But we do like some of the magic shots. But yes, there are thousands of Disney photos that we don't really do anything with as it is. Our next family trip with my in laws, where we will have to buy MM or re-start APs with MM is not until Wine/Dine Nov. 2025.

 

[rangerxenos]

Thank you. Have you done this yourself or seen CMs use a guest's phone/camera on a recent trip, or heard from others that they're resuming this? We've had MM for the past few years and haven't paid attention.

I expected to hear from you guys that photographers and character greet CMs will no longer take photos with your phone, for whatever reason - sell more MM's, liability.

Yes, things are back to normal with the photographers, we were there in February and while I have Memory Maker, we also had some spots where we also asked them to use our phone as well as my niece is unable to download the MM photos herself, I have to do it for her since I'm the one who has MM.

 

[Nick6300]

Yes, things are back to normal with the photographers, we were there in February and while I have Memory Maker, we also had some spots where we also asked them to use our phone as well as my niece is unable to download the MM photos herself, I have to do it for her since I'm the one who has MM.

Thank you, that is good to know. If this wasn't the case, I'm pretty sure we'd be paying for MM for the sake of baby photos. I think the Bella Baby photos at hospital were something like $330. Not that it's something I voted for (vs taking our own pictures), but compared to that, MM is a better deal. But I will pass this info on to wife for her decision on this.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Just something to keep in mind is that the photopass people are using high quality SLR (could be mirrorless) cameras with flashes that really make the subjects pop. Camera phones, as great as they are compared to what they used to be, cannot duplicate that depth of field. If you hand your phone to the photopass people it's going to be on the basic mode. Also they do some fun "creative" shots as well. Just saying for $169 as a pre purchase it feels like one of the rare steals at the parks these days.

 

[Nick6300]

Just something to keep in mind is that the photopass people are using high quality SLR (could be mirrorless) cameras with flashes that really make the subjects pop. Camera phones, as great as they are compared to what they used to be, cannot duplicate that depth of field. If you hand your phone to the photopass people it's going to be on the basic mode. Also they do some fun "creative" shots as well. Just saying for $169 as a pre purchase it feels like one of the rare steals at the parks these days.

They definitely do have better quality photos + the magic shots. My guess is that my wife will want to still buy it, as we will focus more on photos than we normally do.

Does anyone know if the Disney Visa photos at EP and HS are live characters again? We went last Sept., and the HS was w/digital characters but I want to say there were characters at EP.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

They definitely do have better quality photos + the magic shots. My guess is that my wife will want to still buy it, as we will focus more on photos than we normally do.

Does anyone know if the Disney Visa photos at EP and HS are live characters again? We went last Sept., and the HS was w/digital characters but I want to say there were characters at EP.

Took pics with Darth Vader and BB8 and the both of them took maybe 12 minutes total from standing in line for Vader to leaving BB8. Vader had a photographer but BB was only your phone. I love Darth Vader (obviously) and am so glad he's there. He's huge!

 

[rangerxenos]

They definitely do have better quality photos + the magic shots. My guess is that my wife will want to still buy it, as we will focus more on photos than we normally do.

Does anyone know if the Disney Visa photos at EP and HS are live characters again? We went last Sept., and the HS was w/digital characters but I want to say there were characters at EP.

Definitely characters at EPCOT, you get two of these four : Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto.

Still virtual at DHS, Stormtroopers and K2S2.

 

[Specter]

After getting it for the first time on our 2020 trip, DW and I definitely find, for us, that it is worth it. I do agree with others that you need to make a point of actually stopping for the photographers when you see them, so if that impacts your park touring style do keep that in mind. But since we first went together in 2005, one of our traditions is to buy a picture frame and it's nice, fifteen years later, to have the pictures taken with a real camera to choose from in addition to cell phone or personal camera pictures, back when we carried those around.

And since 2020 was also DDs first trip(she was 10 months old in March, right before the shutdown) we have made a picture book for her of each Disney trip she's been on since, which she loves looking at to this day. Having some of the magic shots in those is a lot of fun and she loves pointing out Tinkerbell or the Porg on her arm, etc.

 

[_19disnA]

During our last trip to Disney with 2 other families, one purchased Memory Maker since we wanted a few group pictures. Stopping at the various camera locations was no big deal and the lines were all fairly short. However, they do take several poses at each location and you eventually end up with a LOT more pictures then you will probably ever bother to print. Downloading the pictures after you return from your vacation is tedious and like most Disney IT applications is setup in a rather clumsy way. I helped the person who did the downloading organize the pictures into logical folders, since the raw download is a complete jumble of pictures named in random ways. They couldn't figure it out and needed assistance to group them in folders for easy future reference. If you aren't good with arranging downloaded images that is also a consideration for purchasing that product.

If you want to print any of the pictures, it is WAY less expensive to do that on your own using any online photo store or perhaps local drugstores offering that service.

Not sure we would purchase this feature again. For only a few group pictures, I would be more likely to hand my camera to a Disney person or one of their photographers. Mostly depends on what you are looking for in terms of the resulting images.

 

[Nick6300]

After getting it for the first time on our 2020 trip, DW and I definitely find, for us, that it is worth it. I do agree with others that you need to make a point of actually stopping for the photographers when you see them, so if that impacts your park touring style do keep that in mind. But since we first went together in 2005, one of our traditions is to buy a picture frame and it's nice, fifteen years later, to have the pictures taken with a real camera to choose from in addition to cell phone or personal camera pictures, back when we carried those around.

And since 2020 was also DDs first trip(she was 10 months old in March, right before the shutdown) we have made a picture book for her of each Disney trip she's been on since, which she loves looking at to this day. Having some of the magic shots in those is a lot of fun and she loves pointing out Tinkerbell or the Porg on her arm, etc.

Is the picture book made up of physical photos? I think that's a good idea, showing some photos from each trip as she gets older.

To this point, we've had a very fast paced touring style, but this trip with the baby, stroller, and all of the breaks for feeding, changing, getting out of the sun will be a different type of trip. It'll be interesting because I'm usually the very first one in line at headliners at RD, and for this trip, I need to stay with wife/kid. There's no point going fast when we all need to be together for a rider swap, and then 50 guests will go by while asking a CM for RS. I think of rides like ToT and even Rise, going through all of the queue by yourself - it doesn't seem like it would be nearly as fun going by yourself. I haven't gone on WDW's version of Tron, and wife hasn't gone on either Tron or GotG, but there's probably a lot of attractions we won't even do. It'll just be a different trip, with a lot more focus on character greets, photos, and shows/slower rides.

 

[Nick6300]

During our last trip to Disney with 2 other families, one purchased Memory Maker since we wanted a few group pictures. Stopping at the various camera locations was no big deal and the lines were all fairly short. However, they do take several poses at each location and you eventually end up with a LOT more pictures then you will probably ever bother to print. Downloading the pictures after you return from your vacation is tedious and like most Disney IT applications is setup in a rather clumsy way. I helped the person who did the downloading organize the pictures into logical folders, since the raw download is a complete jumble of pictures named in random ways. They couldn't figure it out and needed assistance to group them in folders for easy future reference. If you aren't good with arranging downloaded images that is also a consideration for purchasing that product.

If you want to print any of the pictures, it is WAY less expensive to do that on your own using any online photo store or perhaps local drugstores offering that service.

Not sure we would purchase this feature again. For only a few group pictures, I would be more likely to hand my camera to a Disney person or one of their photographers. Mostly depends on what you are looking for in terms of the resulting images.

It does make sense to have one point person for MM, and we've done that. The camera lines are typically ok, especially if you know when to go to them, but most of the character greets can be a time commitment. We once tried to get every character's autograph on our shirts. We seldom print anything, but I'd imagine we will this time. I didn't realize the download/organizing was difficult. My wife always does it, but sometimes at the last minute after trip. We have a couple of portable hard drives for Disney photos.

 

[dd316]

We've never regretted paying for it.

 

[MrsW]

Are there any discounts for the Memory Maker other than the buy ahead for $169? DVC or Disney Visa perhaps? Can the single day option be purchased on the day you'd want it or does that need to be purchased ahead? Thanks.