Memory Maker or Waterproof Disposable Camera for Blizzard Beach

Disney before Sally · Jul 30, 2015

Disney CM tells me that there are photographers at both water parks, likely no ride photos, and that I could take a waterproof disposable camera down the slides with me. Looking for confirmation on these three points and for advice. This will be my kids first visit to a water park and I'd like to have pictures.

Jadyreen1282 · Jul 30, 2015

At most five spots in each wp. We got five total pics at both and believe me we looked. We still got over 300 for the trip. Worth it.

karen1987 · Jul 30, 2015

Invest in a GoPro. Compact and completely waterproof. You're able to take decent photos (but not DSLR quality) and HD videos.

We were able to take ours on the water slides/lazy river/wave pools and got some great video and photos.

mountdew1 · Jul 30, 2015

If you go all the way to the bottom of the page here -> https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/photo-pass-service/ you can see maps of where they will typically staff photographers. There aren't on ride photos like there are on ToT & SM, but often times they will hang out in the bottom of rides like Teamboat Springs to take a group shot of you in the raft before unload. You can carry a waterproof camera with you on most slides (not 100% sure on all slides). It really depends on what you want pictures of. A few to show you were there and did the rides, then MM should be sufficient. If you want shots of them on the lazy river, in line for slides, etc then you would want to bring your own camera of some sort. Keep in mind they only staff photographers at the water parks seasonally, and there is a chance if the weather is iffy they won't be there.

daisyduck123 · Jul 30, 2015

We were at TL for several hours on June 24 and the only Photopass person we saw was at the Lilo/Stitch Meet & Greet.

I was very glad we had brought our IPhones (we all have waterproof cases) to the waterpark.

Disney before Sally · Jul 31, 2015

Jadyreen1282 said:
At most five spots in each wp. We got five total pics at both and believe me we looked. We still got over 300 for the trip. Worth it.

That might be enough. I agree MM is worth it. I typically just get a CD and use pics to make a book and do not get individual prints.

karen1987 said:
Invest in a GoPro. Compact and completely waterproof. You're able to take decent photos (but not DSLR quality) and HD videos.

We were able to take ours on the water slides/lazy river/wave pools and got some great video and photos.

I don't think I would buy a GoPro. But the sunglasses with camera in center of frame rim did cross my mind. However, I already earmarked my bifocal reader sunglasses. : o ).

mountdew1 said:
If you go all the way to the bottom of the page here -> https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/photo-pass-service/ you can see maps of where they will typically staff photographers. There aren't on ride photos like there are on ToT & SM, but often times they will hang out in the bottom of rides like Teamboat Springs to take a group shot of you in the raft before unload. You can carry a waterproof camera with you on most slides (not 100% sure on all slides). It really depends on what you want pictures of. A few to show you were there and did the rides, then MM should be sufficient. If you want shots of them on the lazy river, in line for slides, etc then you would want to bring your own camera of some sort. Keep in mind they only staff photographers at the water parks seasonally, and there is a chance if the weather is iffy they won't be there.

Thanks. The map indicates 6 spots at BB, but two of them appear to be in the kids section which we will be avoiding. 4 pictures will probably be good enough. I'm not sure I can merge the disposable picture format (35 mm roll maybe) with MM CD which is my standard choice for archiving WDW photographic memories.

daisyduck123 said:
We were at TL for several hours on June 24 and the only Photopass person we saw was at the Lilo/Stitch Meet & Greet.

I was very glad we had brought our IPhones (we all have waterproof cases) to the waterpark.

Hmm, a waterproof case for my iPhone. Nice suggestion.

mountdew1 · Aug 1, 2015

Disney before Sally said:
Thanks. The map indicates 6 spots at BB, but two of them appear to be in the kids section which we will be avoiding. 4 pictures will probably be good enough. I'm not sure I can merge the disposable picture format (35 mm roll maybe) with MM CD which is my standard choice for archiving WDW photographic memories.

Photopass doesn't allow you to add your pictures to the MM download, and they don't publicly sell the option to have them sent to you on CD/DVD anymore. (Some people have reported success with calling to purchase one) You would need to burn your pictures to a disc at your house, so yes, you could add scanned copies of any physical prints at the time when you burn the disc.

Disney before Sally · Aug 1, 2015

mountdew1 said:
If you go all the way to the bottom of the page here -> https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/photo-pass-service/ you can see maps of where they will typically staff photographers. There aren't on ride photos like there are on ToT & SM, but often times they will hang out in the bottom of rides like Teamboat Springs to take a group shot of you in the raft before unload. You can carry a waterproof camera with you on most slides (not 100% sure on all slides). It really depends on what you want pictures of. A few to show you were there and did the rides, then MM should be sufficient. If you want shots of them on the lazy river, in line for slides, etc then you would want to bring your own camera of some sort. Keep in mind they only staff photographers at the water parks seasonally, and there is a chance if the weather is iffy they won't be there.

I have read that photographers are at water parks from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We will go within this timeframe.

mountdew1 said:
Photopass doesn't allow you to add your pictures to the MM download, and they don't publicly sell the option to have them sent to you on CD/DVD anymore. (Some people have reported success with calling to purchase one) You would need to burn your pictures to a disc at your house, so yes, you could add scanned copies of any physical prints at the time when you burn the disc.

I did get a CD burned and sent from Disney last August. A family and friend member was trying to get the download, but none of the ride photos or magic shots were shown. She had to login as me, but then had more issues and called them directly. They offered to sell her a CD of the pictures for additional cost. So, we have the CD.

cgattis · Aug 1, 2015

There are many good waterproof cameras (mine does video too) for under $200. (I have the Panasonic Lumix, friend has the Olympus.). The MM pics are not quite enough for me. I have several other cameras but that little guy is my go-to for situations where I know I want stills and video, and don't want to risk my other equipment, like waterparks, canoeing, etc.

mommycrawford · Aug 1, 2015

I have a water proof Panasonic Lumix that I love!...I don't have to worry in Florida rain or the water parks! Takes great photos!

mountdew1 · Aug 2, 2015

Disney before Sally said:
I did get a CD burned and sent from Disney last August. A family and friend member was trying to get the download, but none of the ride photos or magic shots were shown. She had to login as me, but then had more issues and called them directly. They offered to sell her a CD of the pictures for additional cost. So, we have the CD.

That is pretty much the scenario I have seen where they have still offered to sell a CD on a selective case by case basis. It's not something that is offered via the WDW Photopass site, even though (as of now) it is still something you can get from the other Photopass sites (DLR, Aulani, etc). So they can still do it on the backend, they just don't publicly sell it. But even still, with this CD, you cannot add your own pictures to the disc, it is Photopass pictures only.

jec6613 · Aug 4, 2015

I can't speak to the Disney photogs in water parks, but unless you're actually taking pictures submersed, you should probably skip the idea of a disposable waterproof. For one thing, for $100 you can get a digital waterproof (Nikon S30/S31/S32/S33 series) that takes decent pictures - better than a GoPro, while a disposable by the time you've bought it, then sent it off to be processed and put on CD costs $25, and only comes down in quantity above 5 or so. Seriously: four waterproof disposables and you've bought a waterproof digital.

Second though, the remaining waterproof disposable is the Fuji Quicksnap, which is ISO 800 speed film - it really should be used underwater only, the film is too fast for use above water; but the orange mask on the negative is T-optimized, not D-optimized, so you'll end up with poor quality either grossly over or under exposed photos missing a chunk of the color spectrum. The processing machine will try to correct this when they scan them, but there's only so much it can do - there's a reason I shy away from ISO 800 film except B&W indoors.

bumbershoot · Aug 4, 2015

Disney before Sally said:
I'm not sure I can merge the disposable picture format (35 mm roll maybe) with MM CD which is my standard choice for archiving WDW photographic memories.

Well, you SHOULD be making multiple copies and keeping them in different places (and uploading them to sites) for a true archival situation. So you could easily get a digital waterproof, take your pictures, then take the MM pictures and put them together on your OWN discs. Having ONE disc for each vacation makes me a little ill to think about. You should have multiple places you're saving those pictures anyway, so why not use a different format?

And even before jec added his/her very learned opinion I was wondering "why a disposable"? There are SO many good digital options out there!

jec6613 · Aug 4, 2015

bumbershoot said:
And even before jec added his/her very learned opinion I was wondering "why a disposable"? There are SO many good digital options out there!

His.

And, FWIW, I have an SLR loaded with a roll of Kodak Portra 400 film sitting not five feet from where I type this, and across the room about 40 rolls in a refrigerator. (And next to that are digital cameras, including one with a dive housing, and a few more unloaded film cameras ... and somehow my better half enables this hobby!).

I enjoy shooting film quite a bit, but, honestly, for a vacation, you should just use digital. The local film processing has disappeared since the film business got swallowed into Kodak-Alaris, so you have to send the stuff out, and by which point you should just skip that whole disposable thing and use real cameras and good film, anyway.

And, let's not even talk about how most film scanners at processing labs nowadays are giving you a 1.8 Megapixel image - it's really terrible. Good film is even better than it was 5-6 years ago and can resolve enormous amounts of detail and should be scanned on a high resolution scanner, or at minimum digitized with a DSLR slide copier.

Memory Maker or Waterproof Disposable Camera for Blizzard Beach

Disney before Sally

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Jadyreen1282

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karen1987

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mountdew1

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daisyduck123

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