Help me decide whether to get Memory Maker or just do regular Photopass

[Rivermonster]

Without repeating what's already been said, I can only tell you that I've never regretted the money we spent on MM--it is worth every penny and we've purchased it again for our next trip.

 

[BrerRabbit1114]

Yes, you can use a Photopass card if you want. You can also use your MagicBand. What you use doesn't matter (though the band is just easier, handier so to speak).
If you get home and decide you want all the photos it will cost you $199 and that is for digital download only.
If you want a disk it is an additional $29
Same number of days with MM
Really, MM replaced Photopass. What you are think of is no longer. It's all MM now. It just has a different cost if you pay for it up front, individual or after the fact. The way you have photos taken is the same no if you paid up front, or plan to pay after the fact or plan to just buy a photo or two.

Just curious, my girlfriend and I are going to WDW for a week in June. And I was considering getting MM. Can you give me an idea of where we would be photographed? And how often can we get pictures taken of us? Who takes the pictures of us? Just general info like that I would really appreciate!

 

[AngiTN]

Just curious, my girlfriend and I are going to WDW for a week in June. And I was considering getting MM. Can you give me an idea of where we would be photographed? And how often can we get pictures taken of us? Who takes the pictures of us? Just general info like that I would really appreciate!

Sure.
Disney hires Photographers and provides them with cameras and stations them all over the parks. They are in a safari looking outfit with a cargo vest and are pretty easy to spot
All the park icons, Castle at MK, Ball at Epcot, Tree at AK, not sure at HS now that the Hat is gone, Chinese Theater maybe, have multiple photographers around to take photos of you and your family
Lesser spots at parks like EE at AK and bridge near IG at EP also have them
Most character M&G have a Photographer (not meals but standard M&G)
There are several rides with automatic photographs taken (not sure of the exact list)
There are also ride videos of ToT and 7DMT
There are also magic shots done at each park. This is where a photographer has you pose in a strange way and when you view the photos there are magical items added. Google Magic Shots at Disney if you want to see samples
You can get as many photos taken as you want. I stop at every photographer I see that has no line. And I mean every one. Family tends to get annoyed but I don't care. I don't want to miss that perfect shot

 

[tzeitel]

Just curious, my girlfriend and I are going to WDW for a week in June. And I was considering getting MM. Can you give me an idea of where we would be photographed? And how often can we get pictures taken of us? Who takes the pictures of us? Just general info like that I would really appreciate!

You can get as many pictures taken as you want. There are photographers in all the parks, you can get photos in front of the castle, Spaceship Earth etc. and there are some by big attractions (like Tower of Terror). They also hang out with the characters. Some rides take photos - Everest, ToT, Splash, Space, Dinosaur - basically the ones where they get you making a scared face

 

[mickeyluv'r]

While I never like every photo they take I always like at least 10. Plus, you can put borders on the photos, which can be really cute. I'll often do 2-3 versions of each shot with different borders. My 200 photos typical grow to 400.

I agree with your first posts, but digress with this one.

I did old Photopass years ago, and MM earlier this year because I went with first-timers who wanted it, we split the cost and I was finally curious. Even at half price, it wasn't worth doing, IMO.

We usually walk past the Photopass photographers. This trip we tried REALLY hard to be patient and get all the photos we could.

We're all about getting on attractions when the lines are shortest. It is excruciating for us to wait. Especially when another family demands 20 versions of the same shot (every family sub group, 20 retakes of the infant, the front/back/side/and inside of their custom shirts) BTMRR stand by is 10min. No, 20min. Now 55min! AGGGHHH!

If it is your first trip, or will be a milestone trip for your child (where they get to do a bunch of e-rides for the first time) then it MAY be worthwhile.

The hidden character shots didn't match up well. The inserted character is an odd location/size. I was eager to see the 7D video- it is almost all canned stock footage. We know, because we rode it at NIGHT- but all the stock footage is DAYLIGHT footage! Really?

I was also HIGHLY disappointed with the current ability to add borders. The current MM has less border options that WDW used to offer. Not only that but the software is HORRIBLE. At the current price of MM? Really?

My Photopass disc has only been opened twice in five+ years! I blamed the disc. I was wrong.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

We usually walk past the Photopass photographers. This trip we tried REALLY hard to be patient and get all the photos we could.

We're all about getting on attractions when the lines are shortest. It is excruciating for us to wait. Especially when another family demands 20 versions of the same shot (every family sub group, 20 retakes of the infant, the front/back/side/and inside of their custom shirts) BTMRR stand by is 10min. No, 20min. Now 55min! AGGGHHH!

Great points - I forgot to mention that to me this last trip was more relaxing without Memory Maker because with it, I felt like we HAD to stop every chance we could for a photo as long as the lines weren't too bad. This can eat up a good bit of time. Of course I never did it early in the day when the ride lines are short, but it's still an interruption. Since we did not buy it this last trip we only stopped and had them use our camera to make the pictures at the "must have" places we really wanted. We're also all about getting to the attractions.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I plan on purchasing MM soon for our August trip. I want the CD also and don't mind paying the additional $29. Will I have to order the CD when I'm purchasing MM or do I do that once I get home? How does that work?

 

[BrerRabbit1114]

Sure.
Disney hires Photographers and provides them with cameras and stations them all over the parks. They are in a safari looking outfit with a cargo vest and are pretty easy to spot
All the park icons, Castle at MK, Ball at Epcot, Tree at AK, not sure at HS now that the Hat is gone, Chinese Theater maybe, have multiple photographers around to take photos of you and your family
Lesser spots at parks like EE at AK and bridge near IG at EP also have them
Most character M&G have a Photographer (not meals but standard M&G)
There are several rides with automatic photographs taken (not sure of the exact list)
There are also ride videos of ToT and 7DMT
There are also magic shots done at each park. This is where a photographer has you pose in a strange way and when you view the photos there are magical items added. Google Magic Shots at Disney if you want to see samples
You can get as many photos taken as you want. I stop at every photographer I see that has no line. And I mean every one. Family tends to get annoyed but I don't care. I don't want to miss that perfect shot

Thank you so much for all of that feedback, it is greatly appreciated! One other thing, so you pay the set amount, and no matter how many photos get taken of you, you get access to all of them for the original price? Can you get these photos printed at a CVS or a Target? How does that process work?

 

[BrerRabbit1114]

You can get as many pictures taken as you want. There are photographers in all the parks, you can get photos in front of the castle, Spaceship Earth etc. and there are some by big attractions (like Tower of Terror). They also hang out with the characters. Some rides take photos - Everest, ToT, Splash, Space, Dinosaur - basically the ones where they get you making a scared face

Oh wow, that's so cool! Thank you for your feedback!

 

[tzeitel]

Have not tried MM yet (will have it for our next trip) but for the PP I got the most out of it by finding photographers when half our party was doing a ride DD would not do. She did not want to go on ToT so we got the magic short with Stitch coming out of the ground with ToT in the background. While DH was getting us some food at the Fish & Chips we got a picture taken on the bridge between UK and France. We stood in line for some shots but not if there was a huge line - there are (usually) several photographers in the same areas (just on different sides of the rides/castle etc).

 

[tzeitel]

Thank you so much for all of that feedback, it is greatly appreciated! One other thing, so you pay the set amount, and no matter how many photos get taken of you, you get access to all of them for the original price? Can you get these photos printed at a CVS or a Target? How does that process work?

You have all the photos downloaded to your computer - so you can print as many as you want (CVS, Walmart etc) and you can put them on a cd. You can crop them, add borders and edit them any way you want. You end up with tons more photos than originally taken.

 

[theyoungs07]

We did MM this past trip and I'm glad we did it for the ride photos...but is it me or are there fewer photographers around the parks? I realize with all the construction that some of the places are gone, but it seems like in the past we were able to get some random shots from photographers that were just roaming about taking action photos...etc.

 

[verleniahall]

...We usually walk past the Photopass photographers. This trip we tried REALLY hard to be patient and get all the photos we could. We're all about getting on attractions when the lines are shortest. It is excruciating for us to wait. Especially when another family demands 20 versions of the same shot (every family sub group, 20 retakes of the infant, the front/back/side/and inside of their custom shirts) BTMRR stand by is 10min. No, 20min. Now 55min! AGGGHHH!...

Now, Just a thought for you - you dont know if they are on a family reunion trip, a trip for a first time visit, etc... or maybe they just want a TON of pictures with everyone in them. Why do you care?? They have paid for memory maker (potentily) so they want to make the most of it.

I will raise my hand and say that was us in september on our first trip: i wanted one of both of us by an icon, then one of me, then one of dh, then maybe a magic shot. and i did that at EVERY photographer we saw. AND - I plan to do it on this trip as well. Just relax and enjoy - don't get s stressed out about things. If the line is short for a ride, do the ride and come back.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

You can buy it after you get home, though I'm really not sure why anyone would. I'm not trying to be mean, but there's no point unless you don't know anyone who can burn a CD. You can get a box of 50 for $8 at any big box, and that's before any coupons or deals. Most computers have the capability. (Again, personally, the only photos I ever open are the ones on my hard drive.) After you get home, you log into the cumbersome website. you review, add borders, and order any extra items you want. The website does offer some discount deals, - so be sure to check if you want anything. A less $ option is often just to get mugs and the like through other online photo delivery places.

As for the canned stock photos, again, why? A quick search will give a gazillion stock photos of WDW.

Oh- one thing to know- the 7D video is automatic. You just wear you MBand while riding. Yes, if you are wearing a Mband, Disney tracks your location in the parks any place they have a reader. I think all the ride photos are now automatic if you have MM, but some still have scanning stations. (like EE)

 

[Love Tink]

We usually walk past the Photopass photographers. This trip we tried REALLY hard to be patient and get all the photos we could.

We're all about getting on attractions when the lines are shortest. It is excruciating for us to wait. Especially when another family demands 20 versions of the same shot (every family sub group, 20 retakes of the infant, the front/back/side/and inside of their custom shirts) BTMRR stand by is 10min. No, 20min. Now 55min! AGGGHHH!

This is just "operator error." It is bad advice the same way it would be bad advice to tell someone not to try to ride Peter Pan because "you will have to wait 90 minutes." Yes, you can wait 90 minutes on a very busy day or at the busiest time of day...but you can also arrive early, stay late, use Fastpass...

We stop for a lot of PhotoPass photographers. We don't stop if the photographer has a large group or a group that looks like it will take a while. If we get behind a group and they take forever, we move on. There are lots of other photographers, and they will be there an hour later and two hours later. No reason to wait

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Now, Just a thought for you - you dont know if they are on a family reunion trip, a trip for a first time visit, etc... or maybe they just want a TON of pictures with everyone in them. Why do you care?? They have paid for memory maker (potentily) so they want to make the most of it.

I will raise my hand and say that was us in september on our first trip: i wanted one of both of us by an icon, then one of me, then one of dh, then maybe a magic shot. and i did that at EVERY photographer we saw. AND - I plan to do it on this trip as well. Just relax and enjoy - don't get s stressed out about things. If the line is short for a ride, do the ride and come back.

It's like the public restroom. If nobody is in line, take your time. When there's a line of children waiting, basic courtesy = be prompt, and leave the place as clean as you found it.

It's only when I'm in line waiting that it drives me nuts. Every family is entitled to ask for a couple shots. It's the family that asks for 10+ versions that gets excessive.

Or the cruel parents who just don't care their infant/toddler is SCREAMING - well past any hope of a happy shot. It's painful after a point.

Is there no limit on holding up long lines in your opinion?

Just seems like simple etiquette 101 to me. Be considerate. We all paid for the same perk.

 

[BrerRabbit1114]

You have all the photos downloaded to your computer - so you can print as many as you want (CVS, Walmart etc) and you can put them on a cd. You can crop them, add borders and edit them any way you want. You end up with tons more photos than originally taken.

How long do you have access to the photos? Is it forever, or is it only for a set amount of time once trip is over?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

This is just "operator error." It is bad advice the same way it would be bad advice to tell someone not to try to ride Peter Pan because "you will have to wait 90 minutes." Yes, you can wait 90 minutes on a very busy day or at the busiest time of day...but you can also arrive early, stay late, use Fastpass...

We stop for a lot of PhotoPass photographers. We don't stop if the photographer has a large group or a group that looks like it will take a while. If we get behind a group and they take forever, we move on. There are lots of other photographers, and they will be there an hour later and two hours later. No reason to wait

ITA. One Disney thing that cracks me up is when there are people waiting in line for a Photopass photographer in front of an icon. You can usually walk 20 feet and find another photographer just waiting for something to do!

 

[BrerRabbit1114]

Well we have memory makers onky been here 2 days and have almost 200 pics
the nice thing right now with the flower and garden festival is they added the professional pics of the topiary to our photo pass when we had our pic taken by the plants

Now granted being it is onky the 2 of us and it's our engagement trip we are really taking advantage of many photo pass stations

Just curious, you said you have close to 200 pics in 2 days. Where exactly are you getting photographs at? And how often? Cause i'm considering getting MM, but only if I get a lot of pics taken of my girlfriend and I. I would want at least 200 photos for out week long stay.

 

[verleniahall]

How long do you have access to the photos? Is it forever, or is it only for a set amount of time once trip is over?

you have 45 days from the time the photo was taken to download them and then they disapear...POOF!!!