waste of money?...

[mrs moon]

who feels like me "Memory Maker" is a big waste of money!!!!!

 

[Minniesgal]

Not us we love it

 

[ToddyLu]

We purchased the CD package before it was Memory Maker...took two pictures...then it took about a month for us to get a refund. We just didn't use it, so I am not a big fan. I am very much in to digital scrapbook so the fact I don't feel drawn to it surprises me.

 

[Saralyn]

I bought it last summer when the advance purchase price was only $150. We got pics taken everywhere and some were really good, and it's a good deal if you'd buy even a handful of their pics individually, but when all is said and done, I think it's a lot of money and what you end up with are a lot of posed photos. Because I was pushing the family in front of every Disney photographer we saw, we didn't take as many pics with our own cameras/phones, so overall I think we ended up with fewer of the pics I love the most -- the impromptu shots that really express who we are and what we love most about Disney World. I won't be buying it again this year, especially now that the advance price has gone up to $170, and will just try to make sure we take more candid pics.

 

[peg110]

We have used it several times (either as PhotoPass or Memory Maker). As ToddyLu points out, if you don't take the pictures, it may not be worth it. We, however, take LOTS of pictures. Character Pictures, Pictures at the castle, Spaceship earth, on the rides. Now the Magic bands make it easier for the rides. No fumbling for a "Card" and the rides will actually capture the RFID info and automatically put the pictures (on those select rides) in your MemoryMaker.

We try to purchased it in advance. One year (our first time about 8 years ago) we didn't and we ended up purchasing the full package at the end of our trip, so we paid more.

The last time we went (Nov/Dec 2014) our 8 day trip captured over 400 photos on the memory maker.

I suppose your mileage depends on how much you will use it. Do you have kids? Will you be seeing all of the characters? If not if it is just you and spouse, then maybe it's not quite the same value. We are going again in June 2016 and already have plans to purchase it in advance. We know we will use it. Like I said last time we had a lot on the MemoryMaker, but between that and all of our other photos we had over 2000 of them.

 

[kayemgi]

I bought it last summer when the advance purchase price was only $150. We got pics taken everywhere and some were really good, and it's a good deal if you'd buy even a handful of their pics individually, but when all is said and done, I think it's a lot of money and what you end up with are a lot of posed photos. Because I was pushing the family in front of every Disney photographer we saw, we didn't take as many pics with our own cameras/phones, so overall I think we ended up with fewer of the pics I love the most -- the impromptu shots that really express who we are and what we love most about Disney World. I won't be buying it again this year, especially now that the advance price has gone up to $170, and will just try to make sure we take more candid pics.

That's interesting. I'm looking at getting MM for the first time for our next trip, because it will be our first trip with a kid. I think it will be nice to have Photopass photos of character meets and posed family photos, but I will have to remember to make sure we capture the candid moments as well! I don't want to miss those on DD's first trip.

 

[jec6613]

I *KNOW* that I won't get my money's worth out of it, but I'm paying for it anyway because I'm usually the one behind the eyepiece, and I don't want that to even be a concern on this trip.

 

[kadrachb]

My boyfriend and I purchased it in advance last May (and again for the trip this May), and we loved it. Granted, we probably didn't get as many pictures as a family 4 might have gotten. But the pictures were really nice to have of both of us.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Frankly, I think it is insanely expensive, but I still purchased it for the next trip because DD and I won't end up in any pictures together if I don't. I am looking forward to the ride photos, because we never buy more than one a trip, even though we take some good ones.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

It's worth it just for the ride pictures and video pics.

 

[hicksnichols]

I think its a waste. I have never ordered any of the pictures from the photo pass so I haven't even considered purchasing the memory maker. I am not much for taking pictures and my DD wants them on her phone so she can text to her friends. My DS wants them on my phone so he can look at them in the 13 hour car ride home!

 

[RachealM]

The package is not something we would ever buy.

Do have your bands scanned in case there is a rare picture you might want to buy individually or have printed on a keepsake item, but having the CMs take the same picture for you with your own phones/cameras is definitely a more budget-friendly way to capture the same memories.

 

[Parker Clan]

My boyfriend and I purchased it in advance last May (and again for the trip this May), and we loved it. Granted, we probably didn't get as many pictures as a family 4 might have gotten. But the pictures were really nice to have of both of us.

Same with us! I always feel annoying asking people to take our picture so it was nice to have MM. I made three wonderful canvas prints from last year & didn't have to rush to print them because they're mine Plus the ride photos, so funny and great memories!

 

[kadrachb]

Plus the ride photos, so funny and great memories!

Haha, I loved the ride photos! I think thats what kind of makes memory maker worth it. Those ride photos are expensive if you don't have it. We have a really good one of us on Everest. It looks like we're both about to cry!

 

[hsmamato2]

I think it's insanely overpriced and not worth it.....

 

[jolene63]

I have never bought it, however, I've had a couple of friends who have. Both of them said some of their most wanted pictures weren't there and they received pictures of other families. I would hate it if I was counting on certain pictures and they weren't there. I also think I get better pictures than the ones most of the Disney photographers take. I have been very disappointed in the past when viewing my Photopass pictures.

 

[smitch425]

We never travel without it, but we also enjoy getting multiple shots per day. Hundreds of originals which become close to (if not above) a thousand with edits. We've blown them up on canvas, and they look great.

 

[navywifetill2002]

We always get it! No matter where we vacation we always get the "key" photos so with Disney that would be at a bare minimum the 4 parks ($60 for those digital downloads). Plus we always do character dining and I'd want those photos too. And Magic Shots, I always need at least 1 of those. Plus ride photos. The price is just too good to pass up when I think of what all the different photos would cost me individually!

I just got back from a Carnival Cruise and we bought 10 photos for $200 and there were so many more I wanted but I had to draw the line. When I think of it that way the $170 for all the digital images plus edits is a good deal for me!

 

[DisneyHoosier]

Even though I think it's overpriced, we usually get Memory Maker too. Love the ability to end a trip with so many pictures with ALL of us rather than SOME Of us. The photos are great quality, they are so helpful with taking their time with the kids, etc. too. I do wonder if they were to cut the price in half if they'd sell 4x as many - it's digital so there wouldn't be much extra cost but they could really drive revenue. Then again, much smarter people have likely worked on the pricing to figure that out, so what do I know?

 

[kboo]

IT was SO worth it for us. Saved us the trouble of having to hand over our phones (which are sort of maxed out with memory anyway). We did take lots of candids as well, but we did a ton of character meals, character m&g, and Enchanted Tales with Belle 2x in a row, it was nice to just get in the picture and have our whole family in it. We also did some cute "magic" photos - like ones posed next to the Frozen characters, my daughter got one with Tinkerbell in her hand, just some cute effects there. And we had an early ADR at Crystal Palace on my birthday and the photopass photographers took some really memorable ones of a totally empty Main St. We got over 200 photos and would have gotten more, except our daughter got tired of taking pics about halfway through the trip.