Anyone not get memory maker and regret it?

[lindanj]

We leave for disney on Saturday and still trying to decide if memory maker is worth it. At first I just thought I would use my own camera to take pics. But now wondering if we should do memory maker. We do not have any character meals. Do they really capture all of the pics I would want? Don't want to spend the money if I end up needing to take my own pics of what I want anyway Will I regret if if I don't take it. Today is my last day to decide

 

[jpessa]

I personally love MM, but I'm that mom who forgets to take pictures of my kid at the cutest moments because I'm too immersed in living it. That's when the photographers are great, they do it for me. Plus we then all get to be in pictures together.

However, you will still need to take your own photos, there are only so many spots the photographers hang out in. They can also take a picture of you with your own camera, so you could still get family shots.

If you love taking pictures and is that person who's always got their camera out, you're good at it and want to do it at Disney, I vote you don't get MM. If you like the idea of not even bringing a camera but just taking some pics with your phone and relying on the photographers, then I vote to get it.

Another perk for character interactions for me is that if I want to pull out my camera I take videos and let the photographers take pictures. I love watching those after the trip. Kids say the cutest stuff to characters!

 

[siskaren]

Well, what do you mean by all the pictures you would want? Are you planning to do meet and greets or riding the rides that offer pictures? Are you planning to stop at places where you see PhotoPass photographers (like in front of the castle)? Even with Memory Maker I would still take my own camera because there are plenty of things that I want to take pictures of that PhotoPass doesn't cover - things like parades, attractions (what I mean is, pictures of Splash Mountain, not a picture of me on Splash Mountain), my hotel, etc.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We had MM last May trip... wasn't impressed at all, probably 25+ pictures for a week...

Didn't pay for itself, I took more pictures with my own camera... we didn't chase after the photographers and when we did come across one, which was few and not where we would have liked, there was a line waiting....sort if a time waste...

Arriving home, most of our pictures were blurry.. So much for MM, won't waste time and money again..

 

[davedmaine]

We leave for disney on Saturday and still trying to decide if memory maker is worth it. At first I just thought I would use my own camera to take pics. But now wondering if we should do memory maker. We do not have any character meals. Do they really capture all of the pics I would want? Don't want to spend the money if I end up needing to take my own pics of what I want anyway Will I regret if if I don't take it. Today is my last day to decide

It's a huge waste of money

 

[smitch425]

It's a huge waste of money

Maybe for you, but it is worth every penny to many, many people.

 

[wendy3]

I disagree that it's a waste of money. We got MM on our last trip (May 25 - June3) and got about 125 photos. It's worth it for the ride photos alone - those are candid photos that are so much fun to see after the trip is over. We also love the traditional family photos posed in front of the icons of each park. Finally, the magic photos are also fun (holding Tink, balloons, stitch, etc). A lot of the photographers have fun with your group as well. We have a couple of photos with our group of teen boys and their lightsabors that are priceless, thanks to the Disney photographer. I love MM, and think its well worth every penny.

 

[CFioren317]

We didn't get MM and just got back. We still can see all our pics online without MM and can do whatever we need to do with them. You can't manipulate the pictures or save them, but if you are smart you can figure out some ways to do whatever you want to do with the pictures. It would have been a huge waste of money for us, since we didn't stop many places for photographers. We saw the guy at the front of HS and my daughter got some BBB pictures as well as pics at the castle. Pictures seemed to be down for the rides we went on, like Buzz for example.

So for us, it would have been a huge waste of money. Maybe for others it works out, but for us, it would not.

 

[1 DISNEY FAN]

We had 2 weeks in May and got about 400 photos. We met a lot of characters and had meals. Every time we saw a photo pass photographer we would stop and get shots and also ask for magic shots. We had one ride photo disappear and one magic shot (simba at AK) not work. It was worth it for us. However if don't meet characters and go to meals or only have a short trip it works out awfully expensive.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Just to add after reading more replies... We're not going to go running from spot to spit chasing the photographers...we are more interested in the attractions sights and topography... 150.00 for MM, caught us once, won't make that mistake again... 25+ pictures, one attraction picture... Chef Mickeys... Total bust...

If you're going to race around and stop at every single photographer and wait in their line ....more power to you... It's just not how we vacation...and like I said, most were out of focus and blurry..!

 

[rewilliams]

I will be using it for the first time next week, but the idea is VERY worth it for me.
1. I am NEVER in the pics, I am always behind the camera.
2. We do A LOT of character spots and the CM's usually take several good pics.
3. I can use the PP stuff to decorate my pics with borders and the year
4. Ride photos go on them and I always want to buy them but they are too expensive
5. I want to try and get some of the magic shots this time.


I will of course take my own pics too.

 

[Winnowill]

We were there for eight days in April. We had more than 300 pictures when we got home, and, by the time I'd finished playing around with borders and sizes and adjustments, I had more than 1100 individual picture files, including including about two dozen ride pix. We had some great PP photographers, who took some amazing pictures. Then there are the Magic Shots, which are so much fun!

 

[HollenAngi]

We love memory maker. I have never had trouble with the quality of the pictures and I love getting the ride photos

 

[becd]

I will be using it for the first time next week, but the idea is VERY worth it for me.
1. I am NEVER in the pics, I am always behind the camera.
2. We do A LOT of character spots and the CM's usually take several good pics.
3. I can use the PP stuff to decorate my pics with borders and the year
4. Ride photos go on them and I always want to buy them but they are too expensive
5. I want to try and get some of the magic shots this time.


I will of course take my own pics too.

All of this except for #3. I am never, ever in the pics so love this option. However, I have Ds-7, Ds-7, and a DS-5 so I do want all of the pictures from the rides and character spots. To me it is worth every penny!

 

[MataHari22]

I regret not trying it for my trip last year. I am the one who takes the photos and my friend that I went with is terrible at taking photos. I wanted her to take some pix of me and I kid you not, she took two photos of me, and I was no where in the photos. Yes, she is that bad. I laughed over it, and we still do, but I don't really have any good photos of my trip last year. I decided to try it this year and see how it works out. I most likely won't be going back to WDW for a while, and I am hoping to have some good pix for some memories.

Last year, I did meet Mickey in HS and I got a photopass card and took a photo with him and got a nice picture. I made a coffee mug with the photo and I enjoy using it everyday. Was glad I at least for that photo.

 

[lizard1]

We just got back from a 2 week trip. Not counting the ride photos, we have over 800 pictures. We did NOT stop at nearly every PP photographer, in fact, we didn't even stop for the big picture (the one in front of Spaceship Earth, Castle, Tree of Life, Hat) every day, we only did those a couple of times during the entire trip. We probably have an additional 50-100 ride photos.

We did do many character meals. HOWEVER, it isn't as if there are PP photographers walking around with the characters. We have a few pictures from before the meals for those.

We did do a lot of meet and greets, where they captured about 10-20 shots per greet.

We did BBB where we had over 50 pictures from the makeovers and over 50 pictures from the photo shoot afterwards (I did have 3 children who did the experience).

We did PL, but there were only around 10 photos per child.


I think if you are the type to get the ride photos, are intending to do many character meets (and don't want to have to get your camera ready every time so you can also participate), or intend to stop at a lot of the PP photographers intentionally MM is a good idea to purchase.

If you don't care for the ride photos, are not going to do character meets, and don't intend to stop to get your photo taken in front of the icons, then it is probably not a good deal for you.

 

[Cando86]

If you don't purchase MM, are you still able to view your pictures after you return home and buy the individual photos you want?

 

[jpessa]

If you don't purchase MM, are you still able to view your pictures after you return home and buy the individual photos you want?

Yes

 

[TinkerElsasMom]

The thing is, buying a handful of photos is almost as much is buying all of them. MM gives you the flexibility of buying all of them. Additionally you can build photo stops into your touring plan to maximize the pictures. You also get ride photos. I think the only individuals who regret getting it are the individuals who don't take advantage of it. I cannot see the downside of having hundreds of family pictures at iconic points around the park, with characters , dining experiences, and rides.

 

[CFioren317]

If you don't purchase MM, are you still able to view your pictures after you return home and buy the individual photos you want?

You absolutely can and you can even zoom in and out and add borders to your pics too.