Help me decide on memory maker!

[Aurora0427]

We leave Wednesday for a 7 night stay at the Polynesian. Our last trip was in 2015, and we purchased memory maker. I made my mom, who went with us, a DVD with all of the pictures, and I downloaded the rest to my computer. I've never printed out any of the photos. I always bring my camera. We are doing two, maybe 3 character meals where memory maker isn't available, except for the photo with Belle at Akershus and the Chef Mickey Photo, plus the luau. But won't they also take one with your camera???

I just can't decide if I want to add it before we get there so we save the $30 or just use our camera and save $169. We probably won't do as many meet and greets this trip, except for Elena, but I say that and we'll probably do a ton. Sigh. I could care less about the ride photos.

It's just how much additional money do I need to spend? I cannot decide. Help!

I should add my mom is coming and we would split the cost.

 

[ghtx]

Don't do it, especially since you don't care about the ride photos. Those are the only ones that you need to buy if you want - for everything else (including character greetings and meals) you can use your own camera!

Now you get to decide what else to spend the $169 on!

 

[piglet1979]

We always get it. We do not carry a camera with us. Just our phones. But I love getting the pictures when ever I see a photo cast member and I don't have to dig out my camera.

 

[shellyj]

I agree with ghtx, if you have done it before and didn't find value in in, then skip it this time. Let the photopass photographers take a few pictures during your trip and then if you really love them you can pay $15 to download them. $15 for one picture sounds like a lot but compared to $169 for a bunch of pictures that you won't print, it's actually a good deal. We pay for it when we travel as a big group and can split the cost several ways but when it's just my immediate family, we're happy using our phone cameras. I don't think we've ever had a ride photo that we liked!

 

[rangerxenos]

Just give them your camera and have them take the photos. The only time I do MM is if I can find a share, otherwise I don't think it's worth the $$$.

 

[NYCgrrl]

OK.........our July trip which was completely funded by us (hotel, food, transportation, clothing for one of them) I drew the line at the Memory Maker option and told parents they needed to pay part of the cost. Told the 2 sets of parent to pay half the discounted cost and I'd pay the other half (what a wuss I can be; sigh). On the last day the discount was available one of the parents "sprang" into action and tried to get the other parent to come up with her half of the half.

Long story short, no Memory Maker, was purchased and everyone wound up oohing and aahing over whatever smartphone pics I took.
Upshot? Spend the money as you choose. Pre trip I was really obsessed about the purchase. Post trip it didn't make much difference.
Oh and the only parent who waited anxiously and rudely for pictures (she texted me hourly for a day) was the one without the funds to pay for the Movie Maker package.....bizarre.

 

[Aurora0427]

I agree with ghtx, if you have done it before and didn't find value in in, then skip it this time. Let the photopass photographers take a few pictures during your trip and then if you really love them you can pay $15 to download them. $15 for one picture sounds like a lot but compared to $169 for a bunch of pictures that you won't print, it's actually a good deal. We pay for it when we travel as a big group and can split the cost several ways but when it's just my immediate family, we're happy using our phone cameras. I don't think we've ever had a ride photo that we liked!

Thank you... I remember being disappointed in the quality of the photos that were taken, and there were so many to choose from that it took me several days just to go through them all. It sounds silly, but it was really overwhelming. My absolute favorite shots are the ones taken from my nice Canon before memory maker came out. The quality was so much better than the disney photographers. It's kind of a pain to take it, but we have an 18 month old so we'll have a stroller and a bag anyway!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

If I couldn't afford MM I'd just go to the Wisconsin Dells and skip Disney.

 

[Rich M]

We purchased the Memory Maker for our trip in December since we are taking a 23 month old with us this trip. We plan on getting lots of pictures with him so it made sense for us to have it. If he was not going I would not spend the money. It really has to be worth it for your trip to have it.

 

[Aurora0427]

If I couldn't afford MM I'd just go to the Wisconsin Dells and skip Disney.

Seriously? I can afford memory maker.... just because I can spend money on something doesn't mean I want to.

 

[melana]

I am in the same debate. I am going solo and think that memory maker could be beneficial but..I honestly don't know.

I am trying to weigh the pros and cons. I can afford it, but will I get a good return on what I spend, picture wise?

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Seriously? I can afford memory maker.... just because I can spend money on something doesn't mean I want to.

Joking. It is a great product though.