Magic Maker worth it?

[Dano13]

We never have purchased a memory maker largely because we hardly ever stop at the pre staged spots where the disney photogs stand, but now I am seeing many people stating that ride photos are auto linked. Is there a listing of what rides they would include? I don't mind spending a couple of bucks if I wined up with a bunch of pictures, but if I wound up with 6 of them I wouldn't be thrilled. Thanks!

 

[LetsTalkWDW]

There is a list of rides in this post (scroll down):
http://wdwprepschool.com/how-memory-maker-works/

As far as, "Is it worth it?". It was for us, we went for 7 days and got about 150 personal pictures on Memory Maker, add to that the Disney Stock photos and we ended up with about 250. After some editing and playing around with the photos (cropping, adding borders and clip art) we ended up with 300. We tried to stop at as many photopass spots as possible but in actuality we could have easily doubled it (if we really stopped at all photopass spots).

When you stop at a photopass photographer always ask if they have any "Magic Shots" or "Animated Magic Shots", these seem to be increasingly popular.

 

[siskaren]

You have to be willing to make some effort to make it worth it. If you're only interested in ride photos, there's a product called Attractions + that's available in the parks that costs $45 or $50.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We definitely make it a point to seek out Photopass photographers and opportunities so it's worth it to us. The ride photos are an added bonus.

 

[Dano13]

You have to be willing to make some effort to make it worth it. If you're only interested in ride photos, there's a product called Attractions + that's available in the parks that costs $45 or $50.

Thanks I had no idea about this package! Any idea where I can purchase it? Our first day will be starting in Epcot. Maybe in that camera/photo shop by Spaceship Earth?

 

[Cynister]

We love Memory Maker & always get it. It is true, you have to make it a point of finding the photographers for it to be worth it, but that really isn't a big deal since there's usually always some within sight. Definitely ask for Magic shots, those come out great. With the addition of the new animated Magic shots, plus the ride videos, this package is great. We are never disappointed & always come out with hundreds of photos.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Don;t forget the many magic shots that are available.

http://capturingmagic.me/photopass-magic-shots

 

[Dano13]

Don;t forget the many magic shots that are available.

http://capturingmagic.me/photopass-magic-shots

Thank you so much for this link! I am far more of a picture person than my wife and I am always tasked with taking pictures. I really wanted to order the Magic Maker, and she thought it would be a waste of money. These Magic Shots may sway her. Thank you!

 

[mrsR123]

Are any of thte magic shots exclusive to Memory Maker, though? I think the program is really expensive. Buyers still need to do something with those photos after they own them, don't they? If you're printing or making a photo book, then you pay all over again.

For me, it's been better to just make a book using the photos plus my own that I upload on the PhotoPass site. Even at their higher than Snapfish or chainstore rates, I've ended up spending less than MM would have cost. I only bought one ride picture, and once I purchased it, they put it on my PhotoPass account.

YMMV.

 

[galaxygirl76]

You have to be willing to make some effort to make it worth it. If you're only interested in ride photos, there's a product called Attractions + that's available in the parks that costs $45 or $50.

My husband doesn't want to purchase the memory maker for our upcoming trip because we will be without our daughter and he doesn't see the point of taking pictures without her there(don't get me started), I however, would love to have at least our ride pictures together because it will be the first time we can ride them together(DD3 was too short for most of the rides and we ride swapped all of them). So this interests me quite a bit, how does it work and where could I get it if I can talk him into doing this instead?

 

[Malela9]

Love this thread! We are going to buy our Memory Maker today for our trip on Wednesday! I feel that this is a great souvenir and my whole family enjoys the pictures. T-shirts are worn and given away, but pictures are valuable forever!

 

[MataHari22]

Thank you so much for this link! I am far more of a picture person than my wife and I am always tasked with taking pictures. I really wanted to order the Magic Maker, and she thought it would be a waste of money. These Magic Shots may sway her. Thank you!

As the person who also takes the photos, I found Memory Maker to totally be worth it. My trip in 2013 with my friend, she talked me out of getting it, and I'm sorry I didn't. She is terrible at taking photos, so bad, in fact, that she took a photo of me at HS, and I was nowhere in the photo. Had I known, I would have never let her talk me out of it that trip. We laugh about it now, but I don't have any good shots of me that trip. Last year, I got memory maker and we ended up with over 250 photos before editing. If you ride the rides that offer photos, plus stop and get photos and magic shots, it is worth it. We also met with quite a few characters, which I never did as an adult, but decided to, since we had MM and it was fun. To get your money's worth from MM, you would need to have at least 12 pictures that you love.

 

[siskaren]

Thanks I had no idea about this package! Any idea where I can purchase it? Our first day will be starting in Epcot. Maybe in that camera/photo shop by Spaceship Earth?

I don't know for sure since I haven't been to WDW since it was introduced, but the photo shop would definitely be the first place I would check.

My husband doesn't want to purchase the memory maker for our upcoming trip because we will be without our daughter and he doesn't see the point of taking pictures without her there(don't get me started), I however, would love to have at least our ride pictures together because it will be the first time we can ride them together(DD3 was too short for most of the rides and we ride swapped all of them). So this interests me quite a bit, how does it work and where could I get it if I can talk him into doing this instead?

Like I said, I haven't been to WDW since it was introduced, but each park has a photo shop, and that would seem the most likely place they would sell it, although the shops at the rides that have pictures would also be a logical place to check.

1. Are any of the magic shots exclusive to Memory Maker, though?

2. I think the program is really expensive. Buyers still need to do something with those photos after they own them, don't they? If you're printing or making a photo book, then you pay all over again.

For me, it's been better to just make a book using the photos plus my own that I upload on the PhotoPass site. Even at their higher than Snapfish or chainstore rates, I've ended up spending less than MM would have cost. I only bought one ride picture, and once I purchased it, they put it on my PhotoPass account.

YMMV.

1. No.

2. What do you do with the pictures you take yourself? Do you print most of them out? You can have the pictures printed out at Walmart or Snapfish or even print them out yourself for not much money. And as for it being expensive, LetsTalkWDW said that she (he?) ended up with 300 pictures, which comes out to 56 cents a picture.

 

[mrsR123]

2. What do you do with the pictures you take yourself? Do you print most of them out? You can have the pictures printed out at Walmart or Snapfish or even print them out yourself for not much money. And as for it being expensive, LetsTalkWDW said that she (he?) ended up with 300 pictures, which comes out to 56 cents a picture.

Sometimes I print and make a physical scrapbook. Sometimes I have done a PhotoPass book. I get that some people find great value in this. I just can't imagine needing/wanting 300 photos from a PhotoPass photographer and ride photos. If I want to make a digital book and have it bound, I can do through PhotoPass and use their pictures without having to buy them. If I print 300 photos via Snapfish, I do so at a penny a print, and I have way more variety, pictures I took, in addition to the PhotoPass photograhers' shots.

But like I said, YMMV.

 

[mountdew1]

Are any of thte magic shots exclusive to Memory Maker, though? I think the program is really expensive. Buyers still need to do something with those photos after they own them, don't they? If you're printing or making a photo book, then you pay all over again.

They aren't exclusive, but if you are looking for something to help tip the scales, getting them all included in the Memory Maker cost is a plus. I do think the animated ones might be exclusive to MM? Don't quote me on that though.

Digital picture frame for the win. No printing costs at all. The cost benefit to MM comes through volume. If you only want a few pictures, then it's not worth it. But at the $15ish per print direct from Photopass, you breakeven if you wanted 10-11 pictures (with a MM prepurchase). At a few hundred pictures, the per cost picture has dropped dramatically, and when you hit the 1000+ number like I do, its even better.

 

[Cynister]

My husband doesn't want to purchase the memory maker for our upcoming trip because we will be without our daughter and he doesn't see the point of taking pictures without her there(don't get me started), I however, would love to have at least our ride pictures together because it will be the first time we can ride them together(DD3 was too short for most of the rides and we ride swapped all of them). So this interests me quite a bit, how does it work and where could I get it if I can talk him into doing this instead?

Here's the info on Memory Maker. If you purchase ahead of time it is cheaper by $30.

Sometimes I print and make a physical scrapbook. Sometimes I have done a PhotoPass book. I get that some people find great value in this. I just can't imagine needing/wanting 300 photos from a PhotoPass photographer and ride photos. If I want to make a digital book and have it bound, I can do through PhotoPass and use their pictures without having to buy them. If I print 300 photos via Snapfish, I do so at a penny a print, and I have way more variety, pictures I took, in addition to the PhotoPass photograhers' shots.

But like I said, YMMV.

It is totally a matter of personal preference. everyone needs to judge based on their own usage. For me, I'm the photographer while we're on vacation. We like the Memory Maker package because even on short trips we get a few hundred photos & they are of really good quality. It is great to be able to have pictures with me in the picture & particularly those photographers who go the extra step of staging everyone professionally in the picture so it comes out just right. It totally makes a difference in the pictures. I love the magic shots & the ride shots. Those are priceless to me. At the end of each trip I make a book. I usually get a Groupon for Shutterfly or a similar company for $10 or less to make a custom photo book. It works out great & we get professional looking shots, I then mix in others I've taken of scenery & it is a memory of the whole experience. So at the end of the day I'm in it for $179 or less & I get about 300-500 (or more) pictures plus a custom hard cover photobook that I designed.

Also, the Memory Maker package gives you various borders & custom trinkets you can add into your pictures to make them even more special. Some selection examples are the year, the Disney gang, Star Wars, BayMax, Princesses, etc. You can completely make your pictures more "Disney" if you want.