Memory Maker, yes or no? Tell me your experience.

[V2000]

I'm on the fence about purchasing memory maker.
I never really thought about home many times I actually use the photographers while in the parks.
We are visiting MK, MNSSHP, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and a water park.
I'm not sure what rides have pictures taken and how I can best use memory maker at MNSSHP.

If I can make good use of it, I can purchase.
What do you think? Did memory maker work for you?

There is a voting poll up above and I would also like to hear your experience.

 

[aretha30]

We get it each trip and it is very much worth it for us. We stop as much as we can and we ride certain rides; like Buzz, Space Mountain, Everest, Splash, etc multiple times so we get all those pictures as well. We went in August and after I did the edits and added boarders and such we had 600 plus pictures. Even if only 100 were what I would call printable (where I would blow them up and frame them) that is worth the money. I would say at least half of our always turn out printable. We won't do a trip without it.

 

[MataHari22]

Totally worth it for me. Especially since I'm the only one out of who I've traveled with who can take a decent photo. It was wonderful to have actual great photos of myself on vacation. The year before, when I was talked out of MM, I had all of two or three photos.

 

[5kidsmommy]

We always get it. I love having pictures of my family that I don't have to take. Love the candid photos of me and my family during character meet & greets and love the ride photos. I just include MM in the budget when planning our WDW trips.

 

[jillt2ph]

I love memory maker. I spend a lot of time alone in the parks (and hate selfies!) and I love the freedom of not having to carry a camera. I will ask the photographers if they do magic shots so I can have as many of those as possible. I would like it better if they did not keep raising the price!

I always keep an eye out for shutterfly deals and usually make a book afterwards with my pics.

I have also done the Photopass at DL and Aulani. Little known fact about that - if your trips are close enough together, you can get your photos from both places and just pay for the most expensive of the 2. I did a 2 week trip to celebrate turning 50 and that was a nice surprise.

 

[V2000]

I heard there are video from some attractions too.
Also, the magic shots will interest me for MNSSHP.

Any other tips to make the most out of memory maker?
Do they take photos at the water parks?

 

[justme0729]

I think the videos on Tower of Terror and Mine Train (are there any other rides with video?) were really awesome. And its definitely worth it just to get all of the ride photos that aren't you just posing in front of the castle, Epcot ball etc.

 

[godders]

Even as a solo traveller I find it worth it. Not only do I get photos of me (as I would never stop someone to take one for me) but the photos really help for the trip report when I can't remember what I did next and I didn't take photos on my camera

 

[dekraut]

Hello!

We bought it for our first trip with our kids a few years ago. We thought it was completely worth it for that trip, since there were many firsts, and we had extended family join us for part of the vacation since it was the grandkids' first time to Disney. The professional quality pics were very good, and we enjoyed fixing them up with the borders and decorations that are available. In addition, the special locations that we couldn't get to, but the photographers could gave us a few close ups of things we wouldn't have gotten otherwise (like Jedi Training academy for example, where the photo guy was on a rolling chair right in front of the stage snapping pics the whole time).

We are going back in a few months, and I actually thought harder about saving the money since we got so many of the iconic pics the last trip. I figured the kids have only changed a little, and how many pictures in front of the castle do you need. I really considered not getting it this time.

But then I realized that in the scheme of our whole trip costs, $169 really isn't that much, and since we are going to be seeing new parts of the parks this time, and since we will be trying to meet different characters this time, it is probably worth it again. It is so easy to let the photographers snap a shot everywhere you go, and the shots are usually very well done.

 

[Marbel]

We were in the parks for 10 days. We are a family of 6, and it was the kids' first time at WDW. The MM was worth every cent. Even with the Canadian exchange, it was worth every cent. We got hundreds of photos. Besides the main parks, there were photographers at the water parks, and we even got a family photo outside of Hoop Dee Doo. Really glad we got the MM. We have some priceless photos.

However ... my next trip is an adult trip with my sister. We're going as cheapo cheap as possible and won't be getting the MM. We wouldn't have many ride photos anyway since we're both chickens.

 

[Boo Bear]

Yes, yes, YES! It is absolutely worth it and the photos I have are priceless. You can get your photos taken by as many photo pass photographers you want as frequently as you want and get to keep them all, or just your favorites. Just be sure to do all of your touch ups on the photo pass page and download before they expire.

 

[Capang]

We love it, we won't go without it. if we are going to Disney we don't do yearly pictures for DD or the family. We just do them at Disney. DD's sitter thought we hired a professional photographer to follow us in the park after she saw the photo book we had made using those photos. For us it is worth it.

 

[mzsarah10]

We finally bought it this trip. Before I looked at it but never bought because I wanted to save the money. It was soooo worth it. I was finally in the pictures instead of being the one taking them. Also, my DH and DD were chosen for parts in Enchanted takes with belle. There we so many great pics and the video for 7DMT made it worth it. Don't forget to ask for magic shots.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

It depends for me. Before each trip, I sit down and make a list of the photopass pics/magic shots I want to try and get. Then I count up the number of photos, multiply it by the cost per photo and decide if I think it'll be worth it for me to get.

Don't forget that photopass photographers will take pics using your own camera/phone too. On my April 2015 trip, I made that list and decided it wasn't worth it to get memory maker and had the photographers take pics with my camera as well as theirs. Most of the ones they took with mine were fine and I only bought 4 pictures from the photopass website.

I don't much care about the special videos or ride pictures which you can only get on memory maker so it made the decision easy for me.

I'm going to start the process for my next trip soon. Since I'm going to MNSSHP, it may just be worth it this time.

 

[concertkatie]

We did a "share" with a couple other families because we were doing a quick 3 day trip. With the lesser cost, it was definitely worth it and I think after editing we had about 300 photos from the 3 days. My friend and I are usually never in photos together because we are always just taking pics of each other on our trips so we got some really great shots together for once

 

[Karin1984]

To me: worth it!

However some photographers are better than others. I have one pic where he cut off my feet... also with characters some just wait till you are posing and then take 2 pics. Some also take pics during the interaction.

But the pics from Blizzard Beach are the best. They make your pic the moment you come down on summit plummit. The expressions are all saying : OMG I survived!

800-900 in a 10 day trip. My friend and I split the cost.

 

[V2000]

Yes, yes, YES! It is absolutely worth it and the photos I have are priceless. You can get your photos taken by as many photo pass photographers you want as frequently as you want and get to keep them all, or just your favorites. Just be sure to do all of your touch ups on the photo pass page and download before they expire.

When do they expire? How do I know how many days I get to use it for? Is it linked to your stay?

 

[V2000]

To me: worth it!

However some photographers are better than others. I have one pic where he cut off my feet... also with characters some just wait till you are posing and then take 2 pics. Some also take pics during the interaction.

But the pics from Blizzard Beach are the best. They make your pic the moment you come down on summit plummit. The expressions are all saying : OMG I survived!

800-900 in a 10 day trip. My friend and I split the cost.

Wow that's a smart idea splitting the cost

 

[eliza61]

Im in the minority. I don't get enough pictures to justify it.
First, I hate " posed" shots. They look phony. Especially the ones that have you do a fake emotion. Yuke.

Second I love "scenery" pictures. Space mtn, resort shots, Epcot ball at night tree of life. You get the idea, so I always have my dslr anyway. You dont get those shots with mm

I purchased 5 pictures total from my 10 day trip.

I take pictures so I can Photoshop and edit my own picks

 

[DisneyDreamer ♥]

IMO the MM is definitely worth it.. I have so many fabulous pictures of not only my kids but us as a family (we are a family of 5 who usually include grandma on our vacations too) that I just wouldn't have been able to do with out MM. We had hundreds of photos by the end of our vacation.. dozens of ride photos, character meet and greets, magic shots, plus all the ones just around the parks with the Castle, Sorcerers Hat, Spaceship Earth etc in the background.. all you need is 11 photos to make the MM worth it... anytime we saw a photographer just hanging out as we were walking around, we took a second to get a pic. I wouldn't hesitate on MM for our next Disney vacation.. HTH!!