Memory maker package

[sablebomb]

Is this worth the money?
I'm sure to each their own but it sounds like you can't go wrong and won't miss capturing any of your trip.
My only question is: if they shoot normal shots of you or your party just at the park, how do they link those to your package? Basically how do they know it's you? Or is it that you have to provide your card or whatever it is linked up to to the person taking pictures in order to link it?

 

[Gentry2004]

I am in the minority on this board on MM, but keep in mind that any Disney photographer is happy to take the same exact picture with your camera or phone. Yes, maybe their camera is "better" and no you can't get "magic shots" on your phone, but for us we did MM 1 time and felt it wasn't worth it. We've been back many times since and haven't regretted not having.

Again, I think most people on this board disagree with me.

 

[Lorelei18]

We've been to WDW and DL multiple times. The only time we buy MM is if we have guests with us who have never been to Disney, or this year, because it is a special trip for us as we've never been at Christmastime. So planning to take advantage of lots of special photo opportunities! If you go annually/more than once, it may not be/seem worth it. We do WDW annually and certainly don't get it every year (I think this will be our 3rd time getting it at WDW and we've done it once at DL). I do get a kick out of encouraging our guests to get as many Photopass pics taken as possible because "It's already paid for." It seems to add to the magic for them. If this is your only trip to Disney, I'd recommend doing it. Also, I feel like we've gotten way more pics at WDW than the one time we did this at DL, we had a hard time finding photographers at the park in California. You either have them scan your MagicBand or admission card, or they give you a card and you enter a code online after the fact. I do recommend if you purchase this to mention you have it to the photographers before they take photos as they can do the Magic Shots, and they may be more likely to take a few extra photos for you. And you can also do cute "frames" for your pics on the Photopass website at no extra charge beyond the package price.

 

[Lorelei18]

Oh, it also includes your ride photos. If you have a Magic Band it detects it and adds to your MM/Photopass account automatically. Otherwise I believe you scan your admission card at the end of the ride. But at least on 7DMT they also make a cute little video of your group that is included. And, anyone in your group, if you split up, is included in MM so long as they get their Magic Band or admission card scanned.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We only do MM if it's a longer trip for us, anything over 4 days total otherwise I feel like it's not really worth the money. If you have a magic band, the photographer will scan it when he takes photos. If you don't, you will be given a card that will link to the pics the photographer takes. If you are on an attraction and a photo is taken, the camera can detect your MB but if you just have the card, you go to the screens at the end of the ride and when your ride shot comes up on the screen, scan your card, I also do this with my MB since the cameras don't always catch the MB. I will say if this is a first visit or you haven't been in years, you may really enjoy it but do keep in mind, you still have to purchase prints, you only get digital images with the purchase of MM. Here are some helpful links with more info on how it work and the pros/cons-

http://wdwprepschool.com/how-memory-maker-works/

https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/disneys-photopass-pros-cons/

 

[sablebomb]

Thanks all! This is our first and probably only trip there (with kids anyway) so I'm certainly leaning towards it!
Just to clarify, you can only get a MB if you stay on site, right?
But the card will work just as well?

And, if I were to.purchase this and my party has three adults, I can get the three adults a card to use, right?

Thanks again! Always a wealth of info on here.

 

[TulipMom]

Memory Maker, while overpriced, is worth it to us. If we're spending this much on a vacation, we want all of the ride photos, the character photos, the shots in front of the castle, the magic shots, etc. We'd spend way more purchasing those separately. Also, it's a super easy system to use. We love checking each night to see what photos have appeared.

 

[Mamabun]

Thanks all! This is our first and probably only trip there (with kids anyway) so I'm certainly leaning towards it!
Just to clarify, you can only get a MB if you stay on site, right?
But the card will work just as well?

And, if I were to.purchase this and my party has three adults, I can get the three adults a card to use, right?

Thanks again! Always a wealth of info on here.

If you're staying on site you will get free magicbands sent to you (in the US). If you're offsite, you can buy magicbands for $12 (for a solid color), or more for special designs. They are not required for anything other than on ride photos at a few places (Seven Dwarfs, Pirates of the Caribbean, maybe one or two more). These rides don't offer a place to claim your photo, so you can't get the photo without a magicband. But for most rides you can claim the photo using a card. And the cards work fine for everything else. Actually, I think if you have a card you can get digital photo booth pictures for free - without a card I think you might have to pay. These booths are relatively new and I don't have any experience with them.

As for multiple people, you can link as many cards as you like to your MM. I try to link it as soon as I can (like while waiting in a line), because if you lose the card, you can always just get a new one, and you won't lose the photos from the old one. Also anyone who's linked to you in your MDE can share your MM with magicbands. You'll be able to collect and download all their pictures.

And FWIW, I'm pro MM because if I've paid for it I will make myself and the family stop for pictures to get my money's worth. I fear that otherwise I'll get too wrapped up in the fun, and not stop for pics, and the really regret that when I get home...

 

[Haley R]

We did MM last year for our honeymoon and we thought it was worth it because that was DH's first trip to Disney. We went back this year for our anniversary and didn't get MM. We had the photographers use our phones and the pictures weren't as good of quality, but I didn't mind using the ones they took and linked to my MB. They say Photopass on them, but it really doesn't matter to me. $169 is money I can spend somewhere else.

 

[KenHutch]

In our previous 4 trips we have always gotten MM. I research all of the locations (as best I can) and the girls love the magic shots. Since we stay for 10 days each trip we usually get several hundred pictures out of it. I get the same pictures in some places an example Fighting Captain Hook at Pirates to reflect how much they have grown from trip to trip.

 

[Sparkle51]

it was worth it for us and we will do it again. just easy way to get family pictures and you get the fun ride shots. is it overpriced? probably. but it certainly makes things easier if you are willing to splurge. and if you are near the epcot boardwalk hotels there is a photo booth that you can use with it and my kids had endless fun every night!!! probably other photo booths as well, I just don't know where they are!

 

[hmcater]

We love MM! Being the usual picture taker of our family, it is nice to relax and that I'm actually in some of the pictures! Totally worth the money in my opinion.

 

[disney144]

Do people still do memory maker shares?

 

[mamamelody2]

We had it last year with our 13 member extended family group. Definitely worth it and we got tons of great pics!
This year it's just DH and I going, but we're still getting it. I do consider it a splurge, but worth it.
Plus, it will take us WAY less time to get the 2 of us posed than it took for the 13 of us, so we'll get lots more shots!

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

And, if you have multiple parties all linked together through MDE, you ALL can use the same MM account! All the photos go into the same portal. We are getting it as there are 10 of us, so will split the cost.

 

[Haley R]

And, if you have multiple parties all linked together through MDE, you ALL can use the same MM account! All the photos go into the same portal. We are getting it as there are 10 of us, so will split the cost.

I could see how it would be worth it for a big party of people. It would make so much sense to split the cost like that! It's always been DH and I, but next year we will be a party of 4 with our niece and her mom. Still haven't decided on MM, but I'm leaning towards yes since it's our niece's first trip.

 

[KenHutch]

I though of another good reason for the MM if your the picture taker. I take thousands of pictures and except for MM I am in very few of them. It turns our to get my daughters mother or stepfather to take a picture of us was almost impossible. I love MM for this reason

 

[DisneyDork1969]

The best way to get your money's worth is this: while at WDW take as many pics as you can...then when you get home, go to your photo account and start editing your pics by adding elements and borders and dates that are supplied on the website...by the time you have made all your edits and enhancements, you will have many more pics on your account...I have been on trips where I took say 20 or so pics...by the time I was done with the edits I had HUNDREDS of pics on my account...Disney had to send me multiple CDs with all my pics on them...THAT'S how you get your money's worth....if you only take 20 pics that comes out to $8.45 a pic...but if you take those same 20 pics, add say 10 enhancements, now you have 200 pics, which now comes out to .85 cents a pic...that is totally worth it to me...

John

 

[leahlefler]

It was worth it for us last year. We got cute videos of the Tower of Terror ride and the 7 Dwarf Mine Train, and a ton of theme park pictures. My boys also did Jedi training and they had a photographer taking a ton of pictures. My older boy also did the Jack Sparrow show and was chosen to be the "special" one in that show - we have some great pictures of it!

 

[nursejackie]

It's free with our tickets (21 day ticket available to UK visitors), but before it was free we always paid for it. We use it for all our character meets and in those special places when you enter the parks or at the main monuments of each park, especially as we visit at Christmas when all the decorations/lights are up. In our experience the photos turn out clearer and brighter than any we have taken with our phones. But the biggest plus for us are the ride photos that are added on for free. We've got some great ones over the last 7 years on all our favourite rides, such as tower of terror and rock n' roller coaster.