Select photopass locations to be replaced by automated cameras

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This sounds like a perfect application. At the meet & greet locations there's no issue about what angle to pick for the best picture. Its simply go ahead and click.
 


This sounds like a perfect application. At the meet & greet locations there's no issue about what angle to pick for the best picture. Its simply go ahead and click.

I disagree - some of the best pictures we have gotten from meet and greets is where the photographer was moving around and getting shots from different angles and, especially, when they would get lower to the ground to eye level of my kids and get shots from there

I can see this in some applications but based on my experience Character meet and greets is one of the last spots I would want them
 
Difficult to imagine a box getting into a better position to capture the perfect shot of your child.

agreed, maybe fore adult groups or something it will be fine for that "group shot" - but with kids it is how the photographers get different angles and from different levels ... we've gotten so many great shots from meet & greets over the years that there is no way a stationary box could have gotten

If this goes through I am much, much less likely to pay for the service
 
can some one confirm that is going to happen or it is just a no so fun rumor? We will be so disappointed if it is going to happen. How can a box capture the most magical moments when my kids meet their favorite characters?
 


This is a terrible idea.

First, the height of the camera is completely dependent on the heights of the kids.

Second, the angle of the camera will depend on how the kids position themselves. Much easier for the photographer to move a little left/right and angle themselves, then to get little kids in the exact correct position.

Third, how the shot should be zoomed in/out depends upon how many people are in the group. The photographer can do this with the camera, or stepping forward/backwards. Not sure the automated box can do that.

Fourth, some of our best pictures are candids, where the photographer took pics of the kids meeting/interacting with the character before posing for a portrait. These will be completely gone.

And, who's going to click the button to snap the picture?
 
This sounds like a perfect application. At the meet & greet locations there's no issue about what angle to pick for the best picture. Its simply go ahead and click.

Not sure what kind of photos you've been getting, but I feel sorry for you, if this is all you've experienced!
At our indoor M&Gs the photographers moved around getting different angles etc... Not only that, but they captured some of those small, nuanced moments that a box just isn't going to pick up on. Some of our greatest shots would have been missed if it were nothing more than a static box stuck on a wall.

I mean seriously, how dirt cheap and generic can you get? Might as well be at Walmart getting your picture with Santa - look at the box and say "Cheese!"
 
I am so glad that we are out of the meet and greet phase with my son, and that we had the benefit of the amazing photographers at Town Hall when he was so little. Some of the sweetest moments I have on camera are from that M&G. We are on our way to WDW in eight days and my son is turning 7 this year. He is moving into Harry Potter age, and our next Orlando trip may be at Universal because WDW is rapidly removing the things that made WDW so different from any other theme park in the world. The personal touch is not nearly as prominent as it once was, and it makes me really sad.
 
The only reason for Disney to do so is saving money, so let’s do a simple math. All the numbers are in average, assuming all the 4 parks open 12 hours/day, the minimum hour rate for a live photographer is $15/h, I don’t know how many in door M&G in total, but assume there are 30, so the money Disney really saves is $15*12*30=$5,400. I am positive that lots of people will no longer purchase Memory maker if the M&G picture are taken by a box, $180*30=$5,400, which means Disney will be at a total loss if more than 30 guests stop buying memory maker/day, which is going to happen for sure! Who ever made this decision needs to go back to business 101, kind remind me the last famous Disney dumb business decision, tomorrow land tent, for $3,000/day, they put up that ugly tent in the middle of the park! Glad that didn’t last very long, hopefully Disney will realize how stupid this is, and either bring back the live photographer or even better, drop this idea completely now!
 
The only reason for Disney to do so is saving money, so let’s do a simple math. All the numbers are in average, assuming all the 4 parks open 12 hours/day, the minimum hour rate for a live photographer is $15/h, I don’t know how many in door M&G in total, but assume there are 30, so the money Disney really saves is $15*12*30=$5,400. I am positive that lots of people will no longer purchase Memory maker if the M&G picture are taken by a box, $180*30=$5,400, which means Disney will be at a total loss if more than 30 guests stop buying memory maker/day, which is going to happen for sure! Who ever made this decision needs to go back to business 101, kind remind me the last famous Disney dumb business decision, tomorrow land tent, for $3,000/day, they put up that ugly tent in the middle of the park! Glad that didn’t last very long, hopefully Disney will realize how stupid this is, and either bring back the live photographer or even better, drop this idea completely now!

The problem with your calculation is that, they'll save $5400 per day.
Memory Maker isn't purchased per day, it's purchased per trip.
So... it's really hard to say if it will be a loss or not. It's very likely they'll still come out ahead.
 
The CM who is always there is my guess.

The fact that they're calling them automated cameras would suggest maybe nobody. There's usually only one handler and that person will be responsible for herding guests AND posing them, that's already a lot. Another blog also pointed out that this means people can't ask for photos to be taken with their own phones/cameras...which might be intentional to force people to buy PhotoPass if they want pics of the M&G.

I just envision this turning what can be a magical experience into a cookie cutter, sterile moment. No room for kids to be kids and no photog to capture those un-posed candid moments. Those were always my favorite shots.
 
The fact that they're calling them automated cameras would suggest maybe nobody.

True. In which case, my guess is M&Gs will become timed. The camera will be set to go off automatically at certain intervals, so meet and greets will be rushed along to keep up with that. Just another factory assembly line production. Step forward. Quick hug. Turn to face camera. Smile. Walk off. Next...
 
The problem with your calculation is that, they'll save $5400 per day.
Memory Maker isn't purchased per day, it's purchased per trip.
So... it's really hard to say if it will be a loss or not. It's very likely they'll still come out ahead.
I know the Memory maker is lasting the whole trip, however, there are thousands of new guests arriving at Disney every day, like I mentioned, if 30 out of thousands new guest changing their mind not buying the Memory maker because of this, Disney is at loss. So, the question is, will 30 out of thousands new guest/ day change their mind about Memory maker, I am positively sure it will!
 
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