Hello Richard,
Thank you for your question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. The Disney PhotoPass Photographers are a wonderful resource to utilize during magical visits to the Walt Disney World Resort.
I love that you won't need to worry about carrying around a camera in the park, because there are Disney PhotoPass Photographers who are throughout the park ready to take pictures of your trip for you. With the free PhotoPass System, you get your photo taken with any Disney PhotoPass Photographer and they will give you a PhotoPass card.
You do not need to purchase the Memory Maker in order to purchase the
Disney PhotoPass Archive Disc. Memory Maker is photo downloads; you choose where to download them, you control them, share them, and print them at your leisure.
In my opinion, having the professional pictures taken by the Disney PhotoPass Photographers is worth the price. But it also depends on how many photos you have. It is $14.95 to download one photo. So if you have 10 photos or less, it is cheaper to use the Photo Download option individually. If you have more than that, the Disney PhotoPass Archive Disc is a better value at $169.
My suggestion: Every time you spot the Disney PhotoPass Photographers at a magical location or a Meet 'N' Greet, pose & say, "Happy Place!" or make "Funny Faces" so you can get as many priceless photos on your PhotoPass card as possible!
I hope this helps and that you all have a pixie-dusted visit. If you have any more questions, please visit us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel and let us know how we can help you plan your magical vacation.
Wishing you magic!
~Lynette