During our 1.5-day trip to Universal Orlando, we wanted to capture as many memories as possible, especially with our 15-month-old. We decided to purchase the My Universal Photos package to see if it was worth it.
We have... strong feelings about it.
We opted for the 3-Day Photo Package. (At the time of writing, this is $109.99 if you buy it online in advance.) Even though we were only in the parks for 1.5 days, this was a better value than the 1-day pass. However, we bought the pass when we got to the parks so we paid $20 more than that.
Here is our honest breakdown of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.
The Good: The Ride Photos & Priority Spots
Let's start positive. The best part of the package, by far, is the ride photos.
Getting to see (and keep) your screaming-laughing face on Velocicoaster or your family's reaction on Hagrid's is fantastic.
The other nice-to-have perk was access to a few priority photo spots. Outside the Hogwarts Castle and in Seuss Landing, the photographer used perfect spots to take a picture with no one in the background.
The Bad: The Hassles
This is where our mixed feelings begin. The service is functional, but it's not easy.
1. The "Biggest Issue": Where Are the Photographers? Our main problem was the severe lack of photographers. We would walk through huge areas of the park and see no one. When we did find one, they weren't very outgoing. There should be 10x more photographers out there. If you're expecting a Disney-level Photopass, this is not it.
2. The Forced Overlays (We Just Want a Photo!) This was our biggest creative frustration. Every single photo taken by a roaming photographer had a mandatory overlay or frame put on it. There was no option to just get a basic, clean photo of our family. We just wanted a nice, normal picture, and that wasn't possible. Because of the overlay, the Seuss Landing sign in the park is only half visible (the reason we wanted a photo there was to get the sign in it).
3. The Scanning Process is a Pain Unlike Disney's system, ride photos are not automatic. When you get off a ride, you have to go to the photo kiosk, find your picture on the screen, and then have an employee scan your card (or you have to go to a website to load it to your card). It's a hassle that breaks the flow of your day.
4. No photographers at character meet and greets This was a huge disappointment. A key part of the advertised package is capturing those special interactions with characters. We found that photographers were almost non-existent at these meet-and-greets. An employee would just use your phone to take a picture. This felt like a huge missed opportunity and a core part of the service that was missing.
The Ugly: The Customer Support Nightmare
This was the worst part of the package.
When we got home, we noticed some of our photos were missing. They just never showed up on our card.
We now have to work with customer support to try and find them. When we filed a ticket, the automated response said they can take up to 16 days to get back to you. For a $100+ digital product, that is a low level of service.
Our Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?
This is a tough one. Our My Universal Photos review is a very mixed bag.
- You SHOULD buy it if: Your #1 priority is getting all the ride photos. If you're a coaster enthusiast and just want those high-action shots, it's a fun splurge.
- You SHOULD SKIP it if: You are expecting an easy, seamless experience with lots of professional family photos. The lack of photographers, the forced overlays, and the frustrating customer support make it a very frustrating product.
For us, the ride photos were fun, but the hassles and poor support left a bad taste in our mouths. Maybe if more people buy the photo package, Universal will start adding more photo opportunities? We hope so! No matter what, My Universal Photos needs to improve before we would highly recommend it to guests.
Your Next Step
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