GoPro at WDW

[WondersOfLife]

Does Disney allow GoPro cameras to be used during attractions like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Ect. with a chest harness? I'm going to Disneyland in a couple of weeks, would like to know this for California Screamin', but I am also wondering this for WDW for my trip in July.

 

[Flippin'Flounder]

I would assume so. They let people record with cameras, so I don't think it would be an issue, but I'm not positive.

 

[halltd]

You're not going to get very good footage from that on a coaster I wouldn't think. Your chest is going to be staring right at the seat in front of you.

However, I commend you for wanting to physically attach it to your body. It annoys me more than anything when people hold their phones above their heads on a ride as it's bound to hit someone in the head and injure them badly some day.

 

[olinecoach61]

Yes, I've also seen people with the head strap.

 

[Bairstow]

There may have been changes since I've been there, but as of July, Disneyland let me record any ride I wanted to with my GoPro using the wrist strap.
Once you figure out how to aim it at yourself and your family you can get some really incredible footage, though what I typically use it for is to film big drops or moments on outdoor rides, then use my computer to take screenshots of the best parts of the videos and print the resulting photos. Some of the frame grabs I've gotten from the big drop on Splash Mountain or the top of the loop on California Screamin' really turned out to be really great, and much better than any on-ride photo Disney has ever tried to sell me.

Disney World was even more permissive with GoPro use, at least 2 years ago or so when I was really active with it.
On one vacation I again used the wrist strap and strapped the camera to the hand bars in front of us on Kali, Everest, and Thunder Mountain. With these fixed, stable mountings, the footage was even better, and a whole lot more watchable than my wrist footage.

Since then, however, the theme park industry has really cracked down on GoPro usage, and I really doubt Disney would allow such shenanigans these days.

For the record, both Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios has made me put away my GoPro before using it on rides.
No Disney park ever has.

 

[WondersOfLife]

There may have been changes since I've been there, but as of July, Disneyland let me record any ride I wanted to with my GoPro using the wrist strap.
Once you figure out how to aim it at yourself and your family you can get some really incredible footage, though what I typically use it for is to film big drops or moments on outdoor rides, then use my computer to take screenshots of the best parts of the videos and print the resulting photos. Some of the frame grabs I've gotten from the big drop on Splash Mountain or the top of the loop on California Screamin' really turned out to be really great, and much better than any on-ride photo Disney has ever tried to sell me.

Disney World was even more permissive with GoPro use, at least 2 years ago or so when I was really active with it.
On one vacation I again used the wrist strap and strapped the camera to the hand bars in front of us on Kali, Everest, and Thunder Mountain. With these fixed, stable mountings, the footage was even better, and a whole lot more watchable than my wrist footage.

Since then, however, the theme park industry has really cracked down on GoPro usage, and I really doubt Disney would allow such shenanigans these days.

For the record, both Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios has made me put away my GoPro before using it on rides.
No Disney park ever has.

Thanks for the info guys!

So do you recommend me getting a wrist strap as opposed to the chest harness if I want to record something along the lines of California Screamin? Or would the chest harness be fine? I guess it depends on how high up and how tall you are sitting down.

 

[Bairstow]

Thanks for the info guys!

So do you recommend me getting a wrist strap as opposed to the chest harness if I want to record something along the lines of California Screamin? Or would the chest harness be fine? I guess it depends on how high up and how tall you are sitting down.

I suppose that depends whether you're interested in recording the view facing forward or actually getting footage of you and your friends on the ride.
Since I can always find 2 dozen front-seat, high-def videos taken with better camera equipment than I'll ever own on YouTube for free, I've always been more interested in getting footage of our faces enjoying the ride.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I suppose that depends whether you're interested in recording the view facing forward or actually getting footage of you on your friends on the ride.
Since I can always find 2 dozen front-seat, high-def videos taken with better camera equipment than I'll ever own on YouTube for free, I've always been more interested in getting footage of our faces enjoying the ride.

True, true. Thanks for the input! I'll keep it in mind.

 

[NYwdwfan]

We took it to WDW in November and had no issues on any rides. Got some great footage. The best, by far, was at Typhoon Lagoon, specifically Crushin' Gusher. It's amazing how clear the video is under water.

 

[yensid67]

Thanks for the info guys!

So do you recommend me getting a wrist strap as opposed to the chest harness if I want to record something along the lines of California Screamin? Or would the chest harness be fine? I guess it depends on how high up and how tall you are sitting down.

If you have a FiveBelow nearby, check them out...they have GoPro attachements for $5!!!! Something that I made for my GoPro-like camera, was a HAT MOUNT! I bought a baseball hat, put in a 1/4" drilled hole and attached a flat mount to it! Then you can wear that on any ride and should be able to get a good video!

 

[WondersOfLife]

If you have a FiveBelow nearby, check them out...they have GoPro attachements for $5!!!! Something that I made for my GoPro-like camera, was a HAT MOUNT! I bought a baseball hat, put in a 1/4" drilled hole and attached a flat mount to it! Then you can wear that on any ride and should be able to get a good video!

There are absolutely no fiveblow stores in either South Carolina, or California, sadly!

 

[yensid67]

There are absolutely no fiveblow stores in either South Carolina, or California, sadly!

MAYBE TRY ONLINE THEN!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I have a Bower mini-tripod that I'm using with a wriststrap and my Gopro so at least I don't lose it while riding..It's easier to hold while I ride and I rarely ever extend it as it's height isn't tall..It looks like this...

 

[Bairstow]

The wrist mount I've always used looks like this:

Very secure, but not at all ergonomic for shooting footage of yourself and the people next to you unless you use it to strap the camera to the handrails in front of you.
I actually wish I had some of the fancier wrist-mounts they sell on Amazon, as they would probably be better suited to what I use the camera for.
It would make more sense if I could extend my arm forward and grab the handrail, bracing it, and have the camera then be facing backwards, rather than having to crane my wrist around to face us.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The wrist mount I've always used looks like this:

Very secure, but not at all ergonomic for shooting footage of yourself and the people next to you unless you use it to strap the camera to the handrails in front of you.
I actually wish I had some of the fancier wrist-mounts they sell on Amazon, as they would probably be better suited to what I use the camera for.
It would make more sense if I could extend my arm forward and grab the handrail, bracing it, and have the camera then be facing backwards, rather than having to crane my wrist around to face us.

Well I could always put the wrist strap on backwards on my wrist, and do like you said, extend my arm!

 

[LAKid53]

If I remember correctly, doesn't California Screamin' have an overhead harness bar similar to Rockin' Rollercoaster, given that big loop? Wouldn't that make it a little difficult to use a GoPro with a chest harness?

 

[Bairstow]

Well I could always put the wrist strap on backwards on my wrist, and do like you said, extend my arm!

Yeah but then it will be facing off to the side or straight up.
The rightmost of those two pictures is how it actually fits on your wrist- it basically becomes an oversized watch.
The left picture shows the camera before all the straps are secured.