Shut up, hang up and enjoy the experience.

[epcotisbest]

I posted this in another thread then decided it could stand on its own. I'm not saying what you should do, that's your business. Just saying what works for us.

We quit taking phones into the parks several years ago. You would be amazed how much better the day is without a phone. Don't even carry a camera some days, just tickets, car keys and wallet. Then we knowingly smile at each other when we see people wasting their day yakking on a phone while lugging around a backpack filled with who knows what while seeing WDW on a tiny screen on the back of their cameras. To each his own. Hands free, carefree and spur of the moment has become the best discovery my wife and I have ever made about the parks.

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

Agree. We don't leave them at home, but we use them sparingly. The phone especially. The camera is more of a hobby for us, but it only comes up to my face when I see something I want to grab a picture of. Other than that yes I just enjoy being in the park and soaking in the atmosphere.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Good advice! Unless we get a text saying there's an emergency, we don't answer our phones on vacation, either, and our vacations are certainly the better for it.

We have so little time to spend as a family just focusing on one another -- I think it's an important message to our children as well, letting them know that we consider this time to be precious and will guard it against intrusions. Not only that, but it's just plain discourteous to carry on loud personal conversations in public...

 

[6laurac]

Not to mention you can't hardly hear on the phone at the parks, and darn it, you're on vacation!!!

 

[Lucky]

The phones are essential to us in the parks since we split up sometimes and need to know when and where to meet up again.

Of course I wouldn't waste time on the phone for other reasons. ("Hey, guess where I am? Disney World! But I'm wasting my time bragging about it to you instead of actually experiencing it!")

 

[Powerline]

I only use my phone if I need to communicate with someone in my group who's across the park and if I need to access the WDW apps.

I understand what you're getting at by not wasting the day yaking with someone back home, but I would never leave my phone back at the hotel.

 

[Choodles]

Nope need my phone.

 

[LuLaSue]

:wave:

We tend to travel light thru the parks. If it does not fit in the husbands pockets, it's not coming with us. If it is just the two of us we take one phone for the WDW apps and in case of an emergency back home. We do carry a camera and I tuck a few Band Aid's in the wallet.

 

[captainkidd]

Honestly, this is why we don't let my MIL come with us anymore. She's helpful with the kids, but she spends every second possible on her cell phone. She has to have 3 phones so she can charge the others and always have one that is fully charged because she's on it so much. No lie.

 

[Sharkreef11]

The phones are essential to us in the parks since we split up sometimes and need to know when and where to meet up again.

Of course I wouldn't waste time on the phone for other reasons. ("Hey, guess where I am? Disney World! But I'm wasting my time bragging about it to you instead of actually experiencing it!")

Agreed. We typically go in a group of six and having a phone to communicate is essential. If we were to get separated or something without phones it would just be us wasting time trying to figure things out. I get the OPs idea and can certainly see that. We just need to communicate. Or a camera to bring home the memories. Just last night I was looking through pictures and it brought me to a happy place. Can't live without those.

 

[Sharkreef11]

Honestly, this is why we don't let my MIL come with us anymore. She's helpful with the kids, but she spends every second possible on her cell phone. She has to have 3 phones so she can charge the others and always have one that is fully charged because she's on it so much. No lie.

Gross.

 

[HM Spectre]

I use my phone for emergencies, wait times and to keep myself occupied if waiting in a miserable queue with nothing to look at/experience. Other than that, I keep the phone away... too much to take in and enjoy to be buried in my phone all vacation.

 

[nolatron]

We bring our phones with us but mainly so we:

1) can reach one another if we are split for whatever reason
2) can be reached in case of an emergency at home or in the parks (eg: our child gets lost)
3) sometimes take photos of our DD that we can send to grandparents
4) looking at menus in the wdwdining app.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I have never once used a cell phone in Disney World and have never traveled with anyone that has used a cell phone in Disney World. The cell phones are at home, they don't even come on the trip with us.

...and yet as a party of up to 18 people we still manage to split up and meet each other at the right place at the right time.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I feel that it does help a lot to have a phone on you for emergencies, meeting up if you get split up, etc, making reservations, looking something up.

However, I can't stand when people don't even bother to put their phone away when they're on a ride. Many times I've seen someone talk, text, or whatever on their cell phone for an ENTIRE ride they just waited a long time for. Whats the point?

 

[LuLaSue]

I feel that it does help a lot to have a phone on you for emergencies, meeting up if you get split up, etc, making reservations, looking something up.

However, I can't stand when people don't even bother to put their phone away when they're on a ride. Many times I've seen someone talk, text, or whatever on their cell phone for an ENTIRE ride they just waited a long time for. Whats the point?

I have seen this to! :fork: If your going to talk, texted, putz on the phone while on an attraction, why go to WDW?

 

[Lucky]

I...and yet as a party of up to 18 people we still manage to split up and meet each other at the right place at the right time.

I've never been part of a big group at WDW, but outside of WDW whenever I'm part of a big group we spend half our time waiting for people.

However, I can't stand when people don't even bother to put their phone away when they're on a ride. Many times I've seen someone talk, text, or whatever on their cell phone for an ENTIRE ride they just waited a long time for. Whats the point?

I agree - if your phone is such a major source of entertainment stay off the ride and don't ruin it for everyone else.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I posted this in another thread then decided it could stand on its own. I'm not saying what you should do, that's your business. Just saying what works for us.

We quit taking phones into the parks several years ago. You would be amazed how much better the day is without a phone. Don't even carry a camera some days, just tickets, car keys and wallet. Then we knowingly smile at each other when we see people wasting their day yakking on a phone while lugging around a backpack filled with who knows what while seeing WDW on a tiny screen on the back of their cameras. To each his own. Hands free, carefree and spur of the moment has become the best discovery my wife and I have ever made about the parks.

While your advice is sound, it flies in the face of what Disney itself is working toward... Smartphone compatibility for FP's, interactivity, etc, will all make the cell phone problem WORSE in the parks, as opposed to better.

 

[epcotisbest]

I have never once used a cell phone in Disney World and have never traveled with anyone that has used a cell phone in Disney World. The cell phones are at home, they don't even come on the trip with us.

...and yet as a party of up to 18 people we still manage to split up and meet each other at the right place at the right time.

And before the proliferation of cell phones, everyone managed, one way or the other. Our first trip was in 1982...if you wanted to communicate with someone on the other side of the park you were pretty much limited to smoke signals...but we managed:ROFLOL:

 

[YuggYuggWDW94]

Agreed! I leave mine in the car or back at the hotel. Although I will say my mom wasn't thrilled when I didn't have my phone and we almost missed our flight home because I wanted to ride Tower of Terror one last time :ROFLOL: