Phone Screens in Dark Rides

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

More and more, I keep noticing things that start to bother me. I try to let myself enjoy the parks, but some things just get to me. It's one thing to have someone use the flash to take a (terrible) picture on a dark ride, but I'm starting to notice more and more people just on their phones in the middle of dark rides. It's such a silly thing to be on a ride like the Haunted Mansion and to be on your phone. I know some people are taking pictures, but I'm starting to wonder.

I was just at a short Epcot trip this weekend and it was on every single ride we rode. We're at the top of Spaceship Earth and as we turn around to head down: BAM! A square of space behind someone's ride vehicle is suddenly illuminated unnaturally. We're on Test Track and someone has pulled out their phone to film the entire experience, their screen in my face the entire time (which is another problem entirely). We're in the Land, which is one of the only rides that mentions keeping your phone away until the greenhouses, and right in the middle of the rain scene, some bored Dad is browsing ESPN.com on his phone behind me. His wife is on a tablet, reading a book.

My question is this: Do you think it would be reasonable for Disney to start asking people to keep their phones away during dark rides?

On another note: I see CMs doing a much better job policing selfie sticks. I actually witnessed one being taken from a guest at bag check a couple of weeks ago. I didn't mind waiting while she called someone over to take it to be checked in. I had a smirk on my face the entire time.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Honestly this is how I see it, you are on the dark rides for what 2-3 minutes? What can't wait? I can understand a few situations, but When I was on HM I literally seen a Dad with a son on his phone the phone time he was SNAP CHATTING, he was 2 ahead so I could see his iphone6 plus screen pretty good.

 

[mousehockey37]

People don't care. Plain and simple. Disney did help to create this monster somewhat with pushing the MDE app. With people constantly checking wait times and such, you'd be hard pressed to have any CM saying "use your phone, but don't use it here".

I'll agree though that yes, it's a pain. Dark rides are just that... Dark. Being on a ride and reading an ebook and looking up espn.com? That's fine for WAITING for the ride, not actually riding the ride. If all you want to do is that.... go back to your room and let people ride that want to actually enjoy it, with their technology put away or being used responsibly.

I'm more interested in your next chapter with the guy and his phone on TT.... Go on...

 

[MeganMakingMagic]

When I went to Disney Land I got the front seat when riding the Tower of Terror (actually we got front seats for almost all the rides... weird) so I didn't have that problem. It's worrying how connected people need to feel all the time. You're at a theme park, talk to the people you are with.

 

[Scooter]

I had the unfortunate timing on my last Disney vacation of sitting right behind 4 females on the Carousel of Progress attraction that probably
didn't really understand the point or the historical significance of this Disney Attraction and decided to spend the entire duration of the attraction with their smart phones turned on catching up on their emails and checking their facebook statuses. Luckily a castmember saw what I saw and made a PA announcement that basically asked people to "Please put away all cell phones". Unfortunately it was late in the show and it had already pretty much spoiled the magic. Fortunately, my wife and I have seen this show several times before so we were not all that upset.

 

[Jon81uk]

Part of the issue isn't that they are "phone" screens, they are using their "phone" as a camera and that has a lit up screen.

15 years ago if you wanted to take a photo/video on a dark ride, you looked through the viewfinder of your camera or video camera.

Now even if you have a compact camera, it has a large screen and no viewfinder. and of course many people just use a phone instead of a compact camera. Additionally the rise of digital cameras mean people will photo anything, whereas when you only had 36 photos on a film camera and therefore each photo was more valuable and you might not waste it on a dark ride that may not come out anyway.

 

[Kate Alan]

I have no patience for that sort of thing anymore and won't hesitate to ask them to turn of their phone/camera/flash. Have had to do that a number of times on various rides, most recently in Disneyland on Haunted Mansion - when they realized someone else had noticed they put it away quickly. I find for the most part people just aren't thinking as to whether or not it affects anyone else and simply do it on impulse; once they realize it they try to adjust. Very rarely have I gotten pushback for telling someone to turn their device off.

 

[Mickey5150]

I believe that any attraction that does not allow the use of cameras should also include phones in the ban. However, if cameras, which most have large bright annoying screens, are allowed then I believe you should allow phones. The only way to keep phones off of rides is to either get Disney to ban all attraction photography or somehow convince every phone manufacturer to stop putting cameras on phones.

 

[Texas84]

There was an idiot texting on Star Tours. His friends were yelling at him to turn the phone off. Ruined the ride.

 

[ABQ]

Part of the issue isn't that they are "phone" screens, they are using their "phone" as a camera and that has a lit up screen.

15 years ago if you wanted to take a photo/video on a dark ride, you looked through the viewfinder of your camera or video camera.

Now even if you have a compact camera, it has a large screen and no viewfinder. and of course many people just use a phone instead of a compact camera. Additionally the rise of digital cameras mean people will photo anything, whereas when you only had 36 photos on a film camera and therefore each photo was more valuable and you might not waste it on a dark ride that may not come out anyway.

so true about the value of film in your camera. Heck, back the first few times the olde fart I am went, flash bulbs were even more valuable than film in the old Kodak Instamatic. I'm talking the 4 sides rotating bulb, we never once saw flash photos taken on dark rides, too troublesome and expensive to waste the bulb.

 

[Retroman40]

First of all I can't stand any light on a dark ride. It's a dark ride for a reason. Sadly there are a number (fortunately small but still it only takes one) of selfish people who honestly don't care about anyone but themselves. I often wonder why they even bother with an attraction they don't want to fully experience. The good news is that if you have your experience spoiled by another guest a ride host or hostess will normally issue a readmission if you bring it to their attention. Perhaps if enough people did this there might be a change in policy.

 

[Chef Mickey]

This has gotten ridiculous. I think Disney needs to ban phones on rides all together. The flash pictures are out of control, the phone screens being illuminated is out of control, and there could potentially be a reason to ban due to safety concerns. Dropping the phones on ride tracks, dropping phones and injuring other guests, and overall annoyance of phones beeping, buzzing, and lighting up everything is enough to just ban them.

Banning phones will NEVER happen and would never work, but I certainly wish they'd take the safety angle and at least try to ban them on rides, particularly rollercoasters and an attraction like Tower of Terror. You could easily drop your phone, fall faster than gravity, and have it land on someone's head.

On a rollercoaster, a phone dropped and landing on a track wouldn't be great.

 

[NormC]

Too many selfish people. "I paid $xxxx for this vacation and I am going to do whatever I want. Me me me me I I I I." Common courtesy is not so common anymore.

 

[Jon81uk]

Banning phones will NEVER happen and would never work, but I certainly wish they'd take the safety angle and at least try to ban them on rides, particularly rollercoasters and an attraction like Tower of Terror. You could easily drop your phone, fall faster than gravity, and have it land on someone's head.

On a rollercoaster, a phone dropped and landing on a track wouldn't be great.

On some thrill rides there is a safety concern with it hitting a spectator, Disney don't have the issue as all their ride tracks are seperated from the queue and pathways. But at Universal they have added metal detector arches as apparently people were deliberately throwing coins from rollercoasters, hitting other coaster riders and spectators! I don't think Disney need to go that far, but a phone or camera out on a thrill rollercoaster (such as Everest or RocknRoller) if seen may cause an e-stop until a CM can confiscate the item.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Every time we go on VotLM this is a big problem, except once late at night, when we had it almost to ourselves.

I think if Disney made a bigger effort to remind guests they shouldn't take photos on rides, it would improve.

I also had a hard time enjoying Wishes, because so many cell phone screens blocked my view.

Going back to my first statement though, I have long considered that very late at night is a bit different. Almost everyone riding at 1am has ridden many times before, somehow it bothers me less late at night, especially if the ride is rather empty.

the first 3/4 of the day I always think at least 1/3 of the people around me have either never been on the ride, or went so long ago it's like new to them. they deserve the full experience.

I also wonder what people do with all the footage they take. Do they really watch it?

 

[Jahona]

On most dark rides I've never had to much of an issue with illuminated screens as, at least on the omnimovers, you aren't facing other guests that often. Dark boat rides can be a bit annoying but I know people use their phone for photography and I would hate for Disney to become Universal and not allow any photography on their rides. Flash photography is a huge pet peeve of mine. Your wimpy phone led isn't going to illuminate that thing 20 feet from you.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Every time we go on VotLM this is a big problem, except once late at night, when we had it almost to ourselves.

I think if Disney made a bigger effort to remind guests they shouldn't take photos on rides, it would improve.

I also had a hard time enjoying Wishes, because so many cell phone screens blocked my view.

Going back to my first statement though, I have long considered that very late at night is a bit different. Almost everyone riding at 1am has ridden many times before, somehow it bothers me less late at night, especially if the ride is rather empty.

the first 3/4 of the day I always think at least 1/3 of the people around me have either never been on the ride, or went so long ago it's like new to them. they deserve the full experience.

I also wonder what people do with all the footage they take. Do they really watch it?

No one watches all the footage they take, but so many people feel they HAVE to capture the moment forever. I'd argue it's better to enjoy it IN the moment because:

1) Your footage/pictures, particularly at night, are going to be AWFUL.
2) There are tons of almost profisionally shot videos of Wishes, Fantasmic, Illuminations, etc on Youtube.
3) You are annoying everyone around you.
4) You will never watch the footage later

If you want to take pictures during the day with family, friends, etc, that might have some value. But these ridiculous pictures of a plastic animatornic in rides and shaky/dim video of fireworks is just a waste of your time and annoying to everyone around you.

 

[danyoung56]

I completely agree with most others here. It's not just the flash pictures - it's the ambient light off of the screens. And the darker the attraction, the worse this is. I was watching The American Adventure a few months ago, and a lady sitting just 2 seats to my right wanted to record the entire show. Very VERY annoying in a dark theater!

 

[NYwdwfan]

I was once on SGE (an experience painful enough in and of itself) - and when the room went dark some kid started crying so his mom turned on the flashlight on her cellphone and illuminated the entire room. She should consider herself lucky the room full of people was physically restrained at the time.

 

[danyoung56]

I had a similar thing happen on Spaceship Earth. A kid was freaking out as he was being loaded on to the ride, so a CM gave him a flashlight. He spent the entire attraction swinging this light from side to side, completely ruining the show for everyone around.