Cell phones on rides (rant)

[made in china]

I am hyper-aware of using a smartphone at an amusement park.
I bought a Sony digicam, smaller than a GoPro, and a headband strap to mount it to my baseball cap. It is fairly discrete, 1080HD, records well in low light, and has a smartwatch style wireless controller. With a large memory card, it can record almost all day, every single thing, without bothering a single person. It even takes pictures automatically, or I can do it with the smartwatch style controller.
No light, no distraction, always on. The price of a high capacity microSD card is so low these days we just buy a card a day and video edit later when we get back home. Soooo much better than a smartphone, we are always surprised at how much good stuff we capture.

 

[SteveAZee]

I am hyper-aware of using a smartphone at an amusement park.
I bought a Sony digicam, smaller than a GoPro, and a headband strap to mount it to my baseball cap. It is fairly discrete, 1080HD, records well in low light, and has a smartwatch style wireless controller. With a large memory card, it can record almost all day, every single thing, without bothering a single person. It even takes pictures automatically, or I can do it with the smartwatch style controller.
No light, no distraction, always on. The price of a high capacity microSD card is so low these days we just buy a card a day and video edit later when we get back home. Soooo much better than a smartphone, we are always surprised at how much good stuff we capture.

What model? This interests me.

 

[made in china]

Sony HDR-AZ1.

It also has the ability to connect to your smartphone instead of the watch, and even has NFC to make smartphone connection faster.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

distracting?? sure, vacation ruining?? not so much. I pretty much try and let the small stuff roll, actually I tend to fell bad because society no longer knows how to enjoy the "moment" . I recognized that one time while recording my sons graduation, realized that I really didn't experience it because I had my face in a screen trying to "capture" it.

Sorry you had a bad experience op

Yeah, me too. We come back from a WDW trip and I am always a little surprised that I didn't take more pictures. Truth be told, I love to soak up the moments naturally. I have a camera from a de-activated cell phone that we use. It works. But I like the memories in my head better. We'll take the odd picture here and there but I don't even own a cell phone so I am not one of those people who compulsively has it in the palm of my hand.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

I'd imagine most people have no idea that there is a brightness setting on their phone, and that if they are made aware that there is such a setting - just shortly before boarding a ride - that they are going to have little success in remedying this situation.
"You've got to remember that these are simple farmers... These are people of the land... The common clay of the New West...
Morons."

 

[David copperfield]

Don't listen to all the yabos, OP.
People pulling out their cell phones during dark rides it 100% distracting. They have no sense of society. Their screens are bright and they leave the flash turned on, all of which changes the ride experience.

About 50% of the time, they still have the sound turned on on their phone; so it will ring or beep or click. Seriously, it is 2019, turn off the sound on your phones. No one need to know you got a call.

My favorite cellphone selfish moment at Castle fireworks....Yahoo group all had their phones up high, doing selfies in full flash. Crowd actually moved back a little because everyone was being blinded. Muttering starts like a slow wave. Yahoo group gives finger and keeps right on going. Big guy near me pushing stroller gets in front of them, turns on Flashlight mode and shines it right at them. Yahoo group sullenly puts cellphones way. Crowd applauds. Big guy later explains to grateful bystanders after show that he"s Irish, he knows how to deal with *heads.

 

[Darth Figment]

I understand what your saying , and i smoewhat agree. To some.people this might be their only visit, but they need to take consideration that they are not the only ones there . I watched the beauty beast show thru someones ipad on my last visit. Its annoying.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

This is why they have a warning at a movie theatre not only to be quiet and let the other guests enjoy the show but to also turn your phones off. This is about as necessary in 2019 as ever. However, people are so obsessed with their phones these days. There are people who carry them in their palms as if it is some sort of a tick. Almost as if it is natural. Why? Well, it doesn't matter why, if you are under 20 years old you won't remember a time when almost no one had - or needed - a cell phone. It is so ingrained into our culture that we wouldn't know what to do without it. So if anyone thinks the world will go in reverse and go back to the days of relaxation and not worrying about a thing when they are out or on vacation.............it won't. The next generation doesn't know any different, it is only going to get worse. We know live in a world where a Facebook post is as important as watching the final drive of the Super Bowl.............at the stadium.

And by the way, I don't like it either.

Here is a tip. I was at the Country Bear Jamboree last year and there was this guy texting up a storm next to me while the show was going on. I nudged his elbow. No kidding, I did. It was distracting me. It was enough for him to look over at me and I had both of my daughters on my lap so he probably thought it was an inadvertent nudge. It wasn't. But the point of the matter is he put his phone away right away. Yes, I am the type that will do that, or tell you to turn it off. I figure in 2019 most people are so horrified that someone will disagree with them that they have no experience or ability to counteract on that, so they just comply. My experience at least.

 

[HongKongFu]

Big guy near me pushing stroller gets in front of them, turns on Flashlight mode and shines it right at them.

My hero!
I give Big guy best handshake and buy him a beer.

 

[FigmentForver96]

I take pics of my food and record with my phone on select rides. I also know how to turn brightness and sounds down.

 

[wdwtopten]

The difference between the 8 mm and video cameras of yore is that they didn't have a back-lit digital screen that spoiled the ambient lighting that Disney has carefully engineered to maximize your viewing experience.

This, 100%.

 

[EdnaMode]

I am hyper-aware of using a smartphone at an amusement park.
I bought a Sony digicam, smaller than a GoPro, and a headband strap to mount it to my baseball cap. It is fairly discrete, 1080HD, records well in low light, and has a smartwatch style wireless controller. With a large memory card, it can record almost all day, every single thing, without bothering a single person. It even takes pictures automatically, or I can do it with the smartwatch style controller.
No light, no distraction, always on. The price of a high capacity microSD card is so low these days we just buy a card a day and video edit later when we get back home. Soooo much better than a smartphone, we are always surprised at how much good stuff we capture.

Thank you from all the people in the cheap seats at the back who just want to ride Pirates in the dark!

 

[Disney Loving Swede]

Thank you from all the people in the cheap seats at the back who just want to ride Pirates in the dark!

Hear hear! On our last trip we started asking to sit in the front row on rides just so we could avoid the screens....otherwise we don't mind the cheap seats in the back! I dont know why it's too much to go on a dark ride and expect it to be dark. I get wanting to take pictures, just remember that other people are on the ride with you. Thank you to all the considerate photographers.

 

[John C. Shepherd]

If you wanna take pictures go ahead and i dont blame you. Some people only get to go every once in a while. So i get it, I dont get the Selfie's, but that is me you wanna do it have at it just stay out of my way.

 

[MrMcDuck]

The other night at Tanglewood they had a "movie night" where they showed the first Star Wars film while the Boston Pops performed the score. Compared to a normal classical night where everyone is respectful (even on the huge lawn where people often dine while watching), there were so many cell phones being used to text or take photos and videos that won't show a darn thing, and worse, some people started to pack up and leave during the throne room scene! Talk about distracting. Oh well, joke's on them as John Williams made a surprise appearance after the orchestra received its well deserved applause.

Anyway, I don't understand why it's so hard for some to understand that other people exist in the world and that certain actions make it difficult for others to enjoy rides, shows, etc. Any extra bit of light can ruin dark rides. iPads obstruct views of shows. Perfect pictures of all the goodies available block people who are just trying to get something to eat. There are so many ways that you can document your experience that don't impact anyone else that doing these things is just plain rude.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

The other night at Tanglewood they had a "movie night" where they showed the first Star Wars film while the Boston Pops performed the score. Compared to a normal classical night where everyone is respectful (even on the huge lawn where people often dine while watching), there were so many cell phones being used to text or take photos and videos that won't show a darn thing, and worse, some people started to pack up and leave during the throne room scene! Talk about distracting. Oh well, joke's on them as John Williams made a surprise appearance after the orchestra received its well deserved applause.

Anyway, I don't understand why it's so hard for some to understand that other people exist in the world and that certain actions make it difficult for others to enjoy rides, shows, etc. Any extra bit of light can ruin dark rides. iPads obstruct views of shows. Perfect pictures of all the goodies available block people who are just trying to get something to eat. There are so many ways that you can document your experience that don't impact anyone else that doing these things is just plain rude.

So right on. This past trip I bought the photo pass and I wondered why we never did before. We got great family pics, did not have to bother people or staff to take a pic with our camera which they never understand how to use it right. We got ride photos, which I never buy. The disney springs studio is free and takes some great photos with cool backgrounds, it was wonderful and freeing. I still took some photos with my own camera but way less and some days just left it in the room.

 

[George]

On rides and at shows, I’m very cognizant of my fellow man and only and always use my cell phone for its intended use - loud conversations.

 

[erasure fan1]

Anyway, I don't understand why it's so hard for some to understand that other people exist in the world and that certain actions make it difficult for others to enjoy rides, shows, etc.

Oh they do understand, they just don't care. As a society, the me first attitude is the norm and not the exception now. So I just don't believe people don't realize what they're doing.

 

[Paper straw fan]

Ok, to camera head guy, but much more so to the people the OP are talking about... why? Why the need to record your entire trip shot by shot? Do you really need to capture everything? Are you really going to watch that later?

Even the overbearing moms that have to document precious little Jaden-Liam’s entire trip, from the bus ride over, to his half eaten chicken nuggets, and of course capturing the magic during the ride by spending half the ride snapping photos to where the kid probably just wants to enjoy the damn ride too.

The Facebook live recorders (who I’ve experienced on Pirates)- who on earth is this for? Is Nana-Banana Gam Gam Pee Paw really sitting at home dying to watch you live stream Little Mermaid?

And.. sorry but yeah the GoPro mounted on your head/shoulder guy- hey if you are on the Hilary step at Everest, running w the bulls in Pamplona, or bobsledding in Canada, hey, I get it. But otherwise who on earth is this for?

Sometimes it’s actively distracting, such as on a dark ride, when it’s a sea of cell phones during a show, or when armchair Scorsese’s camera is head mounted and it obstructs your view. What’s the point? Like many have said, unless you are the first person to post something to YouTube, it’s not really necessary. I’d rather experience my life first hand rather than record it so I can watch it later, and then lose it when I get a new phone.

 

[GeoffR]

I ask for the front to avoid this. Dark rides should remain dark lol