Disney With No Cell Phone, No Gadgets, No Camera...

[disneypearl]

The only way I think I could leave my camera behind is if I lived near the parks. My pictures are one of the things that I really enjoy looking at between trips. I also carry my cell phone with me but I never use it for calls or to text anyone. I take pictures with that too and save them to text my mom pictures once home. I go to WDW with my mom and between vacations I will text her the photos. Sometimes they will be guess where this is, or even just remember this pictures. If it weren't for that I would have no problem leaving my cell phone behind.

 

[bigorangeandy]

I carry my phone and camera in my pockets, not much of a problem. If people what to carry a ton of stuff, or nothing but their KTWC, it makes no difference in my life. I just hope that peoples electronics will not disturb others (and me) while on the attractions. The phones we use to communicate if we separate in the parks, or resort. In the past my phone was only able to make calls, and nothing else, I now carry an I Phone, but I'm guessing I wouldn't do much more than call, or text to my family in the park.

 

[Sarah Rae]

We don't bring cell phones. Never have. It's too expensive to pay for roaming charges for my brother, mom and I, and my dad's phone is for business, and as he is on vacation, he chooses to be unreachable (watching the thousands of emails download when he turns it on at the end of the week is fun ). We just do it the old fashioned way: if we want to split up, we set an approximate meeting time and place, or my parents say where they'll be chilling for a while, and my brother and I run away to do something more exciting. We have excellent "family finding" skills, where we can agree to meet at a fairly general location, and have no problem finding each other. On our way out of the parks, my brother and I generally walk ahead, but we have cute little flashing lights on his bag/my purse so my parents can catch a glimpse through the crowds, but we have the general understanding that we'll meet at the bus stop, or back at the room. Easy. We're all grownups now, but we've been operating this way for the past 10 years (since I was 12, my brother 14).​

 

[stw]

I'm actually going to give this a try on my trip starting Dec. 8th. Over the past decade and a half that I've been going to the parks I've progressed from a couple of disposable still cameras, to real cameras, to video cameras that use DVDs, to video cameras that record to memory cards. And all the photos are in boxes and I never watch the videos enough. Along with that, I seem to spend my whole life looking at a screen. At my computer screen at work 10 hours a day then I come home turn on the TV and switch between that and my laptop. So I just want to give it a try. No cameras, no video, no getting up three or four times during the night to switch out batteries from the recharger, no having to wait in line to have my camera case checked, not having the shoulder strap dig into my neck from 9 AM till 11 or later PM. More importantly, not having the beauty and wonder of the parks seen almost exclusively through a 2 by 3 screen. Probably going to regret it, but .....we'll see.

 

[pumpkin7]

Although I have to admin last time we went I did take my mobile, it was only because my friend from the UK was over there aswell and we arranged to meet up a few times and couldn't have done that if I hadn't taken my mobile.
However, as rule of thumb, I don't take my mobile into the parks as it's just a massive waste of time as it's too expensive and I have no one to call or text anyway while I'm in the USA.
So cudos to that, but as for a camera, I wouldn't go without one. How else will you capture the memories?

 

[righttrack]

The best part of my vacation is puttin the cell phone away at least for a couple days. That means no emails from work, no texts from my employees, no meeting reminders. I truly try to unplug and for me it makes it " magical".

Sounds nice but once your kids get older, and people separate the phone is your lifeline because meeting places and times are subject to change.

 

[Phonedave]

My personal cell phone and my work cell phone are two seperate phone. The work phone stays home (or more likely in the room)

My personal phone comes with me because it is handy if our group splits up and wants to meet back up. I also have thousands of pictures of WDW - I really don't need any more. If there is some sort of crazy WDW action that I need to take a picture of, my cell camera is just fine for my needs.

I hear people complaining about the battery life on their cell phone. I have no problem with mine because it stays in my pocket 99% of the time.


-dave

 

[tink65]

I believe I could manage nicely without the cell phone but I know I'd have to have my camera!

 

[coleandrachel]

hell no... I vacation to "get away"! That stuff will be there when i'm done. The only thing I will take is my camera

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Im going to try this

 

[Britt]

Noooot happening for me

My camera comes EVERYWHERE with me. My point and shoot is always in my purse, DSLR comes with me for planned outings.

My phone, I keep it on me but rarely use it while at the parks! My parents keep my animals and they're my babies so they need to contact me if anything happens (which it did to my dog Kimmie this past trip. Had to authorize a vet trip).

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I'm actually going to give this a try on my trip starting Dec. 8th. Over the past decade and a half that I've been going to the parks I've progressed from a couple of disposable still cameras, to real cameras, to video cameras that use DVDs, to video cameras that record to memory cards. And all the photos are in boxes and I never watch the videos enough. Along with that, I seem to spend my whole life looking at a screen. At my computer screen at work 10 hours a day then I come home turn on the TV and switch between that and my laptop. So I just want to give it a try. No cameras, no video, no getting up three or four times during the night to switch out batteries from the recharger, no having to wait in line to have my camera case checked, not having the shoulder strap dig into my neck from 9 AM till 11 or later PM. More importantly, not having the beauty and wonder of the parks seen almost exclusively through a 2 by 3 screen. Probably going to regret it, but .....we'll see.

Same here. I Never take a Camera. I'm not taking my cell phone either. Just going to "Enjoy the parks"

 

[Figments Friend]

-
I do not have a cell phone...never felt a need for one.
I have visited the Parks so many times now i do not feel a real need to bring a camera...exspecially now with the internet/fan forums and Photopass being availible for the more touristy shots.
The only thing i bring is a small waterproof childrens wallet with my Park ticket/Room key and some cash. No credit cards, no bags/backpacks/purses..etc. Just me, and this small wallet clipped to my front.

Oh...and a pin lanyard...sometimes on the neck, more often stuffed in my side pocket.
I highly recommend this mode of Park travel if you can do it.

You literally breeze though bag check and can move about far more easily from attraction to attraction. Lots of peace of mind too, for you do not have to worry about accidentally leaving your belongings somewhere by mistake.

I usually travel alone, sometimes with a friend or two ...and never with kids in tow, so this simplified mode works well for me.

Only downside- People always coming up to me asking me where the bathrooms are, and when the 3 o* clock parade is. I am constantly being mistaken for a CM...but it is okay. I kind of like it.

 

[Figments Friend]

We don't take anything in the parks anymore except money, credit card and car keys. It is the best way to visit a park for us. I already have zillions of photos so why spend my time seeing WDW through a camera viewfinder?
I posted about this a while back here:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/shut-up-hang-up-and-enjoy-the-experience.837517/#post-4958733

Awesome.

Yes, people need to put the phones down and look at the actual scenery around them. They can spend time staring at a tiny digital copy of it for the rest of their days, but only at a few choice times in life will you get to look at it live, in the flesh..in person.

 

[CommyHolly]

Once while in line for Soarin', I overheard a gentleman telling his group: "I did not bring anything into the park this time except money for food. No cell phone, no camera, no nonsense.."

My first thought was: How silly?
What do you mean no cell phone? What if you need to call/text someone while at the park? How will you capture the memories without a camera of sorts? This is crazy!

Then I thought on it some more. This conversation stuck with me until I finally realized, no, this is not crazy at all...this is brilliant! What an amazing feeling it would be to experience the parks with no outside distractions of any kind. And that's saying a lot in this day & age. No cell phone. No camera or other gadget. We get so used to having our phones by our side 24/7. But to escape all that at the parks and just be you in the environment. Would you ever try a day like this? Have you ever tried a day like this?

All the time

Sometimes I forget my camera,,,,,,,,once or twice, I remembered the camera but not my SD card,,,,

I usually TRY and make my husband leave his cell in the car,,,,,,,,,

But of course, that's easy for me to say, we live half an hour away and have seasons passes,,,,,,,

Now, if you tell me I can only go once a year for a week??????

uhhhhhhhhhh heck no LOL,,,,,no WAY am I leaving my camera at home

 

[Tinkerkell]

I love to take photos, and will always bring a point and shoot. As far as going "unplugged," I've had only one trip in which I've accessed the internet, thanks to the recent free wifi. It was nice to check in with family and friends during the trip though I was by no means attached to a device the whole time we were there.

The only time I use my cell phone is when the kids go off on their own or when we're in the room and I give someone from home a call. I don't text, and the phone rarely comes out of my bag at the parks. I rarely use my cell phone at home, too.

 

[Lynn1030]

My husband left his camera in the hotel once to give himself a break and enjoy the park without carrying anything. He regretted it within 10 minutes lol. Now that we have a child, there's no way we'll ever walk into a park without a camera.