I am an amateur photographer and have had problems at Walt Disney World doing amateur videotaping with my camcorder. Out-of-doors, there were no problems, but on the rides, announcements as well as signs, announce that no flash photography or videotaping is allowed. Universal Studios is no better and also has these warnings. What are they afraid of? That you'll make duplicate tapes to sell of the rides? Who would cancel a trip to WDW to stay home and watch somebody's tapes? These tapes are made for personal use as a memory of the vacation, since Disney doesn't sell tapes or DVDs of "The Pirates", "It's A Small World", etc. I appreciate that flash photography indoors would ruin the attraction for others but I can't see the harm of videotaping.
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Photography at Walt Disney World
- Thread starter Myron
- Start date
typhoonguy
New Member
Two major concerns. The first of which both people have hit on is lighting. The second is the show element. You have to remember that your video camera sees things differently than you do. For example... even though you see holographic ghosts dancing in the ball room at the haunted mantion, your camera may see something else... And the side view finders are brighter than everyone tends to think they are. They can become a big distraction. The key here is that we don't want to ruin the magic for you or any other guests.
Lanipie
New Member
LOL, our camera is old and ghetto it doesn't have a sideviewfinder so I didn't even think about that. Good point!
Come to think of it ours doesn't have any lights on it at all. But, most people's cameras aren't like that these days.
Hakunamatata
Le Meh
Most people who are videotaping are oblivious to what is going on around them, or how they are having a negative impact on someone elses experience. Videotaping during a dark show is very distracting to say the least, even without an external light.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
More so now with digital video cameras and such, where in a dark show or ride the people don't know enough to close the monitor and use the viewfinder instead. I went to a concert a few weeks ago and when it was dark there was a sea of little LCD screens LOL.
As to the rules, the only rules on videotaping at WDW are on the filmed attractions, i.e. Star Tours and Philharmagic. Everything else you can tape, but just can't use a light (just like you can't use a flash).
I've found it easier to just download the dark ride videos - I've tried before, and on my next trip I'm having a "video tape" day and am going to try again, but other people (like Martin) just do such a good job I leave it to them most of the time.
AEfx
kcnole
Well-Known Member
the number one reason is to not ruin the ride for those around you. There are times when the number of guests on an attraction are low enough that I've heard of people actually asking if they could be seated well away from the other riders so they could take pictures and the CM's were happy to oblige.
The other and probably smaller reason is that in some cases those videos ruin the rides for people. They see these horrible videos and decide the ride sucks and won't go. Now that's probably a very small minority, but Disney would prefer for people to experience the rides for the first time in person. At least that's my opinion.
The other and probably smaller reason is that in some cases those videos ruin the rides for people. They see these horrible videos and decide the ride sucks and won't go. Now that's probably a very small minority, but Disney would prefer for people to experience the rides for the first time in person. At least that's my opinion.
raven
Well-Known Member
I've heard it said before somewhere on this site that sometimes the infared(sp) feature on some cameras that people use to film dark postions of a ride tend to set off alarms where the same type of feature is used in that attraction. Rides have been stopped before and announcements made before the ride starts again. Maybe they are just taking precautions. :veryconfu
I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I was told that exposure to bright light can fade or ruin certain kinds of paint used in the dark rides. It seems to make sense; in Pittsburgh our football stadium seats are bright yellow and when they were installed a good number of people complained about the atrocious color. Stadium reps said that that color was chosen specifically because of it's fade effect, and within a short time you could see a pronounced difference in the color of chairs exposed to sun vs. those in the shade. If everyone was allowed to use flash, I could see how this would lead to problems especially in rides that are full of vivid color, like Splash Mountain.
RonAnnArbor
Well-Known Member
I dunno about the fade theory - but the fact is that flash ruins the "show" for both you and for other riders. Flash washes out the colors that are very carefully chosen for the attraction, and is annoying to everyone else. When you print or develop your photos, you will find that all of the color is drained from them and all you are seeing is what is lit by white light. Many of the attractions are painted and specially designed to be lit by different colored lights that bring out the effect wanted. Take a flash photo of a special effect (like projections on fog) and you get nothing but white light on smoke.
As to non-flash photography, the only rides you are not allowed to video tape or photograph are the ones where you can not be in complete control of your equipment, or those that are copyrighted videos (Philharmagic, Star Tours, Honey I...Soarin'). Soarin' combines both - your inability to guarantee complete control over your equipment, as well as a copyrighted movie. Test Track is liable to send your camera flying - as is Tower of Terror, the roller coasters, and motion simulators. The rule of thumb here is not whether you personally think you can control your equipment, but if anybody thinks you can control it. Your wrist strap breaks when you are walking around Downtown Disney, you drop your camera, nobody gets hurt. Your wriststrap breaks while you are trying to videotape Big Thunder Mountain, you hurt the person a few rows behind you when your metal camera bonks them in the face. You really have no choice there but to keep your camera in the bag and safely tucked under your feet.
The reality is, that none of the attraction images belong to you - they belong to Disney. You are not, for example, permitted to print and sell photos of the castle with the fireworks behind it professionally. You are welcome to take the photos for your own use, but the image belongs to Disney. OF course, if you pay the royalty fee to Disney, then you can sell as many as you want, under contract to Disney.
As to non-flash photography, the only rides you are not allowed to video tape or photograph are the ones where you can not be in complete control of your equipment, or those that are copyrighted videos (Philharmagic, Star Tours, Honey I...Soarin'). Soarin' combines both - your inability to guarantee complete control over your equipment, as well as a copyrighted movie. Test Track is liable to send your camera flying - as is Tower of Terror, the roller coasters, and motion simulators. The rule of thumb here is not whether you personally think you can control your equipment, but if anybody thinks you can control it. Your wrist strap breaks when you are walking around Downtown Disney, you drop your camera, nobody gets hurt. Your wriststrap breaks while you are trying to videotape Big Thunder Mountain, you hurt the person a few rows behind you when your metal camera bonks them in the face. You really have no choice there but to keep your camera in the bag and safely tucked under your feet.
The reality is, that none of the attraction images belong to you - they belong to Disney. You are not, for example, permitted to print and sell photos of the castle with the fireworks behind it professionally. You are welcome to take the photos for your own use, but the image belongs to Disney. OF course, if you pay the royalty fee to Disney, then you can sell as many as you want, under contract to Disney.
Craig & Lisa
Active Member
I've video'd before on alot of rides and only had a problem once and that was in April when on the land ride, where the CM told me I could not video even though I did not have an external light, I did however have the infared light on, maybe that was it, but I have done it before on that and had no problem.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Actually, I believe the policy on Living with the Land is no photography or videotaping in the "Dark ride" portions of the ride at the beginning (for the reasons already discussed in this thread pertaining to other indoor attractions with special effects and lighting), but once you enter the greenhouses you're encouraged to take as many photos as you like.
-Rob
ZapperZ
Well-Known Member
As anyone can see from my trip report (and my signature), I do videotape a lot while I'm at WDW (and recently, Disneyland). For dark rides, I've never used external lightning, and always have the digital viewfinder closed. So other than the small red recording indicator, I put out no other light. I also never take pictures with a flash in these rides. They are dark for a reason, and additional lighting will just destroy the look and feel of such a ride.
I do not videotape shows such as Mickey Philharmagic, frankly because I don't see the point. I also think they do not allow for it. For shows such as Country Bears Jamboree, I specifically asked a cast member if I could tape the show, he said I could but without those external lights etc... So I did.
While I do enjoy snapping pictures and capturing videos that I can look at later as fond memories, they are secondary to the experience of being there. If doing such a thing destroys the magic, then I'd rather not do it.
Zz.
I do not videotape shows such as Mickey Philharmagic, frankly because I don't see the point. I also think they do not allow for it. For shows such as Country Bears Jamboree, I specifically asked a cast member if I could tape the show, he said I could but without those external lights etc... So I did.
While I do enjoy snapping pictures and capturing videos that I can look at later as fond memories, they are secondary to the experience of being there. If doing such a thing destroys the magic, then I'd rather not do it.
Zz.
joshwill
Well-Known Member
seems every time i go into mickeys philharmagic, i get stuck 1 or 2 rows right behind someone, usually foriegn, who is videotaping the film and must leave the screen out so the light shines in everones eyes.
incredibly annoying and extremly rude.
dolbyman
Well-Known Member
but easy to explain
someone from a froeign country might see the show for the first time so he/she wants to see it with his/her own eyes .. but still wants to videotape it .. the viewfinder is no option cause you have to focus on the viewfinders lcd screen
when you use the large lcd you can take a quick glimpse on focus and position .. and get back to the "live" action
still it's annoying .. (I always used the viewfinder in dark rides) but understandable :dazzle:
Since1976
Well-Known Member
Safety, copyright, and guest experience are probably the only reasons that flash and videotaping may be prohibited.
Disney doesn't worry about dark rides being videotaped -- no video could completely capture the experience. 2-D movies, on the otherhand *can* be reasonably reproduced, which is a no-no (the "50 Years of Magic" movie at DLR comes to mind).
Disney doesn't worry about dark rides being videotaped -- no video could completely capture the experience. 2-D movies, on the otherhand *can* be reasonably reproduced, which is a no-no (the "50 Years of Magic" movie at DLR comes to mind).
disneyracefan
New Member
i always just pick a seat in the back and tape all i want and i have never had 1 complaint.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
LOL I still don't see it as understandable...so they are so selfish they want to see it without the viewfinder but also want to ruin everyone else's time by using their big LCD screen too...so they can have a video of it? No more understandable than a 250LB guy jumping up and standing in front of six kids at the last minute at the parade...the big guy wanted to see the parade, so that's understandable, right? LOL
It's many people's first time...arrogance isn't understandable, it should be shamed. I see this attitude on the Great Movie Ride all the time...last time there was an Asian guy who had a professional SLR camera set-up who was taking flash pictures the whole time. I wanted to smack him. I feel so bad for the CM's who are put in danger because idiots like that only think about themselves; flashing lights in people's faces is rude no matter what language you speak. In the case of GMR, it's physically dangerous to the CM's - they are working on complicated, mechanical sets and the footing is very percise when they come up and down the temple, for example. One moron flashing can cause someone to slip and hurt themselves.
I'm all for videoing and taking pics that are allowed (I love it), but people that just care about nothing but their own personal experience (and, worse, their own videos) really get my blood to boil.
AEfx