Hey everyone,
So I can tell you from the start that this will be a long post with multiple stories all relating generally to one topic. To start off, I am "a photographer", I live about 20 miles away from WDW, and I have an annual pass. So on days that I don't have class, I like to trek over to WDW and snap a few pics. Every time I go, I always have my camera, tripod, and backpack; maybe this makes me suspicious, I'm not sure. It seems as though almost every time I go something goes wrong, maybe my fault? So lets get to it!
Stories:
1. This just happened on Friday. So the day started off at Animal Kingdom, after I'd had enough I drove to MK to get a Dole Float
D ), I then took the resort monorail to the Contemporary to watch the sunset on the roof. I've been on the roof of the Contemporary twice prior. I voluntarily walk the 10 flights of stairs from level 4 up to 14 to the roof. As I was doing so, I noticed a Disney security guard eye'ing me up from the other staircase. He was intently watching me climb each flight of stairs. As I got above about the 8th floor, he crossed his arms and looked kind of mad. I figured security would be waiting for me on the roof. Luckily nothing happened, I guess he did not approve? Thoughts? I figure; if I make the conscious effort to climb 10 flights of stairs to take a picture, let me be. It's more trouble for me than you.
2. This story also involves the contemporary hotel roof; I don't have very good luck with it. So this was in January. I think MK might have closed at 8:00 or so that night, so after Wishes I decided to go atop the Contemporary and watch Illuminations from the South side of the Contemporary. I walked from MK to the Contemporary peacefully. Everything went great... until I tried to leave. At this time it was around 9:20pm, the monorail stopped at 9pm. I tried walking back to MK to catch the ferry to TTC; security wouldn't let me take the sidewalk back to MK to catch the ferry. He told me there 'might' be a bus running to the Poly, after which I could walk to TTC. So just then a bus pulls up to the Contemporary, I had to run (with all my camera equipment in hand) back to the bus station to catch that bus. My question here is, what was I expected to do had I not caught that bus? Would I have to rent a taxi to take me from the Contemporary to the TTC parking lot?
3. I was at DTD one day, it was kind of boring, not much to take pictures of there. So I decided to take an adventure, I took the boat to Key West; I planned on making it a round-trip. When I got there the driver informed me that the boat was for resort guests only and I had to get off, I was not allowed to stay on. So, how do I get back to DTD? I had to take a bus, yay.
4. One time I was taking a picture by POTC when a cast member standing by POTC asked me what I was using the photos for. I guess he was thinking maybe I would be selling prints of my photos?
5. Security saw me taking a photo in the main lobby of the Contemporary (I really don’t have good luck with this hotel!) and he was intently staring me down. He never did anything, and I got my picture.
So that’s really all the stories about photography/security I can currently remember. All of these have happened to me within just the past 6-8 months. I’m kind of afraid if I keep “exploring” throughout WDW eventually security might seriously hassle me for some reason, I definitely don’t want to be blacklisted. Really, the biggest thing I wanted to get from this thread is the answer to story #2. What would you guys have done in that situation?
Thanks,
-Chris-
So I can tell you from the start that this will be a long post with multiple stories all relating generally to one topic. To start off, I am "a photographer", I live about 20 miles away from WDW, and I have an annual pass. So on days that I don't have class, I like to trek over to WDW and snap a few pics. Every time I go, I always have my camera, tripod, and backpack; maybe this makes me suspicious, I'm not sure. It seems as though almost every time I go something goes wrong, maybe my fault? So lets get to it!
Stories:
1. This just happened on Friday. So the day started off at Animal Kingdom, after I'd had enough I drove to MK to get a Dole Float

2. This story also involves the contemporary hotel roof; I don't have very good luck with it. So this was in January. I think MK might have closed at 8:00 or so that night, so after Wishes I decided to go atop the Contemporary and watch Illuminations from the South side of the Contemporary. I walked from MK to the Contemporary peacefully. Everything went great... until I tried to leave. At this time it was around 9:20pm, the monorail stopped at 9pm. I tried walking back to MK to catch the ferry to TTC; security wouldn't let me take the sidewalk back to MK to catch the ferry. He told me there 'might' be a bus running to the Poly, after which I could walk to TTC. So just then a bus pulls up to the Contemporary, I had to run (with all my camera equipment in hand) back to the bus station to catch that bus. My question here is, what was I expected to do had I not caught that bus? Would I have to rent a taxi to take me from the Contemporary to the TTC parking lot?
3. I was at DTD one day, it was kind of boring, not much to take pictures of there. So I decided to take an adventure, I took the boat to Key West; I planned on making it a round-trip. When I got there the driver informed me that the boat was for resort guests only and I had to get off, I was not allowed to stay on. So, how do I get back to DTD? I had to take a bus, yay.
4. One time I was taking a picture by POTC when a cast member standing by POTC asked me what I was using the photos for. I guess he was thinking maybe I would be selling prints of my photos?
5. Security saw me taking a photo in the main lobby of the Contemporary (I really don’t have good luck with this hotel!) and he was intently staring me down. He never did anything, and I got my picture.
So that’s really all the stories about photography/security I can currently remember. All of these have happened to me within just the past 6-8 months. I’m kind of afraid if I keep “exploring” throughout WDW eventually security might seriously hassle me for some reason, I definitely don’t want to be blacklisted. Really, the biggest thing I wanted to get from this thread is the answer to story #2. What would you guys have done in that situation?
Thanks,
-Chris-
