Trouble with Disney Security and DSLR

[whoiscliffwang]

I've been reading here and there about how Disney Security have hassled guests that bring "professional" camera's and tripods to the parks. Even though they don't have a specific guidelines on what "professional" equipment means.

As per Disney's FAQ: "Professional photographers with professional cameras or recording equipment, who are visiting Walt Disney World Resort with the intent to take photographs or recordings of people, Walt Disney World Resort properties or icons for professional purposes must make prior arrangements with Walt Disney World Resort Media Relations."

http://williambeem.com/disney-thinks-photographers-are-terrorists/?gt

Have any of you on here been hassled or questioned by security about your gear? A lot of these run-ins seem to be years ago, but I'm wondering if its still happening.

FWIW, I'm shooting with a D800 with grip and 24-70 f/2.8 lens, not shooting for professional purposes.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I've been reading here and there about how Disney Security have hassled guests that bring "professional" camera's and tripods to the parks. Even though they don't have a specific guidelines on what "professional" equipment means.

As per Disney's FAQ: "Professional photographers with professional cameras or recording equipment, who are visiting Walt Disney World Resort with the intent to take photographs or recordings of people, Walt Disney World Resort properties or icons for professional purposes must make prior arrangements with Walt Disney World Resort Media Relations."

http://williambeem.com/disney-thinks-photographers-are-terrorists/?gt

Have any of you on here been hassled or questioned by security about your gear? A lot of these run-ins seem to be years ago, but I'm wondering if its still happening.

FWIW, I'm shooting with a D800 with grip and 24-70 f/2.8 lens, not shooting for professional purposes.

Eh, I don't know about this... I've brought in a whole range of stuff before and had nothing but great experiences with security and CM's. One guy was admiring my medium format beast of a camera and wouldn't stop with "wow, that's a huge! Hey, where do you post work so I can check them out?".

I'd say as long as you're respectful and courteous to people around you you'll be fine.

 

[Allen C]

I've never had problems with security since I started bringing a DSLR/tripod/multiple lenses to the parks in 2011.

Two things I've noticed though:

More people have asked me to take pictures of them with their camera. When you have a "professional-looking" camera then people are more likely to hand their camera to you and ask you to take their picture.

You're more likely to be mistaken for a Photopass photographer when you have your tripod all set up. I just politely tell them that I'm not Photopass and I offer to take their picture with their own camera.

 

[whoiscliffwang]

Sweet. I cant wait to go down. Less than 2 weeks to go

 

[NowInc]

Dozens of trips and the only "annoyance" is strangers coming up and thinking I work for disney because I have a tripod. Security and management have been very nice, even when I end up staying in the parks after it closes to get some long exposures. Just be polite and try to not get in the way of other guests (this is actually more for your gears safety than anything else). Be prepared for the security checkpoints at the park entrances (have your bag easily available to open and removed), but once you're inside..youre in the clear.

 

[NowInc]

Also...look at the date of the article you posted...2010. I know it doesn't SEEM that long ago, but it is. As far as I know, no one (and I know quite a few who take pics with DSLRs at WDW) has gotten approached with any of those scenarios mentioned in the last 3 years. So enjoy! Have fun! Bring an extra battery (or two), and shoot away!

 

[CP_alum08]

I remember this being a big deal a couple years ago, but in DLR not WDW. I have set up with a tripod multiple times and have never been hassled. A couple times I've been asked to keep up a decent pace if it's late at night and security is trying to close a section of the park, they just don't want you lingering.

I've also been mistaken for photopass more times than I can count!

 

[NowInc]

An off topic "tip" for you, this applies especially to Magic Kingdom:

If you are there after the parks close, make sure you are at the furthest point away from main street first. They won't kick you out (not for a while at least), but as you walk closer to the entrance, they will walk with you and prevent you from "back tracking" to the further points. So basically..work from say..frontierland, towards the front, shooting as you go.

 

[CP_alum08]

An off topic "tip" for you, this applies especially to Magic Kingdom:

If you are there after the parks close, make sure you are at the furthest point away from main street first. They won't kick you out (not for a while at least), but as you walk closer to the entrance, they will walk with you and prevent you from "back tracking" to the further points. So basically..work from say..frontierland, towards the front, shooting as you go.

Spot on. Same goes for epcot. Except at epcot if you're in WS for too long the wings of FW get roped off.

 

[maxairmike]

I have noticed security has been much more "hands-on" with my typical bag lately, and it is driving me a bit nuts. They always try to lift up the top compartment "floor" instead of asking me to open the bottom compartment zipper and end up loosening the velcro dividers on top and jostling around my filter cases (always keep them in a certain order so I can pull them out without looking). Technically the top compartment "floor" is just velcro'd there as well, but my camera body and other loose items are sitting on top of what you want to just casually flip up to try and see 3 lens bays! It isn't a complex bag, large top compartment for a body with lens attached and room for a few filter cases and my remote, large zipper flap on the front to access the 3 lens bays, and two small side pockets.

Outside of that, haven't really had any issues inside the parks besides guests that think you're Photopass.

 

[donsullivan]

I've been reading here and there about how Disney Security have hassled guests that bring "professional" camera's and tripods to the parks. Even though they don't have a specific guidelines on what "professional" equipment means.

As per Disney's FAQ: "Professional photographers with professional cameras or recording equipment, who are visiting Walt Disney World Resort with the intent to take photographs or recordings of people, Walt Disney World Resort properties or icons for professional purposes must make prior arrangements with Walt Disney World Resort Media Relations."

http://williambeem.com/disney-thinks-photographers-are-terrorists/?gt

Have any of you on here been hassled or questioned by security about your gear? A lot of these run-ins seem to be years ago, but I'm wondering if its still happening.

FWIW, I'm shooting with a D800 with grip and 24-70 f/2.8 lens, not shooting for professional purposes.

Pay no attention to any reports of issues shooting at Disney from that individual. He has created a number of problems for himself shooting around the parks and tried to make a lot of noise about it around the Internet. In this case, this is an issue with the photographer- not Disney.

I carry a bag full of gear that most would consider professional (I am not anywhere close to a pro) and not once have I ever had an issue. All you need to do is be respectful of others around you and don't make an obstruction of yourself and you'll be completely fine pretty much anywhere on property including all 4 parks and all of the resorts. If you use basic common sense and respect others, you'll have no issues.

A few years ago there were significant issues at Disneyland (I was one of those impacted pretty seriously about 3 years ago) but there was a dramatic change there in the last 18 months and everything is just fine there now.

The only place that does seem to have different rules (unclear why) is Downtown Disney.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I've been reading here and there about how Disney Security have hassled guests that bring "professional" camera's and tripods to the parks. Even though they don't have a specific guidelines on what "professional" equipment means.

As per Disney's FAQ: "Professional photographers with professional cameras or recording equipment, who are visiting Walt Disney World Resort with the intent to take photographs or recordings of people, Walt Disney World Resort properties or icons for professional purposes must make prior arrangements with Walt Disney World Resort Media Relations."

http://williambeem.com/disney-thinks-photographers-are-terrorists/?gt

Have any of you on here been hassled or questioned by security about your gear? A lot of these run-ins seem to be years ago, but I'm wondering if its still happening.

FWIW, I'm shooting with a D800 with grip and 24-70 f/2.8 lens, not shooting for professional purposes.

Ive been in these parks photographing for ten years now.

TEN YEARS.

Ive had no problems.

I go discreet and I dont bring a ton of gear in. A D800 & 24-70 will be fine. I dont advertise what I'm doing and I stay low key.

Thats the secret - be low key.

 

[thomas998]

Pay no attention to any reports of issues shooting at Disney from that individual. He has created a number of problems for himself shooting around the parks and tried to make a lot of noise about it around the Internet. In this case, this is an issue with the photographer- not Disney.

I carry a bag full of gear that most would consider professional (I am not anywhere close to a pro) and not once have I ever had an issue. All you need to do is be respectful of others around you and don't make an obstruction of yourself and you'll be completely fine pretty much anywhere on property including all 4 parks and all of the resorts. If you use basic common sense and respect others, you'll have no issues.

A few years ago there were significant issues at Disneyland (I was one of those impacted pretty seriously about 3 years ago) but there was a dramatic change there in the last 18 months and everything is just fine there now.

The only place that does seem to have different rules (unclear why) is Downtown Disney.

I think the Disneyland incident is the cause of the rumors... As I recall it had something to do with some "celebrity" that was visiting DL not wanting paparazzi snapping them every time they turned around... and If memory serves me they had for a time a length of lens rule at DL where if a lens was longer than 6 inches it wasn't allowed.

 

[donsullivan]

I think the Disneyland incident is the cause of the rumors... As I recall it had something to do with some "celebrity" that was visiting DL not wanting paparazzi snapping them every time they turned around... and If memory serves me they had for a time a length of lens rule at DL where if a lens was longer than 6 inches it wasn't allowed.

While the scenario you describe above did indeed happen, that is actually not was I was referring to. There was a much larger issue between Security and photographers around the Disneyland resort for a number of years.

A few summers ago (2011), I was visiting Disneyland and met up with a couple of local photographer friends one night for a little night shooting around the parks. About an hour before park closing, two of us were over by the sub lagoon in a small inset that overlooks the lagoon and the monorail track so we were well out of the way of traffic to not make an obstruction of ourselves. After a couple of minutes we had gotten the shots we were after and turned around to prepare to move to a new location. Only then did we find we had been surrounded by 4 security guards. At that point, they didn't say anything but we moved a little further down the park toward the Innoventions building and I setup my tripod back against a rock area to take a shot of Space Mountain and one of them literally ran at me and told me that tripods were not allowed in the park (absolutely not true per documented Disney policy) and I could not use it. He continued to persist even pulling the 9/11 card at which point it was clear we were going to get nowhere. From that point forward multiple security guards followed the 3 of us everywhere we went throughout the park until we finally left a few minutes after closing.

It was by far the most offensive experience I have ever had in my 30+ years of visiting Disney Parks. Unfortunately, that was not an anomaly but something that was happening regularly to multiple different photographers including others who also post on this board. Security at Disneyland was outright hostile toward photographers for a number of years and nobody could ever figure out why.

Then suddenly, about 18 months ago everything changed and with the exception of things like sweeping the park after close (which is totally reasonable) all of the issues stopped. I've talked with some of the Disneyland local photographers who have acknowledged that things have completely changed and they have a very cordial relationship with the security guards and there are no longer any issues.

During my last 2 visits in September 2012 & 2013, I experienced absolutely no issues of any kind in either of the parks. The bottom line is there was indeed a very serious issue at Disneyland (never at WDW except for the individual described by the OP) but it is now well behind us and photographers are welcome in the parks again.

 

[whoiscliffwang]

Im glad that there is no further issues. I really plan on staying as "low key" as possible.

 

[flavious27]

I can't see any issues now, unless you causing an issue. I know that when I got my one good digital camera in like '02 I had issues when I was taking photos around Philadelphia Lincoln Field during game day. 9/11 was still fresh in people's minds, though a bigger concern at the linc are the people burning down their RVs.

 

[whoiscliffwang]

No problems on my last trip. I had the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 16-35mm f/4 mounted most of the time. I used the 70-200 VR for the new Festival of Fantasy Parade, Fantasmic, Kilamanjaro Safaris, Indy, Lights Motors Actions, and a few other times. Really had no issue at all with cast members or security.

A cast member did approach me as I was photographing outside of Gaston's, but she was just asked to see some of the pictures I had taken, which I gladly showed her. Had a chat for a few minutes about photography and how its her hobby as well.

Time to start editing my pictures!

 

[NowInc]

No problems on my last trip. I had the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 16-35mm f/4 mounted most of the time. I used the 70-200 VR for the new Festival of Fantasy Parade, Fantasmic, Kilamanjaro Safaris, Indy, Lights Motors Actions, and a few other times. Really had no issue at all with cast members or security.

A cast member did approach me as I was photographing outside of Gaston's, but she was just asked to see some of the pictures I had taken, which I gladly showed her. Had a chat for a few minutes about photography and how its her hobby as well.

Time to start editing my pictures!

Very similar thing happened to me last week at Epcot. I was there, way after hours, taking photos of SSE. A CM came up to me, I thought it was going to be the "we are closed" speech, but instead he was asking me for tips on shooting. Chatted it up for a good 15 minutes.

 

[whoiscliffwang]

I didn't really stay much later past closing of any of the parks. Certainly not late enough that there was no other guests in the parks. Some of my pictures have slight ghosting of people walking though some shots, but I think it adds to the effect of the hustle and bustle of the parks.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I didn't really stay much later past closing of any of the parks. Certainly not late enough that there was no other guests in the parks. Some of my pictures have slight ghosting of people walking though some shots, but I think it adds to the effect of the hustle and bustle of the parks.

Personally, I love movement present in shots.