cameras at Universal..

[havoc315]

Just booked a weekend trip to Universal. Going to Disney later in the summer.
Never been to Universal before, but I understand it is not as camera-friendly as Disney. With lockers outside many rides, and rules prohibiting carrying camera bags and loose items on rides.

Anyway.... I really don't want to locker my camera. Ideally, I'd like to use my camera on the rides. And even if I'm not using it, I don't want to be constantly putting in lockers and taking it out.

I've heard mixed things about carrying fanny packs, etc...

So I'm planning on taking my Sony A6300 with just a couple of lenses, and trying to find a decent belt/waist pack. Any recommendations?
Any experience on whether a belt/waist pack like that, will be ok for Universal rides? (I know there are a couple of rides that totally make you empty your pockets.. I'm not talking about those). Any bag anyone can recommend?
I'm guessing if it's too big, Universal won't let me take it. If it's too small, it won't fit my gear. I'm hoping to bring my A6300 + 24/1.8 + 10-18/4. So the lenses are small, but not pancake. It really won't fit inside a pocket.

 

[elmoandzoey]

Using your cameras on the rides is a very big no go. If you are allowed to take things on and if your camera is out, there are some few rides where they will ask you to stow it otherwise they will not let you on the ride. It happened to me more than once, especially at Island of Adventure's Seuss Landing - and I've heard from several people who had the same thing happen to them. I have also first hand experience of a ride stop at The Cat in the Hat where they announced they would not resume the ride and evacuate if the person taking pictures won't stop taking pictures. This is all a result from licensing factors. Some rides they don't ask you to put it away but they will tell you no pictures. And then what good would taking pictures on Transformers do you since it's a 3D ride. At Universal you are either allowed to take stuff on and then size doesn't matter or you are not allowed to take stuff on other than a lanyard. So rule of thumb, if you have to store your belongings in a locker, than you have to store them. There is no way you can bring on your camera in a fanny pack. I'm talking about the locker rides without the metal detectors, like Gringotts or Forbidden Journey. I guess that's the reason why they introduced metal detectors to some of their more intensive thrill rides that are built above open space - because people didn't believe no personal items on the ride really means no personal items on the ride. You wouldn't believe how many people walked up to the metal detectors with their phones and wallets in their pockets. They all had to return to the lockers and stow them.

And I wouldn't say Universal isn't camera friendly because I found it as camera friendly as Disney. It just has a policy about bringing personal gear on rides for safety reasons and that is not limited to cameras and camera bags at all. So bring whatever bag you need for your stuff and put it in a locker. There is no way you'll get around that.

 

[havoc315]

Sounds very camera unfriendly! The motives and reasons may not be anti-photography, but the effect certainly is..

But anyway, I'm still a little confused. I'm happy to put away my camera during rides and not use it, but I really don't want to go back and forth to the lockers constantly. I thought it was just the metal detector rides that allows absolutely no extraneous items. Are you saying that even Gringotts, doesn't allow cell phones, wallets, etc? If necessary, I can stick my camera in my pocket, just might need to take off the lens and put it in the other pocket, to make it compact enough for a pocket. I was hoping for fannypack instead of my own pockets, just to avoid having to take off the lens. But it sounds like you're saying I'm going to need a locker anyway at most of the rides, simply for my wallet and phone?

 

[elmoandzoey]

Basically if the rides has free lockers, you have to store everything, including phones and wallets. That doesn't depend on the having a metal detector or not. Your pockets have to be empty. The only thing you are allowed on these rides is a lanyard around neck with your ticket and express pass. If they see you have something in your pocket when you board, they will not allow you to board (I have seen that happen more than once). They will make you leave the queue and put the things in a locker. You will not be granted express access when you get back, you have to go through the regular queue again.

I still don't quite understand why you think this makes the park camera unfriendly. It is not targeted solely at people carrying cameras and camera bags. My younger son had to put his Transformers action figure into a locker every time we went on a locker ride yet I wouldn't call Universal to be kid unfriendly - at least not when it comes to that. Honestly, it sounds worse than it is. Is it a nuisance? Yes, it can be for some rides because some locker areas area bit tight and some people are just absolutely inconsiderate. But then it's a nuisance for everyone alike and not just for photographers. It's not like that group of people is targeted specifically with that policy.

And if you think you are missing out on great photo ops - the only instance where I say that may be true is the Gringotts queue but other than that everything else is still accessible, e.g. You can walk up the Dragon Challenge queue for some nice photospots of Howgarts and then just leave again. On the ride itself there really is like Nothing worse taking pictures of other than Universal backstage and metal beams. Hogwarts Express has some nitbits in the queue and in those instances they explicitly tell you and encourage you to take pictures.

 

[Puffin]

Compared to the Disney Parks I certainly returned with way less pictures because of the strict rules at Universal. Lot's of lockers outside rides and the ones were I was allowed to wear my hip bag with GoPro safely attached to it, I was asked to put the GoPro inside.

 

[havoc315]

Basically if the rides has free lockers, you have to store everything, including phones and wallets. That doesn't depend on the having a metal detector or not. Your pockets have to be empty. The only thing you are allowed on these rides is a lanyard around neck with your ticket and express pass. If they see you have something in your pocket when you board, they will not allow you to board (I have seen that happen more than once). They will make you leave the queue and put the things in a locker. You will not be granted express access when you get back, you have to go through the regular queue again.

I still don't quite understand why you think this makes the park camera unfriendly. It is not targeted solely at people carrying cameras and camera bags. My younger son had to put his Transformers action figure into a locker every time we went on a locker ride yet I wouldn't call Universal to be kid unfriendly - at least not when it comes to that. Honestly, it sounds worse than it is. Is it a nuisance? Yes, it can be for some rides because some locker areas area bit tight and some people are just absolutely inconsiderate. But then it's a nuisance for everyone alike and not just for photographers. It's not like that group of people is targeted specifically with that policy.

And if you think you are missing out on great photo ops - the only instance where I say that may be true is the Gringotts queue but other than that everything else is still accessible, e.g. You can walk up the Dragon Challenge queue for some nice photospots of Howgarts and then just leave again. On the ride itself there really is like Nothing worse taking pictures of other than Universal backstage and metal beams. Hogwarts Express has some nitbits in the queue and in those instances they explicitly tell you and encourage you to take pictures.

It's camera unfriendly just like February in New York is shorts unfriendly. It has nothing to do with intent.
For whatever reasons, at Disney you can take your camera everywhere, and take photos everywhere. It's not prohibited anywhere.
At Universal, you can't. By definition, that makes it a less camera friendly place. It might be equally unfriendly to wallets, cell phones, and action figures.

 

[bob100]

Using your cameras on the rides is a very big no go. If you are allowed to take things on and if your camera is out, there are some few rides where they will ask you to stow it otherwise they will not let you on the ride. It happened to me more than once, especially at Island of Adventure's Seuss Landing - and I've heard from several people who had the same thing happen to them. I have also first hand experience of a ride stop at The Cat in the Hat where they announced they would not resume the ride and evacuate if the person taking pictures won't stop taking pictures. This is all a result from licensing factors. Some rides they don't ask you to put it away but they will tell you no pictures. And then what good would taking pictures on Transformers do you since it's a 3D ride. At Universal you are either allowed to take stuff on and then size doesn't matter or you are not allowed to take stuff on other than a lanyard. So rule of thumb, if you have to store your belongings in a locker, than you have to store them. There is no way you can bring on your camera in a fanny pack. I'm talking about the locker rides without the metal detectors, like Gringotts or Forbidden Journey. I guess that's the reason why they introduced metal detectors to some of their more intensive thrill rides that are built above open space - because people didn't believe no personal items on the ride really means no personal items on the ride. You wouldn't believe how many people walked up to the metal detectors with their phones and wallets in their pockets. They all had to return to the lockers and stow them.
And I wouldn't say Universal isn't camera friendly because I found it as camera friendly as Disney. It just has a policy about bringing personal gear on rides for safety reasons and that is not limited to cameras and camera bags at all. So bring whatever bag you need for your stuff and put it in a locker. There is no way you'll get around that.

sounds very camera unfriendly to me, at least compared to Busch Gardens. they even let stupid people take selfies on the roller coasters !

 

[elmoandzoey]

I got the impression you were implying that Universal was specifically targeting people with cameras and camera bags with their policies which clearly they are not. So yes, Universal is camera unfriendly as it is diaper bag, cell phone and wallet unfriendly.... Universal is unfriendly to everyone in that regard

sounds very camera unfriendly to me, at least compared to Busch Gardens. they even let stupid people take selfies on the roller coasters !

And that's the reason why Universal now has metal detectors on certain rides. It's one thing to take a selfie on a ride that when you lose your smartphone, all it'll hit is concrete but another if there is a possibility of hitting a person walking under the track or another ride vehicle or just the track - which has happened more than once as a manager at Rip Ride Rockit told me while we were waiting for the ride to be stopped and evacuated and then restarted because some teen had grabbed a radio (!!!) from one of the CMs loading the ride. The ride had to be stopped until they had found the radio because a) it could have landed on the track and b) the radio has a vehicle release button on it which every CM loading the vehicle needs to push so if one was missing, they couldn't release the vehicle from the loading dock. They eventually found the radio on one of the lower tracks, smashed to pieces which then required a complete reboot of the system because they had to replace said radio with another one. I rather want to a safe feeling standling under the roller coaster taking pictures than having to worry that some stupid kid was taking selfies up there and possibly losing grip on their phone. And as much as I love Disney for its open policy about bringing on whatever you like, I almost lost my camera backpack on Space Mountain because it made a huge leap upwards on one of the bumps. Yes, I had the shoulder straps looped around the lap bar (which was why it didn't go off flying) but at that moment my heart almost stopped. And then came the notion what if some other person had NOT looped the straps around the lap bar - that backpack would have gone flying out of the rocket into God knows where.

Side note: if you want to take "pictures", they do allow you to take on a GoPro IF it is properly fitted to a chest harness.

 

[havoc315]

I got the impression you were implying that Universal was specifically targeting people with cameras and camera bags with their policies which clearly they are not. So yes, Universal is camera unfriendly as it is diaper bag, cell phone and wallet unfriendly.... Universal is unfriendly to everyone in that regard



And that's the reason why Universal now has metal detectors on certain rides. It's one thing to take a selfie on a ride that when you lose your smartphone, all it'll hit is concrete but another if there is a possibility of hitting a person walking under the track or another ride vehicle or just the track - which has happened more than once as a manager at Rip Ride Rockit told me while we were waiting for the ride to be stopped and evacuated and then restarted because some teen had grabbed a radio (!!!) from one of the CMs loading the ride. The ride had to be stopped until they had found the radio because a) it could have landed on the track and b) the radio has a vehicle release button on it which every CM loading the vehicle needs to push so if one was missing, they couldn't release the vehicle from the loading dock. They eventually found the radio on one of the lower tracks, smashed to pieces which then required a complete reboot of the system because they had to replace said radio with another one. I rather want to a safe feeling standling under the roller coaster taking pictures than having to worry that some stupid kid was taking selfies up there and possibly losing grip on their phone. And as much as I love Disney for its open policy about bringing on whatever you like, I almost lost my camera backpack on Space Mountain because it made a huge leap upwards on one of the bumps. Yes, I had the shoulder straps looped around the lap bar (which was why it didn't go off flying) but at that moment my heart almost stopped. And then came the notion what if some other person had NOT looped the straps around the lap bar - that backpack would have gone flying out of the rocket into God knows where.

Side note: if you want to take "pictures", they do allow you to take on a GoPro IF it is properly fitted to a chest harness.

lol, exactly. The effect of their policies, the design of their rides, is unfriendly to cameras and photographers. (And as you mentioned the inability to really photograph 3-d Movie rides... such rides, including Star Tours at Disney, are camera unfriendly as well).

Though this brings us to an interesting difference between Universal and Disney, that I'm noticing as I plan my upcoming trips. The height restrictions seem much more rigid at Universal, rides seem to be much more intense.
Disney seems much more focused on creating experiences for the entire family to enjoy together.. even most of the coasters are designed to expand the audience. Everest is 44".. RnR is 48"...Test Track is 40".. Tower of Terror is 40".. Big Thunder Mountain is 40"..
So even the "thrill" rides are designed with 6 year olds in mind.
On the other hand, Rip Ride Rocket is 51".. Fear Fall is 52" and Dragon Challenge is 54" --- My 11-year-old would be right at the cusp for Dragon Challenge.
It seems Universal puts a much bigger premium on making rides that push the boundaries of "thrill".....

So while virtually every Disney ride can be enjoyed with your 7-year-old, and your camera bag (or diaper bag or purse) on your lap or under your legs... That simply doesn't fly at many Universal Rides.

 

[klmall]

Based on several trips to both Universal and WDW my experience has been that Universal has become more and more camera 'fussy'. Sometimes it seemed to be cm dependent while other times it seemed ride dependent. In December of 2014 I wore a light jacket and a small, thin, strapped shoulder bag that held my Canon G12 and other necessities such as lip balm, money and meds. When entering the Gringotts line the first time I simply slid it under my jacket so that strap and bag were invisible; no problem. But for the second ride the cm (who may have been tipped off by video viewing of me arranging it under my jacket in line) insisted I empty the bag and place all items contained in it into my pockets or leave the line. Luckily, my coat pockets zipped up and I squeezed everything in. The cm stated that even a closed bag under my jacket could be a danger to me and others which I found unlikely given my situation. I felt it was more a blanket application of park rules.

I had a very bad experience one time using a ride locker which delayed us for 30 minutes so I reallllllllly hate to use them.

All this considered, I did slip my camera out to take a few Gringotts shots and then quickly stowed it away. I'm not a phone camera user since I take all photos in raw format but if you feel comfortable using one then this might work for you.

And I took many pictures on Seuss's Trolley ride and other rides without problems.

Warm weather will provide you with fewer options for concealing etc. but maybe a shirt and cargo shorts with multiple large pockets would work.

FWIW I am also a fanny pack user not caring what fashion and others dictate. There are many available and some are as spacious as small to medium camera bags. I have several different ones as well as camera bags which I match to whatever I am doing each day.

HTH!

 

[elmoandzoey]

@klmall I didn't have a problem with the High in the Sky Trolley either but the Cat in the Hat definitely has a weird camera policy. I thought I had a strange CM the first time but then I heard from other people who witnessed the same thing and who'd have thought, we had the ride stop thing happen this trip (and no, I wasn't the offender )

@havoc315 Universal most definitely is leaning more towards thrill rides. I can't imagine even trying to take pictures on RnRC so I wouldn't even try on any of the Universal coasters because they are much more "violent". ToT is a piece of kiddy cake compared to Doctor Doom's Fear Fall. Disney surely is geared towards younger kids. Universal is geared towards teens. I had a hard time with rides with my 3yo this trip. She didn't make the height requirement for the Seuss Trolley because it has a 40" min height (really now?) but we knew all that going in. Heck, even Minion Mayhem has a 40" min height unless you sit in a stationary seat. Universal isn't Disney. Just like Six Flags isn't Disney. Disney is unique

 

[Zoesmama03]

Seem pretty reasonable to not want loose objects on a moving ride. Now stowed away has become a problem too because people started pulling them out and filming the rides for youtube which I get it most cases it's not harming anyone but it could get away from your hands and hurt yourself or others. So I see why they'd have the rule of not using them on rides to prevent injuries to the people or the rides even.