Cellphones in Disneyland: My observations

[aristocat65]

We returned from another wonderful trip to Disneyland about a month ago and I noticed a real difference this time in the use of cellphones. Everywhere we went it seemed, whether lining up for a ride, walking through the parks, watching fireworks, people were either on their phones, texting, or I assume on facebook. twitter, etc.

Now, I don't discount the convenience and fun of technology or the benefits of being "connected" at all times. What disturbed me about it all was how "unconnected" many of the users were with their park companions, children, and the experience of Disneyland itself. It stuck me as kind of sad that people can't just enjoy the experience of Disneyland and the company of their companions without needing to either tweet about it or check Facebook.
I actually saw one mom of 2 daughters entirely ignoring them while on her Blackberry in Space Mountain. The 2 daughters were in the queue for one row and she was in for the next row. The little daughter (4-5 maybe) actually went toward the car when it wasn't time and the older daughter had to pull her back behind the gate. Mom was oblivious.

Thoughts?

 

[blackjackdelta]

Can you imagine the number of people who would freak if they could not use their cells while at the parks. When we stayed at RI Maingate a few years back their was this little man on his blackberry chewing out the ART driver for being late, made a real jerk out of himself, made his two little ones cry because he could not hear on his phone.
Some of the conversations I have overheard would embaress an old salt like me and that is hard to do.

Jack

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I turn my cellphone on mute while I am in the park, however I do check it while in lines to make sure I didn't miss anything important and we do use mousewait in the park. But I cannot imagine still being on it once out of the line and in the loading area...6 year olds need to be paid attention to when they are excited they are finally to the loading zone...Also my DH & I never check our phones at the same time so one of us is always has attention focused on Colton. They are handy however when your group splits up, last trip my DH went back to our hotel for something while Colton & I played in Fantasyland and it was handy when it was time to find each other again.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Being self employed, my phone is my lifeline. Everything is a virtual office for me. I get my personal calls, business calls, emails, faxes, all info right to that little device on my hip. It is that technology that allows me, and affords me the ability to go to the park as much as I do. I have no issue when I am there with someone checking or replying to an emial or checking a voicemail. I love using the Mousewait app and love to ability to look up if the Mark Tawin is a real steam boat or when a ride was installed...makes for a fun trip!

No where I draw the line is when I am there with someone and they are on Facebook, texting their girlfriend/boyfriend, or worse yet, playing a video game while standing in line with me. I have a co-worker that is a few years younger that would go with me on a lot of the trips to the park. Got and AP and only live a few hours away. He is on his phone non stop...I finally said "I'm not inviting you anymore since you would rater be with all of those people on the other side of the texts and I am so uninteresting and boring that you would rather play a game in line than engage in some form of conversation!"

Sad part is that he still doesn't get it and I have no plans to take him again. It is just what he has learned as normal behavior. It has become too easy for people to live in the virtual world rather than engage in life and people around them.

...and for Christ sake...if Disneyland isn't enough stimulation to keep you engaged and give you something to talk about, I don't know what would be!

 

[mystic_path]

Yeah there is A LOT of people on cell phones, and personally I have to admit that I am occasionally one of them. I spend all week with my family or friends who I am traveling with, and go through lineups not on my phone as I like to play around and take memorable photos. But when I am in a lineup like California Screaming where all you do is look around at other people, I pull out my phone and start playing Angry Birds. My friends and family with me do the same thing. I'm totally fine with it. Sometimes we even play application games where we can duel each other for something to do while passing the time in line. Makes for a good laugh. I don't see much wrong with that. But it is really sad how society today really relies heavily on electronics such as cell phones. We almost panic when we leave the house without a phone, or lose internet connection for an hour. It's like the end of the world. There really isn't anything more important then spending time with your family and friends. Especially when you are on vacation. Isn't that half the point of going away? To get away from it all and spend time with your loved ones?

 

[Scaramedic]

I understand checking your business and personal emails and calls, it's what smart phones are for. What I don't understand is the constant texting and Facebook posts. I have FB and I am amazed at what people post about.

'Having coffee and reading a book.'

'Put on my fuzzy socks and walked to the kitchen'

'Warming up a pizza"

'Got a napkin to wipe my hands off'

'Pizza's ready'

'Took a bite pizza'

'Ummm good!'

'Taking a second bite'

Maybe it's my age but I just don't get it. I don't care to know what my wife is doing every second of the day so why would I care what a fellow employee or friend is doing all day?

It's not just at Disneyland people do this, it's everywhere.

 

[pixiewings71]

Some people are just so immersed in themselves and their lives that no, they can't time out for DL. It's sad but true.....We have electronic devices here and I have a new smart phone, the difference is that while yes, I will check my phone I don't do it all the time. I rule my phone, not the other way around.......and no way is my phone/facebook/games/texts/anything more important than time with my family.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I don't get too stressed out about what other people are doing on their cellphones. Frankly, it's none of my business what they are doing. As long as they're not bumping into me because they are texting and walking, I'm fine with it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

The main thing I used my phone for in the parks is if DH and I split up and take the kids to different rides. I will call or text him if I can't find him in our meeting spot afterward.

When DH takes the kids on spinny rides (which make me want to puke), I might hang out on a bench and call my parents and/or my sister at home to check on my pets. Otherwise, I would never make random calls when I'm at the happiest place on earth!

 

[mystic_path]

I guess I can understand it in some way, cause about 70% of the park guests are locals, and are texting about work and school, checking in at home etc. But you should be spending the majority of time with your family & friends when in the parks.

 

[OrcaPotter]

I could never understand the parents who allow their children to bring in their portable game players into the parks and then spend every moment (sometimes even ON a ride) playing. Now it's cell phones, too. An adult is one thing, but a child is another. I can understand the mentality of "I must keep junior entertained" while waiting in a long line, but it's like not even a theme park keeps a child's interest anymore. I got really upset at my nephew while visiting Islands of Adventure for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter's grand opening last year when he was constantly texting his girlfriend. We couldn't hold a conversation! I finally told him that I paid a lot of money for him to go, so he had to put away the phone for at least one hour. It was like torture for him, regardless of how much he enjoyed the attractions.

To each their own, honestly, and I don't think anyone is saying cell phones should be banned. It's just sad to see how disconnected we are to what's happening around us these days. We're so plugged in, we can't unplug. It's like ... The Matrix

 

[jackieinJuneau]

As a solo traveler I think of my cell phone as having a friend with me. My group of friends is scattered across the globe we enjoy seeing pictures and updates about what each other are doing. We don't have the money or the timing to travel together and things like texting and FB help me keep in touch with people I might only see face to face once every couple of years. But I know most people are not solo travelers but that is one perspective. I also have to admit to being a tech person, I take pictures of my food and rides with a fancy digital camera, use yelp, Expedia, and every travel app under the sun. I edit all this on my ipad and always write reviews for travel sights. So I am kind of bias

 

[JulyGirl]

On my last trip to DL, I was waiting in line for Peter Pan behind a family that wanted me to take their picture with their cell phone. Mom then began frantically texting away. We got to talking and she explained that she set up a Twitter account so that her 88 year old grandmother could follow along on the vacation. She was supposed to go on this trip but her health took a turn for the worse. Grandma was living with her Uncle, who kept a laptop by her bedside so that she could get instant updates. I thought that was the sweetest story. Grandma (via the uncle) was tweeting back that they should get sprinkled with pixie dust when they fly by Tink. The little ones in that family were really into it. Technology is not always a bad thing.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I agree with so much of this. I hate to see kids playing video games when with their families, instead of interacting with them. And it's not just at DLR. You see it all the time when families are out to dinner. Makes me sad.

My DD11 doesn't have a cell phone yet and when she does get one she won't be texting, playing games, etc. while with the family. My phone bill=my rules.

What ever happened to the art of conversation?

Oh, and along the lines of people being on their cell phones all the time instead of interacting with the friends and family, I also hate to see kids watch DVDs in their cars while mom (or dad) is running quick errands. I'm not talking about lengthy trips when you are trying to keep your kids entertained. I'm talking about when you are running to the store, picking up other kids, etc. and you are only in the car for 5-10 minutes. Why do you feel the need to have your child(ren) watching a DVD? Why can't you talk to them instead? I drive car pool in the a.m. and I am always trying to have conversation with the 4 kids in my car on the way to school. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get them to talk! I don't even turn on the radio until after I have dropped them off. Some of my daughter's and my best conversations happen when we are in the car, alone. That's when she'll usually tell my about things that are bothering her. She's almost a teen and I know these moments may only be a memory soon.

I kind of makes me sad. Are we raising a generation of kids who need constant stimulation and won't be able to have a intelligent conversation, without a keypad? I hope not.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I agree with so much of this. I hate to see kids playing video games when with their families, instead of interacting with them. And it's not just at DLR. You see it all the time when families are out to dinner. Makes me sad.

My DD11 doesn't have a cell phone yet and when she does get one she won't be texting, playing games, etc. while with the family. My phone bill=my rules.

What ever happened to the art of conversation?

Oh, and along the lines of people being on their cell phones all the time instead of interacting with the friends and family, I also hate to see kids watch DVDs in their cars while mom (or dad) is running quick errands. I'm not talking about lengthy trips when you are trying to keep your kids entertained. I'm talking about when you are running to the store, picking up other kids, etc. and you are only in the car for 5-10 minutes. Why do you feel the need to have your child(ren) watching a DVD? Why can't you talk to them instead? I drive car pool in the a.m. and I am always trying to have conversation with the 4 kids in my car on the way to school. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get them to talk! I don't even turn on the radio until after I have dropped them off. Some of my daughter's and my best conversations happen when we are in the car, alone. That's when she'll usually tell my about things that are bothering her. She's almost a teen and I know these moments may only be a memory soon.

I kind of makes me sad. Are we raising a generation of kids who need constant stimulation and won't be able to have a intelligent conversation, without a keypad? I hope not.

We own a car DVD player but it isn't even in the car unless we are going out of town. Is it really easier to pick a movie, load it and settle the kid in than is is to chatter for a few minutes with your kids? My 6 year old will happily talk with us or play imaginary games with us in the car or at home...more & more technology is replacing parenting...very sad.

 

[LavenderPeach]

I agree with so much of this. I hate to see kids playing video games when with their families, instead of interacting with them. And it's not just at DLR. You see it all the time when families are out to dinner. Makes me sad.

We have an unusual reason for letting our DS play games when we go out to a restaurant. Eating is difficult and not fun for our son. Because of his medical issues he had a feeding tube the first 4 years of his life. He's 5 now and learning how to eat (he only knows how to eat purees right now) but he does not enjoy eating and I have to constantly be helping, encouraging and reinforcing every bite and drink he takes. So if we go out to a restaurant, after he's done eating, I let him play games so that I can actually enjoy some of the meal. We sometimes bring books but it's much easier to bring 1 handheld game system than 10 books. I would normally be against any games at the table but this is the only way we are able to go out. I know this is an unusual circumstance but just thought I would give another perspective to the conversation.

 

[DahliaRW]

I LOVE my cell phone for the park, but I don't use it to ignore my family. We used it to keep in touch and meet back up when splitting up to do different things. And, it was my lifeline when dd fell asleep on me on a bench near the train station in NO square. I sat holding her for nearly an hour, and without my phone I would have been bored. I LOVE people watching, but it wasn't a good spot for it. It was also nice when holding our spot for F! just to keep from being bored.

 

[aristocat65]

To each their own, honestly, and I don't think anyone is saying cell phones should be banned.

Oh, absolutely not. Even though it was my post, I had a cell phone on me. We have elderly parents and I have a cheap pay as you go phone for when we travel into the US so we can be reached in emergencies. It was in my pocket though and fortunately not used at all. Technology is wonderful - Disboards is an example of that. It is too bad when we allow it to intrude on joyful experiences and interactions though.

I think what I noticed was not so much the talking on cell phones, that's not new, but the texting, BBMing, etc. One good thing about texting though, is it seems to have cut down on the loud obnoxious cell phone talkers of the past. Texting is at least quiet.

The comments about DVD players are also good. I treasure the memories of my DS in the car reciting his Thomas the Tank Engine story books that he had memorized. I would have missed out on that if we'd had DVD players in cars back then.

A Lot of great comments.

 

[pixiewings71]

On my last trip to DL, I was waiting in line for Peter Pan behind a family that wanted me to take their picture with their cell phone. Mom then began frantically texting away. We got to talking and she explained that she set up a Twitter account so that her 88 year old grandmother could follow along on the vacation. She was supposed to go on this trip but her health took a turn for the worse. Grandma was living with her Uncle, who kept a laptop by her bedside so that she could get instant updates. I thought that was the sweetest story. Grandma (via the uncle) was tweeting back that they should get sprinkled with pixie dust when they fly by Tink. The little ones in that family were really into it. Technology is not always a bad thing.

That is the neatest story!!! I'm so glad they were able to include Gma on their trip!!

I agree with so much of this. I hate to see kids playing video games when with their families, instead of interacting with them. And it's not just at DLR. You see it all the time when families are out to dinner. Makes me sad.

My DD11 doesn't have a cell phone yet and when she does get one she won't be texting, playing games, etc. while with the family. My phone bill=my rules.

What ever happened to the art of conversation?

Oh, and along the lines of people being on their cell phones all the time instead of interacting with the friends and family, I also hate to see kids watch DVDs in their cars while mom (or dad) is running quick errands. I'm not talking about lengthy trips when you are trying to keep your kids entertained. I'm talking about when you are running to the store, picking up other kids, etc. and you are only in the car for 5-10 minutes. Why do you feel the need to have your child(ren) watching a DVD? Why can't you talk to them instead? I drive car pool in the a.m. and I am always trying to have conversation with the 4 kids in my car on the way to school. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get them to talk! I don't even turn on the radio until after I have dropped them off. Some of my daughter's and my best conversations happen when we are in the car, alone. That's when she'll usually tell my about things that are bothering her. She's almost a teen and I know these moments may only be a memory soon.

I kind of makes me sad. Are we raising a generation of kids who need constant stimulation and won't be able to have a intelligent conversation, without a keypad? I hope not.

Just because people have cell phones or are texting doesn't mean they don't or can't have "normal" conversations. My girls both have unlimited texting, I love it. I love knowing I can send them a message anytime of the day and now they will get it when they can check their phones. We have a DVD player in the minivan, but we never watch anything on it unless we are going on a drive that's more than 4 hours long. We never use it when we are running errands in town, we just talk......honestly, I don't know that I ever really see anyone driving around town with their DVD players on....on the freeway yes, on highway 12 yes, but not in town......or maybe I just don't notice. I don't tend to dwell on what others chose to do with their technologies. I also don't think we are raising kids who need constant stimulation and won't be able to have conversations without a keypad....I talk to my kids and my kids friends all the time.....

I LOVE my cell phone for the park, but I don't use it to ignore my family. We used it to keep in touch and meet back up when splitting up to do different things. And, it was my lifeline when dd fell asleep on me on a bench near the train station in NO square. I sat holding her for nearly an hour, and without my phone I would have been bored. I LOVE people watching, but it wasn't a good spot for it. It was also nice when holding our spot for F! just to keep from being bored.

This is how we use our phones, we would regularly let the girls do rides they liked that DBF and I can't do everytime....like Star Tours or Space Mtn, I get sick on both of those, not like I'm actually sick, but the feeling of nausea. I'd rather pin trade than feel that way so we will let the girls go do those while we trade, we keep in touch via text. It's easier that way. My girls don't have phones that go online tho, well they do but they aren't allowed to use that, DBF doesn't use the internet on his phone either and iTouches need wifi, which you can't get in DL. And since I've had my Droid for a month we didn't have it when we went to DL last time, I know I'll be checking Mousewait and checking in on FB when we go next (whenever that might be lol) but other than that I'll be using it for pictures and texting and that's about it.

 

[Funball]

I turn my cellphone on mute while I am in the park, however I do check it while in lines to make sure I didn't miss anything important and we do use mousewait in the park. But I cannot imagine still being on it once out of the line and in the loading area...6 year olds need to be paid attention to when they are excited they are finally to the loading zone...Also my DH & I never check our phones at the same time so one of us is always has attention focused on Colton. They are handy however when your group splits up, last trip my DH went back to our hotel for something while Colton & I played in Fantasyland and it was handy when it was time to find each other again.

i put it on mute sometimes too, but i don't have kids that go with me or a husband.

Being self employed, my phone is my lifeline. Everything is a virtual office for me. I get my personal calls, business calls, emails, faxes, all info right to that little device on my hip. It is that technology that allows me, and affords me the ability to go to the park as much as I do. I have no issue when I am there with someone checking or replying to an emial or checking a voicemail. I love using the Mousewait app and love to ability to look up if the Mark Tawin is a real steam boat or when a ride was installed...makes for a fun trip!

No where I draw the line is when I am there with someone and they are on Facebook, texting their girlfriend/boyfriend, or worse yet, playing a video game while standing in line with me. I have a co-worker that is a few years younger that would go with me on a lot of the trips to the park. Got and AP and only live a few hours away. He is on his phone non stop...I finally said "I'm not inviting you anymore since you would rater be with all of those people on the other side of the texts and I am so uninteresting and boring that you would rather play a game in line than engage in some form of conversation!"

Sad part is that he still doesn't get it and I have no plans to take him again. It is just what he has learned as normal behavior. It has become too easy for people to live in the virtual world rather than engage in life and people around them.

...and for Christ sake...if Disneyland isn't enough stimulation to keep you engaged and give you something to talk about, I don't know what would be!

my cell phone is my landline to knowing the time and or calling home if i need to. i do not think cell phones should be banned, i think it's odd that people bring there ipods to the park and listen to the music instead of enjoying the park sounds but i don't think it' be enough to ban those also.