Waaaay back near the start of this thread, someone mentioned being concerned about other guests tripping over your tripod's legs, and it has come up from time to time.
What I do is try to shield my tripod with my body, with my feet wide enough apart to encompass the tripod legs. As I'm a little over six feet tall and fairly physically imposing, that tends to save me from guests approaching from behind. I also try to have something to one side of the tripod (a trash can, planter, railing or some such) so that no one tries to walk past that way. You still have to watch for guests coming from one side or approaching head on. Disney seems to attract guests who cast their gaze in every direction
except the direction they're actually moving. I've had minor incidents now and then, but nothing that caused my camera to take a tumble. Still, it is a real danger and it pays to be very cautious -- I'd say be excessively cautious. Always be ready to grab the tripod or camera to save it. I try to keep at least one hand near the camera without actually touching it. I'm not afraid to yell if I see an impending collision, but I've rarely had to do so.
I've gotten some good photos in the past. My best Wishes photos have been from what some consider the optimal viewing spot -- just off the curb on Main Street USA, next to Casey's Corner. Unfortunately, that is a high traffic area. People don't tend to move around so much once the show begins ("For your safety, and the safety of those around you, we ask that you remain in one place ..."), but it can be especially touchy while you're trying to set up before the show starts. If you set up right by the curb, there is "side cover" to the left in that spot that is helpful, so you can wind up with only having to be really concerned about guests approaching from your right, from behind you (hence using your body and legs to protect the tripod), and from the direction of the hub. You also have to be especially watchful when there are children sitting on the curb nearby -- they tend to shift and squirm, and they're not typically mindful of keeping their feet from getting entangled with your tripod. You might have to shift the position of your tripod's feet to take care of this -- remember that to a limited extent you can change the position of the feet without changing the camera's position. If your tripod has a center column with a hook, try hanging your camera bag or another bag (maybe that 40-pound bag of pins you bought
) from the hook -- it will help dampen vibration, and might make it less likely to take a tumble if another guest collides with it. Another safeguard you can take is to have your camera strap looped loosely around one wrist or in your hand. As long as you don't jostle the camera during an exposure, this will help if there's an impact you don't see coming in time to avoid.
I've been pretty fortunate; using the steps I've outlined above, I've had only the most minor of impacts with guests vs. tripod. Indeed, the most annoying incidents have come when my own stupid, clumsy feet have caused problems!
I'll have to change my routine the next time I go. I'll be shooting with mostly different equipment. Where in the past I was shooting a Nikon D80 with the 18-135 kit lens on a piece-of-crap tripod, all that has changed. I got a decent tripod -- the first one I've ever owned. A couple of others recommended this one, which comes with a ball head --
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/496266-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto__190XDB_Tripod_Legs_Black_.html. I've had it a few weeks and I'm very pleased. I'll also be shooting with my new D300 and, most likely, my new Sigma 10-20 lens. The base ISO on the D300 is ISO 200, and I'm used to shooting ISO 100 at around f8, so I'll have to stop down a bit more to compensate. That is, unless I decide to try shooting at the out-of-spec "LO 1.0" setting, which is pretty much the equivalent of ISO 100. I'll also definitely be using the mirror lock-up function, which my D80 lacked. I did use the exposure delay on the D80, which works, but does (naturally) introduce a bit of a delay between hitting the shutter release and the actual exposure.
SSB
Blasphemous!! Someone that I work with that is a huge WDW fanatic and goes every year got one for the first time. I'm so jealous..wish they were transferable. 
I've been a little out of the loop, getting buried with stuff at work will do that to you!
