I was told I couldn't take a picture of Donald Duck!

[ccfmioa]

There is a "video voyeurism" law that was passed in 2004 and updated in 2007, that effective July 1, 2008 that implies voyeurism is the taking of someone's photo that has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Disney may be trying to protect themselves from being a party to a lawsuit if someone were to find their child on an inappropriate web site.

This is likely why they are moving many of the character interactions of to smaller coves and inside buildings where they can be controlled. By controlling the access to characters and those who are around them.

Disney cannot stop someone from taking a photo of you or your family standing in front of the castle, or walking down Main Street, simply because then they would have to not allow photography in the parks.

It is much like when active production or press photography is in the park. They typically have a sign posted near the main gate and the controlled area notifying you of the actions. Thus entering those areas you are consenting to having your photograph taken.

As a photographer for a newspaper if I took photos of an individual child I always got parental permission to publish it. If I was taking photos of the mall at Christmas time, unless I was framing on one particular person I never needed permission, except of the property owner.

I have worked several years in the theme park industry and have seen guest ask to have there photo taken off the ride photo board. Had someone who was involved in a custody battle complain about a private investigator taking there photo in the parks. We did as that individual photographer to leave the park.

Its likely Disney is just being extra cautious with interpretations of laws and trying to keep the line from being held up while people take photos. The photo time is limited so churning through a line is the #1 responsibility of the character assistant.

 

[World Bouncer]

Sounds like a couple people had some bad experiences
We have never had any bad experiences with characters and hope we never do! Hope that your families have lots of good experiences to outweigh the silly & unmagical behavior that caused some bad ones.

I am sure it is all just crowd control... no excuse for rude behavior by CM's though.

There is no way Disney would be able to control picture taking and wow... imagine all the videos that you and your family may be in just because you were in the same area as someone else.

 

[SurfinTX]

This has to be about crowd control. At no time while I was at Disney did I hear from any CM that there was an issue about taking pictures of other people. As a photographer you have to use common sense and not intrude on whichever moment you happen to witness. Stay well back. Take a lot of pictures and edit them out later if you have to...

 

[all4disney98]

There is no way Disney would be able to control picture taking and wow... imagine all the videos that you and your family may be in just because you were in the same area as someone else.

I cringe when I think of how many pictures I may be in just walking through the background. If I look silly when I am posing in a picture, Ican't even imagine what I look like naturally...yuck!

 

[disnut8]

Yeah, the reason for not being able to take pictures of the characters without standing in line is because of having a child in the picture. I put this question out on a women's forum when I first heard about it and every single one with a small child said they would not like it if their child's picture was snapped without their permission.

However, there are plenty of times when I've taken pictures with kids in them of crowds or swimming pools, or of resort icons and there are kids in there. But I think the difference is the kids with the characters are posed. They aren't random shots that can't be controlled.

I do continue to take photos of characters but I'm far enough away from the line not to be a problem.

 

[Renee845]

I'm guessing it will have been incase you got a pic of a kid in it
can't take pics of your own kids in swimming pools here incase you get someone elses kid in it

You can't take pictures at the pool?!

 

[dburg30]

If it's a public area, you pretty much have the right to take any picture you want. Now, if you are approached by someone and asked to not take their picture, you arent allowed to take their picture after that. But, I'm pretty sure if you look up some photo laws, so long as you are taking pics only for your own use, not for relsale or anything like that, that you can pretty much take pics of anything. If I'm on the sidewalk, or the road or any public area, I'm allowed to take pictures of your house with no permission. I cant come onto your land of course.

 

[skater]

I think I'd rather clean bathrooms at Disney than be a character handler .

 

[asta]

This isn't about a character photo issue but maybe someone can help. I attempted to take a photo of my daughters in front of the monorail at the GF and was stopped by a CM who told me that photos were not allowed. The monorail was still loading people so it was not about to leave and there were no other people in the background. I thought he was joking for a minute but realized from the tone of his voice that he was very serious. Does anyone know if this is a policy?

 

[Robo]

This isn't about a character photo issue but maybe someone can help. I attempted to take a photo of my daughters in front of the monorail at the GF and was stopped by a CM who told me that photos were not allowed. The monorail was still loading people so it was not about to leave and there were no other people in the background. I thought he was joking for a minute but realized from the tone of his voice that he was very serious. Does anyone know if this is a policy?

If you were standing in the LOADING area (past the gates) you can't loiter there for safety reasons.

 

[sbell111]

Some random thoughts from reading this thread:

What HARM could come to a person from having a photo taken of them?

Everybody knows that photographs steal people's souls.

... I guess this guy has been banned from the entire state of California and various other places. So as disgusting as it is to think about-freaks are out there. (Not suggesting that is what the OP was doing)

I'm pretty sure that the Constitution still allows for travel across state lines. Therefore, I don't believe that anyone could possibly be banned from a state.

... I could see a situation where a kid could be abducted by a sicko and killed and Disney would then be open for 1) really bad press, and 2) a really expensive lawsuit. ...

I can't see a connection between this comment and the thread. Whether or not someone is using a camera, kids could be abducted. I work from the assumption that parents are aware of this fact and make an extra effort to keep their children within their control while on vacation.

Perhaps I just didn't get the 'child stealer' feature on my camera. It seems like I'm finding something missing with my 20d almost every day.

There is a "video voyeurism" law that was passed in 2004 and updated in 2007, that effective July 1, 2008 that implies voyeurism is the taking of someone's photo that has a reasonable expectation of privacy. ...

No judge in this country is going to take the position that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in any public, non-restroom area at WDW.

 

[livie1205]

if I am on vacation and want to take photos of MY family in a public place and someones elses kids are in the background TO BAD....I am not going to just take a photo of a strange kid but I will take them of my family and of the park in general UNLESS they put up signs that say NO PHOTOS ......I mean really...I DO NOT want photos of your kids...even if they are cute

 

[merryweather20]

What HARM could come to a person from having a photo taken of them?

Are you kidding here? This is a huge problem. Many schools have had to ID parents at games and meets, to avoid letting in the unknown pedophiles that had been taking pictures of their children, zooming in on specific areas, and posting the pictures on the internet with lewd comments. That would constitute HARM to me.

I have relatives with foster children and they are not allowed to be photographed, and for good reasons, you guessed it to avoid HARM. They took the kids to an event one time, a stranger took photographs of the children, when my Uncle told the guy no way, and asked for the film, the guy became violent. My Uncle called the cops and they took the situation very seriously.

At a place like DIsney the kids would wear hats and sunglasses, they wouldn't go to the stage if picked at a show, and they ask the CM to turn off the camera so they can go on the photograph rides. Hopefully most people would realize that you don't take pictures of other peoples children without asking first, but I have seen to many threads on here where people feel entitled to do so because GASP the kids went out in public!

I guess I'm just a better photographer than the other posters, I looked at my photos, and the only ones including other people are distant indistinguishable crowd shots.

I'd expect someone to ask first before taking a picture of my dog for pete sakes. At best taking picturs without asking first is just rude, at worst it is sick.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

... don't piss off The Donald!

YOU'RE FIRED!

There is a "video voyeurism" law that was passed in 2004 and updated in 2007, that effective July 1, 2008 that implies voyeurism is the taking of someone's photo that has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

I can't imagine anyone has a "reasonable expectation of privacy" in WDW. What I don't understand is someone posted earlier that they were told they could not take a picture of just the character (after standing in line and waiting their turn), unless someone was in the picture. Does this mean that I need to wait in line and then MUST have either my DD12 (who doesn't want to) or my DM60+ in the picture? This is stupid. Sounds like Disney doesn't know which end is up.

 

[Robo]

Are you kidding here? This is a huge problem. Many schools have had to ID parents at games and meets, to avoid letting in the unknown pedophiles that had been taking pictures of their children, zooming in on specific areas, and posting the pictures on the internet with lewd comments. That would constitute HARM to me.

I have relatives with foster children and they are not allowed to be photographed, and for good reasons, you guessed it to avoid HARM. They took the kids to an event one time, a stranger took photographs of the children, when my Uncle told the guy no way, and asked for the film, the guy became violent. My Uncle called the cops and they took the situation very seriously.

At a place like DIsney the kids would wear hats and sunglasses, they wouldn't go to the stage if picked at a show, and they ask the CM to turn off the camera so they can go on the photograph rides. Hopefully most people would realize that you don't take pictures of other peoples children without asking first, but I have seen to many threads on here where people feel entitled to do so because GASP the kids went out in public!

I guess I'm just a better photographer than the other posters, I looked at my photos, and the only ones including other people are distant indistinguishable crowd shots.

I'd expect someone to ask first before taking a picture of my dog for pete sakes. At best taking picturs without asking first is just rude, at worst it is sick.

I don't see any reference to HARM from taking photos in the above.

 

[dburg30]

Are you kidding here? This is a huge problem. Many schools have had to ID parents at games and meets, to avoid letting in the unknown pedophiles that had been taking pictures of their children, zooming in on specific areas, and posting the pictures on the internet with lewd comments. That would constitute HARM to me.

I have relatives with foster children and they are not allowed to be photographed, and for good reasons, you guessed it to avoid HARM. They took the kids to an event one time, a stranger took photographs of the children, when my Uncle told the guy no way, and asked for the film, the guy became violent. My Uncle called the cops and they took the situation very seriously.

At a place like DIsney the kids would wear hats and sunglasses, they wouldn't go to the stage if picked at a show, and they ask the CM to turn off the camera so they can go on the photograph rides. Hopefully most people would realize that you don't take pictures of other peoples children without asking first, but I have seen to many threads on here where people feel entitled to do so because GASP the kids went out in public!

I guess I'm just a better photographer than the other posters, I looked at my photos, and the only ones including other people are distant indistinguishable crowd shots.

I'd expect someone to ask first before taking a picture of my dog for pete sakes. At best taking picturs without asking first is just rude, at worst it is sick.

Wow.. just wow..

But the bottom line is, is the USA, if you are in public, you give up certain rights to privacy. Again, showers, changing rooms, bathrooms etc etc you still have the right to expect a certain amount of privacy. But in public, you are fair game, unless you do ask to not be photograhped, and even that can only go so far, like at WDW if you asked not to be photographed, and are standing in front of the castle around the partners statue, you'd have a hard time winning that case if someone was taking a picture of the area and not specificially of you. And if you ask not to be photographed, you cant demand the film, or demand that pictures be deleted from previous pictures..

 

[dburg30]

I don't see any reference to HARM from taking photos in the above.

Possible sickness re: the first paragraph, maybe, and possibly even a law or 2 being broken, but actual HARM to the child? I have to agree with Robo here.

 

[merryweather20]

I don't see any reference to HARM from taking photos in the above.

Is this comment some sort of joke

Couldn't be more obvvious to me. How could you possibly think the situation in the first paragraph is not HARM.

As for the second I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here, not all children in the Foster system have led the most safe and worry free lives and unfortunately they need privacy. Information about their whereabouts could be easily used to take them out of their safe Foster home, and back into a situation of HARM.

 

[merryweather20]

Possible sickness re: the first paragraph, maybe, and possibly even a law or 2 being broken, but actual HARM to the child? I have to agree with Robo here.

I guess I just don't live in the bright sunshiney world that you do. I live in a world where the first situation would be extremely harrassing, terrifying, and cause for psychological problems, and the second situation could return the child to a situation where they were being beaten and abused. How is this not HARM? Its nothing I would want any of my relatives kids to go through. Its nothing any child needs to go through.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I guess I just don't live in the bright sunshiney world that you do. I live in a world where the first situation would be extremely harrassing, terrifying, and cause for psychological problems, and the second situation could return the child to a situation where they were being beaten and abused. How is this not HARM? Its nothing I would want any of my relatives kids to go through.

I think the point being made is no physical harm can come to a child from having their photograph taken. A photo cannot harm. What someone does with that photo is another thing entirely. BTW, when you take the kids to the store, school, church, etc. someone could be taking their pictures and you'd never know. It's probably more likely that will happen during your every day life, than some pervert following you to Disney. I don't doubt that pedophiles vacation at Disney, but you'll never be able to pick them out in a crowd. There's really not much you can do. And regarding asking a Photopass photographer to shut off the camera on a ride, what about the other people who might want their picture taken? You give up any right to privacy when you're in a public place.