No Cell Phones in the Parks!

[AmyB2006]

but that doesn't bother me that much anymore since the chirping, shrieking Nextel style 2 way speaker phones fell out of fashion. I think those came straight from the ninth circle of hell.

If I sense that someone sitting near me in a restaurant gets a bee in their bonnet over people at other tables looking at their smartphones I'm going to pull mine out, start Angry Birds and hand it to my daughter just so I can enjoy their angst. Now that's entertainment.

ROFL!!!!! OMG.... I so agree about the Nextels. Those were awful.

I love giving my kids my phone to play. It's my business nobody else's. LOL

 

[leebee]

I so agree with the original poster, but I'm certain we are in the minority.

I'm just tired, in general, of others* constantly looking at a phone, and missing out on what's right in front and around them...their family/friends..the sights and sounds...and being free to be completely engaged in the moment.

(*meaning, people with me; I'm not interested in what others want to do on their vacation..that wasn't clear originally)

Totally agree. There is nothing more frustrating than to be somewhere with someone and all you see is the part of their hair, because they are constantly looking down to see what's on their phone. If you are more interested in what everyone else is doing than what we are doing together, don't waste my time and don't call yourself my friend. When spending time together, friends don't constantly look for someone or something else to occupy their time- how rude!

 

[Dis703]

I'm fairly new to the smartphone, but we loved having it in the park last year. I keep a phone anyhow for the occasions when DH and I split up and we need to get in touch, but we took lots of pictures and shared with family often while waiting in line or sitting down at a meal. I think it was really nice for them to share our moments with the kids in real time instead of after the fact. We used it to change reservations and check wait times for rides we were nowhere near as well as in the fall to change our FP.

I wouldn't likely spend time having long conversations on the phone or anything, but all of those things above were relatively quick and easy to do.

ETA: And I'm not a person who has their phone on them at all times. My DH actually gets pissy with me a lot because it's not constantly on my person. But I liked having it on vacation.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

That depends, are you the one who has nothing constructive to add to a thread but decides to reply in a nasty fashion anyway?

I thought it was a valid point.

 

[3Gsandme]

I guess what I don't understand is why what I do/spend my money on matters. Did I Facebook/Instsgram/Text at WDW? Yes. Not constantly, but yes. I don't feel like I wasted opportunities or time. We had a blast. Does it really matter if I read Facebook while seated and waiting for a show to start? I turn it off prior to the show beginning, I turn the volume off and I don't take calls in shows or restaurants, so why does it matter? I made it a point to sit down and be out of the way if I needed to check it so I didn't run into anyone or cause a bottle neck.

I'm a SAHM. I'm with my kids a LOT. I'm up their butts every day. I don't have to go above and beyond on vacation and sometimes, after the stimulation, sitting in relative quiet is pretty nice.

Also, I took tons of selfies with the kids which is the most I've been in family vacation pictures ever.

 

[glamdring269]

Smartphones are the best standby line entertainment option available. No way I'm giving that up.

 

[North of Mouse]

Are we the only family who agrees not to bring cell phones with use to theme parks? or vacation activities in general?

We generally go by the idea that our vacation is the one time a year that we have "nothing to worry about" except for spending time together.

We would 'never' go anywhere without our cell phones. But, unlike some families that I've noticed, we are 'nowhere' near on them all the time. They are for our 'benefit' only and not just for 'yakking' about anything/everything to others.

Vacations are 'our' time with limited interruptions.

 

[MichelleVW]

I'm on my phone a lot for work when we are at home. At WDW, we keep our cell phones with us in case we are separated and need to contact each other or our families elsewhere need to contact us, but other than that, we absolutely try to limit cell phone use at WDW. It is a time for me to put down the phone and focus totally on DD. (Occasionally checking wait times on an app before we go to another side of the park is pretty much what I try to limit it to during the day).

Unfortunately, WDW has ruined that. On our last trip, we got the joy of MDE/FP+. MDE is glitchy and rarely works. Also, if it does work every time, you try to change a FP+ it pulls up different times, so you may have to try to make the change multiple times before you get the times you want. Sometimes you have to keep moving the FP+ closer to the time you want and try again, to get the times you want to come up. FP+ makes you plan too far in advance, and when you get there, we found some of the times don't work, or you don't want to waste a FP+ on something that has no line when you get over there. Because MDE is glitchy, I spent a ton of time messing with my phone trying to get it to work and things to change. Because it works better from the resort, than in the parks, one evening I spent an hour at the pool trying to switch our next day to EPCOT from MK, instead of playing in the pool with my daughter. It got to the point where DD (7 at the time) started getting upset and complaining about me being on the phone so much. We also about got run into several times by people using their cell phones trying to work MDE instead of watching where they were walking. We are all pretty unhappy that WDW has elected to tie us to our phones.

Sorry you had so much trouble with the app. I've used it on two trips so far and have switched many Fast passes on the fly in the parks...on the buses...at the resort....and it has never taken me more than 5 minutes and usually more like 1. I keep hearing how horrible and glitchy the app is but it has always worked great for me.

 

[JanaDee]

Our phones go where we go and that means even on vacations. That includes any vacation, not just WDW. That phone gives DH the ability to take a week off of work. Without it, a week away from his job would be impossible.

I have a simple solution for you. If you don't like us using our phones on our vacation, don't look at us.

 

[CNYDisneyFan]

I also like to go on Facebook and Twitter on my iPhone. It helps me pass the time, but I still communicate with my family members. I also don't (or try not to) use my phone during meals. Also, I like to text any family member who doesn't come because I'm curious to know how my fur siblings are.

 

[bookgirl]

Sorry in my family vacation does not = social isolation. It also does not mean we are attached at the hip. (we do like to do different things sometimes).

We're multi taskers who can be together while still maintaining a net presence.

As adults sometimes we need to touch base with work, teenagers get surly when they quit their friends cold turkey. If it gets annoying or intrusive then we put the kibosh on it but no one has to go on complete withdrawal.

Besides I'm a big fan and user of MDE and FP+ so a smart phone at Disney is a given.

I can see where it might be necessary for some people but it's not required for us.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I use my phone as a camera. I rarely even bring my point and shoot anywhere.

I like bringing my phone into the parks. I text friends and family back home, send pictures, play games in line, and for MDE. My phone works fine with the website so that's a plus.

However, I try to practice good cellphone etiquette. No loud phone conversations, no texting during rides etc.

I use my phone for work too, I have drug guides and a medical dictionary on there and I have to take call, so having my phone on me is second nature. YMMV.

 

[KCSherri]

And here I thought the whole point of a vacation was to relax and have fun.

And I do believe that people relax in different ways…some relax by turning their phones off - while others would be totally unrelaxed if their phone was turned off. The point is, it's YOUR vacation, and you should be able to relax without others passing judgment on you.

As for me, I sometimes visit WDW by myself (Yes, sometimes Mommy needs a solo trip). I would go crazy if I didn't have my smartphone with me - it's my lifeline to Hubby, my kids, my parents, and yes, my job (I am a disaster responder - so I am on call 24/7, and can't exactly "plan ahead" for a disaster.)

I also use it as a camera, and to check wait times on rides. I use the Hidden Mickey app to find them in the parks; I use the WDW Trivia app to learn about a ride or a ride queue while waiting.

Again, THIS IS HOW I RELAX!!!

 

[patty57]

I have a simple solution for you. If you don't like us using our phones on our vacation, don't look at us.

Yup. I don't believe that this thread was started to get ideas for guidelines to phone use. Once I read the comments about their family staying together and why would anyone else do anything different, and the IPhone zombies remark, it seemed clear to me that this was another aren't-we-so-special thread. Why does anyone care what anyone else is doing with their phones. Live your life and let others live theirs.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

Family and work responsibilities make it necessary to be in touch. By keeping up while I'm away, I actually can have a more relaxing time.

 

[Daizylover]

In a way I agree with you, but now that Disney has the new "My Disney Experience App." with all your reservations and fast pass info you need to bring your phone to get the info. you'll need.

 

[amberpi]

While dating myself, I went to college in 1997 with cell phone, you couldn't pry it out of my cold dead hands and to ask me to do so would be a horrible vacation in which I just wouldn't go. My whole family (including my 60+ year folks, - who sometimes join in the fun - heck my mom would be the worst if she couldn't tweet from her iphone 5) feel the same. Some families might even look down at us at in lines, because we are all stuck to our phones, but in actuality we're playing ticket to ride to words with friends together to pass the time. It doesn't isolate us, it allows us to do stuff together rather than just stare at the people in front of us

That said, unless its VERY important, we never use our phones at meal times.

Both DH and I are also consultants so its nice to brief emails and make sure all is well or answer any client issues.

 

[Bullseye]

I have a FOMOH... (fear of missing out on hockey)

And since we always go to WDW during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I gotta have my phone with me man

 

[KathyTX]

I keep my smartphone with me all the time, I use it to connect with family and friends who are traveling at the same time. And, like others, it has become my travel camera most of the time.

It actually does a pretty good job as a camera. Here's a photo I took of the Grand Floridian at sunset with the iPhone from a moving resort launch. No photoshop or color adjustment, not professional quality but it works great for my purposes.

So my smartphone will continue to accompany me on my trips, but to each their own.

 

[Networth]

I get the sentiment of wanting to be detached while on vacation. Yet honestly in today's world are we every really out of reach? I can't imagine leaving my phone god forbid their was an emergency. I don't really mind it having it in fact I would say it makes vacations easier. Ever been lost in Tokyo(whoever designed that cities streets needs to be shot) and need a GPS and electronic translator?