No Cell Phones in the Parks!

[Kellykins1218]

No way. We like to split up and need to be able to keep in touch. Plus, It's how we take all of our pictures.

 

[ShannonMB]

I think it's funny that people are offended by the izombies comment. If you are one, you are probably proud of it, and anyway, aren't zombies still cool?

I have to admit I'm one who has thought to myself, some people don't just know how to "BE" anymore, they have to be connected at all times! What a shame they aren't experiencing...whatever... the way I am. I don't even have a smart phone, and when people ask me why I'm still living in the dark ages, I just say, "Oh, I don't need one, what the heck would I need that for?".

DD has an iphone, and lately whenever we are doing something cool (met tWitch at a dance convention this past weekend), I'M the one saying to DD, "Take my picture and put it on Facebook!" hehe I also very much appreciate when someone I know/love is someplace cool and I get to loosely follow along via their posts. I am slowing dipping a toe in the 21st century, and the water is fine!

I'm sure our great grandparents thought, I don't know why these young whippersnappers want to sit in a car, they are missing out on the wind in their hair and the personal connection with the horse riding a buggy.

It's very interesting to me when people my age and older than me have a total command on the latest technology. Impressive to be so up to speed when you don't grow up with it, IMHO!

 

[DLBDS]

I would be extremely put-out if I didn't have my cell phone. I use it for communicating (texting) if/when we separate, taking pics, knowing what time it is so we don't miss ADRs etc and now I'll need it for the Disney app. It's a must-have in the parks just like sunglasses and sunblock.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Short answer: yes, I bring my cell phone and use it while in the parks. For calls, texts, emails, social media, MDE, etc, etc, etc.....

God Bless America!

 

[pktbMouse]

Having been stung, I now ALWAYS go around my rental car and take photos of ALL parts of the car, including any scrapes or damage!

:

ohh what a great idea!

 

[Kristina4109]

My husband is a business owner and alas, he has to have his phone with him, even on vacation. But in general it stays in his pocket. I'm hoping that even with MDE and FP+ he won't take it out very often. We just bought Memory Maker for our upcoming trip so we shouldn't even use it for photos!

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

The only reason I need my cell phone at Disney is to keep in touch with my dad as we separate often while travelling. I do snap the occasional photo, but for the most part I use my camera. But Disney nowadays is making it so your smartphone is a necessary tool while in the parks. It's just how it's going to work from now on.

 

[KathyTX]

I also find it VERY helpful now to use my phone as a back up device. I'm pretty good at remembering where I park, but gosh - it only takes a second to take a pic of our parking spot.

The camera was also HIGHLY useful the last time I bought tickets offsite. Having an image of the ticket numbers/receipt saved mea TON of hassle, and maybe hundreds of $. (otherwise I might've had to buy replacement tickets!)

Having been stung, I now ALWAYS go around my rental car and take photos of ALL parts of the car, including any scrapes or damage!

YES!! Especially when traveling with rental cars, it's helpful to me to have a photo of that car with license plate in the phone. And I do the parking space photos, too. And a photo of my resort room number... It helps with all those little memory-joggers.

I also take photos of medical insurance cards, auto insurance cards, and other info I may need but do not want to carry around that I can access from the phone.

 

[AliceandAriel]

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. So while I may plan a lot online, when we're actually on vacation we're pretty disconnected. Not to mention that it's one more thing to carry....one more thing to keep dry....worry about losing...or breaking.

It's not that our whole vacation is "off the grid". But there's plenty of time to make Facebook comments when we're back at the hotel taking turns in the shower. This also gives everyone something to do instead of getting grouchy waiting for their turn!

Last year we went to Universal Studios with my in-laws, and since they are older they couldn't walk in the parks for hours. So we had to keep ONE phone between us so we could keep in touch with them.

I'm a little that I think with FP+, I might just have to bring a cell phone to the park. I love the feeling of being free to just "be" in Disney World. Kind sucks, but if I have to bring one, it will be Wifi on and Verizon off!

You may be one of the few remaining that do not bring phones in the park.

I bring mine with me, period, as you never know if an emergency were to happen at home (two parents getting progressively older… I always worry something will happen while I'm gone) and I love to pull it out and play Disney-related games on it if I am waiting in line. It takes pictures, that's one less large thing to carry around. I love sending photos of the end of the day to friends and family. It does a lot for me.

The only rules I keep about my phone is to not be ON the phone while in line for a ride or check out at the register. No phone usage period at dinner aside from a snapshot of food for the foodie album when I return home (that means no checking Facebook, no phone calls, no texts. I take the photo then turn it off and turn it upside down until I leave the table.) If I must take a picture on a ride for what ever reason, flash is NOT OKAY AND NOT ALLOWED. Other than that, I keep it with me.

 

[SashaFarce]

My partner has to have hers for work. We have sat and eaten cream cheese pretzels while she's had to send work emails, or has answered them in long lines. I like to use mine for my camera. It doesn't bother me that much. It's just a phone and it's not impeding on my time with her for the most part.

 

[Srbright]

My partner has to have hers for work. We have sat and eaten cream cheese pretzels while she's had to send work emails, or has answered them in long lines. I like to use mine for my camera. It doesn't bother me that much. It's just a phone and it's not impeding on my time with her for the most part.

Same here. I have to have mine for work. They are very good at not calling on vacation so when they do I have to answer. I've answered calls on budgets, audits and made hiring decisions while standing in line for princesses. It rarely takes more than 15 mins 2-3 times per vacation but you never know when those times will be. Given that it pays for the vacation it is a good trade off.

Stacy

 

[wendybeth75]

We always have our phones. I can't imagine being split up at Disney and trying to find each other with no phone. With MDE it is imperative to have a smart phone handy. We never make FB comments on Vacay as we don't like to "advertise" that we are not at home and invite burglars to rob us. We have a no phone at dinner rule, but sometimes have them out in Queue lines or on the bus.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I'd take the phones to the park but not at the resort pool.

 

[mommyrosa2]

We bring our phones mainly because we do end up splitting up at some point & it's how we keep in touch with one another but we do have a rule while we are away and that's no posting anything on FB...we're another family that doesn't like to advertise we are away.

 

[whitney37354]

DH takes his phone, because of his job, but I don't take mine. We stay together the entire time, so we don't have to worry about calling each other.

Our last trip we went with another family. DD wanted to ride the raft ride at AK & no one else did. DH gave the other family all our stuff, including his cell phone, so we could ride with DD. We were to meet up for the next Lion King show. The other family didn't come, so we went ahead & watched without them, wondering how we'd ever find them afterward. When we came out, they were sitting on a bench waiting for us & we all went & watched the show again. DH & I were able to enjoy the second show! If DH had kept just his phone in a baggie & had brought in my cinch sack, we would have been able to find the other family before the first show.

 

[jcbubba]

I think OP's point wasn't that others shouldn't be allowed to bring phones. I think his point was that he doesn't bring a cell phone, but now feels more pressure to bring one because of the MDE app.

I think Disney will always have options for non-phone users, like the FP+ kiosks and phone numbers to call in, but they will put those folks at a relative disadvantage...

Personally, even before FP+, having real-time ride wait times on the smartphone app was reason enough to have a cell phone.

 

[Marilou]

We have always brought ours as soon as everybody had one just for the sake of accidental or purposeful separation.

Will be great to utilize the app thingys to check wait times since legacy FP is gone *sniffle* plus check weather/radar to help us plan if we do night shows or hit attractions.

Our newer phones have great cameras so everyone of us will have potential for capturing memories.
Sometimes its fun to shoot private messages between us, especially if we're trying to tiptoe around a grumpy family member.

Will some of us be sharing some magical moments with friends and family across the miles via email/text/facebook? Sure! These are brief moments, not the constant norm of the day. Plus then its funny to share the responses with the group.

We are an extremely close family...... and being that our trip is approximately 150 hours, we will only sleep about 36 hours during that trip which leave 114 hours of togetherness.
Even the happiest family on Earth IN the happiest place on earth shouldn't have THAT much togetherness without some "escapes"

None of us are gameplayers on phones (candy crush, angry birds etc etc) so its not like one or two family members will be ignoring the magic around them for potentially hours each day.

My daughter and I are "google-nuts" and we love to look stuff up when we have curious questions about something (like trivia) so I'm sure we will amuse the group with little tid-bits of info here and there.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I bring mine solely for photos and FP+. My fiancee and I have a policy of no phones for anything else (unless we get separated and want to meet up).

Sometimes she breaks the rules and starts uploading photos to Facebook while we are eating to make room on her phone...but that's because she has an IPhone, which doesn't have expandable memory... I love my Galaxy

 

[Huff]

Our teen nieces who often travel with us are on their phone texting, facebook, snap chatting etc. all day every day almost non stop. We have them put them away when we're at family dinners and certain other such events. They use them so much that part way through the day they'll complain they need to find a place to charge them. While they love Disney if its a trade between going to Disney without phone or staying home with phone they'll take the stay home option.

 

[MichelleVW]

Our teen nieces who often travel with us are on their phone texting, facebook, snap chatting etc. all day every day almost non stop. We have them put them away when we're at family dinners and certain other such events. They use them so much that part way through the day they'll complain they need to find a place to charge them. While they love Disney if its a trade between going to Disney without phone or staying home with phone they'll take the stay home option.

They need to get portable chargers...that's what we have and I would never go anywhere without them.