People taking pictures on Spaceship Earth despite being told to stop

[mesaboy2]

It isn't just this rule. It is every rule. It is just the way our society has gone in recent years.

I don't want a police state. I'd much rather have people behave because it's the right thing to do. Unfortunately, too many people today don't do the right thing unless threatened or punished.

I agree that stopping the rides every time someone takes a flash picture would be insane so make an announcement or two. If it still doesn't stop, when the ride ends, have security there to speak to the offender. Knowing that they are being watched may result in better behavior.

I like this much better.

 

[disneysteve]

I realize that this takes more resources and Disney's costs are going up faster than its revenues (based on their financial results for 2008 through 2011), so it probably won't be done.

I think random enforcement could be done very inexpensively as I suggested earlier. Take one security guard and post him at the exit of one dark ride for one period of time to warn guests. Rotate where he is posted - Pirates one day, Spaceship Earth another day, Peter Pan another day. Even if it is just for an hour or two each time. It would be similar to when the police set up checkpoints for seat belt checks or DUI checks. They aren't there all the time. They just do it periodically to keep people on their toes.

 

[webshark3]

Now, it isn't at all unusual for someone to shoot 1,000 pictures during a 1-week vacation.

I average 3-4 thousand. Don't worry, I hate flash. LOL

 

[hookedonears]

There was a time, when folks respected this rule. Why is it now, so blatantly ignored?

Agree 100%. It goes into every aspect of life. There was a time when if someone was driving down the street, you waited to pull out until that person passed, to avoid making them have to significantly putting on their breaks. Now, people pull out in front of you, not caring if you have to slam on you breaks or not. It's a significant change that I've noticed more and more over the last 20 years.

 

[wmharley]

I've yelled, "My Eyes, my eyes" at the top of my lungs a few times. not sure if it made a difference.

i've also yelled no flash, and my 3yo and 6yo join in. That was once on the nemo ride in Epcot.

 

[WDSearcher]

As I said earlier in the thread, they could enforce the rules. Rather than just a warning in the boarding area, put up signs in the queue area. And the signs should say that violators may be ejected from the park. I don't think it is an overreaction at all. Other parks eject guests for cutting in line, and I've seen them do it more than once. And have a CM or security guard at the exit area to speak to violators.

Really? You'd put a CM or Security Guard at the exit of every single dark ride / attraction in every park just in case someone took enough flash pictures (whatever that number ends up being) to bother someone else? You'd also have to have someone at the ride whose job it is to count the number of flashes from any one given ride vehicle or guest and then report that out to the CM/Security before the Guest exits. I just don't think that would be a particularly good use of resources. If I thought any part of my ticket price was paying for that, I would be kind of angry about that.

I just don't think that the problem is so pervasive. Maybe if everyone whose experience is significantly ruined by flash photography would complain at GR upon exiting the park there'd be a better idea of how many people are impacted.

 

[WDSearcher]

Maybe so, but I think there would be thunderous applause as the "offenders" were escorted out.

Quite possibly drown out by "Boos" as people complained about the ride being stopped and Disney pulling families out of the ride because of flash photos. And god forbid if it's a little kid taking pictures with his very first Fisher Price flash camera who is now being reprimanded by a manager because "a rule is a rule" and he was so excited to see Nemo that he took a bunch of pictures, after which everyone yelled at him Security escorted him out.

Yeah. That'd be great. Wouldn't diminish my park experience at all.

 

[si-am]

Quite possibly drown out by "Boos" as people complained about the ride being stopped and Disney pulling families out of the ride because of flash photos. And god forbid if it's a little kid taking pictures with his very first Fisher Price flash camera who is now being reprimanded by a manager because "a rule is a rule" and he was so excited to see Nemo that he took a bunch of pictures, after which everyone yelled at him Security escorted him out.

Yeah. That'd be great. Wouldn't diminish my park experience at all.

That wouldn't bother me. Why aren't Mommy and Daddy in this hypothetical situation keeping an eye on the kid and the camera?

 

[disneysteve]

Really? You'd put a CM or Security Guard at the exit of every single dark ride / attraction in every park

Nope. That's not what I said. Go back and read my last post about random enforcement.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Really? You'd put a CM or Security Guard at the exit of every single dark ride / attraction in every park just in case someone took enough flash pictures (whatever that number ends up being) to bother someone else? You'd also have to have someone at the ride whose job it is to count the number of flashes from any one given ride vehicle or guest and then report that out to the CM/Security before the Guest exits. I just don't think that would be a particularly good use of resources. If I thought any part of my ticket price was paying for that, I would be kind of angry about that.

I just don't think that the problem is so pervasive. Maybe if everyone whose experience is significantly ruined by flash photography would complain at GR upon exiting the park there'd be a better idea of how many people are impacted.

That may be how you feel, but others impacted may not feel that its not a good use of resources. I'm sure each and everyone of us can find some things that our Disney tickets pay for that we don't like. Just because some don't like it, doesn't mean its not a good idea.

It's my understanding that Disney already has ride operators who monitor those on the attractions. These are the individuals who come on the speaker system who say "No standing" or "Please remain in your seat" that I've heard on various attractions. I think that person could monitor for flash photography as part of that same job.

He/she could then relay down to those CM's who are working at the exit to let them know to say something to the offenders. I don't think the offenders should be kicked out of the parks, but I do think they should be told not to take flash pictures next time.

I think singling out riders as they exit the attraction will reduce this problem over time. Who really wants to be singled out in front of their family and friends to be asked not to take flash pictures in the future? I would think that this mild embarassment factor would greatly reduce this issue.

And perhaps you're right, maybe not enough guests really care about this issue. Personally, I've only seen it a handful of times and on those occassions, it was generally just one time and then it didn't happen again. So for us, this hasn't been that big of a deal. But if I were on a ride where someone took lots of flash pictures to where it negatively affected my experience, I would complain to GS about it just to let them know that I think they should do something to reduce it in the future.

I realize that some guests are just rude and they don't care what others think. They have no sense of courtesy or respect. These guests would probably just laugh if a Disney CM asked them not to take pictures in the future or even yell back at the CMs that it's their expensive vacation and they can do whatever they want to do. We'll never be able to fix that issue, but in the meantime, we can continue to imagine those ejector seats!

 

[disneysteve]

I realize that some guests are just rude and they don't care what others think. They have no sense of courtesy or respect. These guests would probably just laugh if a Disney CM asked them not to take pictures in the future or even yell back at the CMs that it's their expensive vacation and they can do whatever they want to do. We'll never be able to fix that issue

These are the ones for whom park ejection is reasonable - not for everyone who happens to snap a flash picture now and then.

Disney must have some set of rules by which security can remove a guest from the park for inappropriate or disruptive behavior such as drunkeness, violence, etc. Repeatedly ignoring the rules and disregarding direct instructions from cast members could certainly qualify.

 

[webshark3]

THE FLASHERS ARE COMING! THE FLASHERS ARE COMING!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2796194

lol. We stopped them.

 

[onnawufei]

That wouldn't bother me. Why aren't Mommy and Daddy in this hypothetical situation keeping an eye on the kid and the camera?

That's what I was wondering.

People taking flash pictures on dark rides is my biggest WDW pet peeve. I have to try very hard to keep my temper in check when people are turning around and flashing me in the face on PotC. In all the times I rode that ride on my last trip there was only once when someone in my boat wasn't taking flash pictures.

 

[WDSearcher]

I realize that some guests are just rude and they don't care what others think. They have no sense of courtesy or respect. These guests would probably just laugh if a Disney CM asked them not to take pictures in the future or even yell back at the CMs that it's their expensive vacation and they can do whatever they want to do. We'll never be able to fix that issue, but in the meantime, we can continue to imagine those ejector seats!

I guess that's kind of my point. There will always be the rude people who won't care.

Now, if the problem is pervasive -- if a great number of people on a daily baisis are having repeated dark rides on a single trip absolutely ruined for them by people taking multiple flash photos -- then it's most definitely in Disney's best interest to fix the problem by whatever means necessary. But if I go to WDW and have one rude camera-toting flash-making clueless guest who annoys the heck out of me on the Nemo ride but otherwise have no real problems with it past an odd single flash during the finale of Pirates or small world, then I think it should be racked up as just part of "stuff that happens at theme parks".

It seems that there are apparently not enough people writing or calling or e-mailing Disney complaining about the flash-camera people for it to be something that they're ready to dump resources behind. My guess is that most of the people on this very thread who are complaining haven't ever registered that complaint with Disney and explained to them how disrupting or migraine-inducing it is. So perhaps that's the first step?

 

[Colleen27]

Someone mentioned this earlier and it is a good point. When you had your Instamatic and flash bulbs, it wasn't nearly as easy and was much more costly to shoot a bunch of flash pictures or any pictures at all. Now, it isn't at all unusual for someone to shoot 1,000 pictures during a 1-week vacation.

1000? Pah, that's nothing. My record is 2800 over 12 days (and not a single one with a flash in a dark ride. I ♥ my dSLR).

 

[Bonnie151]

1000? Pah, that's nothing. My record is 2800 over 12 days (and not a single one with a flash in a dark ride. I ♥ my dSLR).

But did you then make other people sit through your slide show when you got back home? DH took 1500 photos on his camera last August and then made his parents (and DS/DD/me!) sit through them all to show them what they'd missed. It's not how many photos you take, it's what you do with them afterwards!

 

[StitchSpawn]

Quite possibly drown out by "Boos" as people complained about the ride being stopped and Disney pulling families out of the ride because of flash photos. And god forbid if it's a little kid taking pictures with his very first Fisher Price flash camera who is now being reprimanded by a manager because "a rule is a rule" and he was so excited to see Nemo that he took a bunch of pictures, after which everyone yelled at him Security escorted him out.

Yeah. That'd be great. Wouldn't diminish my park experience at all.

I agree with the pp, a rule is a rule. Why aren't this kid's parents making him follow the rules? I wouldn't have a problem with this either. Since when do our children not have to follow rules? Bad parenting...

 

[pgowder]

I just don't get why people do that. How many people actually go back afterward and look at the pictures? And how good could the pictures turn out, anyways? Jeesh.

Without a flash you can get great photos on Spaceship Earth. It is one of my favorites to photograph.

And lots of us do got back and look at our photos.


Call it our first backup system.... by Paul Gowder, on Flickr

Just visit this site:
http://www.disneyphotographyblog.com

But I do agree that CM need to be stricter about not using flash on dark rides. It drives me nuts on rides like POTC and HM.

 

[mom2rtk]

Without a flash you can get great photos on Spaceship Earth. It is one of my favorites to photograph.

And lots of us do got back and look at our photos.


Call it our first backup system.... by Paul Gowder, on Flickr

Just visit this site:
http://www.disneyphotographyblog.com

But I do agree that CM need to be stricter about not using flash on dark rides. It drives me nuts on rides like POTC and HM.

Great shot as alway Paul!

And don't you love it when you take a shot withOUT a flash, and find out later it was overexposed because of someone else taking one WITH a flash at the same time????

I worry that one day soon they will just throw the baby out with the bath water and ban ALL photography. Sort of like when my daughter's class loses recess because a handful of kids wouldn't be have.

 

[pgowder]

Great shot as alway Paul!

Thanks!

And don't you love it when you take a shot withOUT a flash, and find out later it was overexposed because of someone else taking one WITH a flash at the same time????

Yes, that happens quite often!