Video Camera: Is It Worth Bringing?

[camdensmom]

I laugh when I think back to my earlier WDW trips as a kid when EVERYONE was lugging those giant video cameras everywhere. You know the ones that took VHS tapes and the poor dad spent his whole vacation looking through a peep hole with a heavy object on his shoulder in the FL sun.

Anyhow, here we are about to leave on our 1st family trip. While our cute little digital recorder is a fraction of the size of the old school version it is still another thing to carry around.

Is it worth it?

My gut says no and that the digital camera will be enough, but then we think about the fact that for DS8months there will be a lot of firsts: plane, pool, Disney, Red Sox game (we're going to spring training too), etc. He's also pulling up and just started crawling.

In reality I know we wouldn't go back and watch hours of footage, but I have this unrealistic vision of making a DVD of the highlights.

What has your experiences been?

 

[Mom to 2]

We took our's the first time we went and my husband hated it. I wasn't about to video tape but I wanted him too He did it sometimes on the first 4 or 5 days but after that forget it. We just took lots of pictures. The next time we didn't take it at all and wont be taking it this NOV-DEC either. I pesonally think you dont need it. All the pictures will be fine, and the less you have to carry at the parks the better, we figured that out quick!!

Lory

 

[powellrj]

If you are a family who loves to watch the videos over and over again and would hate not to have them, then you need to take it.

We are not that family. We never even took it out of the hotel room. We felt it was too much trouble, and we have never missed the fact that none of our trips are on tape. Its really a personal thing.

 

[we3disneygo]

years from now you'll wish you had it all on tape.........our first trip dd was 5 .......we didnt' take it into the parks everyday but used it alot.....now dd is 12 ! we plan on taking it with us hopefully getting a new smaller digital one....plus 2 digital camera's........ the sights, the sounds, how dd responded to first seeing Minnie.......

 

[Savsmommy]

We just got back from Disney and we didn't take ours. I would have liked too but I know my DH wouldn't want to carry it all around with us and have to worry about it getting damaged or wet. We just took a lot of pictures. We loved the photo pass that Disney gives you. We were able to share all our pictures with family right when we got home. It was great!! To be honest I dont think I saw anyone with a camcorder at the parks, everyone just had cameras.

 

[dsnymomof4]

I am the video person in our family and I always bring ours. I start taping in the airport as sort of a documentary of our trip. I tape parts of the parades so the kids can watch it and remember some of the wonderful things they saw. Of course, I also tape them on some of the rides, so they can remember how much fun they had. Don't get me wrong, I don't have the camera on 24/7, actually only a few minutes here and there, but enough to give us some fond memories to look back on and bring some of the "magic" home with us.

 

[kizmac]

I say yes! My kids love watching all our Disney videos. It just captures the moments in a way a reg camera can't. Like the time my dd got pulled into dance with the one girl in the Tapestry of Dreams parade. Priceless video. It helps that we have two strollers with us and it can be stowed away when we aren't using it. Maybe don't take it every day with you if you have to carry it the whole time or get one of those super tiny ones. Some of those are so small it would just be like carrying a digital camera. If you have a stroller or back pack you'll be carrying anyhow, I say take it! Just don't go crazy taping every second of the day. We only tape maybe 15 minutes of stuff a day maybe.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I'm surprised at how many people do not take their video cameras with them. We would not even think about not bringing ours, especially with kids...I would hate to miss anything special! Video cameras are so small now, we just throw it in our backpack with the rest of the stuff for the parks.

 

[islandbeachnut]

I would never NOT bring ours. My kids love to watch themselves on TV when we return from our trips & relive the special vaction times. (I realize your little one is a bit young to want to see himself on TV...but he may want to watch the tapes/DVD's when he's older.)

Sometimes I do find it to be a pain making sure the battery is always charged and that we have enough room on the current DVD being recorded, but I know how much enjoyment my kids get out of watching the DVD's so I do it!

 

[DisneyTarheel]

My digital camera with a 1-gig memory card makes a very nice video camera. I can take pictures and mix them up with video clips if something comes up that merits a longer capture. Very convenient.

 

[Kanga1]

If it's very small, then YES definitely take it!!! We invested in a palm-sized digital camcorder before DD's first trip last spring. Small enough to fit in DH's fanny pack. It was NEVER a burden! Bought an extra (6 hr.) battery so recharging was not a big deal. Took about 2 1/2 hours of video and although we don't sit and "watch them" I was able to edit certain scenes and put them into "Moviemaker"...a program you already have on your computer with Windows XP. It's taking the "best of the best" shots and making our own little Disney movie with background music. Priceless!

 

[Torontogal]

YES YES YES!
It is so worth it! You may not think so now but in many years you will love looking back at the videos. I videotape everything - from just before both of my son's birth until now (they are 6 and 3). They love watching the video over and over. I created a library from the Year 1999 until now.
Now a days - cameras are smaller too. I think if you are going to bring a camera - you must video tape the parades, fireworks, families expressions. I highly recommend it. I know lots of people who do not bring a camera and they regret it later. Yes, it is a bit of a nuisance carrying - mine is a Sony 8MM but the benefits outweigh the cost! You can get digital video with camera so you get 2 in 1.
P.S I had a nightmare the other day that we arrived in Disney and I forgot my digital and video camera! I woke up in a cold sweat!

 

[Stitchfans]

There is no way I would leave my video camera home. We enjoy looking at our videos and all the wonderful magical moments with the characters. You can relive your trip over and over. We taped shows, all sorts of things.

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

kanga1 - wow, what a great tip - I didn't know there were palm sized camcorders. We take our "regular" camcorder, and take turns carrying it around our neck, so still hands free most of the time, but to keep it in the fanny pack would be even better! I'm keeping this tip in my notes! Thanks!

 

[kidd_freeper]

This is a great thread.

I am split on this one.

I have a VHS-C camcorder, which is about the size of a football. Not huge, but its certainly a pain to carry around. But the camera bag is huge. And nobody in my family likes to be taped (but they like to watch the tapes).

Its old enough so that it wouldn't bother me if it were lost or damaged.

The few times that I took videos in WDW on past trips are my favorites. Whenever I get a Disney itch, those few minutes of video really help me to scratch.

We have a big trip coming up in July. Six days at the parks over a two week period. It will be the first time for my 3yo and my parents are coming as well. We will bring a stroller.

So I'm torn. Use the old video camera, buy a smaller one or leave it.

1. What do some of you folks do with your video camera while you are on the rides? Use it, keep it with a CM, or just hold onto it.

2. Any suggestions for a new video camera?

 

[dpuck1998]

I always bring it with, but hardly use it. However, everytime I go back and work on the videos I love it. Everytime I say I will use it more next time, but even the little video that we get is well worth it.

 

[Disneylovers]

I've brought our video camera on all but one of our trips. (and I regretted not having it for that one trip - there were a couple of "once in a lifetime" memories that occurred. Yes, we have a couple of pictures, and our memories, but I would have loved to have had the camera rolling.) Our cameras have shrunk in size from those huge ones (which I'm still convinced is the reason for my pinched nerve in my neck!), to one I wear around my neck all day long It makes it easy to video the kids reactions on the rides, to the parades and fireworks. I've got my eye on a palm size one - (now if I can just convince DH we can afford it!). He recently bought a "toy" to convert our old footage to digital, so he took our '98 trip and digitized it. To see how much our girls have grown is really amazing. So I would say yes it's worth bringing!

 

[tcolbert]

Do you have a digital camera that can also take movies? We have used those for all of DS5's life and they work brilliantly! Not to mention, it makes it a breeze to throw all of the clips into Windows Movie Maker and make a home DVD.

 

[dsnymomof4]

Kidd Freeper,
I would take the camera bag on most of the rides. A lot of times I would actually tape while we were on the ride. We used our smaller camera bag (for our digital camera, so it wasn't too bulky.

 

[Kahana-ri]

I am glad we brought ours. Its a tiny one that fits in the palm of the hand. I am so grateful that we are able to watch the movies and have no regrets.