What should I have done?

[rrsafety]

Last year while riding Snow White, a very tall and large man sat in front of me and took FLASH PICTURES THE WHOLE TIME! Probably took about fifteen to 20 photos during the ride. I wanted to k*ll him. I mean, I really had enough anger in me to k*ll him, but I didn't.

What should I have done? If I thought I could get him kicked out of the park, I would have said something to a CM, but they probably would have been sweet to him saying, "Sorry sir, don't do that please" and he would have been on his merry way.

Ugh, it's been ten months and I still want to ring the guy's neck!!

[Moonliner]

I can't remember ever seeing a "no flash photography" sign on any of the rides. So I doubt there is much the CM can/should do to the guy.

I guess the best thing would have been to ask the CM at the end of the ride to let you have another go round due to the flasher.

Other than that, you just have to put it behind you and go on to the next attraction....

[rrsafety]

If I'm not mistaken, I think FLASH photography is PROHIBITED on ALL rides at WDW.

Anybody know the official answer?

[NoAssemblyReqd]

I had control of the camera a lot when I visited as a kid (ca. 1990). Our Disney photo album is filled with bright Flash pictures of things I shouldn't have been photographing . I remember how disappointed I was that my photo of the futuristic city near the end of Spaceship Earth -- or was it World of Motion -- didn't turn out right! (Dimly lit cityscape, bright Nikon flash - DUH!)

To all the people I annoyed during that trip, I sincerely apologize!!

[MikeScopa]

Originally posted by Steve0
I can't remember ever seeing a "no flash photography" sign on any of the rides. So I doubt there is much the CM can/should do to the guy.

I guess the best thing would have been to ask the CM at the end of the ride to let you have another go round due to the flasher.

Other than that, you just have to put it behind you and go on to the next attraction....

Steve,

There are certain attractions for which flash photography is not allowed....but it is allowed in many others.

In some cases it is banned for CM safety reasons, such as in The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, or because it spoils the effect, as in The Haunted Mansion.

This year someone sat in front of me snapping flash pics while watching "Mermaid". He took about 6 pictures and I was waiting for something to happen. I'm guessing that the performers were pretty upset.

I would like to see some policy put in place to really deter people from going against the wishes of the theme park.

The theaters and "dark rides" are all monitored so it would be easy to identify the culprit.

But what can they do?

I've thought about this long and hard and the problem is handling this problem without disturbing the other guests.

Maybe a severe warning should be placed just outside certain attractions asking guests to abide by the rules and telling them that if these rules are not followed then the attraction/show will be stopped and they will be asked to leave the attraction.

Other than that what else can you do?

Mike

[Andrew]

Originally posted by MikeScopa
Other than that what else can you do?

Taser?

[efoxx]

Originally posted by Andrew
Taser?

once while watching the China movie we had an annoying woman who insisted upon shooting every scene with her camera. after the third time she turned and flashed right in my wifes eyes Wfoxx shouted at the top of her lungs
"NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THAT MEANS YOU TO LADY".

the rather embarrased lady stopped taking pictures when everybody turned and looked at her.


we also have complained to CM's about people and flashes. and we have been offered a return ride.

[MikeScopa]

Originally posted by efoxx


once while watching the China movie we had an annoying woman who insisted upon shooting every scene with her camera. after the third time she turned and flashed right in my wifes eyes Wfoxx shouted at the top of her lungs
"NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THAT MEANS YOU TO LADY".

the rather embarrased lady stopped taking pictures when everybody turned and looked at her.


we also have complained to CM's about people and flashes. and we have been offered a return ride.

If I were there I would have shaken your hand.

How about this....if you take flash photographs in a show like "Mermaid" a spotlight remains on you for the whole show.

That's your punishment.

Mike

[MrsGrumpy]

Originally posted by MikeScopa
If I were there I would have shaken your hand.

How about this....if you take flash photographs in a show like "Mermaid" a spotlight remains on you for the whole show.

That's your punishment.

Mike

I'm with you Mike. That's a great idea!

Kudos to Wfoxx!

As far as rrsafety's origianl post, I would've asked the guy to please stop, and ask the cm for another ride, as suggested by SteveO

[NoAssemblyReqd]

It's tough to confront people. You always risk them getting defensive and attacking you.

You have to remember that for some people, the ride they're on may be their first ever. True, a little common sense would tell them that they shouldn't ruin other people's experience with a Flash camera, but when one's on vacation, common sense often gives way to selfishness. "I paid for this trip, and if I want pictures, that's MY choice!" is the attitude some people take.

I would probably kindly say something like, "Excuse me, but Flash pictures aren't allowed on the rides. I know because I got asked to stop myself."

That last part might be a lie, but at least the guy thinks you're on his side and are trying to help him out.

[CoasterMatt]

After politely asking a guy aboard POTC to stop taking flash pictures, I grabbed my camera, put the flash on it's highest setting, and turned around and started taking pictures of him... at about 10 inches away

Every time he insisted on snapping a shot, I got a great "candid" shot of him.

[NoAssemblyReqd]

Cool! Maybe you should post them!

[Lani]

Originally posted by CoasterMatt
Every time he insisted on snapping a shot, I got a great "candid" shot of him.

I hope none of the others on the boat (or those on the boats behind you) were bothered by THAT. Otherwise, that's pretty funny.

When I try to complain to the offenders, Alex gets embarrassed and tells me not to be so obnoxious. He says he's worried that they'd try to come beat me up, and that being my husband he'd have to defend me.

[MikeScopa]

I would have loved to have ridden in that boat.

Mike

[Fantasyland_girl]

Originally posted by MikeScopa

The theaters and "dark rides" are all monitored so it would be easy to identify the culprit.

But what can they do?

I've thought about this long and hard and the problem is handling this problem without disturbing the other guests.

One of the attractions I used to work was Legend of the Lion King. During our preshow spiels, we would always say "no flash photograhpy" several times. It was especially important during the preshow with a live person onstage.

People would always start taking flash pictures during the show, and it was so frustrating for us. We wanted to tell them to stop, but in a theater, first, it's hard to tell who exactly is doing it, second, even if we can see who it was, how are we going to tell them? Unless they're on the isle that it. We can't exactly go crawling over other guests to get to the offender, and we can't start shouting at them in the middle of the show. Like I said, it was very frustrating.

[GeminiAngel]

Originally posted by MikeScopa
How about this....if you take flash photographs in a show like "Mermaid" a spotlight remains on you for the whole show.

That's your punishment.

Mike

How Funny!!! I thought the EXACT same thing!!!

[GeminiAngel]

Originally posted by CoasterMatt
After politely asking a guy aboard POTC to stop taking flash pictures, I grabbed my camera, put the flash on it's highest setting, and turned around and started taking pictures of him... at about 10 inches away

Every time he insisted on snapping a shot, I got a great "candid" shot of him.

That belongs in a sitcom!!! LOL!!!! I think you should post those pic's!!!

[hbquikcomjamesl]

This thread makes me nostalgic for the 1970s and 1980s, when flash was out of style, available light was in style, "medium speed film" meant 64-125, "fast film" meant 400, and people bragged about the maximum appertures of their 50mm lenses, not about zoom ratios.

I own two flashes. I probably use them for one picture out of every thousand, on average. Except for the one on my new digital camera (which I normally keep in "flash supress" mode), I neither own nor want a zoom lens. My fastest 50mm is f/1.4; my slowest lens is a 28mm f/3.5, and I can reliably hand-hold down to a shutter speed of 30 (15 or even 8, if I'm lucky). If I want to take pictures under hostile lighting conditions, I shoot 800-speed film. Otherwise, I shoot 100.

I rarely use flash at all; I absolutely, positively NEVER use it in museums, churches, or anyplace else where it might disturb others. Using flash under such circumstances is the single most boorish thing any photographer can possibly do.

While I was touring the Art Institute of Chicago (without a camera, although they permit non-commercial, non-flash, non-tripod photography of their permanent collection, surprising for an art museum), I watched a guard repeatedly tell the same visitor to stop using flash, then I gave the guard a knowing look, remarking, "You'd think these people would realize how lucky they are to be allowed to take pictures at all in an art museum, and how boorish it is to set off a flash in any museum."



Quite a few years ago, back on MY coast, there was a Disneyland Railroad conductor who, as the train entered the Grand Canyon/Primeval World show buildings, would say in so many words that the plate glass would act like a mirror, and if anybody took a flash picture, all they'd get would be a picture of the flash reflection. Likewise, at Griffith Observatory planetarium and Laserium shows, it was fairly common for those in charge to warn everybody that if they used flash, all they'd get would be a shot of a blank white dome, and a bunch of irate people hunting them down after the show.

[ChoEarfan1]

Many moons ago I was on a Piedmont Airlines flight from Charlottesville to Ft. Lauderdale, as we prepared for departure the FA made the following announcement:

" Smoking is prohibited on this flight ANYONE caught smoking or tampering with the bathroom smoke detector will be asked to leave the aircraft immediately!

If I were a CM I would defiantly turn a phrase on that line.

And one last thing. As we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale the same FA said:

Please remain in your seat until the aircraft comes to a full and complete stop, and the Captain turns off the seatbelt sign. ANYONE failing to comply will be forced to stay after the flight and clean the aircraft!

This particular FA received not only a round of applause for her humor but several $20 bills for a tip on the way out.