When did ToT become a Cell Phone Experience

[ucfknight]

O/T but how fearless do you have to be to ride that ride and not hold on for dear life

I guess I must be fearless. I don't find the ride motion all that intense and I certainly don't ever feel the need to hold on. Arms up!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

O/T but how fearless do you have to be to ride that ride and not hold on for dear life

I held on for dear life first time I rode -- did not much like it. Second time, I watched my 7yo daughter with her arms straight up in the air the whole time!! I tried that, and it was MUCH MORE FUN! Something about just letting go -- literally and figuratively -- that really enhances the experience for me.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

More and more people are living life thru their cell phones. Cell phone over use ( and abuse ) has ruined many a ride for us at WDW. It also extended to dining. We ate at Sci fi diner and the women in the front seat talked the whole time on her cell phone.

 

[gogo]

I agree about cell phones on dark rides, it does distract from the attraction. But, what has been really irritating, really noticeable on TOT, is when a group will intentionally try to out scream each other. This happened several times in the room where you are packed in to watch the Twilight Zone video and also on the ride. Really obnoxious behavior. You can't control what people do especially with the huge crowds at WDW. I just hope I can avoid the worst offenders as much as possible.

 

[anniebean]

O/T but how fearless do you have to be to ride that ride and not hold on for dear life

THIS!! I white knuckle it on every ride except It's a Small World.

 

[jsmla]

While I like the sentiment, we all know that we've tried that at least once, thinking that doing it very nicely and politely would make the other person say "Oh, sorry about that!" and you being like "OH, no problem! Thanks for understanding!" but instead you get the guy/girl that yells back "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO THIS IS A FREE COUNTRY YOU GOTTA PROBLEM WITH IT TAKE IT UP WITH MANAGEMENT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT IN ALL MY YEARS AT WDW THAT blah blah blah blah....." and then you wish you hadn't said anything at all because the confrontation is so awkward.

This is why I never say anything either even though I hate cell phones (or, even worse, IPads) on the dark rides with a passion. A nasty scene will stay with me a lot longer than a spoiled ride on ToT so I just ignore it. I don't want to be a part of a bunch of drama and I don't want to make things worse for everyone else in the car.

 

[ucfknight]

THIS!! I white knuckle it on every ride except It's a Small World.

Some of those boat bunps on Small World can be quite intense.

 

[DisneyOma]

I'm glad WDW has banned extendable selfie sticks - because otherwise I'd be tempted to get one. I'd love to have a long stick with me that could knock phones and ipads out of people's hands

 

[Disney1fan2002]

More and more people are living life thru their cell phones. Cell phone over use ( and abuse ) has ruined many a ride for us at WDW. It also extended to dining. We ate at Sci fi diner and the women in the front seat talked the whole time on her cell phone.

I often wonder what this generations posture is going to be in 30 years. A bunch of elderly people with necks in the "looking down" position. No laughing matter.

 

[wilkeliza]

The thing is though that every ride has been filmed from POV dozens (probably hundreds and thousands) of times by other people (including the DIS) and your family at home can easily watch those rides on YouTube, enjoying a better quality video than what you'd be providing them with. Your filming is superfluous for that reason...and it does disturb the other guests around you. It's a light on during the ride that's not supposed to be on.

Again I've done it maybe 2 times (one empty boats actuall) and no there is no light coming out because again I put the back light to the lowest setting and put the screen to my chest. But sure if you think my 80 year old grandparents who just like to watch anything on facebook live from their grandkids is about the quality of the video thhen they can go ahead and watch a pov. They watch because it is their grandkid doing it. I'm not sure how a the mere seeing of a phone (again it is possible to do it with 0 light added) makes people so upset. If I did it with my gopro instead would you still tell my grandma to go watch someone else's video?

 

[MinnieMSue]

Again I've done it maybe 2 times (one empty boats actuall) and no there is no light coming out because again I put the back light to the lowest setting and put the screen to my chest. But sure if you think my 80 year old grandparents who just like to watch anything on facebook live from their grandkids is about the quality of the video thhen they can go ahead and watch a pov. They watch because it is their grandkid doing it. I'm not sure how a the mere seeing of a phone (again it is possible to do it with 0 light added) makes people so upset. If I did it with my gopro instead would you still tell my grandma to go watch someone else's video?

I wouldn't care at all if someone used a phone that was completely dark. That shouldn't matter to anyone actually. I think the light emitted by the majority of users is bothersome since they aren't as polite as you. Also some people narrate their videos while riding and that is annoying too but what you are doing - heck I wouldn't even notice or give a second thought if I did.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I wouldn't care at all if someone used a phone that was completely dark. That shouldn't matter to anyone actually.

Except on coasters or rides where it could be dangerous if the phone goes flying.

 

[wilkeliza]

I wouldn't care at all if someone used a phone that was completely dark. That shouldn't matter to anyone actually. I think the light emitted by the majority of users is bothersome since they aren't as polite as you. Also some people narrate their videos while riding and that is annoying too but what you are doing - heck I wouldn't even notice or give a second thought if I did.

Yep and fiance legit takes 1 selfie and then puts it away. He always makes sure he isn't blocking anyones photopass shot. In his case he is pretty good at getting it out snapping the photo and putting it back. It is never on dark rides.

 

[wilkeliza]

Except on coasters or rides where it could be dangerous if the phone goes flying.

The only roller coaster that really has that kind of force at Disney is rockin roller. They rest of them with a good loop strapcase you are not likely to drop the phone. Again I don't do it on coasters but if was really that big of a problem Disney would put them in lockers and ban them on rides like Uni does.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

The only roller coaster that really has that kind of force at Disney is rockin roller. They rest of them with a good loop strapcase you are not likely to drop the phone. Again I don't do it on coasters but if was really that bug of a problem Disney would put them in lockers and ban them on rides like Uni does.

for sure that you don't do it on coasters!

I could probably count on one hand the number of people I've seen in recent trips with one of these, though. People by and large don't use them. Pretty sure none of us would enjoy the experience of a loose cell phone hitting us in the head on ToT -- I don't think you need the acceleration of RnR to make that dangerous.

I wouldn't be surprised if we DO see more rules on this in the future. Selfie sticks "encouraged" people to do this more, and they pretty promptly banned those. So many seem obsessed with filming or live-blogging their entire lives these days. Not sure it's going to get any better.

 

[umichigan10]

So you're saying it's now the "Cell Tower Of Terror?"

"In the 5th dimension, no one can 'hear you now'"

 

[wilkeliza]

for sure that you don't do it on coasters!

I could probably count on one hand the number of people I've seen in recent trips with one of these, though. People by and large don't use them. Pretty sure none of us would enjoy the experience of a loose cell phone hitting us in the head on ToT -- I don't think you need the acceleration of RnR to make that dangerous.

I wouldn't be surprised if we DO see more rules on this in the future. Selfie sticks "encouraged" people to do this more, and they pretty promptly banned those. So many seem obsessed with filming or live-blogging their entire lives these days. Not sure it's going to get any better.

Selfie sticks are a whole different beast. If it was simply the prescense of the phone they would ban those as well. The selfie stick ban was because it extends outside of the vehicle and can cause safety equipment to trip as well as peopke using them to poke stuff in rides. They were most dangerous at parade time where people would stick them out into the parade route and cause performers and floats to make last minute maneuvers.

Any lose item on a roller coaster can be dangerous it just hasn't been that big of an issue at Disney. What was really dangerousat Uni was pocket change. Most phone stay put in your pocket or bag and no one is going to be selfing on a ride like Hulk or Dragon Challenge but change that slips out of a pocket with little movement gets out and causes some nasty injuries at that speed. Just trying to illustrate that most of the danger people think is just paranoia and not something that is actually happening.

 

[Ava L]

It usually doesn't bother me until it obstructs the effects of the ride. On dark rides, especially things like The Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror, an ill placed camera flash or phone screen can completely ruin the illusions that need darkness to come together-even if it's just something small. I bet the early Imagineers didn't anticipate selfies as a possible distraction!

 

[DisneyOma]

I wouldn't care at all if someone used a phone that was completely dark. That shouldn't matter to anyone actually. I think the light emitted by the majority of users is bothersome since they aren't as polite as you. Also some people narrate their videos while riding and that is annoying too but what you are doing - heck I wouldn't even notice or give a second thought if I did.

OMG, the narrating people! So many times I've been tempted to say unDisney things when others are narrating. A few times I've headed down that path, but my daughter is astute and stops me before it gets too bad, LOL! But there are a few who have gone home with "For crying out loud, who is going to want to sit there and watch that stupid video later with all that yapping going on..."

 

[amberpi]

Again I've done it maybe 2 times (one empty boats actuall) and no there is no light coming out because again I put the back light to the lowest setting and put the screen to my chest. But sure if you think my 80 year old grandparents who just like to watch anything on facebook live from their grandkids is about the quality of the video thhen they can go ahead and watch a pov. They watch because it is their grandkid doing it. I'm not sure how a the mere seeing of a phone (again it is possible to do it with 0 light added) makes people so upset. If I did it with my gopro instead would you still tell my grandma to go watch someone else's video?

I see this type of use and it never bothers me. Due to an injury as a child, flashes temporarily blind me for a few minutes instead of a few seconds. I've literally not seen rides because of it (and won't go to day time movies where you're going to emerge into the blinding sun with people who don't know about this). I always figured it the rule was for exactly this. There are ways to use a cell phone on a dark ride like IASW without bothering anyone at all. The flashes will bother the whole boat. On thrill rides, it seems dangerous, because I'd sure hate to get a iphone 7plus to the face (and that would be my luck). I don't think that all cell phone use is wrong, its called situational awareness, if people are considerate, it's going to make for a good experience for everyone.

The yelling thing is the exact same thing - consideration for those around you.

The guy losing it and making the whole ride cringeworthy? - consideration for those around you.

Narrating?!! - consideration for those around you.

I am befuddled about why talking on a cell phone would bother anyone - unless they had it on speaker perhaps? If so = consideration for those around you. People that just want to complain about people being on their phones, you wouldn't complain about someone talking to a companion, so I always find this issue kinda shrugworthy.