Hey there, Austin!
Your trip to the Walt Disney World Resort is almost here! I love making GoPro videos of our Disney adventures; these vacation memories are precious, and it’s a lot of fun to capture on-ride footage in the parks. I’ve been doing this for several years and am glad to chat with you about it!
The Property Rules and Prohibited Items list mention that you cannot have extendable selfie sticks, handles or tripods for your camera. Be sure your favorite GoPro handle does not extend, and you’ll be good to go at security check points.
You’re smart to ask, because there is a recent change to the policy on Space Mountain. New signage at the entrance to the attraction reads “Hand-held or loose articles, including cell phones and cameras, are not permitted while riding. Items must be secured on the person, in vehicle storage pouch, or left with a non-rider.” In my experience, a body mount with the GoPro secured to it would be permissible. Be sure to confirm your set-up with a Cast Member at the attraction, as these rules are in place for everyone’s safety. I haven’t had much luck with decent footage on Space Mountain, it’s just too dark in there to really capture the experience.
You will be able to bring your GoPro on most attractions throughout all four theme parks. My favorite mounts are a non-extendable floating handle with an adjustable wrist strap, the surfer’s wrist mount, and a chest mount for my child. These three tend to get a variety of perspectives while in motion, meet the safety policies, and allow me to enjoy the moment without worrying about my camera on attractions. I always bring an extra charged battery in my park bag to be sure I’m ready for anything!
A few more tips, Austin, to ensure you and other Guests around you have the most magical day. I encourage you to make the following changes to the default settings on the GoPro for the duration of your vacation:
- Turn the sound off, or to the lowest setting. I like the audio cue that it’s turned on and recording, but don’t want to disturb other Guests on a quiet attraction.
- Turn off the front light; the blinking red light is very distracting on dark rides. This not only spoils your footage with the addition of a red light in the low lighting but takes away from others’ experience of the visuals within the attraction.
- Turn on QuikCapture, which will turn the camera on and start recording with just the push of the power button. This helps me grab fun moments and surprises in the parks with one touch. It also turns the camera off when not recording, saving battery life.
- Change the display time for the back LED light to its lowest setting so you can see the framed shot before it turns off but saves your battery throughout the day. This also prevents other Guests from watching your camera view instead of their own attraction experience in real-time.
I hope this helps you know what to expect and pack a practically perfect gear bag! Wishing you an amazing trip with awesome footage to capture your park memories.
Amy