Hi Beth!
Every time I visit the
Walt Disney World Resort, I regret not bringing my digital SLR camera! With so many beautiful moments to capture, a phone camera really doesn't do them justice! Although I have never used mine in the parks, I have seen plenty of people carrying their cameras around. Since you are not using the camera or the photographs you capture for professional purposes, you should have no problem taking it into the parks!
The
Walt Disney World Resort Park Rules and Regulations simply state that you can't photograph for commercial purposes, and anyone with the intent to photograph or record for professional purposes must make special arrangements with Walt Disney World Media Relations. The
List of Restricted Personal Items does include tripod and monopod stands that can't fit inside a standard backpack and "selfie" sticks.
Remember, if you decide that you don't want to carry around your camera all day (or you want to ride on
Splash Mountain without worrying about it getting wet), there are plenty of
Disney PhotoPass Photographers throughout the parks that can capture all of your favorite moments! Be sure to also check out
Memory Maker so that you can keep all of those photos forever!
Have a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow!
-Lindsey N.