Annoyed by Phone Addicted Park Goers

Nina-Marie

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Just got back from a lengthy stay at WDW and the biggest annoyance wasn't the long lines or hefty prices.....it was phone addicted park goers. Now, I realize that Disney has set it up that you can use your Dis App for practically everything. In fact, it was a huge help, worked great and I didn't have to keep a paper plan with me at all times. BUT that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who answer phone calls in the middle of rides and shows. People who scroll facebook in the middle of the haunted mansion and other dark rides. People who are looking down at their phone while they walk and run into you. On every Disney pack list it says to pack an extra external battery. Even with using the Disney app a ton my phone never got down less than 50% days end. I heard on the news that Americans check their phone every 12 min and I believe it now. In fact, I said to my husband, that I'm totally convinced that Disney can get away with so many long wait times now because people have a boredom machine in their pocket that they can pull out whenever in line. Does anybody else have any good phone stories from the park?
 
I'm fine with using phones to enhance park experiences - the app helps a lot. But when parents are on their phones and aren't watching their children (once witnessed a kid attempt eat a sticker off of the ground while his mom was on her phone and wouldn't look up) or when it ruins other peoples' experiences (was on little merm ride with my sister and the people in the car next to us kept using phone flashlight to see in all the dark scenes). People just need to be more mindful about their usage.
 
Does anybody else have any good phone stories from the park?

I think you have hit the highlights! I find it amazing that people will walk though a park with their eyes focused on a tiny screen in their hand. Of course since they do it while driving it is not hard to see why they'll do it anywhere.

People who scroll facebook in the middle of the haunted mansion and other dark rides.

Not to mention that since they have there phones in their hands they keep taking flash pictures in the dark rides.

In fact, I said to my husband, that I'm totally convinced that Disney can get away with so many long wait times now because people have a boredom machine in their pocket that they can pull out whenever in line.

So true! I wonder what they do when they get into the depths of some of the rides where the cell coverage is poor.

Even with using the Disney app a ton my phone never got down less than 50% days end.

Same here. Though I am by no means a power MDE user. Online food ordering is probably my new favorite MDE use.
 


I am guilty of reading on my kindle while in line or on the bus but normally only if I'm solo. If I need to check for a FP or the line ap., I'll move over to some corner and do it so I'm not in anyone's way. My son does snap chat with a couple of friends and his is constantly beeping, drives me crazy. He is at least polite enough to move out of the way if he's using it and will put it away after taking a picture of his meal so he isn't on it during meals.
 
I'm annoyed by phone addicted people on city streets, in movie theaters, in theaters (I'm a stagehand), in airports, while standing in front of the Grand Canyon.
I heard on the news that Americans check their phone every 12 min and I believe it now.
I can't believe that. It looks to me like people check their phone every three to five minutes. Maybe it's a 24 hour average - taking into consideration the five or six hours people are asleep...
 


Just got back from a lengthy stay at WDW and the biggest annoyance wasn't the long lines or hefty prices.....it was phone addicted park goers. Now, I realize that Disney has set it up that you can use your Dis App for practically everything. In fact, it was a huge help, worked great and I didn't have to keep a paper plan with me at all times. BUT that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who answer phone calls in the middle of rides and shows. People who scroll facebook in the middle of the haunted mansion and other dark rides. People who are looking down at their phone while they walk and run into you. On every Disney pack list it says to pack an extra external battery. Even with using the Disney app a ton my phone never got down less than 50% days end. I heard on the news that Americans check their phone every 12 min and I believe it now. In fact, I said to my husband, that I'm totally convinced that Disney can get away with so many long wait times now because people have a boredom machine in their pocket that they can pull out whenever in line. Does anybody else have any good phone stories from the park?

This does annoy me as well some, and I did do a quick check during Living with the Land, right at the beginning, but I generally keep my facebook checking to meals or long lines. However, you see a lot of teenagers and younger adults constantly with their nose in Facebook, and I don't get that to be honest. It may be because I didn't grow up with Facebook that it isn't as integral to my life(though my work is another matter). It is a good idea to keep an external battery with you though, since at some point phones do die quickly. On a note, I did have my phone out in the lazy river at Blizzard Beach in 2017, but it was the slower sections where I could hold onto it. I think in moderation it's fine, but every 12 minutes is excessive.
 
I'm annoyed by phone addicted people on city streets, in movie theaters, in theaters (I'm a stagehand), in airports, while standing in front of the Grand Canyon.

I can't believe that. It looks to me like people check their phone every three to five minutes. Maybe it's a 24 hour average - taking into consideration the five or six hours people are asleep...

Also, older people don't check as frequently as teens and young adults.....it's becoming a disconnected world.
 
I am guilty of reading on my kindle while in line or on the bus but normally only if I'm solo. If I need to check for a FP or the line ap., I'll move over to some corner and do it so I'm not in anyone's way. My son does snap chat with a couple of friends and his is constantly beeping, drives me crazy. He is at least polite enough to move out of the way if he's using it and will put it away after taking a picture of his meal so he isn't on it during meals.

I never understood why people take photos of meals. That annoys me with my friends and family who do that.
 
I think you have hit the highlights! I find it amazing that people will walk though a park with their eyes focused on a tiny screen in their hand. Of course since they do it while driving it is not hard to see why they'll do it anywhere.



Not to mention that since they have there phones in their hands they keep taking flash pictures in the dark rides.



So true! I wonder what they do when they get into the depths of some of the rides where the cell coverage is poor.



Same here. Though I am by no means a power MDE user. Online food ordering is probably my new favorite MDE use.

I had no cell coverage at all with my last visit, but remember Disney has parkwide wifi.
 
Off topic, but my kids tell me "Facebook is for old people". LOL I love the app, and use it frequently, but do not take phone calls or look at Facebook while on rides in shows, ever. Maybe Facebook or a text occasionally while in line, but usually not even then. I like to escape from all of that while at Disney. As for flashlights in dark scenes. That would be annoying, not acceptable, but maybe someone with a child afraid of dark rides solution to the problem. I say stay off the ride instead, if that is it.
 
I just got back as well, and I agree. I'm 29 so while younger (shh let me have my momet, I turn 30 soon!) I wouldn't say I'm phone addicted in any way, but in Disney or on any vacation I am especially not addicted! I leave it on airplane mode almost the entire time unless I need to check something for the trip, or check in with family. This trip I was with my mom, so I checked it even less (only to confirm FP times and once to mobile order lunch). It feels so freeing to not have to worry about work emails, texts from my boss, etc! On several dark rides, especially in MK, people seemed to constantly be on their phone. What is the point of getting on a ride if you aren't going to look at it?! I try to stay zen but man could I chuck some of those babies right into the MK moat!
 
Also, older people don't check as frequently as teens and young adults.....it's becoming a disconnected world.
:laughing:

Tell that to my mom who will be 60 this year and is twice my age. She's the one on FB all the time, we'll be at lunch or dinner and she's texting, on FB, checking e-mail, etc.

Tell it to my mother-in-law who is 63 and will play FB videos with the volume up in cars, on FB all the time, etc

Don't get me wrong I check my phone but the older people around me have been on their phones more often than me for at least the last several years.
 
I'm talking about people who answer phone calls in the middle of rides and shows. People who scroll facebook in the middle of the haunted mansion and other dark rides. People who are looking down at their phone while they walk and run into you.
Yeah those behaviors are rude. Moreso when they have the screen brightness up and with walking and not looking at the very least step off to the side and do your looking.

Even with using the Disney app a ton my phone never got down less than 50% days end.
MDE is a battery killer. Many many many people have reported this. I was the primary user of MDE and it takes longer to put my phone in and out of ultra-low power mode when I knew I needed MDE soon enough. If we were in a show I would put my phone in low power mode but otherwise it stayed in medium power mode. I didn't use wifi but that will also kill your battery. For ours we used MDE a ton because of FPs. We went during Irma and modifying my pre-arranged FPs and then getting rolling 4th FPs was very easy. Also we used Mobile Ordering too. I had created My Plans via MDE (on the website) so that would also show up on MDE (on the app) and so I would be looking at my phone for what I had put down next (like that the performance of Festival of Fantasy was at 2pm on this day for example), etc. If you didn't utlize that Planning feature and didn't do as many rolling 4th FPs or Mobile Ordering you may not be using MDE as much as others.

There is also what other apps one has on their phone. I have a few Disney games for example on my phone (like Frozen Free Fall) and they suck up my battery too.

My husband was able to preserve his battery more because he used the ultra-low power mode most of the time.
 
It isn't going to get any better unless people start carrying around pocket EMP-type devices... which would be VERY BAD for those with pacemakers and pumps...
 
One of the biggest issues I have is that while flash photography is still forbidden, when people use a phone to take pictures the screen lights up regardless of if the flash is on or not. Some screens are very bright too! Old-school cameras didn't have a screen on them and weren't as distracting.
 
:laughing:

Tell that to my mom who will be 60 this year and is twice my age. She's the one on FB all the time, we'll be at lunch or dinner and she's texting, on FB, checking e-mail, etc.

Tell it to my mother-in-law who is 63 and will play FB videos with the volume up in cars, on FB all the time, etc

Don't get me wrong I check my phone but the older people around me have been on their phones more often than me for at least the last several years.

Just my observations.
 
Off topic, but my kids tell me "Facebook is for old people". LOL I love the app, and use it frequently, but do not take phone calls or look at Facebook while on rides in shows, ever. Maybe Facebook or a text occasionally while in line, but usually not even then. I like to escape from all of that while at Disney. As for flashlights in dark scenes. That would be annoying, not acceptable, but maybe someone with a child afraid of dark rides solution to the problem. I say stay off the ride instead, if that is it.

Say what? 30s(my age) ain't old. A better solution would be a $1.00 reusable glowstick to put around the child's neck. Not nearly as bright but should be bright enough to alleviate the child's fears. Except Tower of Terror. That one scares a lot of adults as well.
 

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