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Theme park etiquette: Flashers at Disney and Universal
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Orlando's theme parks are overrun with flashers. No, I don't mean guys in trench coats lurking on the corners. No, hordes of naturists are not coming over from the Cypress Cove nudist resort (if you missed my entry on nudism near Disney, click here). I mean the people who are so obsessed with their flash cameras that they have to take dozens of flash photos regardless of whether or not there are rules forbidding them to do so and regardless of how it affects or annoys the people around them.
Flashers run the gamut from irritating (for example, the people on Pirates of the Caribbean who have to take 20 pictures every time Johnny Depp appears, regardless of whether it blinds everyone else in their boat) to downright ridiculous (for example, the flashers in shows like Voyage of the Little Mermain and Finding Nemo: The Musical, where light reveals the puppeteers and ruins the effect). I've even encountered flashers on Soarin' too many times to count. Yes, people actually take repetitive flash photos of an Imax movie! Perhaps the offenders should have their cameras confiscated and be tossed into the famous jail scene at the end of "Pirates," pictured at upper right.
The problem isn't quite so bad at Universal because there aren't as many dark rides and shows, but people will occasionally try to take photos in the Simpsons and Spiderman rides. It's a futile effort, as well as annoying, because those rides are both simulators with movie screens. Basically, they're taking photos of a movie just like on Soarin'.
Flashers are hard to deal with directly because they're often seated too far away to speak to. If they're close enough and you're in a show or attraction where flash photography is prohibited, I recommend starting off with a polite approach: "Maybe you didn't hear the announcement (see the sign or whatever), but flash photos aren't allowed here. I'm sure you don't want to break the rules and bother everyone around you." This implies that if the continue, they do like to break rules and tick off other people, so it tends to stop all but the rudest flashers.
If they're far away, you're pretty much stuck suffering through their rudeness. Depending on the theme park and attraction, the workers will sometimes make an announcement if they notice the flashers, which may or may not put a stop to their behavior. When this happens, I always make sure to compliment the workers on the way out. I know that some are reluctant to confront rude guests for fear of starting a nasty confrontation, as people who blatantly disregard the rules in one way tend to have an entitlement attitude and act out rudely in other ways too. I like the Cast Members (Disney) and Team Members (Universal) to know that their efforts to maintain order are appreciated.
Theme park flashers aren't likely to stop any time soon. All you can do is say something to them if they're in your vicinity. If they're too far, you have no choice but to let it go and refuse to allow rude behavior at one attraction to ruin the rest of your day.
This article is part of my Saturday Theme Park Etiquette series. If you missed the first article on line jumping, you can view it by clicking here. To be notified when my new articles are posted, click the Subscribe link. I also welcome suggestions on topics for this series. You may email me at the address in my profile or post them in the Comments section.
Photo: Walt Disney World
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