So you want to bring a tripod on your trip to Disney World? Great! You’re not alone. A lot of people like the idea. Tripods help with taking beautiful photos, long exposures, and videos, and they can take some of the strain off the neck and shoulders from holding your camera up for long periods of time.
But can you bring one? Or will Disney security make you leave your tripod at home or at your hotel? Will you even need one in the first place? Maybe it will be more trouble than it’s worth!
Well, don’t worry—we have answers for all these questions right here. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about tripods (or monopods) in Walt Disney World: which parks allow them and which don’t; what types are allowed and which are not; whether there are any cases where tripods might be prohibited on a temporary basis; how to set up a good photo spot with a tripod; how to store or pack a tripod when moving between locations (and when flying); what other equipment is worth bringing along with your camera gear; how to determine if you’ll actually need a tripod in the first place; and more!
- Tripods are not allowed in the theme parks or on attractions, with a few exceptions:
- You can bring a tripod to the beach/campgrounds/parking lot (but not into an attraction building).
- You can bring a tripod to an outdoor movie event (i.e. Movies Under The Stars)
- You can bring a tripod to certain special events (i.e. Food and Wine Festival, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, etc.)
You can, however, bring a tripod to Walt Disney World. The rules for tripods are different from the rules for selfie sticks.
Tripods are not allowed in theme parks but they are allowed in Parking Lots A through G, all of the Disney resorts, and both water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
There is also an exception to this rule at the Magic Kingdom! Guests with a disability who need a tripod for mobility may use their camera supports throughout the park as long as it’s needed for medical purposes.
The most common way to get pictures taken at Disney World is by using the services of Disney’s professional photographers. There are a lot of these photographers set up all over the parks, including in front of iconic backdrops like Cinderella Castle and Spaceship Earth. They’re also at character dining restaurants, parades, special events and other select locations.
Just ask the photographer to take your photo and scan your MagicBand or PhotoPass card—or use your park ticket if you don’t have a band. The photographer will most likely pose you and make suggestions on how to stand together to get the best shot possible; just try to relax, smile and enjoy yourself!
You can also get a picture taken while you’re on an attraction. At some attractions, such as Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror and Test Track, there will be cameras that take photos during key parts of the ride (going down a particularly big drop or making it through a tight turn). Just like with the other photographers around the park, you’ll be able to view these photos when you exit the attraction by scanning your MagicBand/PhotoPass card.
Taking a good picture of yourself at Disney World can be pretty difficult. It’s hard to get the angle right and many times, your hands simply aren’t long enough to get everything into the shot. Luckily, there are several ways that you can have a great picture taken of yourself without having to bring a tripod or selfie stick (both of which are forbidden in Walt Disney World).
- Use the timer on your camera.
- Use a remote like this one from Amazon. You can use it with any DSLR or cell phone camera (although you will need an adapter for most cell phones).
- If you have an iPhone, try using burst mode and choosing your favorite photo later. This technique is also helpful if you don’t want to take all of the pictures yourself. Simply ask another guest to take several shots in succession while walking by your group, then choose the best one later!
- Ask a stranger to take your photo! Most people are more than happy to help out but remember that they may not be able to get everyone in the shot unless they have a wide-angle lens on their camera. If possible, it’s always best for everyone else with cameras nearby who’s taking photos at Disney World anyway as well!
Memory Maker is an add-on to your Disney vacation that gives you access to all of your PhotoPass photos (see the next question for more about PhotoPass). This includes pictures taken by Disney photographers in front of iconic park attractions, as well as select dining locations. You can also download ride photos and videos with Memory Maker.
Memory Maker is available for purchase at any point before or after your vacation. If you purchase it ahead of time, you’ll pay $169 and have 30 days from the date of first activation to use your Memory Maker entitlement. After that, it will expire. If purchased after arrival at a price of $199, the entitlement lasts 45 days from activation or until used.
Sure, you can! First of all, don’t be afraid to use any PhotoPass location for your own photography. Disney photographers are glad to capture your family in a picture with their equipment, but feel free to take your own camera and ask for their help taking pictures as well.
Next, take a look at the Memory Maker/PhotoPass service. Basically, any Disney photographer will scan your MagicBand or park ticket to connect photos they took with you directly to your account; then you can download them all and do whatever you like with them after the fact. You could buy Memory Maker in advance and have access to ALL of these shots (including attraction pics) for the length of your trip, or pay per photo later on if you didn’t buy it beforehand.
You’ll also find PhotoPass locations throughout property where extra scenic shots are taken that anyone is welcome to use that aren’t connected to an attraction (like Cinderella Castle).
What if you want to remove your photos before the 45-day time limit? You can do that. Just follow these steps:
- Sign in to your account on Disney’s PhotoPass website.
- Select the photo or photos you’d like to delete, and click on “Edit Tags & Remove Photos” at the top of your screen.
- Click “Remove from Cart,” and confirm by clicking “Yes, remove from cart.” You can also delete multiple photos at once by selecting them all beforehand. That way you don’t have to go through each photo one by one and click “Edit Tags & Remove Photos,” which could be a lengthy process depending on how many pics you want to get rid of.
- Now that your Disney PhotoPass pics are out of your cart, all you have left is an empty cart if you didn’t buy anything else! Easy enough, right? Just remember not to wait too long before removing them—if it’s 45 days after they were uploaded into your account, they’re deleted automatically and cannot be retrieved back again!
If you’ve ever gone on vacation, you know that the pictures are a crucial element. After all, how else will anyone believe that you actually went to Disney World and didn’t just photoshop your face onto someone else’s selfies?
Besides good quality photos being an essential element of any vacation, they’re also great for documenting the trip and keeping memories forever. They’re the perfect material for scrapbooks or social media, and they can be shared with friends and family so that everyone can live vicariously through you!
Taking your own photos, especially if it’s a family trip, is also important because then there’s photographic proof that yes, family vacations can be fun (despite what decades worth of sitcoms will have you believe). Having this evidence also means that when your kids say they never want to go again next year, you can pull out some cute group shots in front of Cinderella Castle as proof positive that they not only had fun last year but enjoyed it enough to smile for the camera instead of whining.
The bottom line is: the better quality pictures you take of your trip (especially if other people are involved), the happier everyone who sees them will be—and isn’t making people happy why we all go to Disney World in the first place?
You can take a selfie stick to any of the Disney World parks, but you will not be able to use it on most rides. Selfie sticks are not allowed on many attractions, so park employees will ask that you put your stick away before you enter the ride queue. As for which attractions allow selfie sticks and which do not, Disney does not have an official list. Most roller coasters and high-speed thrill rides (such as Expedition Everest, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Mission: SPACE, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith) do not allow selfie sticks or other loose objects. Other attractions (such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Na’vi River Journey) usually allow guests to bring their belongings with them into the ride vehicle. However, if an attraction carries a warning about loose articles — such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — then there is a chance that it may prohibit selfie sticks.
You can also use a monopod in some areas where tripods are prohibited at Disney World. For example, at Epcot fireworks viewing areas on the World Showcase lagoon (with some exceptions), only monopods are permitted to help guests capture photos of the shows from their reserved spots.
While we don’t think you’ll need a monopod at Disney World, if you’d like to take one along with you, the rules are pretty much the same as for tripods. Monopods are allowed at Disney World, but they must be shorter than 36 inches and may not be used on rides. They also cannot be used at character meet-and-greets.
We hope this article has taught you everything you need to know about tripods and Disney World!
Using a tripod at Disney World can be a great way to get unique pictures. It can also be an excellent tool for getting your whole family in one photo, especially if it is a selfie stick. Tripod restrictions are in place for the safety of other guests. While they are never allowed inside attractions and they aren’t allowed on most days, they are allowed in some places and on some special occasions. If you would like more information about tripods at Disney World, we would love to talk with you more!