What do you record?

[barbiegirl314]

In the past when I've been at WDW I've always felt the need to get everything recorded w/ my camcorder. I record all the attractions,every interaction with every character and all the views as we're walking around.

I'm wondering now with all this recording if I'm missing a lot of the "magic" going on around me. If I'm recording an attraction I'm only focused on what is in front of me and not taking in everything the attraction has to offer. Same with recording while moving around the park, I am focused on one thing and not taking in the sounds, smells and other views around me.

I'm thinking that on this next trip coming up that maybe I should just record the highlights and let myself relax and enjoy the whole experience of being at the park.

I'm curoius on what other folks do when at WDW, do you do al ot of recording or just go with the flow?

[illini]

We try not to spend all our time behind a lens. We have recorded (politely!) several rides, but only on our 3rd or 4th ride of the trip so we can make sure to enjoy the ride as well.

On a regular basis, we tend to just pull out the camcorder during character meals or when something particularly cute happens. We snap the camera more, but that doesn't take away from the experience as much.

[sdewan]

I need to ride a new attraction at least twice: the first time to record it, and the 2nd time to "see" it. I have hours of attractions and shows recorded on numerous past visits, and I don't feel the need to record things I already have in an archive somewhere. However, sometimes taking a child on an old attraction for the first time is a special occassion, so I'll record it to capture that moment.

That being said, whenever I watch those old videos now they seem kinda sterile to me, as if they were a travel channel special on Walt Disney World, not about OUR visit to WDW. So on the past few trips, I've made an effort to capture the "atmosphere" of WDW more than the highlights. For example if one of my children starts spontaneously dancing to the music in the UK, or even if they're just acting silly while walking to the elevator in our hotel, I'd rather capture those moments because they are what make that particular trip unique.

[DizneyRox]

This is going to come off as harsh, but I'll apologize in advance...

In my experience, few people are able to record much of anything with a camcorder that's worth viewing at a later date. There are a few things you need to catch on film, but overall, much of it is not worth watching again.

Common problems are:

Too much jerky [handheld] movement
Too much zooming
Narration
Quick nausiating movements
the list goes on.

Not that it needs to be a production, but generally, the above make a video unwatchable. I would leave the camcorder at home and actually enjoy your vacation. You'll probably be surprised at everything going on around you that you missed.

[MOJoe]

I guess this works for photos too?

I remember once, when i spent so much time taking photos of Fantasmic that i was thinking, "Man, i'm missing this show!" But these same photos are in my kitchen. I see them nearly every day. And every time i glance at them, i smile and think of Disney magic. So even though i "missed" that show, i brought it back home, where i can "see" it every day.

[TheVBs]

Too much jerky [handheld] movement
Too much zooming
Narration
Quick nausiating movements
the list goes on.

Have you been watching my videos?

I have to agree. We now leave the camcorder at home, and will occasionally use the mini-movie feature on our camera. We probably take too many pictures - but it can be hard not to!

[SBETigg]

I only use one or two park visits and about an hour of resort time for pictures and the rest of the time I leave the camera in the room. I never record anything with a camcorder. I'm too annoyed by people who are inconsiderate of others while filming (no one here, of course). Especially on dark rides. Those camcorder screens are so distracting. I'm there enough that I don't need to relive every second on film later. Better to live it to the fullest in the present.

[DANAM]

I do the same thing with my camara. This year I told my husband that he can have the camara and I am going to trying going without using it. I come home with 2500 to 3000 picts per trip and very few of them are of my kids. We are going for christmas so I am going to try to get him the just take Christmas decor photos and the kids and elimanate everything else.

[Disney Doll]

We have the opposite problem. Even though we often bring the camcorder we rarely use it and I'd like to start using it more. The only thing we filmed last trip was DS playing in the fountain at EPCOT and the new MK parade. I'd like to get more of the character interaction on film. I do think you can easily go overboard though and may miss a lot if you are behind the lens too much.

[AdventurerKim]

We have only recorded ourselves on segeays in Epcot and the last Comedy Warehouse and Adventurer Club shows on our last visit.

[rubato]

We don't take video or pictures. We do take pics of son posing with characters, but that's it. We learned a long time ago that spending your vacation behind a lens is no way to go. But, that's just for us!

[cmsizzlin]

We won't be taking the camcorder on our next trip in Aug. We have our digital camera and Photo Pass is available so we will have plenty of pic's. Not taking the camcorder is one less thing to carry plus my camera takes video if need be.

[johnO]

Seeing your whole vacation through the lens of your video camera will leave you feeling left out. While in WDW I'm usually carrying the Mini-DV, a Cannon Digital Rebel xti and usually a back up camera, a small Digital Polaroid. All three fit in one camera bag. On the last two trips the amount of video I've taken has been reduced greatly. I usually take about 1000 photos. Each year I tell myself, stop taking so many photos, use the photo pass more often etc. but I always make a DVD slideshow with the pics I take at WDW, I put disney music to it and it turns out really nice. It's usually around 40 minutes long! But always enjoyed by the family.

[LarryBoy]

I too find myself taking less and less video. I try to pull it out of the bag at least once in each park, and if something especially cute is happening. I also always get some good video around the resort. I've come to realize that we enjoy the video of the family more than anything else. Just to show how our DS is growing and changing.

[FaithTrustPixieDust]

We recorded some during the kids' first trip or two to the World. Now we just snap photos.

We recorded SpectroMagic and captured the moment when Peter Pan (all lit up) leaned down and spoke to our kids.

We recorded the first time DD met Cinderella, the first time DS met Chip and Dale, etc etc.

I have descreetly (I hope) recorded parts of some classic rides- Small World, with DS singing along.

DH rode in the front of Goofy's Barnstormer and recorded the entire ride (all 32 seconds of it). Yes, it's bumpy, but it's great.

We have pulled it out a few times, and enjoyed watching the parades and rides. DS was only 2 1/2 on that first trip, but he DOES remember some of it because of the photos and video.

[castlelady36]

To me it depends on how much you have been there. If it is a once in a lifetime trip I would try to video as much as possible but if you are frequent visitors maybe just parades or funny things the kids might do. I used to video when I first started going and I still do but not nearly as much and since you can video with a camera too that makes it nice not to have to carry the video as well. Mostly I just record if something happens or just to have record of my girls as they get older. As others have said spending all that time recording you do miss out on the things around you and ask yourself how much have you watched what you recorded?

[Tinkerfreak]

I also used to do alot more video recording during trips. In the first few years I was recording everything and while it was nice to watch when we got back it was a pain carrying the video camera all over the place. Now since we have been many times I do still bring it but mostly record around the resort area so when deciding on a room for the next trip we can really remember what the resort was like. We always spend one afternoon resort hopping and I like to film the different resorts. I like to video the kids when we arrive and stuff but I now only take my camera to the parks. I have found it to be freeing and more enjoyable to be able to just snap some photos and not be stuck behind the lense recording every second of our trip. The pictures we take are enough to help us remember the trip.

[beksy]

I leave the camcorder at home (at least until I have kids) but take lots of pictures with my digital camera. We also like to use photopass as much as possible and it becomes like a scavenger hunt to find new ones! With my camera I take it all the time but only pull it out during character meals or other times we meet characters without photopass there and when something special happens. Usually I spend some time on the first day in each park taking pictures of signs, ride quees, and interesting finds. Then I just pull it out to snap a quick picture here and there or with the characters the rest of the trip. I don't do the shows, parades, rides, etc. because then I can't enjoy them fully. Of course the resort and DTD and other activites (like mini-golf) get pictures too! I try not to over-do it though.

[LittleSpirit02]

I've always just taken pictures with my digital camera - and maybe a couple (low quality) video clips of things like Main Street, a bit of a parade and so on. I love taking pictures and whatnot - but as many have said - don't want to spend the trip behind the lens. I want to experience it myself.

I, do, however, think I may buy a Flip Mino video camera next time I go just to take little clips like I have on my digital camera. I'd love to edit them together and make a little video of them. I've found some great videos on YouTube of Disneyland Paris recently and would love to make my own of my vacation. Not obsessive over videoing rides and whole parades - just the sights I love (parks at night and so on).

[sleepingbooty]

I struggle with this issue all the time! Maybe I will see if I can figure out how to take video with my regular camera, and just do a few small clips. I mean, I know how to shoot it, but I don't know how to get it into my computer in a format that I can use in my video editing software.
One year, we really didn't take much video, so when I did my editing, I mixed in a bunch of still photos. I actually enjoy watching that one as much or more than some of the others.