New signs have appeared near backstage facilities at the Magic Kingdom prohibiting photography, video recording, and live streaming. The signs appear around Reams Road, Floridian Way, World Drive, and more between the Magic Kingdom and the start of real estate not owned by the Walt Disney Company. Facilities in this area include Disney University, Holiday Services, Transportation Storage, Central Shops and more.
This marks the first time Disney has posted signage expressly forbidding live streaming, which is a more recent phenomenon in the age of social media.
Though backstage areas are typically only accessed and seen by Cast Members, the roads around these areas are often suggested by GPS systems such as Google Maps, or have been used by guests for almost 50 years. In the last year or so, Disney Security has become much more aggressive towards guests taking photos and video, including posting rather serious signage with felony warnings that would be considered “bad show” in the past.
We don’t have photographs of the new signage, for obvious reasons, but they read: “Photography, video recording, & live streaming are strictly prohibited. This also includes other Social Media Platforms. Only company-sanctioned photography is allowed.”
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Uh… Yeah… Good luck with that one. Public can access the roads, public can record or photograph.
Private land means they can dictate what/how they please. The roadways aren’t public, whatsoever.
Good luck litigating that in court. They are not a government facility, they can do what they want via video recording etc.
Yes they are a government facility. Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Reams Road is very much public. I’m citing my address and having lived there for past 9 years.
They specifically state that the signs are for vehicles leaving Reams Road and entering Disney property which is entirely private.
They are Disney owned and maintained roads on their property. They can enforce trespasses there and prohibit photos. Once on right of way, you are correct.
Well, I got a ticket from the Orange County Sheriff for speeding through that entrance, so it public somewhere. It was a criminal citation vs. a civil citation.
If vehicle code is posted and/or if the private landowner has requested it, law enforcement agencies can ticket on private land.
Yep, Disney invites OC Sheriffs onto the property to enforce speed limits etc.
I am no expert on the law, but isn’t Disney private property? And therefore not technically “Public”? I agree no one will stop their live stream as they go through that section, and I think its a little silly for Disney to take this stance, but from a legal prospective, I think they would have 100% right to restrict any media on any location of their private property.
You are actually 100% correct.
unless Disney directly maintains the roadway they have to pass a law to restrict things like this through RCID
Yes but they most likely can only charge you with trespass and eject you. Doubt “felony” anything would stick. But I bet this is due to all the YouTube exploration people trespassing everywhere for content.
I’m guessing the signage is more preemptive, as vloggers etc get bolder about not following rules. If there is an incident of someone posting something Disney would like removed from social media, there is a posted precedent.
While I understand and agree with your statement, technically the entire area is “private property” so they can prohibit certain practices. I do not see it going over very well with the public
I think it depends on whether the WDW complex is considered private property such as a shopping plaza. Just because the public can access it doesn’t make it “public property” which is typically what is cited to cover photography. If it’s fully private property Disney can make whatever rules they like and they’ll be 100% enforceable.
Actually no they can’t. Disney is privately owned and that is considered Disney property.
Disney is privately owned? Shit I wonder what all the DIS stock is for then
“We don’t have photographs of the new signage, for obvious reasons…”
Give me a break, please have some journalistic integrity. This signage specifically doesn’t say you can’t take a photo to the sign itself, just the surrounding area.
Stupidity at its highest
Wouldn’t the “surrounding area” be where you could photograph the sign from? You’re running out of straws to grasp lol
How in the world would a photo of the sign contribute to or demonstrate “journalistic integrity”?
I wanna see them draw a sketch of the sign! lol
If the roads are not owned by Disney and it is public property, then they have no authority to ban video and audio recording. The First Amendment applies on that property and anything that can be seen with the eyes and heard with the ears while standing on a public property can legally be recorded. The eyes and the ears are not capable of trespassing.
What are the first 5 words of the First amendment?
The entire area is 100% owned by Disney. The roads, utilities, and all else are managed under the Reedy Creek ID, which is a WDW entity.
Normally you would be correct. However, if the road is owned and maintained by WDW Corporation, then it is considered private property. Think if it as a long driveway leading to your house. If people can see your house from the street, then they can photograph it. But if they have to drive up your personal driveway to photograph your house, then they cannot photograph it
Let’s say it again for the people in the back….
Disney is private property!
Disney has become more draconian over the past few years. There seems to be fewer entertainers and more security guards in the parks and more rules for guests to follow. Have they forgotten their core value is to let people have fun?
Yes, yes they have.
“None of the magic at double the price” is the new Disney motto
Well this will be a shot in the foot for Disney because the social media fans help boost Disney’s popularity
People can still film in the parks, correct? I’m interpreting this just as don’t catch backstage stuff.
This isn’t for filming the attractions, right? Just that private area. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Does this mean dashcams for insurance purposes are banned on these roadways?
It would
I don’t think it’s the front they’re trying to hide it’s the back area that They don’t want the public to see
I have wondered for some time if Disney will clamp down on money-making live streaming in the parks (I realize this isn’t that).
We watch live streams from in the parks every once in a while, and I have marveled at the money the streamers are raking in. I would think Disney would bristle at people making so much money off of streams chock full of Disney IP for which Disney (as far as I can tell) is not compensated.
Maybe they have been happy to keep Disney’ites connected during the pandemic, but I wonder about post-pandemic…
Disney’s ever going to fully ban people from vlogging or whatever about the parks. From a marketing perspective, this is literally tens of millions of dollars of free advertising that they receive. They do absolutely no work except maybe sent an email out about new food items or new openings in the park to specific bloggers, And these bloggers literally do all the work. They film they edit they promote their own videos… Honestly every tourist destination hopes this happens to them. Especially considering the fact that a lot of these vloggers make the most money off of residuals from their older videos meaning people are using these videos as references for the destinations themselves.
i think you are absolutely correct on using the vloggers as a marketing tool
Disney is actually extremely lenient on vlogging even on rides. Universal is strict and bans all pictures and video taping during rides. Disney doesn’t care so long as it’s not a safety issue. IE you can’t hold your cell while on the dwarves mine ride. But sport cams are totally allowed.
I didn’t see anybody asking this. So did these signs go up in response to somebody posting something they shouldn’t have?
I’m sure many people have, but no, no singular occurrence that is known.
Then I’m assuming this is a preemptive measure by Disney to help them demand certain footage be taken down in the future.
I have seen more and more cast members posting videos from backstage areas recently. So it could be that.
I wonder about enforcement during the WDW Marathon. I run it every year, and there are THOUSANDS of photos taken on the roads in back-stage areas…
Personally I think it’s poor taste whether it’s legal or not Disney doesn’t want it to be done so don’t do it. It grosses me out how many people profit off Disney but don’t want to follow their guidelines and be respectful of their wishes legal or not. Can you imagine being a cast member taken out of context by something like this and possibly loose your job? It’s not right to put others at risk for a viral video. Thank you Tom for being respectful you always show your class!
Yet it was perfectly ok to route us through the backlot in the millennium falcon queue in April
Watch your gonna start seeing or hearing children are lost or kidnapped best believe
I’ll take, “ways to tell a company is in decline for $500, Alex”
I mean…as long as you don’t post it or get caught taking it… Who wants to do that, anyway? The only issue is those driving cameras used to protect yourself insurance-wise. Could you sue Disney if you get in a car accident (that is the other parties fault) in that area and did not have your camera on? Or, could Disney sue you for using it in court? Hmmm
Lots of internet lawyers on here who don’t know what they’re talking about and likely never went to law school. Private spaces can sometimes have constitutional freedoms if the public is invited. Many freedom of speech cases in case law involving private malls. None of us know all the details, but if it’s free speech related and not for commercial purposes then Disney shouldn’t invite the public, etc… same of private towns, but I digress, bad PR either way perhaps. .
Of course, trespassing is a whole separate situation… but they can’t take away your photos, only a court can do that.
This is not legal advise, but you can look it up.
Does this apply to videotaping character experiences like cavalcades?
Anyone see the tesla vehicle video where a guy purposely vandalized the tesla he parked next to? Vehicles have recording features turned on that I’m not sure everyone can or knows how to turn off. It’s part of the package nowadays and they record all the time and help even keep you in your lane for some vehicles. You may not watch the video but that’s not the point.
My only question is why?
I think the key here is this segment “The signs appear around Reams Road, Floridian Way, World Drive, and more between the Magic Kingdom and the start of real estate NOT OWNED by the Walt Disney Company. ”
I bet the fact that the real estate isn’t owned by WDW has a lot to do with them posting the signs. I bet it’s a liability thing somehow. Maybe, by posting the notices that it is prohibited Disney cannot be held liable by whoever owns that space for damages done by unwanted photos or steaming.
Shades of Green isn’t owned by Disney either, It’s owned by the United States Department of Defense (DOD). That’s why someone who is or was in the military may book a room & family & friends may stay with that person. I was able to stay there because I was with my father, who is a Master Sergeant & served in the Air Force for 30 years.
Of course this isn’t going to stop everything.
And most likely it would never be pursued. This is what is done to DISCOURAGE behavior, like the signs to discourage pulling over to take pics at the entrance sign. It takes away the question “I wonder if I can do this here?” Then relies on people doing the right thing and following rules.
But there are always going to be the ones who say “can’t tell me what to do” or “they have no right”.
Some of them are actually in this discussion.
Oh well.
Best free advertising Disney ever had are the live stream vloggers ! How stupid. I can understand protecting trade secrets or security, but anything else is just stupid