[PiratesFan]

As a multiple victim of camcorder disasters, I was wondering if anyone has had any camera/camcorder mishaps, funny incidents, or horror stories. To preface, my last 2 trips to FL ended up in camcorder disaster, LOL now though!

In the first of these trips, I had camcorder #1 around my neck while I was carrying a tray of food and drinks for my fiance and myself in Pecos Bill's Cafe. While I was trying to navigate around some people to reach my table, my tray shifted thus sending an avalanche of Sprite onto myself and the camcorder. Thus ended the life of this device promptly. Since we were only into the second day of the trip, I couldn't bear not filming the rest. We searched International Drive for a store and bought another camcorder, (camcorder #2). This unit served us well for a couple of years.

In planning our last trip, this past June, my now wife, noticed that camcorder #2 had an intermittent problem where it wouldn't record or play. Not trusting this camera, we bought another one, (camcorder #3). The trip in June started out fine. On day 3 of 10, we went to Sea World. We stopped to purchase some fish to feed the seals. Upon walking back from the exhibit, my wife expressed a desire to wash her hands. We didn't know where the rest rooms were, but I noticed a large spraying water fountain. Again I was wearing the camcorder around my neck. I thought to rinse my fingers in the fountain. (No, the camcorder didn't fall in!). As I bent over the soda cup I was also carrying for my daughter spilled out and onto me and the front of the camera. The camera was eventually decommissioned after the video light remained on all the time. The remainder of the time in Disney relied on taking pictures.

Got home, bought camcorder #4, disassembled camcorder #3 and repaired it to full health!. The next WDW trip in May will be with my parents who will have #3 as a backup while I take #4.
Does this seem wise, or should I just get disposable cameras and postcards? :D

[mickey]

Originally posted by PiratesFan
Does this seem wise, or should I just get disposable cameras and postcards? :D

LOL! My suggestion is that you stop buying sodas. :D

You may be better of hiring someone to professionally film you trips, similar to what they do at weddings. You would then have a finished product on VHS and DVD, and you would have less broken camcorders. I wouldn't go for the disposable cameras and postcards, there is just something about watching your own home movies years down the road that pictures can't replicate. Maybe a waterproof case?

[PiratesFan]

Hey mickey, I never thought of not being the one responsible for the sodas! ... From now on Dad doesn't do soda! To my credit, I did manage to safely stow, secure, and transport both the camera and camcorder during several Magic Kingdom cloudbursts and ensuing downpours. I guess it would be OK for a water bottle?

[brumcg]

We just had one that I'll detail in my trip report... Winnie the Pooh is in our car and we rode the ride with him! So, of course, my digital camera battery died after 3 really horrible photos... you can't even tell Pooh was riding with us!

Sigh... :D

Bruce

[shawnp0001]

I have two stories: At Universal Studios in Hollywood about seven years ago, I ruined my camcorder on a Jurrasic Park ride (the camcorder got wet when I tried to film the whole ride). This was close to the beginning of the trip and later in the week I saw Paula Abdul without a camcorder to prove it! Then about five years ago at WDW, I filmed the entire voyage in Splash Mountain...and got another camcorder drenched (this was the first evening on an eRide night, which forced me like PiratesFan to go to International Drive and buy another one). I remember the clerk being kind of rude, and after the purchase he apologized and told me he always got people buying camcorders, and then taking them back when their vacation was over and he was just trying to find out whether that was my goal.

[Goofette]

We've owned 3 camcorders. But the number 2 camcorder met an untimely death (not sure if it was dropped or what, but the door was broken), so after "two" years of being without one we finally get it fixed and the very first time of taking it out again, and filming, I had it setting on my lap and Forgot!!!! I stood up and Crash!!! to the floor it went. So we missed my daughters kindergarten graduation and everything for her first two years of school and Holidays But this new one I am guarding with my life. We chose to buy a digital camcorder instead of getting a savannah view at AKL, which was a good decision. We were upgraded for free to a pool view anyway :D

[geeman]

A few years ago I bought a disposable camera to take with me to Blizzard Beach. I love the landscapes in that place and I couldn't accurately describe it to people, so I thought I'd snap a few shots of the place.
WELL... my camera fell off sometime during the lazy river ride. I was sure of it, as I had it before then.
That night, I decided to try calling Lost and Found, who suggested I try in the morning. The next day, on my way to the park, I stopped by the Lost and Found to see if my camera had turned up -- now this was a standard waterproof - disposable camera- nothing special about it - Turns out a few cameras were found, but this one was found in the lazy river, and had just an extra shot or two over what I had remembered shooting.
When I got home and developed the film, it turned out to be mine !!! (I was in the pictures) -- whoever found it snapped a photo or two then turned it in.
I couldn't believe how lucky that was!

[Michael Darling]

My suggestion would be the Zalinski Helmet Cam.

[tinkerbell]

one of the worst was in 92 when we saw some one steal someone else's camcorder ..it was near POT ..you know the restroom that is next to it .. someone left a camcorder under a bench ..we saw a woman pick it up and just thought it was hers .. but then this woman came out of the bathroom and started freaking out because it was really her camcorder. ... then this past april I thought I had killed mine when it got hit with a ton of water from splash mt. ..but it dried out and worked fine in a couple of hours .. as for pictures ..well if you give kids camera's ..dont be surprised at what developes *grin*

[BDavis932]

Just a suggestion: On our past few trips we have taken big bulky camcorder and left it in the stroller basket while we were on rides. It always worried us that it may "walk off" but never worried us enough to take it with us (everything just seems so safe there!) Anyway, we got a new digital camera/camcorder for this past trip (3 weeks ago) and we carried it in our backpack with the rest of the "kids stuff", and I put it in a gallon size Ziplock bag. I put our camera and film in a separate baggie, as well, and it worked out great, because the film and tapes were not in the hot sun all day and on our last day it POURED rain for 2 hours and nothing got wet. For those of us watching pennies on our trips, there is no cheaper way!

[Goofette]

Originally posted by geeman
A few years ago I bought a disposable camera to take with me to Blizzard Beach. I love the landscapes in that place and I couldn't accurately describe it to people, so I thought I'd snap a few shots of the place.
WELL... my camera fell off sometime during the lazy river ride. I was sure of it, as I had it before then.
That night, I decided to try calling Lost and Found, who suggested I try in the morning. The next day, on my way to the park, I stopped by the Lost and Found to see if my camera had turned up -- now this was a standard waterproof - disposable camera- nothing special about it - Turns out a few cameras were found, but this one was found in the lazy river, and had just an extra shot or two over what I had remembered shooting.
When I got home and developed the film, it turned out to be mine !!! (I was in the pictures) -- whoever found it snapped a photo or two then turned it in.
I couldn't believe how lucky that was!

My word, what a great story. I just love when things turn out like that.