Hi Everybody,
For my birthday (and Early Christmas), I got a Go Pro 3+. This seems to be the future of theme park filming due to its waterproof case, size, and robust nature. Couple of thoughts:
1. What are theme park's policies on this? I know they get really antsy when people are holding objects.
2. What accessories do you use? Pole? Harness? Etc?
With that being said, there are thosands of videos taken with Go Pros on Youtube at Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal.
Disney tends to be the most permissive of the major theme park chains when it comes to on-ride photography. Disney really only goes after pro paparazzi in the parks. Huge, telescope-sized lens, tripods and poles do tend to attract the attention of cast members. Strap a GoPro to your chest or headband (please do not block the views of those behind you!) and you should be fine. FWIW, I use a pair of Pivothead glasses for most of my on-ride videos.
As a general rule, filming on rides (especially roller coasters) is prohibited at every major North American park unless you have prior approval and use an approved mount (chest mounts tend to be preferred, though some will accept a headband). I've seen/been on trains that were stopped on a lift in order to confiscate a camera brought on against park rules at both Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks. Rules may vary on some rides at various parks, but if a sign says no cameras don't try to sneak one on, as you risk a one year ban. Disney is an exception to this, and will allow you to film on almost every ride that is not screen-based (and some that are), provided you don't use extra lighting.
For off-ride filming, almost all parks are okay with this as long as you aren't breaking park rules. Disney is quite lenient, allowing collapsible tripods and extendable poles, but as Robert stated don't go overboard. The polar opposite is Six Flags, where I've heard of people being threatened with ejection for using anything other than a handheld point and shoot camera or smartphone.
As an interesting sidenote, many of the best roller coaster POVs are filmed with nothing more than a GoPro and a duct tape mount. They are good cameras for the size and price.
I kind of figured that with Six Flags. They wouldn't let me take a flip camera onto the Little Dipper Roller Coaster (which goes 40ft in the air and clocks in with a massive speed of 25 mph).
I did a little detective work on youtube and at Disney parks, people are taking them everywhere!
I feel that it is the future in POV videos and even POV on haunted houses!
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I've seen a ton of people at iron parks with the things harnessed around their chests.