I'm not picking on you robin it's just your comments spoke to me because I could see your viewpoint but had thoughts on them:
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve exited a ride and a newbie family excitedly rushes to the monitors to see the photo but that excitement turns into disappointment when they realize the adult in front of them has blocked the face of one of their children with their raised hands. Once it was me and I felt terrible.
A little consideration goes a long way.
I have been doing this for a while: I simply keep my hands down when the photo is taken. It’s really not difficult once you know where the cameras are and those of us who go a lot know exactly where the photos are taken. Have your hands up high before the photo, down during the photo and then back up high and proud. Your ride experience is altered only slightly and the family behind you has the opportounity to bring home a photographic memory. Those photos don’t mean a lot to me, but they do to some families.
However, you can get blocked by a number of things. A head tilted the wrong way, a taller person, someone with broader shoulders, etc.
This happens on multiple types of rides. Kong at Universal for example is not going to be as fun if you can't see the screens because of people. At WDW Safaris at AK isn't as fun if there are people around you as they block your ability to see animals, Soarin' isn't quite as fun if you're not in the middle since the distortion is a real issue, shows you go see at either park isn't as fun if there are tall people around you and you're on the shorter side, etc
You realistically cannot expect everyone around you to constantly be thinking about where their body is with the various rides on each ride or shows and you especially wouldn't have rides go out with a handful of people simply to make it perfect viewing for all.
I will admit that at fireworks viewing having parents put kids on their shoulders is a bit different in my viewpoint.
Are you saying that you don't know where the cameras are?
No I honestly don't know except on drop rides where that's pretty clear (Splash, Jurassic Park River Adventure and Dudley Do Right Ripsaw Falls).
Here's my first POC ride after they reinstalled the skull and had an on picture ride (clearly none of us knew about it) My husband is in the bright green shirt and I'm in the white mickey mouse shirt:
This BTW was the only time the photo actually made it to my
MDE account. We rode it multiple times and it only worked this one time.
Here's my first FEA ride (we're in the very back):
We didn't know when the photo was being taken..look at our bored faces lol
And despite riding 7DMT I really don't think I could pinpoint exactly when they take the photos and video.
Honestly, I think I would rather enjoy the moment of the ride instead of constantly worrying about how my photo would turn out and that even goes for the drop rides. I enjoyed the photos no doubt but our second FEA ride I would too focused on remembering where the flash would occur that I didn't quite pay much attention to the ride:
We're in the front and notice how just me sitting naturally (funny enough like the instruction photo a PP put in with hands sitting on the lap) the two kids behind me are nearly completely covered up and in the 3 row the baby and the woman holding the baby actually on the ride is nearly covered up by the woman's arms holding the baby and by the woman in front of the baby (her head just happened to be positioned that way but a slight movement to the other direction would have covered up the baby and the woman holding the baby).
Ride photos are just always a risk.
There’s the rub. It just seems that this whole thread is about how everyone is out for themselves. Get lost, my photo memory is more important than your hand-waving. Get lost, my hands-up thrill is more important than your stupid photo.
There really is a middle ground:
1) Like I mentioned before. If you know where the cameras are simply keep your hands down for those couple of seconds.
2) if you want to guarantee that you get a photo with no obstruction, ask for the front row.
3) If you want to hold your hands up the whole time and not obstruct anyone, ask for the back row.
People have been holding their hands up on rides long before photos on rides were a thing. It's really just part of amusement park/theme park atmosphere.
With all due respect there's not a lot of middle ground that I see in your options. I really don't even know if there can be middle ground here.
Is it really realistic for a company to have a policy where anyone who wants to put their hands up rides in the back? I cannot even imagine the lines for that since it means only a few people would be able to ride per ride car each time since you can only have the back row. Some rides don't even allow guests to request specific rows as it can add to length of lines and clog up the loading area.
I do think the suggestion to request the front row is good however I question how that would actually work in the grand scheme because of the sheer number of guests who would want to do so just to get that photo if word got out that's the trick to getting the perfect photo. It works to a point now because enough people don't care about what ride position they are in and/or accept ride photos how they come out. If enough people requested the front on a particular ride and the company the ride is in saw a negative impact on guest experience via wait times, too many requesting, etc they may discontinue allowing the option so that is a risk (as I mentioned not all rides at amusement parks/theme parks allow you to request specific rows).
Your first option just seems to take part of the fun out of actually riding a ride-i.e. having to overthink everything about it. I know I know consideration and I'm honestly normal for consideration of those around you..it's just this one IDK practically speaking I'm envisioning "oh oh this is so much fun..oh wait I think the camera is coming up better keep hands down align my head just perfect with the persons behind me (wait how are the people behind me positioned!?) for the 2 seconds {I really don't know how long just guessing} of passing the camera and then I can go back to full enjoyment". IDK maybe I'm overthinking that part too lol.
I hear you on what you're thinking but I think this is one of those unrealistic things IMO.
Where he can be accommodating and step back he will, but he can't in all instances and frankly, it's not fair for others to assume he will or to think he has to just because he is tall. I tell this to you all just as a reminder that people should not have to worry about others all the time... if my son had to do that constantly, he'd never have any fun. To me, asking people not to raise their arms on rides is similar to asking a tall person to move... just let people be and figure out where you need to go to get what you want.
