If you’re thinking about taking a trip to Walt Disney’s wonderfully whimsical theme parks this year, make sure to leave your selfie stick at home.
Disney announced this morning that it’s placing a ban on all selfie sticks starting next week, due to safety concerns.
“We strive to provide a great experience for the entire family and unfortunately selfie sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast,” said Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty.
Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California will ban selfie sticks starting on Tuesday, June 30th. Other Disney-run theme parks in Paris and Hong Kong will also ban selfie sticks starting on July 1.
Selfie sticks had already been banned on rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain. Guest have still busted out their narcissistic sticks, which has caused Disney to shut down numerous rides due to the hazard of whipping around a rollercoaster track with a three-foot metal stick that could impale riders at any moment.
To promote the new ban, Disney will install signs in the parking lot encouraging guests to leave their selfie sticks in their cars. There will also be an area at park entrances where you can check your selfie stick and instead use the magic of a friend to capture your magical moments.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
9 responses to “Disney officially bans selfie sticks from theme parks”
Dont think I ever saw a story of someone being impaled by one. I always thought the selfie stick was weird.
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So by numerous rides, you actually meant one ride being stopped once. I don’t own one but I don’t understand the asinine contempt for them.
Selfie Sticks are just another example of our narcissistic society. One of these days we will have little movie cameras following us around our whole life, capturing exerting at the right angle.. In that way we can rewind our life like a motion picture. Can’t wait…
Agreed…people sure have some over-inflated egos….I hope they ban them EVERYWHERE……
OMG it’s a miracle come true!! Not to just get the US senate to ban them EVERYWHERE and we got a real winner here. Are people really that narcissistic to use a selfie stick to show “Hey, look at me” I’m in a place no one cares I’m at except me and the people I’m with….I’m embarrassed for anyone using one of these glorified twigs…..
I disagree on my part. I can’t imagine who would want to carry a selfie stick on a theme park ride, that would definitely be dangerous as there is a lesser degree of control. However, it has been immensely useful on travels with my fiancee when there may not be people around to help us take pictures. It also provides a slightly better level of security when you don’t want to risk people running off with your phone. I don’t find it narcissistic but more of capturing memories to enjoy in years to come :)
Disney is fooling only a few. The real reason for this is to make it harder for a family to take their own photos vs. buying them from the Disney PhotoPass Service. You’re still allowed to bring in all kinds of things as dangerous as a photo stick including a DSLR camera!
As for those of you who hate those sticks, you need to remember that people have been taking photos of themselves long before the sticks were around. Doing it from a stick does not change anything. It only makes it easier. The name for that is not narcissism; it’s called progress.