Do you think Walt Disney World is right to ban selfie sticks on attractions?

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Selfie sticks: Love ’em or leave ’em?

In case you’re like David Letterman and need an introduction to the monopods that allow tourists and social-media users to take better-positioned photos of themselves, allow me to explain. These sticks essentially extend the reach of your arm to allow for better composition of a self-portrait with your smartphone. Selfie sticks secure smartphones on one end, and users press a Bluetooth button on the other – or use a remote control – to snap the shot.

To be sure, selfie sticks have been gaining in popularity during the past year, and they sat firmly atop many holiday wish lists recently. Perhaps adding to their popularity is the inexpensive nature of the devices; entry-level selfie sticks can be had for less than $10.

Certainly, here in Orlando we have a greater opportunity than some cities to witness (and experience?) selfie sticks because of all our tourist attractions. And, of course, they are prominently visible at the theme parks. It’s becoming quite common to see selfie sticks on Main Street, U.S.A., in the Magic Kingdom, as visitors pose for their iconic photos in front of Cinderella Castle.

However, selfie sticks are not allowed to be used on rides at Walt Disney World. (They can be stowed, along with other personal items, on the rides.) Still, guests are not getting the message, so the resort and its sister theme parks at Disneyland have posted warning signs near some attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, according to various media reports.

“Thunder Mountain has had an especially high number of incidents in which the ride had to be stopped because of selfie-stick use,” the Orlando Sentinel recently reported.

As someone who documents with photos and video much of what I do in the theme parks, I just can’t understand the need to use a selfie stick on a roller coaster. Is shooting that video really worth the very real possibility of injuring yourself or someone else on the ride? Especially when the images probably aren’t going to be that stellar anyway as your smartphone bounces at the end of a 3-foot stick.

Walt Disney World is not the first tourist attraction to ban selfie sticks, though many of the other venues have done so more because the poles interfere with other visitors’ experiences rather than their safety.

Have an opinion? Tell us what you think about selfie-stick use in the theme parks in the comments below.


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22 Replies to “Do you think Walt Disney World is right to ban selfie sticks on attractions?”

  1. THANK YOU Disney for banning selfie sticks from the rides. I agree they should also ban them from the parks. For years I was picked on by my family for taking too many photos. Photos that they now look back on and treasure. However, I have never taken a selfie or used a selfie stick and I use a camera, not a phone or an ipad. Not only do I ask people to take pictures of us, I will also stop and ask people if they’d like me to take their pictures. They are always accommodating and thrilled with both and sometimes it opens up a conversation. I have also been in Fantasmic with people using ipads to take pictures above their heads blocking my view. They’ve always apologized and lowered the ipad. If they didn’t, I would ask a Cast Member to handle. Come on people. Get off your phones. Enjoy the parks and enjoy the people in the parks.

  2. Since this original article, WDW has banned selfie sticks from the parks, not just the rides. I think Disney made a great move with the ban. I use both my camera & my phone to take pictures in the parks. I will admit to taking the occasional selfie, but I always try to make sure I’m not in someone else’s way when I do it, and I never do it on a dark ride or during a show. I would never get one of those selfie sticks, personally, I think they’re obnoxious.

  3. Unfortunately, there are a lot of inconsiderate people. We were on the people mover and some idiot, instead of paying attention to his wife and 2 kids, was on his pad or phone the whole time. So going through the dark parts which should have been fun and relaxing, all we could see was this glowing pad in front of us. And can you imagine someone getting beaned or blinded because of a selfie stick? I think they should be ejected from the park since just warning doesn’t seem to do the trick.

  4. Agree they should be banned. Selfish sticks comment was right on. Have asked people around the world to use our camera to take a “special” picture of us, no problem. In Paris we could barely see the Mona Lisa because of all the sticks and silly photos being taken.

  5. Ban, yes absolutely. Try getting a bang in the face with one. IT HURTS ! If folk want a photo taken ask somebody. Its a great way to just say Hello to someone from another (or same) part of the world.

  6. Someone could get hurt or this stick could fly out of the car and damage the ride. Now you have dozens of people affected. You know the saying “Stupid is as stupid does”? Disney is right. They need to protect the guests.

  7. I would like to see them banned from the parks, period. While visiting in January of this year, I was hit with them twice, and had to walk around them as they were stuck into walkways repeatedly. I feel they are becoming a safety hazard, as more and more people are acting carelessly with them. I now call them “selfish sticks”.

  8. Absolutely!!! And if/when I see someone disregard the rule while in the parks, I’ll be quick to point out their infraction.
    If you’ve ever been on a dark-ride (e.g. Haunted Mansion) and heard a guy yelling “Turn off the Flash!” that was probably me.
    Just recently, while riding “Under the Sea” at MK, I had to repeatedly “Remind” a very inconsiderate “guest” to shut his flash off. They just don’t care about anyone around them because they are self-centered jerks that think the World revolves around them.

    End of Rant…..

  9. Like others I wish they would be banned entirely, but I don’t expect that will happen. On a recent one-week trip I only saw one selfie stick so they may not be a sufficient problem to justify a complete ban. On the other hand there is nothing to be spoiled by such a ban; for many years cast members and other guests have taken hundreds of thousands of photos for guests either solo or in groups.

  10. I agree that selfie sticks are a danger and an inconsiderate practice on attractions. They can also be a danger to people walking by running into them. I suggest using Disney’s professional photographers and the ride photos taken by Disney. On our last trip to WDW in February 2015 our family used the Memory Maker service. No large cameras were carried by any of us. A few cell phone photos were taken but the professional photos are so much better. I would like to see these devices prohibited in the parks entirely. Put your phone away and enjoy yourself and your companions!

  11. I am disappointed that WDW even needs to consider a policy for selfie sticks! Why can’t people be responsible and considerate? I have a selfie stick and use it in a responsible way and wouldn’t dream of getting it out of my bag on any ride or show! I use mine around the parks but I hope I never get in anyone’s way with it. Yes you can ask other people to take photos for you and people are so obliging and we are grateful for the offers BUT some people are not terribly good with a camera – we have had pictures with people missed off or blurred pictures or heads missing so I would prefer to not only ask people to take photos but also take some photos myself. Sometimes we are lucky enough to find ourselves alone so we can’t ask anyone. So please don’t ban selfie sticks altogether – but I am all for banning them on the rides and attractions. Can I ask the small minority to please not spoil it for the rest of us.

  12. Sadly, they only have to do this because some people think they need to be using them every place they are rather than just enjoying the moment they are in.
    I believe that they’ll eventually ban them all together. Unfortunately, some folks are just unaware or don’t care about their surroundings and seem to bump and bonk people with them.

  13. I personally think that Disney needs to ban them from the resort completely. I have already read of instances where a narcissistic selfie user has hit someone while trying to use it all over the place, even inside of restaurants!

  14. I completely agree with the policy. Selfie sticks have too many potential dangers to be allowed on rides. Our last trip, my daughter had to dodge a few just walking through the park. I understand wanting photos to remember a Disney trip, but everyone should try to take a few moments to “Stop and smell the turkey legs” and just enjoy the Disney experience.

  15. I am against the selfie stick on rides. They are unsafe for riders, not only for the person holding the stick but for the people in back of the person. For fast rides something falling can really injure a rider if it lands on their heads.

    If the stick lands on the ride itself, it can cause malfunction of the ride.

    Along with these safety hazards, sticks block views for other people. A little consideration goes a very long way.

  16. I think it’s a good policy. Disney guests should be happy that they’re actually allowed to use cameras on rides as almost all amusement parks ban camera use on rides for safety. I’ve been on roller coaster lift hills that were stopped because someone had a camera out. Disney also allows bags on rides which is also unheard of at other parks. Disney does a good job at finding the right balance between rider safety and convenience. I think they got the balance right with this policy too.

  17. I don’t believe anyone needs a picture that badly. People forget that there are others behind or near them that flash photography, large ipad usage and self sticks disturb.

  18. I would be really “upset” if I was riding Thunder Mountain with my family and it had to be stopped because someone with a selfie stick was taking a video.
    It’s worse than people toting around ipads the size of small TV’s taking pictures, but at least they have the sense not to use them on rides.
    Maybe I’m just old school, but is it so bad to walk around and talk to one another and not have your face buried in a phone?

  19. I’m glad they are banned on rides. It’s for safety of everyone. Also, you pay a lot for a park ticket, stand in a line to ride the ride, why worry about taking video or a picture? Just sit and enjoy the experience. There are plenty of YouTube videos of rides that you can view to relive the experience anyway.

  20. Count me as one that does not see the need for selfies sticks….. But I’m also not one to take selfies. I like more than my head in a picture.

  21. Disney (and all public venues) have a right to ban/limit the use of any item or behavior that compromises guests’ safety or detracts from their experience.

    If I were ever on a high speed ride where someone was using a selfie-stick, I would be more preoccupied with wondering what may happen if the person loses control of the item, vs. enjoying the ride.

  22. I agree with this policy. Some people are so inconsiderate and to some extents stupid with what they will do for a photograph or video. The last time my family were at Fantasmic we had to sit behind 3 women who decided it would be good to film the show on their iPads. To get the best view they held their iPads above their heads right in our sight line! I’ve seen the same thing at fireworks and stage shows too.