RE: Walt Disney World and Selfie Sticks

And it looks like Disney has now banned selfie sticks..... According to WDWNT, Walt Disney World Cast Members are already being instructed to advise guests of the new policy that is being strictly enforced."

FYI - WDWNT is a horrible site that is sensationalizing this to gain attention. (congrats to them, I guess, it worked, right? Even if it makes them look stupid.)

Here is the REAL story for anyone that cares:

Selfie Sticks themselves are NOT banned from Walt Disney World (as WDWNT incorrectly reported) but they now fall under the same policy as canes, umbrellas, and tri-pods and have to be "securely stowed" while on an attraction. Since you are still allowed to take photos & video on rides at WDW, that means you can use your selfie stick as long as it's not extended, and it doesn't go any further out than a normal camera would. In short, as long as it's "securely stowed."

We were sent the policy that was delivered to cast members, and it reads:

"As more and more guests use selfie sticks to take photos in our theme parks, we want to remind Cast Members about their proper use & storage. Existing procedures require guests personal belongings to be properly stowed while on board attractions, trams, and other moving vehicles - and this includes selfie sticks. As always, guests are required to keep their hands, arms, feet and legs inside ride vehicles while riding. If you see a guest with a selfie stick entering or waiting in a queue, take a moment to remind them that while onboard the attraction the device must be properly stowed and cannot be used. [extended to length if the guest is holding it]

 

Is this a new policy? No. Guests riding attractions, trams, and other moving vehicles are already asked to securely stow any equipment such as cameras, canes, and other personal belongings - and selfie sticks are in the same category."

In short, selfie sticks are NOT BANNED from Walt Disney World, but the parks are enforcing their already existing personal belongings policy. I would encourage you to share this story, instead of poorly sensationalized garbage from sites like WDWNT.

Thank you.

--Robb

Thank's for the "real" story Robb.

Kinda a bummer that they are not banned all together, but one can still dream.

Kinda a bummer that they are not banned all together, but one can still dream.

Agreed, but remember, my whole beef with them originally wasn't that people were using them, but that people were using them AND they were impacting others around them. I personally couldn't care what someone does at a park as long as it doesn't affect me. but when I'm trying to watch a show and I see this:

that's when I get annoyed! lol

Kudos to Disney for trying to find a "balance" for their guests so that these items can be used without annoying others.

Yeah, I've started to grow more lienient towards selfie sticks as long as they aren't obstructing other peoples views and runing their experience. If you using it for a selfie out of the way of people I might still make fun of you in my mind but at least it's not affecting my experience.

Now that the on-ride/in show selfie stick issue has been addressed can we move onto the bigger issues.....like on-ride/in show ipads? Those are as bad if not worse than selfie sticks. Put you 12 inch screen down, a self stick obstructs your view, an ipad compeltly blocks it!

I hate these selfie sticks. Ban them!!! They are not necessary.

I remember the announcement at some Tokyo Disneysea shows that said to keep cameras at head level. Perhaps we need to provide such an announcement at U.S. Disney parks.

The problem is people still suck. Instead of using them properly as a great tool for making it easier to take group photos, they will use them against the policy, get in trouble, and then blame the park instead of themselves.

I think restricting selfie sticks instead of banning them is the right thing to do. I don't particularly mind them so long as the aren't in my face and completely ruining my view, not to mention that so many people have them that completely banning them will cause a revolution and riots at Disney Properties all over world ( AKA Murica, France, and China).

Selfie sticks are a huge craze to some people and the most annoying things in the world to other people. In Disney world guests have always been asked to stow personal items when board attractions as a matter of safety.

a selfie stick has a knob on the end

I remember the announcement at some Tokyo Disneysea shows that said to keep cameras at head level. Perhaps we need to provide such an announcement at U.S. Disney parks.

That'll be a problem in the States when people decide to bring in sticks with long fixed lengths.

That'll be a problem in the States when people decide to bring in sticks with long fixed lengths.

Simple, don't allow them then. I don't get this obsession with selfies. The pictures come out horrible. God forbid you speak to another human being and ask them to take a freaking photo.

^ Isn't that kind of hypocritical? The whole complaint about selfie sticks is that they get in the way of others and affect other people's visits, but asking someone to stop what they're doing and take a photo of you when you can easily do it yourself isn't rude at all?

What's hypocritical? The fact that I've asked someone if they can take a photo? Usually, people are actually pretty nice about it. I'm also very selective in how I ask. In fact, most of the time I will see a group either trying to take a selfie, or looking for someone to take their group picture. Then I offer to take their photo if they then take mine. 9 out of 10 times someone is more than willing to take the photo for me.

My main point is that we've lost all human interaction.

I remember the announcement at some Tokyo Disneysea shows that said to keep cameras at head level. Perhaps we need to provide such an announcement at U.S. Disney parks.

That'll be a problem in the States when people decide to bring in sticks with long fixed lengths.

My question is why you would want a selfie stick with a "long fixed length." How would you pack it?

"long fixed length."

Giggity

The whole complaint about selfie sticks is that they get in the way of others and affect other people's visits, but asking someone to stop what they're doing and take a photo of you when you can easily do it yourself isn't rude at all?

I'm at the point where I feel like I can barely even read our own forum due to the dumbass comments that keep being posted. I think it would be better to have fewer people on our forum that can make better posts.

Quality > Quantity

This was taken at Tokyo Disneyland, but the premise is the same.

We asked a couple, strolling through the park, if they could take our photo.

And they happily obliged....

Better than any selfie I could take, OR with a selfie stick, hmm? (TPR 2013 Japan Tour)

What's hypocritical? The fact that I've asked someone if they can take a photo? Usually, people are actually pretty nice about it. I'm also very selective in how I ask. In fact, most of the time I will see a group either trying to take a selfie, or looking for someone to take their group picture. Then I offer to take their photo if they then take mine. 9 out of 10 times someone is more than willing to take the photo for me.

 

My main point is that we've lost all human interaction.

This exactly, people are more than willing to take a picture for you.

One time when I was in Duluth, I was taking some pictures of Lake Superior, and a guy approached me asking if I wanted my picture taken in front of the lake.

I would much rather take a few seconds of my day to take someone's photo than to have a bunch of people with three foot long sticks walking around not aware of their surroundings.

Wow those pictures above of the Sea World show is unbelievable, its like a little forest of iphones and gopros. Selfie sticks are about in the UK but, as far as I know, not quite to the same level as it is in the US. However I've had my fair few run-ins with these at the UK parks already...

The problem with selfie sticks are as follows:

1. People use them while walking/talking/during any non-stationary activity. These people become completely unaware of their surroundings walking into other people and stationary objects (lamposts ) This is also why i hate people who text and walk, come on you can stop, write the text (30 seconds max) then carry on your way. I've seen multiple people cross roads while texting too

2. People use them during shows so they can get a rubbish iphone video of a show that they could find on youtube, blocking the view of everyone behind them. (this also happens in concerts grrrr!)

3. People use them on fast moving rides which means one of two things either they'll loose grip on it and it will fly into another unsuspecting riders face causing injury or their phone will smash into ride supports or scenery, obliterating their phone/camera and making me smirk like the Grinch when Christmas got cancelled.

Photo we took ourselves (while on the Knoebel's train)

Photo we politely asked someone to take a picture of us and handed our camera to:

no question whatsoever which is the "better" picture.

selfie sticks are stupid. . ban them all.