Disney Bans the Selfie Stick
In a move celebrated by many, Disney confirmed the ban of selfie sticks from the Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort parks starting June 30, 2015.
The other parks worldwide will soon follow suit, with dates rumored to be as soon as July 1.
What does this mean for you?
Plan to leave your selfie stick in your resort room. Guests found to have them at security will be asked to return them to their car or resort, or they can check the sticks at Guest Services for retrieval later.
If a selfie stick is reported inside the park, guests will be escorted to Guest Services and asked to check the banned item at that time.
As a blogger, I take my selfie stick with me most places. My initial reaction to the ban was a big fat eye roll.
Is this REALLY that much of an issue? It’s one of the tools I, and plenty others like me, use to do my job.
The stick was a fabulous option to get a wider background shot or to include a large group- especially if you are blessed with short, T-Rex like arms.
But then I scanned through my pictures and realized there are practically NO pictures that I’ve taken inside the parks with a selfie stick.
Huh.
I’ve selfied the heck outta myself inside the parks- don’t get me wrong.
Both of which did not require the stick.
And on the race course, selfies are King! Most of my on course pictures are taken as selfies.
But that selfie stick? Fugettabout it.
That stick does NOT fit in my Sparkle Skirt pocket.
Why, yes- I did try it.
Which leads me to the next point: the stick isn’t the easiest item to work with. It weighed down my bag, stuck out awkwardly, and just wasn’t a convenient tool when in a crowd.
Annnndddd…. that’s why Disney felt they had to go. It’s about safety- and safety is core to the Disney philosophy.
I get it.
Runners: take note. I have NO idea how this will be enforced on the race course or at Expo. Our bags are checked before we head into the staging areas, but there are ways around that. For the safety of your fellow runners: leave the sticks at home.
GoPro HERO 
What’s your take on the Selfie Stick? Are you a fan of the ban or a fan of the stick?
Patty Holliday has been running Disney since 2011. She knows just about every tip, trick, and hack there is to cover the runDisney Magical Miles at Disney World and Disneyland. She knows every mile isn’t *always* magical- but with training, tips, and a little bit of pixie dust, they can be a lot of fun! You can also find her at noguiltlife.com and noguiltfangirl.com
“For the safety of your fellow runners”… hear ye, hear ye!
I was at DL earlier this week and I saw a kid nearly lose an eye because he was walking behind a woman who had her selfie stick under her arm sticking out behind her. She stopped short and the kid almost ran into her. So, yeah. Safety. People walking through the parks aren’t thinking about others. I applaud the ban. What’s so wrong with asking someone to take a picture of you if you want one that badly? As a species, we’re gifted with the ability to communicate with each other. Let’s use it.
Sure- you can always ask someone to take a picture for you! Easy enough. 🙂
I was at Disney World in December, and the selfie stick craze hadn’t peaked there yet, but there were a few and they were more of a danger to those around the people. I had people ahead of me in line using it and i about got poked in the face a few times. Plus i’m sure you get people who try to use them on rides and other places where they could wreck equipment.
Most times people around you are happy to do a quick pic if you ask nice.