Planning a trip to any Disney park (California, Orlando, Paris, Hong Kong) this summer? Did you buy a “selfie stick”(a popular extendable rod that attach to cellphones and cameras to allow users to take photos of themselves from a distance of about 3 feet) ? You might want to leave that selfie stick at home. Beginning Tuesday, Disney parks are banning the use of selfie sticks.
Disney goers must go through a bag check as they enter any Disney park. Those attempting to bring a selfie stick inside will be given a choice of turning it in and picking it up later, or returning it to a car or hotel room.
Why has the happiest place on Earth ban the use of selfie sticks? It isn’t because they do not want you to take photos or only take photos in certain spots. It is because certain park goers decided it would be a good idea to use the selfie sticks while on rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Californa Screamin’. Recently the Disney’s California Adventure had to shut down the California Screamin’ high-speed roller coaster after a passenger pulled out a selfie stick mid ride. A very big safety risk to both the guests and Disney staff. It may seem like an overreaction but better to overreact than have someone impaled by a stick in the middle of a ride.