Disneyland and Walt Disney World have officially banned selfie sticks inside the parks. In a statement to the press, a Disney spokesperson cited safety concerns as one of the reasons for the ban.
“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,” Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said.
Disney parks are already incredibly crowded places. People carrying around three-foot poles are bound to create problems. And that’s not even considering how dangerous and annoying selfie sticks are going to be on rides.
The Disney World and Disneyland bans take effect on June 30. Disney parks in Paris and Hong Kong will begin enforcing the ban on July 1.
Disney isn’t the first place to ban selfie sticks though. More and more places that attract large crowds are banning selfie sticks due to disruptive behavior and safety concerns.
Selfie sticks are a pet peeve of mine, and they certainly get on my nerves even more so in crowded places. As a frequent Disney vacationer, I’m happy to see this ban put into effect.
Do other photographers feels the same way I do about selfie sticks? Is there some other device or photo feature that bugs you even more? Let me know in the comments.
[via Gizmodo]
Image credit: Photo by e-coli
Agreed that selfie sticks are the bane of modern society – morons who feel the need to include themselves in snapshots at the cost of irritating (at the least) or hurting (at the worst) others need to be taught a little courtesy. Look at what happened at the Tour de France and the Hong Kong marathon where vain and self-indulgent idiots caused accidents.
I’m with the growing number of people, including photographers that truly despise selfie sticks. My wife and I have been traveling through Spain, Germany and Austria for the past month and I can’t believe how obtuse the users of these devices are. They should be banned in cathedrals and war memorials and everywhere else that evokes a thoughtful contemplative response… They and the idiots that use them are an unbelievable annoyance.
When my family and I visited Disney World a few years ago, (pre-selfie era), we never had a problem finding other visitors happy to take family photos with our camera. It was a real camera by the way, not a cell phone with pretensions. Likewise, I often volunteered to perform the same function for others when I noticed photos were in the offing. It was also a great way to meet people, often foreign visitors, and photography became a mutual communication tool when language failed.