Are selfie sticks a problem at the parks / on rides?

[CPanther95]

I've been reading about a lot of issues with selfie sticks at various amusement parks. Rides being delayed or audio interrupted to tell people to keep all items in the boat/car/train, etc. - people getting nailed in the head by idiots walking around parks with their phone 3 or 4 feet out in front of them watching the screen instead of where they're going ....

Can't imagine there are that many self-absorbed, narcissistic tools walking around that they must take endless pictures of themselves (or maybe I'm just in denial about the number of them) - but are there enough that it causes any issues at IOA or US?

Any chance Universal is smart enough to ban them before they become a problem like at other parks?

 

[clsteve]

Lost's of mixed signals on this one. Definite liability and safety issue going forward. But I found it interesting that the Gucci Shop in USF was selling GoPro cams and the sticks when we were there 2 weeks ago. Something's got to give. I just hope all Parks Companies do something proactive and don't wait until the Insurance Companies tell them to because of injuries and damages paid....

 

[phinz]

I had a friend come back from a Universal trip about three weeks who said selfie sticks made him want to rage. Apparently it was pretty bad.

 

[donnajherren]

Selfie sticks exist? I really need to crawl out from under my rock more often.

Then again, SELFIE STICKS? Maybe I'll stay under the rock.

 

[perditax]

I'd be interested in hearing real world examples of people who've had their line of sight ruined by them, versus just finding it infuriating that the human race needs them. I'm definitely down with the second part.

 

[Newsies]

From what I heard, they're everywhere. I heard a story on another thread where a girl accidentally walked into a selfie stick, which made the phone fall off and crack, and one of the men in the party started screaming at her and tried to get her information down to sue her. Please selfie responsibly, people!

 

[clsteve]

I'd be interested in hearing real world examples of people who've had their line of sight ruined by them, versus just finding it infuriating that the human race needs them. I'm definitely down with the second part.

They were pretty much everywhere. I lost count of the times I heard TM's warning the ride would not start until the sticks were put away. DR Doom, ET, Disaster, and JPRR, were all rides that were delayed, stopped, or the audio cut into during the ride because of them.

Real world, 3rd week of Jan...

 

[ladybugx]

I can't believe these things have caught on! Blatant displays of narcissism used to be looked down upon lol. I have seen a lot of families using them to get pictures of their entire groups. I understand the appeal in a sense but wish people didn't seem to forget the original way of taking pictures at the same time.

 

[CPanther95]

Somebody should figure out how to put a mirror finish on textbook pages. Maybe some of these geniuses wouldn't be in a position where they can figure out how to send real time video of themselves to a friend in Honolulu, but couldn't pick out the Pacific Ocean on a map of Hawaii.

 

[bumbershoot]

From what I heard, they're everywhere. I heard a story on another thread where a girl accidentally walked into a selfie stick, which made the phone fall off and crack, and one of the men in the party started screaming at her and tried to get her information down to sue her. Please selfie responsibly, people!

That was at WDW, though.

I lost count of the times I heard TM's warning the ride would not start until the sticks were put away. DR Doom...

That's definitely someone not even thinking. Losing your grip on something in your hand on Doom would be so so so so bad for the person on the ground who gets hit by it. Definitely a day-changer for them. (week, month...life, possibly, even)

I saw none on rides this last time, but we didn't go on a lot of rides.

But I saw them all over the parks.

It became so fun to approach people taking pictures of themselves with the sticks and say "would you like us to take your picture? we'd be happy to", to see the gopro brainwashing drop from their eyes, remember that there are BETTER ways of having a picture of yourself taken, and hand over their camera/phone. I urge everyone to do that to people with a stick or doing the awkward "can my arm go any longer?" selfie thing. Remind people of better ways of doing things, one group at a time!

 

[macraven]

From what I heard, they're everywhere. I heard a story on another thread where a girl accidentally walked into a selfie stick, which made the phone fall off and crack, and one of the men in the party started screaming at her and tried to get her information down to sue her. Please selfie responsibly, people!

my type of people.........accidently walking into selfie sticks.

 

[schumigirl]

We saw a good few of them in September around the parks and did comment they had obviously replaced the annoying ipad being held up in from of you, which had been so prevalent the year before.

We did have an incident on Dr Doom and JP with them. Like people who take ride pictures when they're not supposed to, they use these without regard for other people and think that it's ok.....as long as they are happy.

A guy bumped into me and DH while he was using and walking with one and didn't see us..........he did apologise but carried on regardless.........I would have no hesitation in telling someone politely where to stick it though if it hit me or my family while they were using it.

I hope they're a gimmick and disappear as quickly as they seem to have popped up.

 

[johde]

I saw quite a few of them on my trip a month ago. But, I don't think I ever saw them on the rides. Universal long ago has taken a much more proactive position about loose articles on many of the their thrill rides compared to Disney.

 

[RMulieri]

They are BAD in the Universal parks.We just got back, not only was it South American tour group time, but imagine all those large tour groups ( plus just about everyone else) holding selfie sticks..I got smacked in the head SOOOOO many times with them.DH got hit so many times by one person in particular he turned around and told them the next time he got hit , the stick was going where the sun doesn't shine..LOL...and he never gets upset or vocal in themeparks , but it was that frustrating..Every show had a sea of them sticking up, making seeing anything a challenge. .Rides were Mostly ok since Universal is a little more strict with loose articles, but trying to board the Hogwarts express was a challenge because we would get stuck behind people walking and filming the entire walk thru the queue and up into the train.

 

[macraven]

They are BAD in the Universal parks.We just got back, not only was it South American tour group time, but imagine all those large tour groups ( plus just about everyone else) holding selfie sticks..I got smacked in the head SOOOOO many times with them.DH got hit so many times by one person in particular he turned around and told them the next time he got hit , the stick was going where the sun doesn't shine..LOL...and he never gets upset or vocal in themeparks , but it was that frustrating..Every show had a sea of them sticking up, making seeing anything a challenge. .Rides were Mostly ok since Universal is a little more strict with loose articles, but trying to board the Hogwarts express was a challenge because we would get stuck behind people walking and filming the entire walk thru the queue and up into the train.

i would pay good money to see that stickie shoved up.....

suggest the next time this happens, you and the Mr should start singing 100 bottles of beer on the wall jingle.
sing it loudly and with gusto....
what fun the stick people will have when they review their video and hear you singing at the top of your lungs.

 

[Marlea98]

We were at Universal in December '13 and only saw a couple of people walking around with selfie sticks. It's obviously become a real problem since then My husband was in a helicopter recently and another passenger had a selfie stick, fliming himself not looking at the selfie stick/camera and trying to pretend it wasn't there. My husband asked, in a not so quiet voice, "why are you filming yourself and trying to make it look like someone else is filming you?" The selfie stick was soon put away for the rest of the flight

 

[clsteve]

We were at Universal in December '13 and only saw a couple of people walking around with selfie sticks. It's obviously become a real problem since then My husband was in a helicopter recently and another passenger had a selfie stick, fliming himself not looking at the selfie stick/camera and trying to pretend it wasn't there. My husband asked, in a not so quiet voice, "why are you filming yourself and trying to make it look like someone else is filming you?" The selfie stick was soon put away for the rest of the flight

You know, it's interesting. 99% of the Selfie Sticks I saw were being used by Guests from South America. We were there during BTG time.

I don't know if it's just caught on earlier for them, is just bigger down there or even is just something that's encouraged or facilitated by the Tour Companies. We noticed more BTG's this year, but had no issues whatsoever. all the ones we ran into were better behaved and we saw the tour guides more engaged.

The sticks on rides were the only big issue. Some seemed to be a communication problem. And much of it seemed to be them trying to get that last pic in just before the ride took off.

I don't know. Maybe this fad will pass quickly. It would be a very disappointing vacation for me if all I came back with were pictures of myself.....

 

[Marlea98]

You know, it's interesting. 99% of the Selfie Sticks I saw were being used by Guests from South America. We were there during BTG time.

I don't know if it's just caught on earlier for them, is just bigger down there or even is just something that's encouraged or facilitated by the Tour Companies. We noticed more BTG's this year, but had no issues whatsoever. all the ones we ran into were better behaved and we saw the tour guides more engaged.

The sticks on rides were the only big issue. Some seemed to be a communication problem. And much of it seemed to be them trying to get that last pic in just before the ride took off.

I don't know. Maybe this fad will pass quickly. It would be a very disappointing vacation for me if all I came back with were pictures of myself.....

The people that we saw with them were couples, probably because they had nobody to film or photograph them. I didn't pay too much attention to them - how long they were walking with them or what was behind them, but I remembered them because it was the first time we had ever seen anyone with them. They've just started to catch on here in Australia, too. Luckily, where I live, they aren't a real problem - yet.

 

[scrabblegirl]

I did notice a lot of them, but I'd rather have a selfie camera sticking out instead of a guy standing 8 feet away trying to take a picture while everyone has to walk around.

 

[disneydude365]

I'm on the fence i see them as a good thing for taking better selfies with larger groups or more than one person. the whole groups in the photo without handing your camera/phone over to someone else and risk being stolen. (yeah yeah whats to stop someone from running up and plucking it off stick)

but for one person it may give a better shot but if you're at disney by yourself and your worried about a selfie.. thats where the issues start