Oh no! Not the Selfie-Sticks...

[Pfau]

A CM reprimanded a guest who was playing with one at Festival of the Lion King. Thank goodness.

 

[Pfau]

CaptainCook, I just watched some of your GoPro video and can see why you enjoy using your selfie stick. You've a beautiful family and being able to relive the trip for years and years to come is priceless.

 

[WillAustin]

I see selfie-sticks every time I go to the parks now. It's SO annoying but just part of a changing culture. Better get used to it!

There is a growing trend that is moving toward banning their use in several places.

Here's the ride photo of me on Splash Mountain using my selfie stick:

It's resting on the car in front of me, not over someone's head or blocking someone's view. I'm holding the stick in my hand while I'm on the ride. It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the ride in any way. YMMV.

Honestly, you don't need the stick to get that picture. The camera isn't even an arm's length away from you. That's not how most people use them.

 

[Jennasis]

It's tethered in two places, which is more than I can say for hats, sunglasses, scarves, purses, regular camera bags, backpacks, etc. If those are also banned then I would have no problem with a restriction here too.



To each their own… you experience your vacation the way you see fit, as I will with mine.

Tethered? Could you explain/show us? Cause I'm picturing a loop around the wrist...not what I would feel safe using on a ride like Splash, and I would refuse to ride with another person who had one.

 

[conandrob240]

Eh. The sticks aren't anywhere near as annoying as the people who think iPads make great cameras.

 

[Magpie]

I do not need you to tell me anything about volunteering. I did not ask for, nor do I need your suggestions for raising my daughter, and not once did I bring up the subject of volunteering. Not that it's any of your business, but our entire family is extremely active in the community. We give our time and our money.

Hey, I wrote that volunteering with kids is great and you responded...

"Oh puh lease. My daughter is 4."

So I naturally assumed you meant your daughter is too young to be active in the community! Glad to hear I was wrong, of course. I assume your busy volunteering schedule explains why you decided to revive a conversation with me from January 31st, in order to let me know that I'd offended you!

 

[phinz]

IMHO, we need to spend less time taking pictures and more time in the moment. No need to document the entire day to "remember the trip." If you experience the trip, you'll remember it....

 

[minniemous]

It does. I use a Gopro camera with no LCD screen on it. You need to know from experience where to aim it. And I hold it vertically at arms length from my body - so two feet, not four.

My point is - live and let live. If I'm not directly interfering with you, then leave me be. Selfie sticks aren't rude. People who use them can be rude. But not all of them.

It seems clear you are one among the rare thoughtful users of the selfie stick. Unfortunately that does not matter if most people are not using them in the same manner as you. When I was there in November it was really, really annoying. It was most noticeable at the Osbourne Lights in Hollywood studios.

That show is crowded enough as is but with people taking up double the room with those sticks as they parade around and swing them left and right. They almost used them as a get out of my way technique because when there is a camera on a stick headed for your face you tend to try and get out of the way.

I really think it is ridiculous. For every one person using the apparatus like you there are 50 who are not.

 

[MIGrandma]

We saw quite a few people with selfie sticks in the parks, but they were taking selfies with friends/family, like off to the side of the walkway, or in front of a building, etc. Nothing intrusive to anyone else. There was only one I saw on The Great Movie Ride at Hollywood Studios, in front of us on the ride. It wasn't too annoying, if I wanted to take a photo I would just wait until the guy and his selfie stick were out of the picture then I would snap one. One nice thing with the selfie sticks is they stop people from asking others to take a photo of them with their friends/family. With the selfie sticks they can do it themselves.

 

[MonorailCentral]

I have a GoPro pole, but am always very conscious of those around me, and how I might be affecting their view or personal space. I encountered far more kids going on shoulders at the last minute that ruined my view of the castle/show/parade. I enjoy using the pole to get some great candid shots of my group when they aren't posing for a picture. Hold it unobtrusively like you aren't shooting anything at all (and not extended out), and I can end up with some great shots when they aren't busy getting in a specific pose. Of course, you also get people flipping the camera off in the background, but that is why I shoot burst shots and time lapse. You can get a bunch of images and shake out the crap for a great shot. Used PhotoPass as a supplement last time, and that was great, but we get so many more interesting shots with our cameras, too.

It really is about people being respectful using the equipment or kids on their shoulders. There is no end to people unaware of those around them...
Flash photos in dark rides, ipad video at night, selfie sticks, scooters, large/overpacked strollers, tour groups, family of 6 walking 6 across down the street, fighting family, overtired family, "do you know how much I spent on this!" family, talk through the ride groups, etc.

 

[pharaoh]

Sorry to say, but I don't see Disney banning these any time soon, as much as it seems to annoy the people in this thread.

Disney just gave free WDW trips to a bunch of YouTubers in exchange for blogging and vlogging their trips over the past couple weeks, and many of them were using selfie sticks to capture their moments. If Disney is trying to promote their resort more to the social media crowd, I expect that this kind of thing will be embraced and will continue.

Personally, I think they look a bit awkward but my vacations have not been personally affected by anyone using a selfie stick, so to each their own, IMO.

 

[mom2rtk]

Honestly, you don't need the stick to get that picture. The camera isn't even an arm's length away from you. That's not how most people use them.

Yep. Definitely the exception to how most will choose to use them. And unfortunately they cannot effectively ban improper use. If they decide to do something, they will just ban them outright.

The one on Splash with us was used to hold the camera way outside of the log. I just see too much risk to the parts of the ride, and potentially other riders for this to continue.

I really enjoy on-ride photography. I really hope if they decide to do something that it won't catch up all cameras in the sweep.

 

[brookmey]

My son and I were at Disney World last week and I saw lots of selfie sticks. But I had no idea what they were until I read this thread! I didn't see any being used on rides, but I did see a lot of them being used for group pictures in front of the castle, etc. I didn't really think much of them since they weren't in the way.

What bothered me more was the amount of selfies people were taking in lines and just before a ride would start. On BTMRR, a mom held up our line because she wanted a selfie with her daughter but she kept holding her phone wrong so the picture always cut one of them off. She took 6 pictures before she was happy. Meanwhile, the line was held up the whole time because no one could get past them (due to the narrow lanes) and she didn't seem to care at all about that.

Another time on BTMRR some teenage girls were taking selfies just before the ride was about to take off. A CM kept saying "please secure all personal belongings" but the girls didn't pay any attention and kept taking pictures. Finally the CM just started the ride, causing a couple girls to drop their phones in their car. We were sitting in front of the group and they pretty much complained throughout the ride about how rude that CM was.

 

[UpstateMick]

"Finally the CM just started the ride, causing a couple girls to drop their phones in their car."

That's awesome! to that CM!

 

[mom2rtk]

"Finally the CM just started the ride, causing a couple girls to drop their phones in their car."

That's awesome! to that CM!

I really don't think they have a choice. They can't hold up ride cars for everyone trying to take a picture.

But I am glad to hear that's how they proceeded with it.

 

[draybook]

So taking your own pictures all over the parks is "narcissistic" but having a PhotoPass photographer take them isn't?.......

 

[WillAustin]

So taking your own pictures all over the parks is "narcissistic" but having a PhotoPass photographer take them isn't?.......

Yes.

From an interesting article on this at http://www.returnofkings.com/39946/have-we-reached-peak-narcissism-with-the-selfie-stick:

"The selfie stick represents the beginning of peak narcissism, because it shows that Americans are willing to look absurd in real life and ruin actual experiences to look better in the digital world. "

 

[ChimneyJim]

I see the stick as a photographic tool to get a certain type of shot that cannot be achieved in most cases without it. It places the camera in a spot it could not otherwise occupy and therefore creates an image of interest. While PhotoPass is great and I use it there are so many versions of essentially the same shot that it gets monotonous. Tools like sticks, wrist mounts, chest mounts, action cams and such provide us with different ways to capture the moment in a fun, exciting and interesting way.

Looks like Disney is fine with it. They just posted a video on Walt Disney World Facebook page promoting You Tube "Stars" creating videos. Lots of sticks used.

 

[volfan1978]

Bottom line...people have the right to make themselves look ridiculous (remember the fanny pack?), and as long as they don't interrupt or interfere with anyone else's vacation then I've got no issue. But the first time someone touches me or one of my children with one, it's going sideways up one of their orifices of my choosing.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

I hate to complain and truly I try to keep it off the boards, but I am going to chime in here...... in November, it seemed like everybody was holding up selfie sticks, ipads and tablets and taking pictures on every single ride. I have never seen it that bad. We rode the Nemo ride three times and every time it was nonstop flashing. Same with Pirates and Haunted Mansion. It was impossible to enjoy a dark ride or see a parade or firework show. Very frustrating.