Beginning Tuesday, June 30, self-portrait lovers visiting the Happiest Place on Earth will be disarmed of their signature photography tool - the notoriously ubiquitous "selfie stick. In a statement by Disney World spokesperson Kim Prunty, these three-foot sticks are no longer allowed within the premises of all Disney World theme parks. However, Disney hotels and resorts are still selfie stick-friendly zones.

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"We strive to provide a great experience for the family, and unfortunately selfie sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast," Orlando Sentinel quoted Prunty.

The ban will be enforced in Walt Disney World's four Florida parks, two Disneyland parks in California, and DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive in Orlando, USA Today enumerated. Disneylands in Paris and Hong Kong will follow suit the next day, July 1.

The new policy will be posted with other park rules on Disney World's official website. Visitors will also be duly informed with signages at the parking lots, according to CNN. Those who fail to leave their selfie sticks in the car or the hotel will have to surrender the contraption at the main gate and pick up after their tour. Other items Disney World deems "harmful or disruptive" include glass containers, skateboards, inline skates, folding chairs, and wagons.

Previously, the theme parks management already prohibited the use of selfie sticks at certain rides, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. Just last Wednesday, a passenger who pulled out a selfie stick caused the evacuation of other passengers in the middle of the ride and the closing of Disney California Adventure's California Screamin' roller coaster for more than an hour, reported USA Today. The rising number of "no-selfie stick" rule breakers at selected rides prompted the officials to impose the parks-wide ban.

Disney is now one of the many attractions and events all over the world that strictly forbid selfie sticks. The establishments that cite "safety hazard and viewing obstruction" against such use include all 19 Smithsonian museums and galleries, the Museum of Mdern Art, the Getty Center, the National Gallery of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, the Kentucky Derby, the Colosseum in Rome, Brazilian soccer stadiums, the Wimbledon championships, and Coachella music fests.

TagsDisney, Disney World, Selfie, Selfie sticks