Shanghai Disneyland to ban selfie sticks for safety

The selfie stick, which Time magazine listed as one of the best inventions of last year, will be banned for safety concerns in the Shanghai Disneyland resort when it opens in the spring of 2016.

"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 spokeswoman Kim Prunty said. The rules apply to all the Disney resorts and parks in the world, including the one to be opened in Shanghai.

Tourists bringing the apparatus - an extendible pole on which a user can attach a smartphone to take self-portraits - will be requested to put them away in lockers at the entrance. Notices of the prohibition will be posted around the park.