The Most Bizarre Things That Are Banned From Disney Parks

The Disney parks may be some of the happiest places on Earth (although some of their parks are better than others), but that doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want while you're there — or bring whatever you want in through their security gate. We do live in a society, after all, and without at least a basic framework of rules of what to bring and what not to wear, Disney guests might run roughshod all over the parks. 

Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and their many counterparts across the globe all have a laundry list of banned items guaranteed to get you stopped before you even set foot within its hallowed grounds. While a lot of the items are self-explanatory and totally reasonable — please don't bring guns or drugs into the park, for example — others are a little less obvious. We've scoured the fine print of the House of Mouse, and here are some of the most bizarre items that are an immediate no-go in at least some of the Disney parks. Take a look at these and other crucial tips before planning your next Disney vacation.

Pool noodles: An essential item for making the most of your time at the hotel pool, but not, it turns out, suitable for Disney. While you may be asking, why would I want to bring a pool noodle into a theme park — technically you probably could walk into Disneyland or Disney World with one of these bad boys tucked under your arm (although we can't guarantee you won't get some weird looks). The humble pool noodle is only officially banned at the water parks operated by Disney.

We know that standing in Disney lines isn't always the most fun part of your vacation, but unfortunately, you're not allowed to ease your foot pain by bringing along a folding chair. While it might sound like a good idea, the logistical problems become clear almost immediately. Having to move your chair each time the line moves, fighting for chair space in the limited real estate of the fireworks shows, actually carrying the chair with you around the park ... the list goes on and on.

Since Disney puts on a spectacular pyrotechnic show almost every night, they respectfully request that you leave your smoke machines at home. (And frankly, it's weird that they even have to ask.) In a similar vein, you can expect that any fireworks (please don't try to bring fireworks into Disneyland) and fog machines are prohibited as well. This one feels like a common sense rule, but at some point, someone must have tried it.

It's hard enough to weave your way through Disney crowds without having to worry about people making it more complicated by introducing extreme sports into the mix — especially when the people most inclined to strap on a pair of Heelys (read: children) are still working on the whole balance thing. Your kids are not allowed to be on Heelys (or any other brand of wheeled shoe) while in the Disney parks, and skateboards and rollerblades are similarly prohibited.

You know how Disney parks can tend to get a little loud and overstimulating? It should not come as a surprise then that they would like to avoid adding to the din whenever possible. To that end, you're not allowed to bring megaphones into any of the Disney parks. And that's not the end to the war on unnecessary noise. Also included on the naughty list are horns, whistles, and noisemakers.

This one might be received positively by most Disney park attendees. For safety reasons, selfie sticks are banned from all the parks, which really just improves the experience for everyone. Selfie sticks have the potential to damage rides or cause injury to riders. Imagine how many selfie sticks could accidentally cause rides to break down if they were permitted? How many fights would break out over prime selfie positions in front of the castle? At a certain point, Disney has to save us from ourselves.

How can balloons be banned at Disney when the parks themselves sell them, you might ask. Well, balloons are completely fine in most of the parks — in fact, there's primarily one park where they're outright banned. Visitors are not allowed to bring balloons into Animal Kingdom, in an effort to protect the animals from accidentally ingesting them if they fly away. What happens if you bring a balloon over from a different park? Animal Kingdom has actually set up a workaround: Your floating toy will go into Balloon Daycare, which is exactly as adorable as it sounds.

Sorry, cosplay enthusiasts — you're not allowed to wear Disney costumes to any of the parks. This is to avoid confusing other parkgoers into thinking that you're an actual cast member if you interact with them. The one exception is that children age 13 and under are allowed to wear costumes. And if you really have your heart set on dressing up for your visit, Disneybounding — wearing regular clothes in the theme of your favorite Disney character — is a popular alternative.

With this rule, it's the extent to which the face is covered that matters. You're allowed to wear a mask that covers the lower half of your face, as we saw throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And even though masks as part of a costume are permitted for younger guests, they still have to meet Disney's stated guidelines: "Masks may not cover the entire face and must provide unobstructed peripheral vision at all times with openings that allow the eyes to be fully seen."

Although you are allowed to bring coolers into Disney parks — as long as they're on the smaller side, at least — allowing you to save some money by packing your own food for the day, both loose and dry ice are prohibited inside them. Instead, Disney recommends that you invest in reusable ice packs for your visit to the park if you plan on bringing a cooler or lunch bag along with you.

Yes, we know that paper straws get all mushy when they're exposed to liquid. But you're still not allowed to bring plastic straws into certain Disney properties, including the water parks, as well as Animal Kingdom and its adjacent hotel, Animal Kingdom Lodge. The reasoning behind this is similar to the ban on balloons at the soon-to-be-transformed Animal Kingdom — plastic straws represent a choking hazard for the animals that call the park home.

Budding photographers may want to get the perfect pictures of their visit to Disneyland or Disney World, but they'll have to leave some of their equipment at home — namely, their tripods. These are banned almost across the board, from the water parks to the theme parks and even the Disney Springs shopping district. The one loophole? Tripods are allowed if they're small: As long as they don't extend beyond six inches and can fit inside a regular-sized backpack, they're permitted.

Most people aren't planning on wearing dresses with a six-foot train to Disney, but it's still worth noting that the parks prohibit guests from wearing any clothes that drag on the ground, because they constitute a trip hazard. This issue mostly comes up around Disney's many special after-hours events, when visitors may want to wear elaborate costumes to celebrate the occasion. 

You might think that because strollers, wheelchairs, and mobility scooters are generally allowed at Disney resorts, wagons would also be fair game. But that's not the case — wagons are in fact banned at every Disney theme park and water park. There are also restrictions that limit the size of strollers: They can't be "greater than 31 [inches] (79 cm) in width and 52 [inches] (132 cm) in length." And if you think you can sneak by with a stroller-wagon combo vehicle, think again — they're also on the banned list.