Disney eliminating plastic straws

[ToxicRoyalty]

I have a partially paralyzed lip due to tongue cancer surgery. I drink all hot or cold drinks with a plastic straw. Not having a straw is very difficult for me. A paper straw will not hold up to coffee or tea.

I plan on getting the metal straws, but I question how hot the straw will be with them. I do not have feeling in my mouth, and I am concerned about possible burns.
I will follow Disney’s decision. I don’t want to cause any problems.


Does anyone know if Disney will be selling the metal or silicone straws?
Thanks for your answers.

We don't know if they will be selling anything like that yet, however, Disney does offer reusable, hard plastic straws with the shape of a Mickey Head in them for maybe 50 cents at most quick service places. That is an option if you wanted to purchase that during a trip and keep it with you.

But I also want to note- Disney made a point in saying guests who do need the straws will be able to ask for them. Feel free to ask! You will not be causing any problems or issues, as you're exactly the kind of guest they are keeping some straws available for.

 

[mamabunny]

Please do-thanks. But don't wait too long with the report. I'll be there in 3 1/2 weeks.

Well, neither one of us has to wait: the "Strawpocalypse" has begun! (From AJ at the Disney Food Blog)

Also, I bet you are arriving about the time we are leaving!

 

[Hoodie]

Interesting - it looks like they've scaled back a bit and straws are now just not offered for adults, but kids still get them. I figured they would get backlash from parents. Not to mention the increased probability of spills. They'd be spending a lot of CM hours with beverage cleanup.

 

[Lilsia]

We don't know if they will be selling anything like that yet, however, Disney does offer reusable, hard plastic straws with the shape of a Mickey Head in them for maybe 50 cents at most quick service places. That is an option if you wanted to purchase that during a trip and keep it with you.

But I also want to note- Disney made a point in saying guests who do need the straws will be able to ask for them. Feel free to ask! You will not be causing any problems or issues, as you're exactly the kind of guest they are keeping some straws available for.

I hate those Mickey straws because there is no way to clean them properly, especially in your hotel room.

 

[DisneyOma]

Interesting - it looks like they've scaled back a bit and straws are now just not offered for adults, but kids still get them. I figured they would get backlash from parents. Not to mention the increased probability of spills. They'd be spending a lot of CM hours with beverage cleanup.

How in the world did kids live and stay hydrated before straws? It's a miracle we survived!

 

[ToxicRoyalty]

How in the world did kids live and stay hydrated before straws? It's a miracle we survived!

I hate when people say things like this. yes, there was a time without straws. However, that doesn't mean that straws aren't super useful now, make drinking easier for kids, and cut down on spilling a lot. The last place most parents want to deal with a mess on clothing is somewhere like Disney World.

 

[BethCPTSD]

I actually just read an article a minute ago saying that WDW is also getting rid of plastic lids. They will have them for kid sized cups for awhile, but they're phasing them out.

 

[mamabunny]

I actually just read an article a minute ago saying that WDW is also getting rid of plastic lids. They will have them for kid sized cups for awhile, but they're phasing them out.

Well, this raises an interesting question, because I have never seen a paper "lid" that has enough structural integrity to perform as well as plastic ones do. What will the replacement lids be made from?

I get it *why* this is important, but I wish that Disney would do what Silver Dollar City (and many other smaller theme parks around the US) has done, and simply sell a refillable mug that works anywhere. (In fact, SDC's mugs are "lifetime" mugs) Or, give us a "beverage credit" for bringing from home our previous RFID enabled cups so that they can be (re)activated for length-of-stay. AND LET US USE THEM IN THE PARKS! That drives me crazy - the number of people who keep taking the Resort mugs because they are "free" on the Dining Plans, or who buy them because it's a "good deal", but never consider how many plastic straws and lids are the equivalent of those big ol' hunks of plastic.

I know there would be sanitary issues involved - but really no different than at the Resorts where we all use these mugs now. I would much rather carry a Resort mug around the Parks (yep, I'd tie a ribbon on that puppy!) and know that by re-using it from trip to trip I was actually making a difference, however tiny.

./end rant

 

[BethCPTSD]

Here's that article on the plastic lids: http://doctordisney.com/2018/08/26/...-starting-to-remove-plastic-lids-from-drinks/

 

[momimouse27]

I get it *why* this is important, but I wish that Disney would do what Silver Dollar City (and many other smaller theme parks around the US) has done, and simply sell a refillable mug that works anywhere.

Exactly! This is what Six Flags does, and they make a killing on them. They sell a season long refillable mug with a straw and I believe it's $25 or so. That would eliminate most waste and people would definitely buy it. If they wanted to make more money on them, they could designate unlimited refills/limited refills and people could pay extra if they drink a lot of soda.

My ASD son will not drink without a straw, it really works him into a frenzy. And if he's carrying around without a lid, there will be a mess. We have bubba coolers with lids and plastic straws, but idk if they'll let us bring them in. Anyone know??

 

[wendow]

My ASD son will not drink without a straw, it really works him into a frenzy. And if he's carrying around without a lid, there will be a mess. We have bubba coolers with lids and plastic straws, but idk if they'll let us bring them in. Anyone know??

I have an ASD ds also...he not only has textural/sensory processing issues to where he cannot drink straight from a cup, but he also has low muscle tone, in much of his body, including his mouth. He has to have a straw or he won't drink...If he even begins to try and drink with no straw and no lid, we will have huge mess.

I really cannot believe that anyone on this forum can say something like 'How in the world did kids live and stay hydrated before straws? It's a miracle we survived!'. @DisneyOma I'm sure you mean well but there are disorders and diseases we never saw before. Why is this? I don't know (do have my thoughts but not appropriate for the board)...immune systems gone haywire, genetics that are faulty and getting worse, I don't know but more people, and especially kids today are struggling with problems that never were seen in large numbers in previous generations. Much as it may shock you, there are a lot of people who rely on straws for a variety of physical reasons and/or psychological reasons.

 

[DisneyOma]

We saw these conditions in the past, but we shunned those people, locked them away - those were horrible times.

If you need a straw to drink with - be proactive and bring straws for yourself, your kid. What if the material in the straw was harmful to your child? Would you continue to use it? Or would you look for an alternative?

When my youngest daughter was a baby, she had one pacifier she would use - when it broke I tried to get another one, but they were not available anymore. It was hard, but we worked with what we had and found alternative ways to soothe her.

To me, it feels like people won't try an alternative, that they are stuck in a 'I have to' spot, which does not allow the individual to adapt to change. Life is full of changes, and people with disabilities are going to be faced with lots of changes that they are going to have to have a solution to, or at least be able to think of solutions, KWIM? People need lots of tools in their tool belt, because if the hammer breaks, you need to be able to use the handle of the screwdriver to whack that nail. I feel like some people here are saying "my hammer broke, I'm done."

 

[Aladora]

We just got home yesterday and with the exception of AK and AKL/AKV, there were still plastic straws. Restaurants have stopped giving them out automatically but they were given when requested. AK and AKL/AKV had the paper straws which we discovered that DS refuses to use, he says they taste funny. So when we were at either the park or our hotel, he just didn't use a straw.

 

[AnneK]

AK and AKL have always used paper straws, that's nothing new. Plastic straws are a danger to the animals.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have a partially paralyzed lip due to tongue cancer surgery. I drink all hot or cold drinks with a plastic straw. Not having a straw is very difficult for me. A paper straw will not hold up to coffee or tea.

I plan on getting the metal straws, but I question how hot the straw will be with them. I do not have feeling in my mouth, and I am concerned about possible burns.
I will follow Disney’s decision. I don’t want to cause any problems.


Does anyone know if Disney will be selling the metal or silicone straws?
Thanks for your answers.

I have not heard of Disney selling metal or silicone straws. I have heard that straws should still be available on request (except AK); not sure if lids will be. I do know people who need the lid to hold the straw steady enough to drink with it. So, if they can only request a straw, that will only solve part of their issue.

I do know people who have used metal straws. They tend to take on the temperature of whatever liquid they are in - so freezing cold in something icy and very hot in hot drinks.
So, be very careful and test the temperature before putting it into your mouth.
Also, they csn be hard to clean, especially if they are not washed right away using the small brush. Anything sugary or protein based (milk, coffee creamer) tends to be hard to clean off.

I think a fairer compromise to the whole straws debate would be to switch to a type of plastic that is durable in a drink, but will naturally biodegrade like paper and is made of plant, while being made hypoallergenic. I'm sure there's a company out there that's already developing one as straw bans and phaseouts spread like wildfire.

My daughter can’t actully drink with a straw, so I don’t have a direct connection with this. We do travel with a cup she is able to drink from and a set of regular silverware (she tends to bite down hard and has shattered plastic forks and spoons (really an issue if it’s the clear plastic kind).

I’m very active on social media in different disability groups and have read a lot about the straw debate.
Some of my social media friends have been doing beta testing for different types of straws, including biodegradeable ones. All of the people need straws to drink and were successful with regular plastic straws.
So far, none of the tests I’ve read about have been successful. Some were too soft and collapsed when drinking or tore if bitten, some started dissolving enough to get gummy, some were too hard and were dangerous if bitten. Some were too brittle and broke into sharp pieces.

People with many different types of disabilities can use the current plastic straws without an issue, but none of the alternatives (so far) are able to be used as universally as plastic straws.

So, there will be a lot more to come.