BYOS bring your own straw (Disney removing straws and more in 2019)

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I don't think you can conclude that, that one video was the reason companies are getting rid of straws.

Certainly not the only reason, but perhaps the catalyst to the current anti-straw movement. Social media is quite powerful.

Maybe in 50 years when we no longer produce plastic, we can all look back and say: “I hope we never lose sight of one thing- that it was all started by a turtle.”

 

[Jim Shuler]

That is not even relevant to this discussion. If you cannot stay on topic and discuss the actual topic I suggest leaving this thread.

A number of others thought it was relevant and gave the comment an upvote. I would say many of the comments could be considered off topic.

 

[SL6827]

This is all about the $$$$$. But if I need to purchase and keep a permanent plastic straw for myself, I will.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Disney is the king of family entertainment - and the king of virtue signaling.

 

[Weedy]

(I don’t feel comfortable putting my lips on public glass)

Do you put your lips on public forks and spoons?
I’m a germaphobe also so I feel your pain lol.
My biggest gross out is after you stir your coffee and having to set the wet spoon on the table. I always set it on my fork until I get my food plate to set it on. We all have our issues.

 

[Scifidiner]

Do you put your lips on public forks and spoons?
I’m a germaphobe also so I feel your pain lol.
My biggest gross out is after you stir your coffee and having to set the wet spoon on the table. I always set it on my fork until I get my food plate to set it on. We all have our issues.

I thought I was the only one who did this, I'm glad there is someone else as odd as me.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Do you put your lips on public forks and spoons?
I’m a germaphobe also so I feel your pain lol.
My biggest gross out is after you stir your coffee and having to set the wet spoon on the table. I always set it on my fork until I get my food plate to set it on. We all have our issues.

It just dawned on me I mainly get finger foods at restaurants, but when I do use utensils I don’t hold them in my mouth. That really made me think!

 

[Josh Hendy]

Haven't looked into this, but from the "shocking" examples of massive plastic pollution I've seen posted on social media (when I can't avoid it) ... I doubt that Disney, or practically any country where 99% of Disney fans/guests live and play ... is the source of any these shocking examples.

It looks like certain countries or jurisdictions have developed a consumer-oriented, fast-food type of urban economy but haven't got around yet to implementing the simple, efficient procedures that every developed country has in place to deal with trash.

In other words, in certain countries or cities/regions the local authorities are pathetically disorganized and the locals are apathetic and it's THOSE GUYS who need to get their act together ... not the places like Florida/California/etc. where Disney and other similar food/entertainment takes place and where very, very few straws ever end up anywhere except deep in landfill or burned to a crisp in an incinerator.

Here's a quick example: when I traveled by train in the Shanghai region back in the 1990s, you could buy snacks which came in styrofoam clam packs. Everybody ... and I mean EVERYBODY on the train ate their snack and then pitched their styrofoam trash out the window. For 200 km, the main rail line was covered with styrofoam trash out to 100 meters from the tracks.

SPOILER ALERT: it isn't like that any more.

It would have been really dumb if social media had existed then, to guilt everybody into changing the way they shop and eat around the world, just because a part of China had a very temporary, very small scale (globally) pollution problem that was just a minor case of people having to adapt to do simple things like collect and process their trash properly.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Do you put your lips on public forks and spoons?
I’m a germaphobe also so I feel your pain lol.
My biggest gross out is after you stir your coffee and having to set the wet spoon on the table. I always set it on my fork until I get my food plate to set it on. We all have our issues.

I am basically the opposite of a germaphobe, but still don't want to put my coffee spoon on the table ... I usually put it on my used sugar packet paper

 

[WDW_Ding]

Haven't looked into this, but from the "shocking" examples of massive plastic pollution I've seen posted on social media (when I can't avoid it) ... I doubt that Disney, or practically any country where 99% of Disney fans/guests live and play ... is the source of any these shocking examples.

I'm sure you're right....it is everyone else that is the problem, not us...or anyone like us. It is those other people. Am I right?

 

[abinormal]

I'm sure you're right....it is everyone else that is the problem, not us...or anyone like us. It is those other people. Am I right?

No. In fact, you’ve missed the point completely.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I'm sure you're right....it is everyone else that is the problem, not us...or anyone like us. It is those other people. Am I right?

None of the plastic straws I use end up floating in the harbor in a developing country, or drifting across the Pacific. Therefore as you say, it is "those other people" and their local authorities who should address the problem.

Since to merely stop using straws would result in 99% of their waste STILL being dumped hazardously, I think that it would be a lot more effective to encourage them to implement across-the-board, effective waste-handling procedures than to try to influence them to ban plastic straws ... by giving up straws while on vacation in Florida.

And if you re-read my original posting more carefully, you will see that far from being contemptuous of "those other people" who are "not like us", I'm pretty confident that they're smart enough and conscientious enough to fix the problem all on their own.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

I worked in public distribution back in the 1970’s. We received food products from the factory by truck and rail, which we then sent to the local area markets.

Many products that came in glass bottles at that time such as salad dressings suffered breakage, and now come in mostly plastic. It weighs less to ship and not as much damage. Same for dairy items like yogurt and sour cream, no more cardboard. So much more to be addressed than just straws, just look around at fast food plastic cups, for every straw there’s a cup.

 

[whiporee]

Does anyone else remember the pre-plastic straw time at WDW? I remember as a kid that paper straws were the standard. Red and white striped -- got mushy before the drink was finished. But it was part of the overall cleanliness of the place.

I'm thinking pre-1980s, but I could be wrong.

 

[JungleCruiseFan]

Well I don't see how it could save them any money. This trip we did a split stay, Pop Century and Animal Kingdom Lodge. The lodge, like Animal Kingdom, does not have plastic straws, just paper.
We stayed at Pop Century for 8 days and I used maybe 5 plastic straws the whole time. I try to use the same one as long as possible.
We are on day 8 of a 10 day stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and I am probably on straw number 100. I don't mind them but they fall apart quickly, especially if your 1.5 year old is using one. I'm actually sipping on one right now, ice tea if you were curious, and even though I refilled around 45 minutes ago it is already very soggy. My youngest daughter went through one just during the walk back to the room drinking ice water.
I don't notice a difference in taste between the two straws, but they better be prepared to order a ton more than they used to!

 

[UncleMike101]

Well I don't see how it could save them any money. This trip we did a split stay, Pop Century and Animal Kingdom Lodge. The lodge, like Animal Kingdom, does not have plastic straws, just paper.
We stayed at Pop Century for 8 days and I used maybe 5 plastic straws the whole time. I try to use the same one as long as possible.
We are on day 8 of a 10 day stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and I am probably on straw number 100. I don't mind them but they fall apart quickly, especially if your 1.5 year old is using one. I'm actually sipping on one right now, ice tea if you were curious, and even though I refilled around 45 minutes ago it is already very soggy. My youngest daughter went through one just during the walk back to the room drinking ice water.
I don't notice a difference in taste between the two straws, but they better be prepared to order a ton more than they used to!

No Problem.........
In typical Disney fashion they'll just charge us for each one.
With a 7-8 hundred percent mark up.
After all it's only (our) money..................

 

[racefanof88]

https://www.target.com/p/klean-kant...nts-and-tumblers-assorted-colors/-/A-52276347

I got mine on sale for 7.99. Worth it to me. Environmentally friendly and I don’t have to drink paper.

Oh boy, I can see a kid running through Disney with a metal straw and well...…………….

 

[Ben E N]

Oh boy, I can see a kid running through Disney with a metal straw and well...…………….

....showing that natural selection is a real thing?
Don't parents teach their kids to not run with sharp objects?

 

[racefanof88]

They don't supply CPAP machines to people with sleep apnea, though. They have to bring their own. Why wouldn't it be the same case with those who need plastic straws? With the exception of AK, I don't think they're being banned anywhere, just not provided.

The difference being a CPAP is a medical device that is prescribed by a physician; a straw is something used by anyone. Also not a very good analogy in that someone who forgets their CPAP machine would not expect Disney to supply one as they have never supplied CPAP machines, but they HAVE always supplied straws.

 

[racefanof88]

....showing that natural selection is a real thing?
Don't parents teach their kids to not run with sharp objects?