Smoking Ban

[Disneypro1]

Make to much money on fanny packs, the profit is amazing,

Lol true. Jorts also

 

[Headrock6]

Hit the nail right on the head. Most smokers won't even know about this policy until they hit the gates. My take?

Unless Disney starts doing potty patrols, people will be lighting up in bathroom stalls or taking quick hits from their vapes. Go to any sports arena in the US and you'll known exactly what Im talking about. You will always have your rule breakers.

Disney will not be kicking out offenders as i suspect most smokers who even know the policy will just go with the "I had no idea route" if they actually get caught. If Disney were smart they will rope or fence off an area for park guests right outside entrance to smoke as to avoid having to stand in line again and causing even more congestion. Epcot Main Gate and International Gateway should be fine for people to get to. The walk to Hollywood and Animal Kingdom entrance going to suck if you're a smoker.

I also suspect most smokers will adapt and follow the rules. Smokers have been losing places to smoke for years now. I'm old enough to remember ash trays on airplanes. We used to smoke in clubs, bars, restaurants, and diners. When we couldn't anymore we just went outside. Smokers will figure it all out.

I switched to a JUUL from tobacco cigarettes 2 years ago and never looked back. I have never smoked in my house as wifey doesn't smoke so I have no issues following rules lol. But I can also go 6 hours without one so this won't impact me at all.

 

[rteetz]

This thread is not for discussion on nicotine addiction. This is about smoking no longer being allowed in the parks, lets stick to that.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I for one am glad they are banning smoking in the parks. I do not smoke and I find it disgusting. But .... I do understand the addiction. I dipped Copenhagen from age 13 till a few years ago and yes that was disgusting also. I quit for my girls as I want to be here to see them graduate. It was the hardest thing I did but the best thing I did for my family and myself. As I said, I do understand the power nicotine has on a person and I am fighting a never ending battle with my older brother. He had congestive heart failure 3 years ago. He had to undergo a quintuple bypass after being in an induced coma for 3 weeks. I was in the room when he woke up and stayed for the doctor to come check on him. The doctor told him that he held his heart in his hands and gave him a second chance at life. He stressed to my brother that he could never go back to smoking. a few weeks later when he was discharged the doctor stressed that his body was cleansed of nicotine due to his 3 week coma and 2 weeks in the hospital and if he started smoking again it was a choice and only a choice. a few months later, sadly he started back smoking. I finally gave up on trying to get him to stop when he told me "I'm a grown man and it's my life". I just think it's a shame that so many are slave to a cigarette and let smoking dictate their lives. I was a slave to dipping so I understand.

 

[OSUZorba]

(MAGIC KINGDOM) The one by Big Thunder Mountain was on the docks far removed from other non smoking guests. Now the one where they are building TRON could have intruded on people but since that walkway is now gone, I personally think they should have left the one by BTM Railroad. Also remember too Magic Kingdom, until recently, has pretty much been an alcohol free park. And generally people smoke more when they drink (IE Hollywood Studios and EPCOT).

(Hollywood Studios) The one by Tower of Terror was at a dead end that led to a gate that cast members used. No bathrooms or anything in that area and again no guests would just happen to walk there unless they were searching for a smoking area. But again the one by Muppets will now be a QUE for Star Wars Galaxy Edge so it would have been removed anyway.

Both of those spots get a lot of parents and young kids doing baby swap. I despise the one by big thunder because I have to go all the way over to Splash to find somewhere to sit and not expose my toddler to the smoke. The one by ToT isn't as bad, but if it is busy you can easily get the smoke where most of the parents sit doing baby swap.

 

[Samantha Morgan]

What I fear will happen now is you’ll be in even more if a stream of smokers lighting up on the walk from the bus drop-offs to the entrances, trying to get innthat lay minute smoke. I hate walking behind smokers.

Or they’ll just crowd around the outside of the security lines. Like when you walk into a non-smoking building, but the smoking area is basically 2 feet from the doors.

 

[OSUZorba]

I am personally very glad they are doing this. I feel bad for the smokers, but nobody would tolerate someone spraying any other cancer causing substance into the air at Disney. Smokers will adjust, many people go a full workday without smoking and of course people handle long flights without smoking. With any luck, maybe this will push people over the edge to quitting. When my company went smoke free a ton of my coworkers quit smoking and out of the 3K people at our site there are only about 15 I ever see at the smoke hole off property.

I really hope cruise ships are next.

 

[Patches Lee]

Both of those spots get a lot of parents and young kids doing baby swap. I despise the one by big thunder because I have to go all the way over to Splash to find somewhere to sit and not expose my toddler to the smoke.

Vs smokers going "all the way over" to a DSA? I understand you not wanting to be exposed to smoke, fine your perogitive. When rule abiding smokers have been going potentially from mid park to that DSA however your "all the way" is a fraction of that.

 

[OSUZorba]

Vs smokers going "all the way over" to a DSA? I understand you not wanting to be exposed to smoke, fine your perogitive. When rule abiding smokers have been going potentially from mid park to that DSA however your "all the way" is a fraction of that.

The DSA is in a spot that exposes toddlers and infants to smoke, which causes cancer, asthma, etc. It is not in an out of the way spot as the PP said, it is a spot the has a very high concentration of toddlers and infants sitting around (or would if not for the smoke).

Considering smoking is a personal choice that causes significant health issues to other people (and beyond health issues is an irritant to nearly every non-smoker), I really don't understand why smokers think they deserve special accommodations.

If I wanted to spray atomized asbestos into the air around Disney, should I be accommodated?

 

[Grumpy_42K]

Well this is only TWENTY YEARS TOO LATE!

We were at EPCOT, Y2K, December 31st, 1999, 11:55 PM, between Mexico and Norway.
We were admiring the pre-fireworks show, ready to enter the new millennium (2000,2001...whatever it takes)
Anyway, some incorrigible smoker was working on her third pack that day and the whole area was blessed with the 2nd hand smell of Marlboro cigs.
I turned around and told her in no uncertain terms that I didn't plan to enter the year two thousand smelling that foul stench.
She complained that we are "outdoors," what is the big deal?
Her husband said nothing as she put the cigarette out.
She had NO CLUE what she was ruining for all the folks that paid so dearly to experience a once in a lifetime event.
(FYI, all the the parks CLOSED to cars at 8:00 AM)

That is the key here.
I am abundantly sympathetic to my fellow man.
Sadly, in the year 2019 I cannot expect the same.

 

[Planogirl]

I must be the only non-smoker who isn't bothered by a brief whiff of cigarette smoke. I feel for those who have to deal with asthma and allergies though. I bet that it can also be hard to watch the fireworks because that smoke is much worse IMO.

It'll be interesting to see where the new areas are.

 

[heaven2dc]

DISREGARD THIS POST - I FOUND THE ANSWER IS YES: If I missed the answer to this in this thread I apologize but does no smoking in the parks include vaping? (Sorry for the dumb question - I would think it means the same rule applies.)

 

[Patches Lee]

The DSA is in a spot that exposes toddlers and infants to smoke, which causes cancer, asthma, etc. It is not in an out of the way spot as the PP said, it is a spot the has a very high concentration of toddlers and infants sitting around (or would if not for the smoke).

Considering smoking is a personal choice that causes significant health issues to other people (and beyond health issues is an irritant to nearly every non-smoker), I really don't understand why smokers think they deserve special accommodations.

If I wanted to spray atomized asbestos into the air around Disney, should I be accommodated?

I found it ironic that you walking to Splash was an issue when smokers went to the area they were given. Did I say anything about special accommodation? Nope. Smokers who follow the rules still get complained about.

 

[WDW1970]

Very good news. I hope we don’t see an increase in smoking that some have mentioned but unfortunately for some reason I think some (only some) smokers think rules do not apply to them? I see the same thing on my daily commute with a perceived “card Blanche” on littering - Cigarettes being constantly flicked out of windows with no regards with impact to the environment. I am really hoping Disney guests abide by these new rules.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I’d say it’s 50/50. The reason I called the post out is because is easier to absolve drinking then it is smoking/vaping.
I can have a vape responsibly,in the designated area and not bother anyone. Not everyone who smokes bothers people, a lot are very responsible. I’d list all the posts but I don’t really have the energy or the time. I wasn’t referring to any of your posts I feel for you, you’ve got to hang out with a non smoking smoker.

I 100% agree that many (likely most) smokers are responsible - but obviously not all and when someone smokes where they shouldn’t it directly negatively impacts other guests. Also, I have had times just walking by on a regular path that is near a smoking section and gotten the wind blow smoke over to us so even when all the rules are followed it can negatively effect others - so I understand why disney wants to do something about it. I do think there could be other solutions ... and even if they just added one smoking area that is maybe backstage with filter fans in the back of each park that might help so people don’t have to go all they way to the front and out of the park every time they want a smoke

I do also think Disney should be better on curbing any drunkenness. I haven’t seen much but have seen some, usually during a festival at EPCOT - and they should escort out those who are very drunk and/or at least not serve people more who appear to be drunk (obviously one difference is Disney makes $ off alcohol sales and not cigarette sales ... I also think thinks like breweries and wineries are becoming more craniotomy friendly while smoking is becoming less accepted so you have opposite trends there)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I didnt notice in the report are they also banning smoking at Disney Springs?

No - and I was looking online to see about where there smoking sections are and the website says that they are constantly moving due to the construction and to check the MDE app. I did and there are quite a few locations at Disney Springs but based on the comment on the website I wonder if they will adjust where they are and how many

Obviously a little different in that you don’t need a ticket to get into Disney Springs but will be a bit surprised if they don’t try to shift the smoking sections to being more outside of main areas

 

[dawnnikol]

Very good news. I hope we don’t see an increase in smoking that some have mentioned but unfortunately for some reason I think some (only some) smokers think rules do not apply to them? I see the same thing on my daily commute with a perceived “card Blanche” on littering - Cigarettes being constantly flicked out of windows with no regards with impact to the environment. I am really hoping Disney guests abide by these new rules.

I do not think this is a problem restricted to smokers. This is a problem of people in general, regardless of your habits. People feel entitled and can be vicious when you burst their bubble. For instance, the new stroller/wagon rule. There's already posts all over about how they're going to do what they want and will "fight" CMs who try to tell them otherwise. I agree with the few who have said the original rule should've been enforced and this could've been avoided, unless the reason was the cost for clean up, as was also mentioned.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Not sure if this Orlando Sentinel article has been posted. Excerpt below. Not sure what to make of it. I suppose it depends on your definition of punishment (e.g. is forcing to extinguish considered “punishment”?). Also sounds like maybe they’re exploring expedited re-entry.

“At Walt Disney World parks, smoking enforcement will be up to employees, which is similar to how Disney handles it now, said Disney spokeswoman Erica Ettori. Disney doesn’t plan to punish visitors if they are caught breaking the rules.

Employees will politely ask smokers inside the parks to go to the designated area to light up outside the entrance. Visitors can return to the park when they are done smoking, although Disney is still working through the details of how they will be readmitted, Ettori said.”

 

[firefly_ris]

Agreed Disney could ban fanny packs. Which they should. Lol
And it wouldn’t stop folks from going.

You can pry my fanny pack from my cold, bag free dead hands!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

So I just informed my husband of the new ban and his response was I could just light up and walk through. I said you could get kicked out and he said if I get caught.

Like I said this ban has no real affect on mr (my husband doesn't come with me often anyway) but I'm not convinced it's going to solve the problems if people being exposed to smoke outside the designated areas. I actually think it will get worse.

I have to agree with you that this will make things worse. Guests who smoke are not going to want to trudge all the way to the entrances each time they want to smoke. Id rather see disney enforce the smoking sections.