No more smoking or vaping in the parks

[Christine]

While I am definitely in the "no smoking" camp, I don't like this ban.

Frankly, I am just tired of rules being put in place and having certain people not obey them because they think they are special and then having the corporations/companies/etc. not enforce the rules they put in place.

Let's face it, people smoke. It is one of THE toughest addictions to combat. I think it's unreasonable to ask a person to leave the park every time they want to smoke.

If everyone followed the rules and the people who MADE the rules actually enforced them, there would be ZERO issues here. I know it's uncomfortable to have to actually confront someone breaking the rules and tell them to stop, but it needs to happen for every rule they have. They may actually even have to hire more staff to enforce the rules. It is hard to catch everyone, of course, and who wants to be that person who has to stand behind the guy in the line that's secretly smoking? But if they took it seriously and park visitors knew that Disney was serious about use of the designated smoking areas, it wouldn't take long to get it under control.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I’m glad... even if they enforced the rules they have, the rules are terrible.
Seems like I’m constantly walking through smoking sections. They just don’t put them far enough away from the crowds imo.

 

[luvsJack]

Since that’s common knowledge why even start.

Have a DeLorean we don't know about?
Would love to go back and not even start. It wasn't as much "common knowledge" when some of us started.

 

[caylene44]

Disney is simply resorting to "bans" because they fail to enforce their own set of rules... They really need to train staff to deal with guests who won't play nice. It wrecks it for everyone else who does!

Selfie stick abuse...Ban!
Wagon size abuse...Ban!
Smoking out of area....Ban!
Ice issues??....Ban!
(I'm sure there are more examples too)

I once had to point out to a CM that someone was waving their selfie stick around right next to us. I understand that there are THOUSANDS of people but there are also a good amount of CMs to be able to enforce rules.

However, I have a friend who is a former CM and she said that they weren't allowed to enforce anything with guests. She was once cashiering for a woman whose child was literally PUKING all over the DL Emporium. Instead of taking the child to the restroom/administering help, this woman kept right on shopping, dragging her child around the store, which caused the child to throw up in multiple spots around the store. Due to Disney's policies, my friend couldn't say anything to her or do anything about it.

 

[luvsJack]

I’m glad... even if they enforced the rules they have, the rules are terrible.
Seems like I’m constantly walking through smoking sections. They just don’t put them far enough away from the crowds imo.

Are you walking through them because they are in the main path and you don't have a choice or are you walking through them because that's just the way you want to go?

And aren't there like 2 in all of the MK before this? How are you constantly walking through 2 spots on opposite sides of the park?

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Most hospitals ask patients to leave their campus to smoke, so I don't see Disney asking smokers to go outside the parks as any different. If people with broken legs and chest tubes, IV poles and back braces have to drag thenselves on a 20 minute walk to smoke, then asking able bodied park attendees to walk outside is no different.

 

[dish rag]

Have a DeLorean we don't know about?
Would love to go back and not even start. It wasn't as much "common knowledge" when some of us started.

How old are you.

 

[J'aime Paris]

I once had to point out to a CM that someone was waving their selfie stick around right next to us. I understand that there are THOUSANDS of people but there are also a good amount of CMs to be able to enforce rules.

However, I have a friend who is a former CM and she said that they weren't allowed to enforce anything with guests. She was once cashiering for a woman whose child was literally PUKING all over the DL Emporium. Instead of taking the child to the restroom/administering help, this woman kept right on shopping, dragging her child around the store, which caused the child to throw up in multiple spots around the store. Due to Disney's policies, my friend couldn't say anything to her or do anything about it.

That's so gross!
But therein lies the issue....WDW has rules, and yet doesn't allow the staff to enforce anything.
Which is why the newest "bans" may make matters worse, not better.

 

[dish rag]

Are you walking through them because they are in the main path and you don't have a choice or are you walking through them because that's just the way you want to go?

And aren't there like 2 in all of the MK before this? How are you constantly walking through 2 spots on opposite sides of the park?

The smoke drifts. Smokers have a way of taking the last puff then leaving the area. Or even walking in a building and blowing it out. The smoke carry’s. Smokers can’t tell that it does. By the dole whip place it’s awful. Just stinks.

 

[dish rag]

That's so gross!
But therein lies the issue....WDW has rules, and yet doesn't allow the staff to enforce anything.
Which is why the newest "bans" may make matters worse, not better.

It might. You know they will fire one up in the bathrooms. Going to happen all the day long.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I once had to point out to a CM that someone was waving their selfie stick around right next to us. I understand that there are THOUSANDS of people but there are also a good amount of CMs to be able to enforce rules.

However, I have a friend who is a former CM and she said that they weren't allowed to enforce anything with guests. She was once cashiering for a woman whose child was literally PUKING all over the DL Emporium. Instead of taking the child to the restroom/administering help, this woman kept right on shopping, dragging her child around the store, which caused the child to throw up in multiple spots around the store. Due to Disney's policies, my friend couldn't say anything to her or do anything about it.

I can see Disney wanting security to handle the rule breakers. People who knowingly disobey the rules are not going to politley accept a young CM tellong them what to do. I can see them being angry and possibly dangerous. Official security, however, has the authority, training, and tools to take charge of the situation with such guests.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Have a DeLorean we don't know about?
Would love to go back and not even start. It wasn't as much "common knowledge" when some of us started.

Studies in the 40s and 50s determined that smoking contributed to lung cancer and starting in 65, warnings have appeared on each and every pack as a result of a 1964 surgeon general's report. So unless someone is over 80, or started smoking at age 6 or something, if that someone didn't know, they didn't want to. 30 years ago, I'd have rightfully accepted and probably posted similar. But those that can legitimately say the information wasn't out there are mostly gone now and will soon be completely gone.

 

[luvsJack]

The smoke drifts. Smokers have a way of taking the last puff then leaving the area. Or even walking in a building and blowing it out. The smoke carry’s. Smokers can’t tell that it does. By the dole whip place it’s awful. Just stinks.

No, the pp said very plainly "constantly walking through a smoking section" that isn't last puff while leaving, that isn't the smoker out of the area. That would mean physically walking through a section.

 

[Feralpeg]

I feel for the CMs. This won't be pleasant.

As I mentioned on the Theme Park board, I am more of a pessimist when it comes to the ice. Yes, it is a pain for security, but IMHO it's just another way for Disney to make money. It's like the bench thing. Slowly, more and more benches have disappeared from the parks. Without places to sit, people will spend more time in the stores. This means more profit for Disney. If people can't keep food cold without jumping through hoops, many will stop bringing food into the parks. Instead, they will have to buy food from Disney. Win, Disney!

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

So if there are already only 2 smoking areas in MK, and only 1 in all of HS, is it really that big a deal to walk a bit further out of the gates? Especially if you have one right before going in, then maybe the next one at a midday break? you already may be having to walk clear across the park. It does seem like they will need to install lockers in that area though, I can't imagine they would continue to allow it inside the gates for the reason many mentioned about people just doing it anyway.

 

[firefly_ris]

So as a smoker staying on resort and paying the the crazy prices to stay on resort, I would have to keep my cigarettes at the hotel? Works fine for people who may have a car there (could you imagine hiking all the way to the monorail, then taking the tram to your car, then doing it all again to go back if you were at MK?), but resort people? That would cause too much of a hassle for everyone.

I have no idea... I mean, how else do you enforce it? Because if you still let people in with cigarettes, then I'd have to imagine practically no one is going to battle crowds all the way back to the park entrance to smoke and then walk all the way back to where they were. So then you just end up with exactly what happens now, people smoking in non-designated areas. I don't know what the answer is. Give them lockers/storage area for their stuff...? No clue.

 

[**Courtney**]

Are you walking through them because they are in the main path and you don't have a choice or are you walking through them because that's just the way you want to go?

And aren't there like 2 in all of the MK before this? How are you constantly walking through 2 spots on opposite sides of the park?

In the past there have been some questionable smoking sections, and in Epcot there is basically a smoking section in every country in the World Showcase, so I could understand a bit more there. In all the other parks you basically have to be Dora the Explorer to actually find the DSAs, and hike all over the parks to get to them. There had been some in busier spots when they were doing re-furbs, so maybe those are the ones the pp is talking about. Hollywood Studios and AK they are VERY out of the way currently. I dont see what the issue with one in each park, I think it would curb more people from breaking the rules.

And believe me, as a smoker it would be fantastic to quit, however it isnt as easy as most people think, and I wish I never started, but I cant go back and change the past, when there was a time they still advertised smoking as a cool thing, and it wasnt as widely known to be so bad!

 

[luvsJack]

Studies in the 40s and 50s determined that smoking contributed to lung cancer and starting in 65, warnings have appeared on each and every pack as a result of a 1964 surgeon general's report. So unless someone is over 80, or started smoking at age 6 or something, if that someone didn't know, they didn't want to.

Knowing that something is bad for your health and knowing that it is one of the strongest addictive chemicals are not the same thing. When you are 16 and told "oh you can just chew gum instead of smoke and you can quit", you sort of believe that. Hence you have a whole lot of people that thought it would be "oh so easy" to quit when they got ready.

 

[luvsJack]

I have no idea... I mean, how else do you enforce it? Because if you still let people in with cigarettes, then I'd have to imagine practically no one is going to battle crowds all the way back to the park entrance to smoke and then walk all the way back to where they were. So then you just end up with exactly what happens now, people smoking in non-designated areas. I don't know what the answer is. Give them lockers/storage area for their stuff...? No clue.

How are you going to enforce it anyway? Serious question. Are they going to start patting everyone down? People tend to carry their cigarettes in their pockets. Sorry but rent a cop isn't patting me down at the gate.

 

[luvsJack]

In the past there have been some questionable smoking sections, and in Epcot there is basically a smoking section in every country in the World Showcase, so I could understand a bit more there. In all the other parks you basically have to be Dora the Explorer to actually find the DSAs, and hike all over the parks to get to them. There had been some in busier spots when they were doing re-furbs, so maybe those are the ones the pp is talking about. Hollywood Studios and AK they are VERY out of the way currently. I dont see what the issue with one in each park, I think it would curb more people from breaking the rules.

And believe me, as a smoker it would be fantastic to quit, however it isnt as easy as most people think, and I wish I never started, but I cant go back and change the past, when there was a time they still advertised smoking as a cool thing, and it wasnt as widely known to be so bad!

Yeah, I guess we just always avoided those anyway. Many years ago there was one by the castle that just blew my mind. It would get so congested back there anyway and then they plopped a DSA there! Was glad it was gone.

The ones I liked to use were in out of the way spaces so that I knew everyone in that little area was a smoker and I wasn't getting smoke around someone that was allergic or whatever.

And I agree, there is at least one place in every park where they could put a very out of the way DSA and no one would be bothered by it.