Ban smoking at the MK?

[bswift]

On my first trip last year, it didn't even occur to me that people were allowed to smoke at Disney. Here in Australia smoking is basically banned in all indoor businesses and some outdoor places like playgrounds and swimming pools, and you can't even smoke in your own car if there's a child in it! So when I sat down to enjoy my dole whip, I was completely taken aback by the people nearby smoking. I had to move because the smell of smoke gives me an instant headache. If they're going to continue allowing people to smoke, they need to separate the smoking areas from the general public better.

 

[Lynnilou]

Sure, let's ban it - I don't smoke!

I don't drink soda - let's ban it!

I don't eat Dole Whips - let's ban them too!

I don't like people talking on their cell phones in public places - let's ban them!

 

[DisneyRobin]

On my first trip last year, it didn't even occur to me that people were allowed to smoke at Disney. Here in Australia smoking is basically banned in all indoor businesses and some outdoor places like playgrounds and swimming pools, and you can't even smoke in your own car if there's a child in it! So when I sat down to enjoy my dole whip, I was completely taken aback by the people nearby smoking. I had to move because the smell of smoke gives me an instant headache. If they're going to continue allowing people to smoke, they need to separate the smoking areas from the general public better.

Exactly what I'm thinking! It's so surprising that they allow smoking at the MK! In NYC, smoking is banned in all buildings, restaurants, bars. Right now, they're passing a law to ban smoking at NJ public beaches. It makes no sense that smoking is allowed at the MK...

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Exactly what I'm thinking! It's so surprising that they allow smoking at the MK! In NYC, smoking is banned in all buildings, restaurants, bars. Right now, they're passing a law to ban smoking at NJ public beaches. It makes no sense that smoking is allowed at the MK...

At MK, smoking is banned at all buildings, restaurants, attractions, queues, sidewalks, and walkways -- with exactly six exceptions. Other Disney parks are similar.

Disney looked for a few spots to allow smoking in each park. Usually, these are places where walkways widen, split, or have a corner. Sometimes these spots are away from a main path, such as the little plaza below the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. At each designated smoking spot, Disney put in special trashs cans ashtrays on top. And Disney marked these locations on the park maps.

If you know where these spots are, it's pretty easy to avoid them. However, it's also pretty easy to enter them accidentally, as bswift did when looking for a sot to enjoy a Dole Whip. Despite being a frequent WDW guest, I've found myself temporarily enveloped in a cloud of cigarette smoke numerous times.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/designated-smoking-areas/

 

[themommy]

Sure, let's ban it - I don't smoke!

I don't drink soda - let's ban it!

I don't eat Dole Whips - let's ban them too!

I don't like people talking on their cell phones in public places - let's ban them!

LOL And don't forget that fat clogs peoples arteries (do you have a clue how many people die from heart attacks everyday?)...ban all fat! People are deathly allergic to nuts...get the nuts out too! Betting there are some people that are even allergic to pineapple...there goes the Dole Whip! There has to be a line somewhere doesn't there? Just saying.

 

[DisneyRobin]

LOL And don't forget that fat clogs peoples arteries (do you have a clue how many people die from heart attacks everyday?)...ban all fat! People are deathly allergic to nuts...get the nuts out too! Betting there are some people that are even allergic to pineapple...there goes the Dole Whip! There has to be a line somewhere doesn't there? Just saying.

Sure - draw the line after the cigarettes.

 

[yitbos96bb]

I wish they'd just ban smoking at all 4 parks. If someone wants to slowly poison themselves in the privacy of their own home/car, then fine. However, I don't want their secondhand smoke affecting me or my family. Dining out or going to a bar has been so nice since outlawed smoking in restaurants here in Virginia.

Scientifically prove that it affects your health negatively when it's in a dedicated area you aren't in... In the outdoors and you have my support. I'm going to bet You won't be able to do it because it's an outdoor area and the smoke is dissipated to where it has no effect on your health compared to what you breathe in naturally. In other words, the only reason to ban it is because certain people don't like it.

Smokers are confined to their own spots. It's not allowed indoors or in most of the outdoors... Most smokers respect that people don't want to smell the smoke and try to avoid exposing others to it. Yes, they're are jerks out there that don't... But them they're are jerks on all sides of any debate (general statement...not directed at anyone specifically). Luckily most are sane and rationale on both sides.

Some people have a nearly militant dislike of the habit...which translates in a complete disregard for the other party.

Should we ban all things that people feel that disgusted about? Meat? Sweets? Loud yelling and talking? Drinking? Kids? I mean the list goes on and on. At what point is enough enough?

And no I don't smoke... I used to. And even though I don't like it now, I try to respect others, especially when it has zero effect on me.

 

[yitbos96bb]

I, too, think they put that smoking spot in the wrong place - it always catches us by surprise, also such a wonderful place to stop and relax with a dole whip or other. Doubt it matters much to most 'where' they smoke - they just need/want a place to take a puff.

Another place that 'really' annoys me is the Gateway area at Epcot. You have 'no' choice but to run the gauntlet there - it's also a lovely area that everyone should be able to stop and relax without breathing smoke.

As for what a pp said about Disney catching it if they were to ban smoking - people would just have to get over it - they also didn't like restaurants banning it, or other 'smoke free' zones. It's definitely a health issue.

Prove it's a health issue outside.

 

[yitbos96bb]

eh...not sure i agree here...smoking really effects the people walking by/around you. i don't think this is just about making "non-smokers happy" it's more of a health thing too. i don't think disney really owes anything to people who want to smoke in public

The problem is the science doesn't back up what your claiming. It's an unproved assumption.

 

[balcerfamily]

As a severe asthmatic, cig smoke immediately causes breathing issues for me. I would like to see it banned everywhere!! As for it's a smokers "right" to smoke in private property.....no, not really. It's WDW's call as to what "rights" you have within the properties. Secondly, one's rights end where another's begin. MK was the biggest issue for me as far as running into smoking visitors. The other three parks seemed to have a better handle on smoking areas.

 

[yitbos96bb]

I think it's because:

A. many e-cigs look just like real cigarettes. So you'd have people assuming they are smoking the real thing, which could cause problems. (you also have people that know it's an e-cig and still complaining about it)

B. There have been no long term studies on the effects of e-cigs.

There are some studies though.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,14&q=e+cigarette

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

LOL And don't forget that fat clogs peoples arteries (do you have a clue how many people die from heart attacks everyday?)...ban all fat! People are deathly allergic to nuts...get the nuts out too! Betting there are some people that are even allergic to pineapple...there goes the Dole Whip! There has to be a line somewhere doesn't there? Just saying.

There's a big difference between protecting people from themselves and providing a pleasant, healthy environment for others.

If someone eats a triple bacon cheeseburger at the next table in a restaurant, the excessive saturated fat does not go into your body.

If someone smokes at the next table in a restaurant, you can't help but inhale the second-hand smoke. That's why smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants in Florida and many other places worldwide.

People who have food allergies can easily avoid those foods at WDW. Servers and chefs at a WDW take food allergies very seriously.

Peanut dust, especially in closed environments such as airplanes, is a rare case of a food that can cause severe health reactions in others.

Going back to the topic of this thread, I appreciate that people want to avoid second-hand cigarette smoke at Disney theme parks. Making smokers leave the parks to smoke is not the answer. It would add unnecessary activity at the security checkpoints and entry lanes as smokers reenter the parks, and it would require large (and probably unavoidable) smoking areas outside park gates.

Fine-tuning where smoking is allowed makes sense.

 

[Planogirl]

I must be oblivious because I never notice anyone smoking in the parks. I have no clue where any of the smoking areas are either.

I say leave them be. As long as they stay in smoking areas they are only hurting themselves. If one of those areas is poorly located maybe that should be changed but I don't see any need to ban smoking.

 

[LONES]

I'm not a fan of smoking, but have no problem with designated smoking areas at Disney. I realize it's a serious addiction for a lot of people, and if stopping off at a designated smoking section a couple of times a day allows them to enjoy Disney with their families, it's no skin off my nose. If there are a few that are poorly placed, I would assume that would be easy enough to rectify. As a non-smoker, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be seriously harmed in the amount of time it takes me to move away once I catch a whiff of smoke.

My mother is an ex-smoker, and a lung cancer survivor. Years back, I went with her to a smoking area in AK (not my favorite place to be, but I can deal with it for a few minutes). My mom was sitting on a bench smoking, and I was just standing in front of her. A woman and her son (about 4 or 5) plop down next to my mom. Seconds later, the woman says in a completely snotty tone, "DO YOU MIND??? My son has asthma!!!" My mother looked a little shocked, but immediately put out her cigarette. My completely non-confrontational mother then turned to the woman and calmly said, "If your son has asthma, it's probably not a good idea for you to have him sitting in the smoking section". The woman looked at my mother like she was the biggest "you know what" in the world. I'm not a huge fan of smoking, but I'm even less of a fan of the completely rude militants. Especially the ones that aren't very bright.

 

[Tramp68]

People that smoke pay just as much to get into the parks and should have a right to smoke. Most of the smoking sections (they are disappearing all of the time) are out of the way. Disney will lose a lot of business if they stop it all together. You can eat your Dole Whip anywhere in the park. Smokers used to smoke anywhere in the park. They put all of the smokers in a few sections in the park and low and behold that is now not good enough? Now you want to stop them all together? What if someone wants a cigarette after their Dole Whip? Can't do it because they have to make non-smokers happy? What about making smokers happy? I thought smoking sections were put into place to try to make EVERYONE happy.

Someone further down in the thread suggested using e-cigarettes but, did you know that they are not allowed in the park except in the smoking areas? Have not figured out why yet though. They won't burn anyone or give out second hand smoke so what is the problem with them?

Not when their right to smoke infringes on my right to breathe clean air in public. I think it is child abuse for a smoker to smoke around children including in their own homes and cars. Being around other people removes your right to harm yourself when it also harms others. It is truly astonishing that anyone under the age of 50 smokes anyway. It is just plain ignorance and stupidity.

If it stops some people from coming to the parks then that means less crowds and shorter lines for me!

 

[Tramp68]

Sure, let's ban it - I don't smoke!

I don't drink soda - let's ban it!

I don't eat Dole Whips - let's ban them too!

I don't like people talking on their cell phones in public places - let's ban them!

your examples have ZERO relativity to the issue. Smoking affects everyone around the smoker negatively, with serious health consequences.

Drinking soda, eating a dole whip and talking on a cell phone do not impact nearby people's health (only their own)

Talking on a cell phone can be annoying, but not a health hazard. That would be a totally separate discussion.

 

[Tramp68]

At MK, smoking is banned at all buildings, restaurants, attractions, queues, sidewalks, and walkways -- with exactly six exceptions. Other Disney parks are similar.

Disney looked for a few spots to allow smoking in each park. Usually, these are places where walkways widen, split, or have a corner. Sometimes these spots are away from a main path, such as the little plaza below the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. At each designated smoking spot, Disney put in special trashs cans ashtrays on top. And Disney marked these locations on the park maps.

If you know where these spots are, it's pretty easy to avoid them. However, it's also pretty easy to enter them accidentally, as bswift did when looking for a sot to enjoy a Dole Whip. Despite being a frequent WDW guest, I've found myself temporarily enveloped in a cloud of cigarette smoke numerous times.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/designated-smoking-areas/

The easy solution: Enclose the smoking areas and have them sealed with a recirculated air system. Entering through a "clean room" double door type of set up. Now they inhale their smoke and I can inhale my clean air

 

[Tramp68]

Scientifically prove that it affects your health negatively when it's in a dedicated area you aren't in... In the outdoors and you have my support. I'm going to bet You won't be able to do it because it's an outdoor area and the smoke is dissipated to where it has no effect on your health compared to what you breathe in naturally. In other words, the only reason to ban it is because certain people don't like it.

Smokers are confined to their own spots. It's not allowed indoors or in most of the outdoors... Most smokers respect that people don't want to smell the smoke and try to avoid exposing others to it. Yes, they're are jerks out there that don't... But them they're are jerks on all sides of any debate (general statement...not directed at anyone specifically). Luckily most are sane and rationale on both sides.

Some people have a nearly militant dislike of the habit...which translates in a complete disregard for the other party.

Should we ban all things that people feel that disgusted about? Meat? Sweets? Loud yelling and talking? Drinking? Kids? I mean the list goes on and on. At what point is enough enough?

And no I don't smoke... I used to. And even though I don't like it now, I try to respect others, especially when it has zero effect on me.

Really? you seriously think that a passerby does not inhale enough to damage their lungs? My neighbor smokes on his front porch and I can tell from INSIDE my house as soon as he lights up. The smell comes right in any open window (except the one side away from his house). I suppose it is only the smell that spreads and not the harmful things in the smoke?

Let us not even get into the parent that drags their young child or infant into the smoking area so that they can have their smokes. These parents should be arrested for child abuse.

 

[Suger Mag]

It is truly astonishing that anyone under the age of 50 smokes anyway. It is just plain ignorance and stupidity.

If it stops some people from coming to the parks then that means less crowds and shorter lines for me!

Please not ANOTHER bash on smokers thread... and yes... according to most rules of polite conversation and discussion... calling people ignorant and stupid is bashing....

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

There is no reason to be uncivil toward smokers.

Is it really so bad that smokers have a few small designated smoking spots at each Disney park while the rest of it is smoke-free?

Things were bad for nonsmokers in the not-too-distant past. Smoking was allowed in restaurants, airplanes, theater lobbies, stores, and all sorts of other public places. Unless it was a designated nonsmoking section, the assumption was that smoking was allowed. Often nonsmoking sections were in the same room where people were smoking, so the smoke would fill the whole room anyway.

Things have changed considerably. Smoking laws vary by state, but indoor spoking in public places has largely ended in the United States.

Almost all smokers politely follow the rules. They may not be happy about it when they're standing outdoors -- 15 feet from a hotel entrance somewhere in a northern state and the temperature is in the single digits -- but that's how it is now.

Let's be civil to smokers. Smokers are civil to nonsmokers "99.9%" of the time.

It makes sense to discuss opportunities for Disney to fine-tune smoking locations. For example, Downtown Disney currently allows smoking everywhere outside except in designated nonsmoking spots. It's time for Disney to make Downtown Disney consistent with the parks.

It does not make sense to wish for things to make smokers miserable.