All resort non-smoking

[Granny]

As a non-smoker married to a wife with asthma who REALLY can't be in a room that someone smoked in, I have very mixed emotions about this. This will inevitably lead to smokers who have spent 20 large on dvc feeling like pinocchio! "The world owes me a living!" All you need is one person feeling like smoking in that room because it is their "right" to stink it up for the next 1000 occupants. One by one every room will smell like smoke because there are no designated rooms.

Buried in the middle of this thread was this very provocative comment. It had crossed my mind too that with no designated smoking rooms, every room has a higher chance of getting smoked in at some point in the future.

While smoking in a DVC room or balcony is not an entitlement, there will certainly be some who feel that it is. Unless this rule has teeth (how do they prove someone smoked in a room anyway?), it could in fact be worse for some of us. My daughter is also asthmatic which is probably why this post struck a chord.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I completely disagree.

It is not (at the present time) "news" at all.
Find it on an official release or website and we'll talk!
This thread should be closed as it's permitting disharmony concerning a non-policy. We might as well ask "what if Bin Laden was in charge of WDW" and debate it.

There is a press release from Disney posted on the CB.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1440038

 

[ammo]

Thanks to the mods for letting this thread continue. On the Resorts board (as of this afternoon) all threads on this topic were immediately locked. It's a major news item and people deserve the right to share their point of view.

I agree, but I have to admit that I only came to this thread by mistake. I thought the original post read, "All resorts non-swinging." Oops!

 

[Granny]

If one bought with assumptions they could smoke in rooms or on the balconies, the assumptions were wrong and the buyer took the risk. Certainly in the last 10 years one should have known this was a risk.

This thought has run through my mind several times as I've read this thread. It's hard to believe that smokers could be caught by surprise by any restrictions on smoking at this point.

This is nothing new. If anything, Disney was kind of slow to implement this. But I have to honestly say that I don't know the timeshare industry well enough to know if this is the norm or not.

 

[DVCconvert]

There is a press release from Disney posted on the CB.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1440038

That's nearly the exact verbage that appeared on the DVC member site and was pulled off line within a few hours - along with all associated references also removed.

 

[Dean]

I completely disagree.

It is not (at the present time) "news" at all.
Find it on an official release or website and we'll talk!
This thread should be closed as it's permitting disharmony concerning a non-policy. We might as well ask "what if Bin Laden was in charge of WDW" and debate it.

I quoted an email received just today from MS confirming both that it is the policy and that it applies to all DVC resorts.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I completely disagree.

It is not (at the present time) "news" at all.
Find it on an official release or website and we'll talk!
This thread should be closed as it's permitting disharmony concerning a non-policy. We might as well ask "what if Bin Laden was in charge of WDW" and debate it.

I hear what you're saying, but didn't someone earlier in this thread provide links to the article in the Orlando Sentinel?

MG

 

[brittsmum1998]

Buried in the middle of this thread was this very provocative comment. It had crossed my mind too that with no designated smoking rooms, every room has a higher chance of getting smoked in at some point in the future.

While smoking in a DVC room or balcony is not an entitlement, there will certainly be some who feel that it is. Unless this rule has teeth (how do they prove someone smoked in a room anyway?), it could in fact be worse for some of us. My daughter is also asthmatic which is probably why this post struck a chord.

Be careful what you wish for.....the majority of the time we had non smoking (yes i had requested smoking) we NEVER smoked in the room, only on the balcony.

 

[Granny]

Tim - I know that I don't believe everything that appears in the media.

"Dewey Defeats Truman" for example
- especially when there is no official confirmation that is independently verifiable from the media's verison of 'the story'.

It’s interesting that I had just emailed DVC to make sure I had NS listed on my request for the exchange to VB next week. I got an email back that says the following.

Quote:
Please be advised as of today it has been announced that all Disney
Vacation Club resorts and Walt Disney World Resorts will be nonsmoking
as of June 1st, 2007.​

I"d say an e-mail from Disney is pretty much an independent verification, wouldn't you?

I think the story is valid.

 

[DVCconvert]

I hear what you're saying, but didn't someone earlier in this thread provide links to the article in the Orlando Sentinel?

MG

MG - do you really consider that (or any just media report) as "proof"?

No official websites of WDW is reporting this, It did appear briefly on the DVC site and was removed.

 

[smjj]

That's nearly the exact verbage that appeared on the DVC member site and was pulled off line within a few hours - along with all associated references also removed.

So thats why I can't find it!! Why did they pull it??..smjj

 

[dannyh23]

Buried in the middle of this thread was this very provocative comment. It had crossed my mind too that with no designated smoking rooms, every room has a higher chance of getting smoked in at some point in the future.

While smoking in a DVC room or balcony is not an entitlement, there will certainly be some who feel that it is. Unless this rule has teeth (how do they prove someone smoked in a room anyway?), it could in fact be worse for some of us. My daughter is also asthmatic which is probably why this post struck a chord.

Hi Granny --

First off, we will be enjoying VWL for the first time with my wife and our extended family. None of us will be smoking in our non-smoking requested room -- we promise to take good care of our rooms!

"Some" DVC members (present company excluded) also feel they can pool hop wherever they want, park wherever they want, demand checkin at noon, demand late checkout, demand room requests be met, etc -- just because they spent $xx thousands of dollars on DVC. I have no doubt the "I'll smoke if I want" threads will start up too... If they feel that strong about it, they can sell and stay offsite (at least until those resorts ban smoking as well)

Some resorts with similar policies require "cleaning fees" of $xxxx dollars if smoke smell is present upon checkout.

As a DVC member, I applaud the new policy. In the long run, DVC becomes a better place to stay.

Dan

 

[DVCconvert]

I"d say an e-mail from Disney is pretty much an independent verification, wouldn't you?

I think the story is valid.

NO, I would not - there have been many instances over the years where a middle manager made a decision, "released it" only to be countered by up line management...until it appears as a PR - it has to be considered suspect.

 

[Sammie]

Oh it's definitely true, I have a friend in global operations that has been working on it for months. Just could not share. I hinted though.

I have just not heard from anyone at Disney, what the enforcement will be and considering that within the last 5 trips we were given NS rooms that had been heavily smoked in, I am not sure just saying that they have gone to NS is going to be enough.

 

[tjkraz]

Unless this rule has teeth (how do they prove someone smoked in a room anyway?), it could in fact be worse for some of us. My daughter is also asthmatic which is probably why this post struck a chord.

Obviously the "teeth" are key.

Put it this way: If you, as an arriving guests, are able to walk into a room and conclude "hey, someone smoked in this room", then housekeeping should be able to do the same thing. Extra cleaning is immediately mandated and fees are assessed--no questions asked. With all of the rooms being NS, the odor should stand out quite clearly.

I think the biggest risk we run as DVC members would be the added inconvenience of extra room cleaning. With the high occupancy rate, extra cleaning could really delay entry to an impacted room. Ideally the fines and enforcement will serve an an effective deterrent, and smoking won't be an issue.

Of course the next question is whether those fines would be assessed to the credit card on file or to the point owner. Could have an interesting impact on the point rental market if it were the latter, eh?

 

[ammo]

I"d say an e-mail from Disney is pretty much an independent verification, wouldn't you?

I think the story is valid.

If Granny buys it, I am going to accept it as a fait accompli (and call it a night). Best wishes to all DISers of good will -- smokers and nonsmokers alike.

 

[dznymom1]

My 74 year old Smoking DVC Member Mom called today to make a reservation for December. When she made her request for a smoking room, MS advised her that as of June 1 all resorts at WDW would be non-smoking. She did not make the reservation and cancelled an upcoming trip. The long hallways at Boardwalk and making her way to a designated area at her age is simply not acceptable. She is very disappointed and will probably be a part of the small group that will sell their points.

Apparently anyone that has requested a smoking room is being called starting today to advise them of the new policy. So, people that have a vacation June 1 may get notified by telephone in the next few weeks. I know that a Smoking Room was never a guarantee, but the odds were pretty good at most resorts, and I expect they will have some very unhappy folks with the short notice.

I am a non-smoker and have mixed feelings on the policy, but I feel strongly that there was a much better way to implement it.

 

[DVCconvert]

Some resorts with similar policies require "cleaning fees" of $xxxx dollars if smoke smell is present upon checkout.

Well that sounds a tad *subjective* -- a housekeeper with a hair acrossed their hiney could say a smell were present - the smell (if it were) smoke could have floated in from someother guest's offending patio - where's the point of verification to subject an occupany to a penalty?

 

[Disneyracingfan]

not for nothing but people smoke in non-smoking rooms now, is it really going to be any different because they say all rooms are non-smoking? I'm also assuming that before this alledged change smoking on balconys was ok even in non-smoking rooms?

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I have to give DVC Convert some slack here. I mean, wasn't the original Eagle Pines DVC officially announced in the sentinel too??

It is interesting that it was on the member site and was then removed. I also searched the wdwnews site for a press release and found none.

I am not saying that this is not true, I would not be at all surprised if it is. Most places are going in this direction, with good reason.

But again, I, like others on the thread, am extremely concerned about those who will smoke in the non-smoking rooms. Here in NY, and probably most other states, you cannot smoke in the Arena. I have been to several concerts and hockey games, and people do it anyway, even under threat of expulsion. They feel it is their "right" and they paid their money.

It may not be right, but it is a fact. I think we should all be VERY concerned with enforcement, rather than debating the point. If Disney wants NS resorts, they can do that. End of story. I think the energy of DVC members should be focused on how DVC intends to make sure that the rooms really are N/S before we all end up checking into stinky rooms.