Magic kingdom down to two designated smoking areas

[babesboo99]

As long as smoking is legal, yes, smokers have rights. I don't smoke, but I know people that do. And many of them have tried, and tried, and tried to quit. It is not as easy (for most) as saying I'm done smoking! Yay me!

I think it is a nasty habit, but geeze, have some compassion. Most of us have some sort of vice. They probably don't affect others the way smoking does, but it doesn't make us superior somehow. Which is how many posters are coming off. As thinking they are above and superior to smokers. I'd take a kind smoker over a self-righteous non-smoker any day.

Great point.. and you are right

 

[AliceIn]

As long as smoking is legal, yes, smokers have rights. I don't smoke, but I know people that do. And many of them have tried, and tried, and tried to quit. It is not as easy (for most) as saying I'm done smoking! Yay me!

I think it is a nasty habit, but geeze, have some compassion. Most of us have some sort of vice. They probably don't affect others the way smoking does, but it doesn't make us superior somehow. Which is how many posters are coming off. As thinking they are above and superior to smokers. I'd take a kind smoker over a self-righteous non-smoker any day.

They do have the right to smoke, but not anywhere they wish. Unfortunately, smoking doesn't just harm the person choosing to smoke. It's harmful for everyone exposed to it. Everyone else's right to breathe clean air trumps their right to smoke.

People can smoke in their homes, on their own property, and on the property of others who permit it. Disney has responsibilities to its employees as well as it's customers. Providing a smoke-free work environment for their cast members is a good thing. A lot of big companies are moving this direction, and I wouldn't be surprised if you see it more and more. It's not so much a lack of compassion for a smoker - I do get how hard it is to quit; but I do feel a lot of resentment when smoking areas are too close to public areas. The smell is absolutely revolting, and it's a migraine trigger. I wish they could find a way to keep the smoking in a place that nobody else has to walk through. Meaning, it's not near a public walkway, not close to any resort rooms, buildings, pools, etc.

Before our work campus when tobacco free, the smoking areas were moved to spots completely isolated. That would be better if Disney could do that.

 

[maryj11]

This link doesn't appear to list any DSAs, just describes that smoking is allowed only in designated areas.

If you scroll down there is a map with designated smoking areas showing on it.

 

[maryj11]

With us knowing how poor Disney's IT is, I could see it as an error on their part. But, maybe they have eliminated the 2nd location inside the park already. The current park maps show 2 locations inside the park, the online map shows just the 1.

Yes who knows it could be an error.

 

[magicjojo]

I think it is a nasty habit, but geeze, have some compassion. Most of us have some sort of vice. They probably don't affect others the way smoking does, but it doesn't make us superior somehow. Which is how many posters are coming off. As thinking they are above and superior to smokers. I'd take a kind smoker over a self-righteous non-smoker any day.

I feel compassion for the kids dragged over to the smoky smoking section so their parents can feed their addiction.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

We must be really lucky because we haven't seen these smokers wandering all over the parks. The way some people go on I picture galloping hordes of smoking mobs running amuck. Controlling any of that is up to Disney. It's not fair to penalize those who follow the rules IMO.

As with lots of things, it probably depends on when you go. The last trip we took was in winter and there were more foreign tourists than American tourists and a handful of them were smoking and feigning cultural ignorance. It wasn't a major problem, but it was definitely noticed.

Before this week, I never knew that people "waded" into the lakes. It makes some sense though considering when we go, it's usually cooler and the lakes lose a lot of their appeal.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You want to do whatever you like to yourself go right ahead. No issue.

You want to force my kids to breathe in foul smelling cancer causing smoke in a park made for little kids? Yeah that I have a problem with. And no, you don't get to decide how small a dose of cancer smoke is ok for my kids to cough through.

Park made for people of all ages, not just little kids.

And the poster you quoted never claimed to smoke. Maybe she just empathizes with the smokers being attacked.

Because Disney enables this behavior by not enforcing the rules. Escort a few folks out and people's behavior with change. Making a rule you are afraid to enforce is silly and counter productive as is causes resentment from the rules followers who are 99% of the customers.

Does Disney have an actual policy or practice for guests smoking in the parks but outside the DSAs, other than to advise the guest of the DSA?
[2="MickeyMinnieMom, post: 55959790, member: 158798"]If a car was idling right in Adventurland for us to breathe in the exhaust, pretty sure I'd complain.[/QUOTE]
Well, not Adventureland, but there's the Speedway...

When we had smoking/no smoking here in Illinois, there were always problems. When the legislature came to their senses some years back and banned it 100% in any public place, it made life easy from an enforcement viewpoint.

Even illinois doesn't ban smoking outdoors.

and good for us non smokers who don't walk around throwing our trash on the ground.

What about the nonsmokers who do throw trash on the ground? Surely you can't blame the variety and multitude of general trash on the 20-ish percent of smokers?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Even illinois doesn't ban smoking outdoors.

Illinois, as a state, does not ban outdoor smoking as a general law, but the ubiquitous local laws and private companies (like a Disney should) acting upon their social responsibilities to their guests, pretty much make it universal where people congregate. Example, Chicago prohibits smoking in public parks, beaches and harbors. So do most surrounding municipalities. Major outdoor venues, such as Wrigley Field, US Cellular, Soldier Field, Fifth Third Park all prohibit smoking. If you exit the stadiums to smoke outside, no re-entry.

I am not familiar with downstate local laws.

I found this thought interesting in light of a number of the replies on this thread.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...go-parks-smoking-ban-vote-20140910-story.html

The reasoning behind the ordinance was threefold, according to Joel Africk, president and CEO of the Respiratory Health Association, an organization that has been working on expanding the ban to Chicago’s parks for a year. It will eliminate second-hand smoke exposure and reduce litter in Chicago’s parks and encourage people to quit smoking, Africk said.

“I think a smoke-free parks policy will further de-normalize smoking for kids,” Africk said after the meeting.

 

[Jonas_Swe]

As with lots of things, it probably depends on when you go. The last trip we took was in winter and there were more foreign tourists than American tourists and a handful of them were smoking and feigning cultural ignorance. It wasn't a major problem, but it was definitely noticed.

Before this week, I never knew that people "waded" into the lakes. It makes some sense though considering when we go, it's usually cooler and the lakes lose a lot of their appeal.

I fully respect your opinion and by all means you're always entitled to it, of course.

But please don't refer to us foreigners as one group of misbehaving lot of people.

And what do you mean by "feigning cultural ignorance"...?

Do you really know, or even want to know what reputation most American tourists have in Europe?

I'm sorry you had that specific experience, even though it didn't bother you much, it still was unnecessary.

And I would believe that it could have been avoided if the rules were enforced a little clearer. And as I've mentioned before, they should in fact add more designated smoking areas to get rid of stupid excuses.

I'm sure we can all get along!

 

[Hikergirl]

What about the nonsmokers who do throw trash on the ground? Surely you can't blame the variety and multitude of general trash on the 20-ish percent of smokers?

What about them? This is a thread about smokers, and I have no problem saying that they have a real problem with throwing trash on the ground and its disgusting.

 

[Hikergirl]

Some people keep saying smokers have the right to smoke. I would suggest you do some research because there are places where their "right" to smoke has been taken away.

 

[leebee]

I can see both sides of the argument. I let me start by saying I am a non smoker and I can't stand the smell of it and it usually gives me headaches quite quickly. With that being said we cannot take away their areas to smoke. We can see them on a map and we non smokers can avoid them, like I do every vacation. It is not illegal to smoke in this country just like it is not illegal to consume alcohol and since I go to Epcot and enjoy drinks I think people who smoke should be able to enjoy their hard earned vacation as I do.

Yes to the bolded, but it IS against the rules to have alcohol in the Magic Kingdom. You can be pretty sure that if I popped open a tall frosty beer on a hot August afternoon in the MK, I'd have a CM on me faster than you can say "Bob's your uncle!" Dispose of the beer or leave the Kingdom. It should be the same for smoking- smoke in designated areas or leave the Kingdom. Regarding the underlined, Disney is a private corporation; if they want to say "no smoking" in their parks, they can. They don't because it'd hurt their bottom line.

Disney needs to start enforcing their own rules, or else those of us who are annoyed/angered by the LACK of enforcement need to start speaking up... LOUDLY. Personally, I like the idea of a "compliance corps" dressed in bad-guy costumes... and three cheers to Chloe'sDad for the poetry!!

 

[wdwfanva]

As someone who used to smoke (gave it up 40 years ago) I always felt the parks should be smoke free !! Give the cast members a radio and when they see someone outside smoking areas , call security and have them escort the person out of the park. Hey better yet, give them a fire extinguisher and have them put the cig out ( hey, I thought your face was on fire ) It can't be too soon for me for ALL the parks to be smoke free !!!!

 

[Planogirl]

What about them? This is a thread about smokers, and I have no problem saying that they have a real problem with throwing trash on the ground and its disgusting.

How did you quote me saying that? I don't remember saying it and I can't find it said anywhere. I must be losing it.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I fully respect your opinion and by all means you're always entitled to it, of course.

But please don't refer to us foreigners as one group of misbehaving lot of people.

And what do you mean by "feigning cultural ignorance"...?

Do you really know, or even want to know what reputation most American tourists have in Europe?

I'm sorry you had that specific experience, even though it didn't bother you much, it still was unnecessary.

And I would believe that it could have been avoided if the rules were enforced a little clearer. And as I've mentioned before, they should in fact add more designated smoking areas to get rid of stupid excuses.

I'm sure we can all get along!

I NEVER said that all foreign travelers are a group of misbehaving individuals. I said that there was a handful who were breaking the rules and trying to use the fact that they were foreign to get away with it. Since you argue that Americans have a reputation for it too, then I'm pretty sure that you know exactly what "feigning cultural ignorance" is.

I'm sorry that this post touched a nerve with you. I was only trying to point out what the handful of rude people did, not paint any group with a broad brush.

 

[ArwenMarie]

We were between houses recently and we lived in an apartment complex in the interim. No smoking allowed anywhere. No smoking areas in the whole development, not allowed in your own apartment, nothing. I guess you could go to your car, not sure how they would stop that. And they were hardcore about it. I was surprised they were allowed to do that legally.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

Using a friend's access to online research journals (she's a lecturer at a university), I've been able to find a few articles that specifically study compliance with designated areas vs. smoking bans. Guess what? Smoking bans are overwhelmingly the most effective; that compliance rates with smoking bans are higher than compliance rates with designated smoking areas.

So hopefully this is the direction that Disney is going, scholarly research supports banning smoking altogether. Maybe they are gradually reducing the number of designated areas to mitigate backlash from smokers, with the eventual goal of banning smoking altogether. Wouldn't that be awesome?

The smoking ban worked great here at my office. Now smoke breaks that used to take 5 minutes take over 10 because folks that want to smoke have to leave campus to do it. We also got a couple of unhappy letters from the businesses on either side of us asking for us to clean up all of the cigarette butts from the public streets where people from our building are now smoking. I came back from a late lunch last week around 15 minutes before shift change in the warehouse and there were over 20 cars parked on the street leading to our parking lot with folks standing outside of them getting in a last one (or two) before going to work.

 

[Jaybrad]

A lot of the posters need to get of their "High Horse".

 

[hiroMYhero]

This informative thread regarding smoking areas specifically in Magic Kingdom is now closed.