my one complaint regarding AKL...

[letfuller]

is not to the lodge, but to those guests who have non-smoking rooms and then go out on the balcony and smoke. Several times DH and I were smoked into our room. No, I did not call down to the lobby to voice a complaint, and upon check out they asked if I had. The cast member said we could have had our room changed. That response to me makes me angry: why should I change my room that allowed me to watch giraffes every afternoon eating for those that feel they have a right to smoke on the balcony?

Okay enough blasting: our stay at AKL was incredible and Boma was exceptional. Yummy, yummy zebra domes

 

[LAinSEA]

I'm also a non-smoker and exposure to cigarette smoke will sometimes (well almost all the time) trigger an asthma attack for me, so I understand about the being smoked into one's room...

However, aren't the smoking rooms at AKL - smoke in the room? Don't you sign a waiver when you check in that you will not smoke on your balcony (if on a savannah view room) along with not throwing anything into the habitat?

My F-I-L is a smoker (and at age 70-something unlikely to quit at this stage of life) so I understand about the addiction...but I wish those that do choose to smoke would be a bit more considerate of those of us who don't and really shouldn't be exposed to it.

 

[gepetto]

Originally posted by LAinSEA


However, aren't the smoking rooms at AKL - smoke in the room? Don't you sign a waiver when you check in that you will not smoke on your balcony (if on a savannah view room) along with not throwing anything into the habitat?

I thought so too. I seem to remember the waiver including smoking on the balcony as well. In any case, we were in a non smoking room and it was annoying when the people next door were smoking on the balcony. It was our last night though and not worth the effort of moving.

 

[Teris]

We were told that they do not have smoking rooms at the AKL,, something I found out about when we checked in this past Jan. I had requested a smoking room for hubby, and had not been told that it was not possible. I thought all resorts had disignated smoker rooms. I would have booked at the WL if I had been told that. My husband is a smoker,, and while I wish he would quit,, at the same time, I felt sorry for him. Mousekeeping brought him an ashtray to use on the balcony,, so I guess they come across this quite a bit. I can't stand smoke either,,, I found people yelling at the animals off their balconies just as annoying TBH. Then the families who let their kids stand on chairs to get a better look were a bit scarey. One family who were next to us, managed to break glasses on their balcony,,guess they didn't have refillable mugs or something.

 

[padisneylover]

My husband is a smoker unfortunately and we stayed at AKL April 2002 and did have a smoking Savanaha room and have reserved one again this year. They are on the far ends of all the buildings and the mousekeepers told us that it was ok to smoke on the balconies as long as you don't throw your butts over the rail. Since my husband is a clean smoker this was not problem for him and I know that at that time there was no mention of it in the waiver you signed since I specifically looked for it, that is why we asked two different CM's and mousekeeping about the rule that we had heard before we left. Also, there was not notice posted in the room.

 

[floridafam]

I haven't been able to get the actual policy on smoking at AKL from the CM's who work there.

I was told that the suites were smoking optional by CRO and then were told the 1br suites were non-smoking by a concierge CM.

Now, I read the smoking rooms are at the end of the hallways-right where the suites are located.

I can't imagine sitting out on our balcony and being smoked back in our room.

They need to have one policy and stick to it.

I also think that a non-smoking room means a non-smoking balcony. Why have non-smoking rooms at all if you can smoke on your balcony?

We were surrounded by smokers at our non-smoking room at the Sheraton Sand Key last month and we had to sit in our room 2 nights instead of enjoying the view of the beach. I was NOT happy.

It's so simple. Smoking rooms should be able to smoke on the balcony and non-smoking rooms should have non-smoking baclonies. If the hotel and the guests all follow this policy nobody has a problem and everyone is happy.

I'm all for smokers being able to smoke in smoking rooms.

Why is it so hard for hotels and AKL to have the appropriate numbers of rooms for everyone and to not put smoking guests in non-smoking rooms and non smokers in smoking rooms?

 

[magicmouse2]

I am sorry, but as I suffer from smoke allergy, if it were me I would have to call front desk. I do intend to spend evenings an mornings on our balcony at AKL and whilst I sympathise with smokers( I know its addictive), there are smoking optional rooms available. They should be requested, so as not to inconvenience others.
Also its not so good for the animals to inhale the cigarette smoke, from people on the balconies..

 

[d-r]

Right now, it is still legal to smoke outside, and balconys are outside.

 

[magicmouse2]

And in many places its illegal to smoke INSIDE now as of this year....
Surely you have to respect designated areas! for smoking and non smoking due to allergies etc.....

 

[floridafam]

Before this gets moved to the debate board....

What is legal and what is considerate of other people on thier balconies are two different things.

I respect the rights of smokers and non smokers. I think Disney could set one policy and stick to it. If smokers were in the smoking section and non smokers were in the non smoking section, with balconies also designated as such, then everyone would be happy.

People only start experiencing problems when the CM's start changing the rules or saying it's okay to do something.

Don't you think everyone would be happy if there was one rule and the smoking/non smoking sections were seperated. It's SO simple.

I just don't think smokers should smoke on the balconies regardless of whether it is legal or not.

 

[SueEllen]

I just had to reply to this one!

Okay, first let me say that I CANNOT STAND smoke--and am allergic to it (as it my daughter) I do not like being on my balcony and having someone next to me smoking--HOWEVER, they still have the right to smoke outside. I personally am THANKFUL that the smokers are choosing to do their smoking out on the balcony instead of inside of the non-smoking room--thereby keeping the room enjoyable for me. I would be upset if they chose to smoke INSIDE of the non-smoking rooms, not on the balcony, which would make the room smell AWFUL and to where I could not stay in it (I MUST have a non-smoking room due to the allergies and asthma in our family)

Will I move back inside if the smoke is heavy our on the balcony? More than likely. Would I be happy about it? NO, not at all. However, we must remember that smoking is a personal preference, and as much as I cannot stand being around it, it is still their right to smoke as it is ours not to smoke.

As for smoking on the balconies at the Animal Kingdom Lodge--it is allowed--however you must be sure to use an ashtry of some sort for the remains of the cigarette/cigar. Throwing ANYTHING AT ALL over the balconies is grounds for dismissal from the resort.

Sue Ellen

 

[Gillian]

Disney allows smoking on all their balconies, even if the rooms are non-smoking. That's why they would move you, but not ask your neighbors to stop smoking.

In September we were in a smoking optional room at AKL. It was on the 4th floor, way at the end of one of the wings. I don't think there were any suites near us. Maybe up a floor?

 

[PatriciaH]

We were told at check in no smoking is allowed on ANY balcony facing a Savanah. We were in a 2br suite all the way at the end of the U. One night the lady in the room next to us was out on her balcony smoking so I called the front desk and said "is smoking allowed on any balcony facing the savanah?" He said absolutely not and the cameras had picked her up already! This was in March.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Now I am worried. We will be staying at AKL Concierge in December with 3DDs. The toddler unfortunately is highly allergic to Cigarette smoke! Do you guys mean to tell me that I am paying all that money for a great view, and may not be able to appreciate or enjoy it if someone chooses to smoke on their balcony? I also was told that Savannah view rooms were non-smoking rooms!

 

[gepetto]

Originally posted by AspiringCindy
Do you guys mean to tell me that I am paying all that money for a great view, and may not be able to appreciate or enjoy it if someone chooses to smoke on their balcony? I also was told that Savannah view rooms were non-smoking rooms!

Apparently. Unfortunately the person that moved into the room next door on our last night was not only a smoker but a chain smoker. He was always out there in his little chair smoking.

 

[Teris]

When I booked the AKL as a surprise for my husband, for his first trip to Disney,, I was very specific about requesting a smoking room. When we checked in,, we were told that there were NOT any smoking rooms, that the AKL did not allow any smoking at all. The mousekeeping lady we had said hubby was allowed to smoke outside on the balcony, and she was the one who provided him an ashtray. I am sure they could clearly see him on camera as well,, but when he was on the balcony there was no one around. It was late January tho, so the resort was not even half full, which makes me wonder if they changed the smoking policy to non-smoking before our visit,, or relagated rooms for smokers after our visit. It's very confusing. Not to mention annoying, since I would have booked at another resort to avoid any stress while on holiday.

There are smoking designated areas thruout the parks,, or there were this past Jan, have they changed that policy?? I was very strict with hubby to make sure he onlly smoked in those areas while we were in the parks, and they were generally all off the beaten path of wandering guests.

 

[Sammie]

Disney's policy on this is very confusing or their lack of a policy.

Recently friends of ours stayed in a NS building at the Polynesian and several people were smoking on balconies and patios and on the landings leading into the buildings.

In fact each landing at Fiji had a table and chairs that were being used as the smoking area. You had to walk thru a cloud of smoke to get in the building if you used the stairs.

The problem is smokers book NS rooms as many do not smoke inside due to their spouses or kids, but they do smoke on the balconies and patios or right outiside the doors on the landings.

 

[Virgo10]

OK, I was there in May. I had a smoking room. There was no sign or literature in the room saying I couldn't smoke on the balcony. I was never verbally told I couldn't smoke on the balcony. I did smoke on the balcony and never received a call or personal apperance by any CM's in regards to doing so.

Anyone moronic enough to throw a cigarette off of a balcony, or anything else for that matter, should be asked to leave the lodge. These are the same types who think the world is their trash can. I live on a busy street and the junk I find out in front of my house, discarded there by slobs, would turn your stomach.

I also would like to see Disney adopt a uniform policy. A non smoking room should be just that. Not in the room and not on the balcony. Then everyone would be happy. The non smokers wouldn't have to worry about alergic reactions and the smokers wouldn't have to worry about being hassled.

Roberta

 

[LvsTnk]

While smoking outside seems to be O.K., spraying Lysol outside seems to be O.K. too. I took Lysol outside with me when I got smoked back into my room. Neighbor got the message and no words were exchanged.

I took drastic measures because we were in an alcove of rooms(BWI) and the smell was in our room and in the hallway, I too knew they would only ask us if we wanted to move if we complained.

When at the Grand Californian we had to sign that we would not smoke anywhere in our non-smoking room.

 

[Sara1026]

I've been wanting to post back to you for almost a MONTH, but I had a terrible time getting registered. Anyway, I'm hoping you were not in the room next to my BIL-- we arrived at AKL on June 21st, and he immediately lit up on his balcony. We paid for the trip for him, his kids, and my parents in law, so I had signed the waiver and it took me awhile to convince him not to smoke out there.

Anyway, if it was us, I'm so sorry. We were on Zebra Trail on the second floor in the second building out from the lobby (can't remember the # he was in).