No more smoking or vaping in the parks

[mummabear]

How exactly is being unhappy with the ban not taking responsibility for one’s actions? Anyone can choose not to go to Disney. It’s not a requirement. If I said “I am not going back because I can’t take ice in” would I somehow not be taking responsibility for something?

I think it was aimed more at the line of thinking "Well now Disney is making it so I have less time to spend together with my family! (because of the trek in and out of the park)" when in reality it is the smoker making that decision to take that time away from their family to get their fix. It's not the part about being unhappy with the ban, it's the part about blaming Disney for taking smoker away from smoker's family, when that is on the smoker for that decision.

@luvsJack @jalapeno_pretzel has it exactly right.

Many people are missing the big point. If its a known fact that DL is dry, then I would guess an alcoholic would not go to DL. Its the short notice they gave when people have a lot of money tied up in a near future trip to DL/DW and wont be getting the experience they though they paid for.

Disney gives short notice for things that effect peolkes vacation a lot more than "you will have to walk a bit farther for your smoke"

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

For other smokers I know, I wouldn't really want to be anywhere near them if they were trying to abstain during a day at the parks.

... but for me there is some anxiety that comes from the need of a cigarette not the other way around.

I don’t smoke anymore, but when I did I had cravings about every hour and a half. After two hours I was lightheaded and shaky.

This doesn't sound like a very fun thing at all - angry, anxious, lightheaded, shaky. I wouldn't like my moods and physical condition being manipulated by some dried leaves like that ... after only a couple of hours!

 

[kaytieeldr]

True, but the demographics are actually the other way around. I don't have the numbers in front of me at home so these are estimates, but if IIRC, https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/.

Actually, 28.5% under $35K vs 29.2% $100K+ - so, yes, with 21.4% of the population in the lowest bracket being smokers vs only 7% from the highest bracket...
https://www.statista.com/statistical/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/
Back, with better numbers
Estimating US adult population at 247,813,910:
The 21.4% of the >$35K group is about 15,114,063 people; the 7% of the higher brackets represent about 5,065,316 people. Therefore, about three times as many adults in the three lower brackets smoke as in the three highest (which I could have determined just by looking at the percentages and knowing that seven gozinta 21.4 about three times...

I just read on another site, the response from Disney emailed to the guest, about this new policy. Apparently the person is 3 days out from their paid for vacation and not happy. She said she was concerned about getting back into the parks and would there be a re-entry line for smokers who already went through security. The answer was, No they will have to go back in line to get in.
So that answers that question, apparently.

Her trip is in three days? Unless she's staying more than a month, these changes don't affect her.

 

[Col.W.Deering]

For me, not being able to smoke would definitely reduce my enjoyment because unlike many, stress is not a main trigger for me. A nicotine fix is pleasurable and for me it belongs as a part of pleasurable activities. I've had two long-term quits that were successful - and both were derailed by vacations. My inner dialogue was "this is so much fun - the only thing that could possibly make it better would be enjoying a smoke right now".

That's not to say I never go places where smoking is not permitted; I do. But I'd be lying if I said the ability to smoke conveniently factors in especially if we're talking about a vacation destination. I can't say for sure we'll never go back to a Disney park - we really like them. But if we don't, Disney won't miss us and they clearly don't care if they lose a portion of their customers over this. There have been plenty of other changes that don't enhance customer experience in any way; detracts from it actually. Disney doesn't care as long as people keep coming, and they are - in droves.

BBM
Well said.

 

[luvsJack]

Disney confines smoking to Designated Smoking Areas. DSAs have always been able to be moved around or eliminated at Disney's discretion. DSAs have been moved or reduced in the past.

As mentioned in my above comment one can still smoke everywhere else on property so long as they are in the DSAs. They have always needed to adhere to DSAs (yes we know not all did).

So when you say they did pay to go to a place where they thought they would be able to you're still correct. You can still smoke at Disney. You can still smoke at Disney Springs. You can still smoke in DSAs at the hotels if you're staying onsite. You can still smoke at the theme parks however the location has been moved to be outside the gates as far as we know. Does changing and/or reducing DSAs make it frustrating? I'm sure it does. But presently speaking that smoker still can smoke when they visit Disney.

Now I really would feel immensely for people if Disney announced instead of relocating DSAs they were removing them completely from their entire Resort property. I would be happy for the change but completely feel for smokers because that's a 180 degree turn to just remove smoking from being allowed on their entire property. Maybe they'll get to that point IDK but at least now it's not like poof you can't smoke anymore period on Resort property.

I can only speak for myself and our way of doing things and why it’s frustrating to us.

We get up at whatever time, depending on when we want to get to a park, and get coffee and go to the smoking area at the resort. At POP, the one we went to was on the backside of the resort at a bench where we never saw anyone. After coffee, we head to the buses. We stay in whatever park or go from park to park the entire day. Sometime that night after park closing we head back to the resort. We don’t go to Disney Springs that often. All three meals are in the park. We took time to smoke which maybe 5-10 minutes each time. So 20-40 minutes out of the day. And most of that was I smoke while he is riding something I don’t want to ride and he smokes while I am doing something he doesn’t want to do.

So, now, we can grab a smoke once we get to oh, let’s say MK. Then go in through the lines, etc. Go enjoy some attractions, have breakfast wherever and head back out through the gate to smoke (or take turns). Then get back through security back into the park. Rince and repeat at lunch, maybe in the afternoon and again after dinner. Keep in mind that the things we enjoy doing are all a hike from the gate. So each time we are talking about at least 30 -45 minutes. 30-45 minutes for each cigarette, 4 times a day (not even counting taking turns) is 2-3 hours out of a park day.

Do you see the difference?

 

[luvsJack]

This doesn't sound like a very fun thing at all - angry, anxious, lightheaded, shaky. I wouldn't like my moods and physical condition being manipulated by some dried leaves like that ... after only a couple of hours!

I don’t get the anxiety every couple of hours. It’s when it’s a more extended time. Besides, I don’t think it’s fun at all either. But I can’t wave a wand and make it go away.

 

[mnrose]

I find it fascinating that smokers are disproportionately in the lower income groups....especially given how EXPENSIVE cigarettes are! How do they afford them? My Dad smoked more than a pack a day... so smoking costs him about $100 a WEEK. Yikes. He could "afford" it easily, but that kind of spending when you make relatively little is tough to imagine. That's enough to feed another person easily.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can only speak for myself and our way of doing things and why it’s frustrating to us.

We get up at whatever time, depending on when we want to get to a park, and get coffee and go to the smoking area at the resort. At POP, the one we went to was on the backside of the resort at a bench where we never saw anyone. After coffee, we head to the buses. We stay in whatever park or go from park to park the entire day. Sometime that night after park closing we head back to the resort. We don’t go to Disney Springs that often. All three meals are in the park. We took time to smoke which maybe 5-10 minutes each time. So 20-40 minutes out of the day. And most of that was I smoke while he is riding something I don’t want to ride and he smokes while I am doing something he doesn’t want to do.

So, now, we can grab a smoke once we get to oh, let’s say MK. Then go in through the lines, etc. Go enjoy some attractions, have breakfast wherever and head back out through the gate to smoke (or take turns). Then get back through security back into the park. Rince and repeat at lunch, maybe in the afternoon and again after dinner. Keep in mind that the things we enjoy doing are all a hike from the gate. So each time we are talking about at least 30 -45 minutes. 30-45 minutes for each cigarette, 4 times a day (not even counting taking turns) is 2-3 hours out of a park day.

Do you see the difference?

Is my statement about DSAs being able to be moved and removed untrue? Is anything I said about smoking being confined to DSAs untrue? Is what I said about still being able to smoke at Disney untrue?

I'm sorry you're being negatively impacted but you've always been confined to DSAs whereever they were located at which was always available to change. For MK in 2015 the DSAs were reduced to 4, in 2016 DSAs were reduced to 3 with one of those 3 being a DSA now located by the ferries outside the entrance (so two inside the park), in 2019 there will be 1 which is one located outside of the park; not sure if they will move it from the ferry location or not. This has been a gradual change for at least MK.

I know that you're frustrated with the change but it's always been Disney's decision what to do with DSAs. It will always be your decision if you can adjust to any reduction or moving of the DSAs or if you're opting to stop going to Disney. I have my things that would make my desire to go to Disney less (paid FP is one of them). I may not stop going completely as in I swear it away for the rest of my life but it's been by sheer chance that I've gone about every 6 years of my life. I don't have a set schedule though so it could be a lot longer in between trips for the future. My husband and I both love going to many other places and exploring around and we rarely plan vacations to the same destination twice.

 

[Searc]

Roaming the park with their families and not having to leave them for 30 - 50 minutes, or having a dinner and not having to go all the way outside the park for a cigarette.....or though my own husband didnt smoke much in the main parks..maybe when he passed an area, but wouldnt search for one, what he did like was at the waterparks to go to the par area, get a drink and have a cigarette. he smoked in the water parks for sure as he's not one for slides or sun bathing. I usually stayed an a lounger and read while the kids had fun. Thats part of the vacation....not to stand in a parking lot to have a cigarette. I guess you dont understand as it appears you have never had a big vacation inside the bubble. Im not talking about day trippers, the ones who spend thousands on a WDW vacation.

Uh, it's a choice your husband makes to leave his family and smoke. Every bad choice/habit doesn't need to be accommodated.

 

[Searc]

People may have started planning out their days, taking into account where the current DSAs are. Now, they will have to throw out those plans and come up with entirely new ones. This could affect the FPs they have planned as they may not be able to fit in going out to smoke with the plans they already have, and it may be too late to switch FPs around while still keeping the rides they want. Due to all of the extra walking in and out of the park, they will undoubtedly have less time in the park for rides, shows, etc. So in that sense, they would be getting less of an experience than what they thought they were getting when they paid for their trip.

The parks are already stressful, and for many smokers, not being able to smoke/having to walk significantly farther to do so and then deal with security all over again, will add additional stress. A lot of people smoke to deal with stress, and will find this ban simply adds more stress to them, which can dampen their overall experience.

Because goodness, those poor smokers have no choice in what they choose to do.

 

[leebee]

I smoked for about 15 years, one to two packs a day. I come from an addictive family, full of smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts. I understand what it's like to smoke, to be addicted to smoking. I also know how hard it is to quit, because I did it, cold turkey. It's the only way that worked for me. I tried everything else, but it never stopped the craving, the addiction to the actual act of smoking, the feeling of smoking, in addition to the actual nicotine addiction. It worked for me because I finally made the decision that I was going to quit and I changed my patterns and lifestyle to avoid the triggers that made me want to smoke. Swapped from coffee/cigarette to juice/cereal in the morning (to keep my hands/mouth busy). Stopped going out for beers, started hanging out with people who didn't smoke (and this was in the day when so many people smoked, and smoked EVERYWHERE). I was able to quit successfully because I was determined to make my smoking more of a detriment to my lifestyle than a pleasure. I am not saying this is a solution for everyone, but I also know it CAN be done.

I am pleased with Disney's decision to move smoking out of the parks. My daughter is very allergic to smoke, and just passing by the smoking areas can trigger her allergies. I have similar issues, but mine are from lung damage that I did to myself, through my own smoking. Sometimes DSAs can be avoided, sometimes they can't, sometimes you don't know they are there until you are also there, sometimes smokers don't care and smoke wherever they want. When we run into these situations, we know our day and night are going to be impacted, not because of possibly getting lung cancer, but because we are allergic to the byproducts of your addiction; congestion, breathing difficulty, inability to sleep due to post-nasal drip, headache are all symptoms we suffer because we were exposed to your smoke.

I do think that this ban, with one smoking area outside of the park, is going to become a problem- people aren't going to want to take the time to go have a cigarette, so they are going to sneak a smoke wherever they can, especially as it doesn't look like there will be any consequence for breaking the rule. Perhaps Disney will find "out of park" areas at the back of each park, too, so that people won't have to go all the way to the main entrance to smoke. I am thinking about places like where the short-lived express busses (for park-hoppers, so they didn't have to go to the front of the park to hop) used to stop... I believe one of the spots at DHS was out behind RnRC, and at AK out by the Safari entrance (off to the side, where the parade enters/exits)? Maybe something like this will help make it easier for everyone to deal with this new smoking ban.

 

[robinb]

BIL has adviised his son to get the nicotine patches when nephew takes his family to Disney.

I wouldn’t recommend that for a temporary vacation fix from smoking. A large part of the enjoyment of smoking is the physical act of smoking itself. Your nephew will likely still want to smoke when he is able to and doing so with the patch may lead to a dangerous nicotine overdose.

 

[DISNEY1975]

The airfare can still be used to visit Orlando & maybe go to a more smoker friendly location. For most everything else should be refundable.

People dont usually want to pick another activity in a city. Legoland has nothing on Disney, and you cant make a full week trip out of it. Disneyland also is not relly a full week destination. Also with ticket prices being hundreds of dollars per person, that a lot of money thrown away. Not to mention special event tickets someone may have. Then they would have to go and purchase tickets for other parks. It would be a financial loss.

Uh, it's a choice your husband makes to leave his family and smoke. Every bad choice/habit doesn't need to be accommodated.

Uh, youre clearly not a smoker and dont understand. Its what he liked to do. He didnt mind going to the water parks because there was something for him do, hang at the bar, meet people etc... Highly doubt he would want to go there, sit on a lounger and stare off into space. No, he didnt have to be accommodated, but Disney didnt have to say there was a smoking area in the park, take his money, then say there was no smoking area.

All I was saying it it will be less enjoyable and for that, some may regret paying to go. Disney should not make a change that seriously impacts peoples enjoyment (walking extra miles per day and wasting time), but take their money anyway. Im all for the ban, just think they should have given more notice. That goes for the strollers too...for people who have a trip coming and spent all that money. Th ice can be bagged, so it should really impact anyone other than spending a few minutes filling the bags.

 

[Hikergirl]

People dont usually want to pick another activity in a city. Legoland has nothing on Disney, and you cant make a full week trip out of it. Disneyland also is not relly a full week destination. Also with ticket prices being hundreds of dollars per person, that a lot of money thrown away. Not to mention special event tickets someone may have. Then they would have to go and purchase tickets for other parks. It would be a financial loss.

And that would all be on them. It would all be their choice to "throw away" their money.
Smokers need to adapt to the world today, if they choose not too then that isn't anyone elses fault.

 

[Searc]

People dont usually want to pick another activity in a city. Legoland has nothing on Disney, and you cant make a full week trip out of it. Disneyland also is not relly a full week destination. Also with ticket prices being hundreds of dollars per person, that a lot of money thrown away. Not to mention special event tickets someone may have. Then they would have to go and purchase tickets for other parks. It would be a financial loss.



Uh, youre clearly not a smoker and dont understand. Its what he liked to do. He didnt mind going to the water parks because there was something for him do, hang at the bar, meet people etc... Highly doubt he would want to go there, sit on a lounger and stare off into space. No, he didnt have to be accommodated, but Disney didnt have to say there was a smoking area in the park, take his money, then say there was no smoking area.

All I was saying it it will be less enjoyable and for that, some may regret paying to go. Disney should not make a change that seriously impacts peoples enjoyment (walking extra miles per day and wasting time), but take their money anyway. Im all for the ban, just think they should have given more notice. That goes for the strollers too...for people who have a trip coming and spent all that money. Th ice can be bagged, so it should really impact anyone other than spending a few minutes filling the bags.

All 100% his choice.

Disney isn't taking anyone's money. You are willingly giving it to them. If you don't like their polices, don't go. It's pretty straightforward. They gave over a months notice, plenty of time. They could have given a week or less.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

This doesn't sound like a very fun thing at all - angry, anxious, lightheaded, shaky. I wouldn't like my moods and physical condition being manipulated by some dried leaves like that ... after only a couple of hours!

Correct, addiction isn’t fun.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Th ice can be bagged, so it should really impact anyone other than spending a few minutes filling the bags.

Yeah but people have to go buy bags if they brought none with them or if they did bring them with them they may not have enough.

What if they don't have a car and now have to pay for an uber or taxi. Regardless of having a car or not now they have to take time out of their vacation to go get plastic baggies to put ice in and spend time dealing with putting ice in baggies. If they are onsite do any of the hotel lobby stores have plastic baggies being sold in them?

It can impact people.

Realize that I'm being a tad overdramatic here but your take is the ice shouldn't really impact anyone because they can easily and relatively quickly just put it in baggies. That's assuming they have baggies in the first place, now they have the inconvenience of having to buy baggies so extra $ spent and the inconvenience of having to physically get baggies. To someone this can be even a greater inconvenience than it could be to a person who smokes who now will have just one DSA located outside the park. All depends on an individual person's perception and person opinion on the subject matter.

 

[DISNEY1975]

All 100% his choice.

Disney isn't taking anyone's money. You are willingly giving it to them. If you don't like their polices, don't go. It's pretty straightforward. They gave over a months notice, plenty of time. They could have given a week or less.

Not true. Many people have their tickets purchased, gift cards purchased, airfare purchased....all non refundable. Yes, if anyone books a trip to Disney after last Thursday, then yes they have no right to complain. They way Disney is set up to make your plans well in advance. they need to give notice well in advance too. Its only fair.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Yeah but people have to go buy bags if they brought none with them or if they did bring them with them they may not have enough.

What if they don't have a car and now have to pay for an uber or taxi. Regardless of having a car or not now they have to take time out of their vacation to go get plastic baggies to put ice in and spend time dealing with putting ice in baggies. If they are onsite do any of the hotel lobby stores have plastic baggies being sold in them?

It can impact people.

Realize that I'm being a tad overdramatic here but your take is the ice shouldn't really impact anyone because they can easily and relatively quickly just put it in baggies. That's assuming they have baggies in the first place, now they have the inconvenience of having to buy baggies so extra $ spent and the inconvenience of having to physically get baggies. To someone this can be even a greater inconvenience than it could be to a person who smokes who now will have just one DSA located outside the park. All depends on an individual person's perception and person opinion on the subject matter.

A tad over dramatic, and stalker-ish.

Im sure someone will be at the grocery store within the next month to buy some bags. If they are on property and dont have a car, I would assume they dont have a freeser either to freese the ice.

But to your point, I would feel bad for them too and have a little sympathy instead of "You dont need ice anyway..stinks to be you."

 

[Hikergirl]

Not true. Many people have their tickets purchased, gift cards purchased, airfare purchased....all non refundable. Yes, if anyone books a trip to Disney after last Thursday, then yes they have no right to complain. They way Disney is set up to make your plans well in advance. they need to give notice well in advance too. Its only fair.

They can complain sure, but if they choose to not go now because Disney moved the DSA to outside their parks then it is still their choice.