No Smoking....what a joke!

[dclfun]

We just got back from a short stay at Pop and I have to say I saw and smelled more smokers than ever before. One early morning there were a total of 6 adults outside on the first floor walkway smoking/chatting and unfortunately their smoke made it's way into my room as did their conversation which triggered me to look outside to start with. Then I looked over to the adjoining walkway and there were two more ladies smoking. Meanwhile the DSA was only steps away at a bench by the hourglass lake. While entering the food court we always saw someone striding along while smoking and were often behind their "cloud". I was told there was now no smoking EXCEPT for the DSA's but I guess that's untrue as long as people feel free to smoke wherever they please. I did report it, not because it was "ruining my trip" but because if there are going to be rules, then someone needs to enforce them and I had to wonder if guests were being made aware of the policy at check in. I got a phone message and was told there was no evidence of smokers near my room. Guess no one looked in the grass at the discarded cigarette pack wrapper, the butts in the grass, and the area on the concrete between the doors where you could see that cigarettes had been smashed out....sigh.----Kathy

 

[boppy]

We just returned from our first trip ever, and my husband smokes. He is very respectful of the "smoking in designated areas" thing, but that is part of the problem. The smoking areas were not very easy to find, especially at the Magic Kingdom. Maybe Disney needs to make them easier for smokers to find.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

This really worries me. I am very allergic to cig smoke to the point where it 'would' ruin my vacation. Not to mention its just gross and disgusting and I don't want to smell it. We are booked into the Pop and if I start smelling it in front of my room, front desk will be getting a call. I won't put up with it - its something I have ZERO tolerance for.

 

[fla4fun]

I had the opposite experience last month at VWL/WL. I never saw (or smelled) anyone smoking outside of the DSA's. I also didn't come across anyone smoking outside the DSA's in the parks. Thanks to all the considerate smokers!

 

[Joan1]

Here is a link to the maps of the resorts / parks that show the smoking areas
Hopefully this will help people.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/

 

[Tissa]

I just got back from POP and only saw smokers in the DSA, the only problem is that there is a big one right outside the food court and in the middle of the 50's. So I smelled more cig smoke this trip than I ever did before when the resort had smoking rooms. Hey people wanted all rooms to go non-smoking so the smokers had to go outside. I think I liked it better before.

 

[mjf2wdw]

If everyone reports violations as they occur, Disney staff will be more inclined to do more about it. I have stayed in many resorts and it is more of a problem in the value resorts than at Wilderness lodge. I have often been asked to respond to a survey after my vacation and I always mention smoking violations if I find them. Disney World is big enough to accomodated both smokers and non smokers, we just need to practice a little Disney Courtesy for others.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We stayed at the BCV just when the DSAs went into effect. Then again in Vero in Aug. we didn't notice many just a few strays here and there. I thought both these places had good locations as DW smokes.

I do agree if rules are being broken then bring it to the attention of the CMs and let them handle it. They are the ones that should be enforcing the rules and most of this type stuff would be better for both groups.

 

[becky1960]

I think part of the problem is more smokers are going outside now since they no longer have smoking rooms. At Wl, I noticed two ashtrays on either side of the walkway as you exit building leading to bus stops and some more at bus stops. I dont smoke, but I can see that smokers are going to be smoking more outside, wherever.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I am an ex smoker and I remember everyone converging on one area to smoke in. They were hard to find, esp if you are not familiar with the parks. I think the above poster had it correct. If people cant smoke in their rooms and only have DSA's then you will see it alot more. They have no other choice than to smoke in those areas. I did see alot of CM's talking with people in Epcot about the smoking policy. It was defiantely being enforced in that park. It is funny now that I am quit I have little tolerance for smoke.

 

[DisneyRulz07]

the bottom line: For of Disney Travelers that are hospitalized by secondary smoke, we appreciate the fact that Disney has smoke free rooms. My DD4yrs old loved the fact that we had a trip without the usual trip to the emergency room because some "half wit" broke the rules and smoked outside the designated areas.

 

[BensMom]

Judgment call on my part...will probably get "flamed," (no pun intended) for this, but having stayed in every hotel in Disney property (except for the lower-end, but visited friends staying there a few times), I have noticed different resorts bring different cross sections of life. Wilderness Lodgies tend to be more health- and environment-conscious.

I was disappointed to see a woman smoking on her balcony at AKL not too long ago. I said something, as I always do (and have gotten into a near fistfight at Boardwalk once over it).

 

[BensMom]

I am an ex smoker and I remember everyone converging on one area to smoke in. They were hard to find, esp if you are not familiar with the parks. I think the above poster had it correct. If people cant smoke in their rooms and only have DSA's then you will see it alot more. They have no other choice than to smoke in those areas. I did see alot of CM's talking with people in Epcot about the smoking policy. It was defiantely being enforced in that park. It is funny now that I am quit I have little tolerance for smoke.

TOTALLY AGREE. I quit on my 18th birthday (not going to tell you how many years ago THAT was), and it's been a long time. People remark how "we reformers are the worst." My answer to them is always, "Yep, I have seen life both ways, and I like this way much better, and I wish you'd try it too."

 

[safetymom]

Just remember if this turns into a debate this thread will be closed. If you care to debate the smoking policy please move your discussions to the community board. Thank you.

 

[kelscross]

They weren't enforcing it at the Poly when we went a few weeks ago. People were smoking freely at the pool when there is a DSA at the pool and they were smoking along the walkways. I am a smoker and abided by the DSAs, however one of the big complaints was "I can't use my balcony because of the smokers out there". My mother commented to me one day back to our longhouse.."I don't see any more people out on their balconies than before we couldn't smoke out there." So they took away the smoking on the balconies and I didn't notice any more use out of them than before.

 

[SereneOne]

We will be staying at POR...if I see smoking outside designated areas, there will be some trouble! My daughter has RAD and other health issues and she is not ending up in the hospital over someone else's bad habit!

 

[ckret01]

Then I looked over to the adjoining walkway and there were two more ladies smoking. Meanwhile the DSA was only steps away at a bench by the hourglass lake. Kathy

I understand that people smoking outside DSA is not following the rules and is wrong....but if they are only a few steps away I don't see the problem with it. Maybe Disney should say how many feet away from the DSA a smoker can smoke...should it be 1 foot or 5 feet There is always going to be an issue with this.

 

[english rose 47]

I am a smoker ,so of course I don't like the new rules! I am in total agreement with not smoking inthe rooms . I don't smoke in the house at home either! I confess I did enjoy smoking on the balcony though and will miss that! I too found the DSA in the Parks very hard to find and I think if they had more and better signs it might help!

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

We too just got back from a stay at POP and I have to agree about people smoking outside of the DSA's......while I did notice that most people did use the DSA's......there were some that chose not to...we were in the 50's building and had to pass by a room that had one of the plastic cups outside the door filled with water & cigarette butts....most nights when we returned from the parks we would pass by their room and they had the chairs from the room moved out to the area between the two doors and smoke....leaving their door open. The one thing I did not like was the DSA outside the doors to POP near the food court.....I wish they had chosen a site a little further from the door.

 

[KatMark]

I am an ex-smoker and have always been considerate of those who don't (always used the DSA's at the park when they put them in). We stayed at the Coronado last month and we never saw anyone smoking in an area that was not designated for smoking; did see quite a few people at the Magic Kingdom of all places walking around with cigarettes and I said something to each of them. Of course, I got dirty looks for my troubles. I know it is off topic, but part of the reason we didn't like the POR was because of the lounge near the restaurant where there were tons of kids with adults who were drinking. Yes, I realize that some people drink at home when kids are present. But when I walked through the lounge from Boatwright's to go to the washroom there was a woman who had obviously had one too many drinks sitting with two young children and a man (I assume her husband).