Smok'em if ya Got'em

[Ready to go in Ok]

Just my thoughts.......ITA that smokers should only smoke in designated areas. I always do.....I have never smoked outside of the areas. I think things turn nasty on here when people start saying that smokers shouldn't be allowed in WDW period. I totally understand people who choose not to smoke (wish I had the willpower to be one of them), and who do not want to breathe my second hand smoke. I will always support the fact that people should smoke in designated areas....it is my choice to smoke, but when people smoke outside of the designated areas, they are choosing for others to inhale their fumes. Hopefully this will remain a nice thread!

 

[Maridw]

I'm not sure where you became misinformed, but there is no law in Florida that restricts smoking out of doors. The only Florida law regards indoor establishments that serve food.

That's not to say Disney should not enforce their own rules, but it is not breaking any laws unless you light up in a restaurant.

N.E.D.

I was wondering if someone would get to this. I live in FL too and know that the only restriction to smoking is to establishments that serve food. There is no restriction to smoking outdoors. I, too, am a former smoker but I have no problem telling people that they are smoking in a no-smoking area.

We were walking around WS one year and I made a comment to two guys about their smoking. They asked me where the smoking areas were and since they had a map, I told them that they are shown on the map. Even when I smoked I made a point of staying away from people who might not like me smoking near them or being mindful of who I was near. If I was in a crowded area, I always made sure my cig would not injury someone. I have seen little ones come too close to parents with cigs in their hands.

 

[spaceacewannabe]

We were walking around WS one year and I made a comment to two guys about their smoking. They asked me where the smoking areas were and since they had a map, I told them that they are shown on the map.

I think this is part of the issue...I think some of the smokers that aren't in designated areas just don't know there ARE designated areas. There was a woman wandering through the Oasis at AK, with all the animal trails at the entrance...so I mentioned to her that there were designated areas and smoking with all the animals wasn't such a great thing. She looked really surprised, and I said that the areas are marked on the map. The whole family looked confused, but got out the map. I know there are signs on the buses and such, but if you aren't on site, you don't see those. Never noticed any at the entrances, although there may well be, and so many people just wander without really looking at the map. I hate there being smoke all over (all of us have allergies; Mom is on immunosuppressants for Rheumatoid Arthritis), but I think it might be as much cluelessness and lack of planning in a lot of cases. We've all noticed the people who don't bother to read anything about WDW and just wander around without a clue what to do first!

 

[senecabeach]

While I could not agree more with the OP I did want to note that I myself am a smoker that would never think of smoking outside of the designated areas. Also from my prespective I would say that it is not the normal behavior of most people to flaunt this rule.

ITA and am also a smoker. I have noticed many foreigners, who are not speaking and probably dont read english, smoking in the parks. Yes..Disney should do better in this reguard.

Like anything else...it only takes 1 bad apple to spoil it for the bunch.

BTW...my last trip to MGM..I was IN a designated area (by the Brown Derby)...and was loudly screamed at by a passer by walking through the smoking area. I tried to ignore the bad language even the comment that "all you smokers should die!!"

Guess it would be better to be a drunk or do drugs instead

 

[peter11435]

I do not smoke. However I want to point out that those who smoke outside of the designated areas at WDW are not breaking any Florida law. The law only applies to indoors. Outside in the parks it is only Disney's rule, and while it should be followed breaking it is not against any law.

 

[hucifer]

My DH is a smoker and is excellent about staying in the designated areas and being as courteous as possible...so proud of him!

That said, I have not really noticed people smoking outside of the designated areas. I observed that, for the most part, smokers respected this rule.

senecabeach, that is one BEAUTIFUL picture of Wishes! Holy cow! Did you take that?

 

[eclectics]

I do not smoke. However I want to point out that those who smoke outside of the designated areas at WDW are not breaking any Florida law. The law only applies to indoors. Outside in the parks it is only Disney's rule, and while it should be followed breaking it is not against any law.

Even though no "law" is being broken since it is private property, wouldn't Disney have the right, however, to evict any rule breaker from their property? Not that they would ever do it for smoking, but I'm just curious about the legalities.

 

[peter11435]

Even though no "law" is being broken since it is private property, wouldn't Disney have the right, however, to evict any rule breaker from their property? Not that they would ever do it for smoking, but I'm just curious about the legalities.

Yes they would have the right to force anyone not following their rules to leave their property.

Also just to clairify the fact that it is private property is not why no law is being broken. No law is being broken because their is no state law that prohibits smoking outdoors except for in very specific places. It would be against the law to smoke while inside any building at WDW (smoking hotel rooms excluded), however it is not against the law to smoke outdoors in WDW it is only against the rules.

 

[Feralpeg]

I believe most smokers do follow Disney's rules. If not, it would be a lot more noticeable. There will always be those few that think the rules do not apply to them. I just don't understand that type of thinking, but I don't think there is anyway to stop it. Friday night, DD and I went to MK. On the tram in from the parking lot, two people tried to get on with lit cigerettes. They were told to put them out. They took their own sweet time to take a few last puffs while the rest of the full tram waited on them. Then, they threw the butts down in the parking lot. Very low class IMHO.

 

[goofie4goofy]

I am not a smoker, but it does bother me to see people walking aroung the theme parks with a lit cigarette (both WDW and USO).

I have noticed the people have no regard for others. They hold the lit cigarette out, which can burn a child, someone's leg or clothing. I personally do not like getting a lungful of someone's exhaled smoke either, espically when it's hot and humid the smoke just hangs in the air....it's worse than being caught in an elevator with a fart.

There are plenty of places to sit and smoke....why oh why do people think the rules do not apply to them? There are reasons for these rules, mostly for small children. As a smoker, what would you do if you burned a child, or if you aggrivated someone's asthma.

On a few occasions, I have said something to people walking around smoking. I did not choose them out of random, but because they were waling right in front of me and I was getting BLASTED with cigarette smoke. On all occasions, their reaction was less than polite, (while I was)...and I am not talking about young people, older people that should know better....

With all we know now about smoking and second hand smoke, why do some people take the selfish route. Hey look, if you want to smoke, go right ahead its your body and a free country, but I do not wish to subject myself to that stuff and that is also my wish. To that end WDW tries to make everyone happy and has desinganted smoking areas to keep the smokers happy and the non smokers away from the smoke, and that is the WDW property rule. How hard is that to understand?

I am not speaking about the people who smoke and adhere to the rules and smoke in designated areas, in which I see plenty.

I know I will get flamed for this one, but I have been to WDW too many times to count. It really is bothersom.

 

[alwayspooh]

I am a reformed smoker. Stopped when I had my first daughter who is now 5 but when I did smoke and as you can see from my signature I was at Disney for my honeymoon (smoking at that time), I never smoked around people. Always smoked in designated areas only and never walked around with a cigarette. When walking with a cigarette that is an accident waiting to happen.

I feel everyone has a right to do what they want (smoker or non-smoker) but the smoking issue is a very touchy subject these days and when there are "requesting rules" as to places for people to smoke etc. and when smokers break these "requesting rules" I think there should be strick guidelines for the CM's as to how to handle these situations. I do feel bad for the smokers that follow the posted designated smoking areas because those people are taking a hit for the ones that aren't.

 

[DrmWvr1299]

I am a smoker also. I do follow the rules about smoking in designated areas in the parks. I had one problem last year at the MK. I had my map with me that showed the smoking areas and that was great to have...except when we went to the MK there were no smoking ashtrays at the designated area. I stopped a CM and asked him and he had no clue why it was not there. I just moved on to another area that was designated. Went back to the MK for another morning a few days later and the ones on the map had changed again. I just did what I did a few days before and walked to another one. I met someone there who was also looking for a smoking spot that had been moved and she was a little upset. She said that each time she went to the designated spot on the map the spots were not there and she was tired of looking all over the MK. Some people try to follow the rules, but Disney needs to set a spot and not move it around each day. Smokers will know where to go and non-smokers will know what path not to take. I never had a problem at the other parks. And I would point people to the smoking spots when I passed them. I do think the CMs do need to get a better grip on the smokers.

 

[k5thbeatle]

On a recent trip while at Epcot I made a comment that I was surprised that no one was ever injured by a cigarette. There was a young man wielding a cigarette on a very crowded day and I noticed how many small children were right about perfect eye level to where he was holding it and seemed to be moving through the crowds with no concern. It seemed like an accident waiting to happen.

Does anyone know if this has actually happened? With all the people it seems like the odds are good that it would?

 

[Moosysmom]

As a former smoker(10 1/2 months), I too tried to stay in the smoking sections. Once while staking my spot for the parade, I lit up (a few other's had too right next to me), and CM came over and told us NO SMOKING. When I was at the MK on Monday, I noticed alot of smoker's wandering with lit cigarettes. I think tho that Disney's enforcement has always been you may or may not get caught, depends on the CM.

 

[andrabell]

I have no issues with folks wanting to light up in designated areas. My big problem is seeing cigarette butts on the ground. When did it become acceptable for using public ground (Disney and otherwise) as one's personal ashtray?

 

[HeatherPage]

Thank you to all the polite, respectful smokers out there - those who post here and otherwise I wonder though, why none of the rude smokers out there never post defending their actions (like walking around children's face levels with a lit cigarette) they obviously know they're acting like scumbags.

 

[jrogers345]

Don't come to New York either, this is the Gestapo State.

So is NJ. They're talking right now about banning smoking in your own car!

And I'm sorry, but not being able to smoke "outside" except for designated areas? give me a break!

 

[goofyernmost]

I have no issues with folks wanting to light up in designated areas. My big problem is seeing cigarette butts on the ground. When did it become acceptable for using public ground (Disney and otherwise) as one's personal ashtray?

I'm afraid that this isn't a new thing, in fact it is a fallback to yesteryear. It wasn't that long ago that smoking was an everyday part of life. You smoked in restaurants, office buildings, banks, planes, buses, trains, literally everywhere. It wasn't frowned upon or unexpected, it was just there. The ground, was the most logical place to dispose of the butts when nothing else was available. They biodegraded and eventually disappeared on thier own. I can remember on trips to WDW that they had a crew of invisable people that came out of nowhere the minute anyone put a butt out on the ground. They had there little brooms and pans and swept things up as fast as they hit the ground.

After being a two pack a day smoker for about thirty years, I was finally able to quit. That was almost 8 years ago. The difference that the last 20 years have made in the process of doing away with smoking has been nothing short of incredible. I predict that over the next 20 it will all but disappear. I don't think any other habit has been so influenced by the public than smoking. It does, however, take time to complete the process and believe me when I tell you this, scolding a smoker will NOT make them stop. In fact, I can remember being so militant about it that if anyone mentioned anything to me I would immediately light up another. Stupid? Yes, but human nature I'm afraid.

Just keep plugging away, ask someone of authority to intervien, doing it yourself will only make the situation worse. Authority figures have an impact that everyday people do not.

 

[HeatherPage]

And I'm sorry, but not being able to smoke "outside" except for designated areas? give me a break!

Disney property...Disney rules. You wanna break - go open up your own theme park where people can smoke whereever the heck they want.

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]