Smoking ban may change our strategy

[hopeful4fl]

We are blessed to have a pretty good group of friends who love Disney. In the past, the VAST amount of planning was done keeping in mind that people who smoke will need to take a break of about 20-30 mins. The Dining plan times, FP times etc were all done with some buffer built in so we could saunter off to the smoking area and (some of us grudgingly) people watched while the smokers smoked.

With the areas now out of the park, and from what I assume a re-entry required, we are talking about 40+ mins of breaks (if you are on the other end of the park), and the non smokers may not want to join the group. This does not majorly impact the dining plans, but may impact the way we will do the FP. BTW, the times are keeping in mind people who walk slow AND smoke 2-3 cigarettes.

Others have the same issue? Anyone who was there since 5/1 seen any difference in timing to wait on smokers?

 

[Shellbells]

I'm a smoker and while I understand why most people are thrilled about the new rules, it does ...well for lack of a better word, suck for me.
I plan on cutting back a lot while we're there. I'm going to try nicotine gun while I'm there.

I know my husband isn't going to want to leave the park for me to smoke and I don't want to do that to him, so I'm going to do the best I can with the gum.

 

[luvsJack]

We have been invited to go with Dd and sil to orlando for her 21st birthday celebration. Two days will be in Disney but we will be park hopping. Both dh and I smoke.

My plan is to actually plan in smoke breaks in a way that won’t affect their touring. I should be good. Dh may be a different story. He won’t chew gum but may try the lozenges.

As for fast passes, Dd and I discussed doing the first 3 in the AM and at that point know ahead we will likely split up so we can take a break and us two oldies can slow down a little. Then meet back up.

I am a bit surprised at where they have put these smoking areas. On the maps they honestly look to be in more populated areas than some of the in the park areas were.

 

[vacationer1954]

I am a bit surprised at where they have put these smoking areas. On the maps they honestly look to be in more populated areas than some of the in the park areas were.

I don't think that's the case at the Magic Kingdom or at Epcot. At Epcot, specifically, the smoking area is way off to the left in an area that we've often noted is a good place to meet friends because it is often a spot where few guests go and practically no other guests linger.

I'm not sure that the smoking area at Hollywood Studios will stay where they have it now once the new tram loop opens. And perhaps the same thing applies at Animal Kingdom. Aren't they about to do a bit of work on the tram loop there?

 

[luvsJack]

I don't think that's the case at the Magic Kingdom or at Epcot. At Epcot, specifically, the smoking area is way off to the left in an area that we've often noted is a good place to meet friends because it is often a spot where few guests go and practically no other guests linger.

I'm not sure that the smoking area at Hollywood Studios will stay where they have it now once the new tram loop opens. And perhaps the same thing applies at Animal Kingdom. Aren't they about to do a bit of work on the tram loop there?

I thought the one at MK was by the buses. Which on one hand, any cigarette smell would be well covered by the smell of the buses lol. But I just felt like there would be more people walking by it. I could be completely wrong though.

From the map showing the one at AK, I believe there was already one there before the ban. Or there was at one time. They have moved them around so much between our trips, I am not really sure. And I have no idea about the tram loop but it may be that it’s just there for now.

For Epcot, I was thinking more of the one at International Gateway but it may be out of the way too.



In one way, I am excited for our trip with Dd. But in another, I wish they would have not added the days at Disney. Universal and Sea World, I am really looking forward to. And I am looking forward to Disney because I do love so much about it but just trying to figure out how to navigate all this is frustrating (not just smoking) The others? We all just show up and go! Oh well, a grand time will be had by all either way!

 

[MelRavenswood]

We will be traveling in next year with our kids, and my husband is a smoker. I have to admit that I haven't told him about the ban...yet...
This may be a weird way to compensate, but I have been considering replacing some park day tickets with DAH tickets, if available, to tour more efficiently through the parks while cutting down on the number of smoke breaks he will need. I.E. MK DAH, we can probably do about 8 hours worth of rides in 4 hours(providing most 45min+ wait rides are < 15-20min). Which would probably mean that he would only have to take 0 or 1 trek out to smoke as opposed to 2-3 in an 8 hour park day. Then we could spend the rest of our day at the resort/pool with much more convenient and plentiful smoking areas for him.
I'm not sure if this will work, but I'm willing to try it

 

[FortWildernessLoopy]

I just wish it didn't apply to vaping as well. It was tough for my husband when he switched to vaping, but he dutifully went to the smoking areas to vape...with a bunch of other vapers. I hate the smell of cigarettes and I have asthma and I never gave a crap about the smoking areas. They were already pretty far out of the way and just because some of it smelled a bit walking by, who cares? You're outside and it won't cause any health problems just because you can smell it. Oh well. Looks like there will be the smell of blueberry muffins wafting out from some bathroom stalls, lol.

 

[vacationer1954]

Looks like there will be the smell of blueberry muffins wafting out from some bathroom stalls, lol.

I bet that that's part of the reason why ... Disney doesn't want their CMs to be put in the position of having to judge which vape flavors are offensive to other guests and which are not. I bet they already have a hard enough time dealing with the complaints they get about offensive perfume odors.

 

[luvsJack]

I just wish it didn't apply to vaping as well. It was tough for my husband when he switched to vaping, but he dutifully went to the smoking areas to vape...with a bunch of other vapers. I hate the smell of cigarettes and I have asthma and I never gave a crap about the smoking areas. They were already pretty far out of the way and just because some of it smelled a bit walking by, who cares? You're outside and it won't cause any health problems just because you can smell it. Oh well. Looks like there will be the smell of blueberry muffins wafting out from some bathroom stalls, lol.

See I would be much more “ok” with the smoking ban if it didn’t include vapes. Ds’s smells like mangos lol. It’s not a bad smell at all.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Do these people ever take long-haul airline flights to places like Europe?

 

[luvsJack]

I bet that that's part of the reason why ... Disney doesn't want their CMs to be put in the position of having to judge which vape flavors are offensive to other guests and which are not. I bet they already have a hard enough time dealing with the complaints they get about offensive perfume odors.

I don’t honestly believe that is why they did any of this. And they don’t have to judge what is offensive, they can’t. I mean are they going to ban perfume because some people wear too much? Or start giving out deodorant at the security checks? Lol.

I told dh to look at it this way, this trip is giving us a two day trial to see how it goes. And show us how we can do the days when we take the grandkids.

 

[luvsJack]

Do these people ever take long-haul airline flights to places like Europe?

7 hours vs 11-12 hours. Sleeping for most of that vs not sleeping. Not the same thing.

 

[vacationer1954]

I don’t honestly believe that is why they did any of this.

So what do you believe it is then?

And they don’t have to judge what is offensive, they can’t.

What I meant is they would have to judge what too many guests would consider offensive. They have to do that. They do it for t-shirts, and have for a while, and now they're doing it with regard to cigarette smoke.

I mean are they going to ban perfume because some people wear too much?

I mentioned in the post to which you replied that I suspect they already get too many complaints about perfume. If it wouldn't cause a PR backlash it would be great if they could ban that too.

I told dh to look at it this way, this trip is giving us a two day trial to see how it goes. And show us how we can do the days when we take the grandkids.

My spouse made the switch to nicotine gum during a week-long Disney vacation many years ago, to avoid having to periodically find a smoking area, and never went back.

 

[Disxuni]

7 hours vs 11-12 hours. Sleeping for most of that vs not sleeping. Not the same thing.

Not only it's not the same thing, but the average American (regardless of whether they smoke, or not) do not typically take flights to Europe anyway.

Taking the smoking element out, I'd go crazy if I had to just sit for that long if I wasn't zonked out.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

They don’t know if 2nd hand vape byproducts are harmful or not. They are finding out that vaping is harmful to the user (popcorn lung) so it may very well be bad for people walking through the vapors. I’m sure Disney doesn’t want to be seen as discriminating against one type of inhalant-user and doesn’t want to set the precedent that vaping is allowed in case it turns out to be harmful to more people than just the user.

 

[FortWildernessLoopy]

They don’t know if 2nd hand vape byproducts are harmful or not. They are finding out that vaping is harmful to the user (popcorn lung) so it may very well be bad for people walking through the vapors. I’m sure Disney doesn’t want to be seen as discriminating against one type of inhalant-user and doesn’t want to set the precedent that vaping is allowed in case it turns out to be harmful to more people than just the user.

Real quick, can you say where the popcorn lung information is from so I can research it?

 

[Kaleidodad]

Real quick, can you say where the popcorn lung information is from so I can research it?

Harvard has been on the forefront of the "dangers of e-cigs" research:

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/p...ring-chemicals-linked-to-respiratory-disease/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/e-cigs-pack-harmful-punch/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/p...chemical-flavorings-may-impair-lung-function/

etc, etc, etc.

 

[quandrea]

See I would be much more “ok” with the smoking ban if it didn’t include vapes. Ds’s smells like mangos lol. It’s not a bad smell at all.

Those vaping fumes are highly offensive to some people. Dh can’t be near vaping—regardless of the scent—sends him into an immediate, severe asthma attack.

 

[luvsJack]

So what do you believe it is then?

What I meant is they would have to judge what too many guests would consider offensive. They have to do that. They do it for t-shirts, and have for a while, and now they're doing it with regard to cigarette smoke.

I mentioned in the post to which you replied that I suspect they already get too many complaints about perfume. If it wouldn't cause a PR backlash it would be great if they could ban that too.

My spouse made the switch to nicotine gum during a week-long Disney vacation many years ago, to avoid having to periodically find a smoking area, and never went back.

I have no idea what prompted this. Not saying it wasn't complaints about smoke but more the health aspect than the smell. If Disney starts trying to remove any smells that many guests are offended by, they are going working non stop on that.

yeah, we plan to try different things for those two days. The gum is out, it makes me sick. And with the patches, if it doesn't work for dh, it will make things worse because you can't smoke with them. The patches cause me to have nightmares. I am going to by some of the lozenges and see if I can do those. DH hasn't tried any of it, I don't think so, we will experiment over the next couple of months. And who knows, maybe with the experiments, we will both quit. I am still working on a prescription for Chantix. My insurance says I have to have tried the other products and even though I have, my doctor wants me to have proof (receipts and such) so there can't be any backlash on the prescription.

 

[Hadmatter]

I'm fine with this. I smoke too, but it makes sense to keep it out of a park filled with tons of people and mostly kids. It's not healthy, the smell bothers people ... it adds up.