Smoking in Non designated areas

[JACKNAG]

Please give your opinions


I used to be a smoker, quit three years ago this August, so I've been on the other side of this question.
Any way, when I did smoke in DW it was only in the designated areas. There seems to be a few people that think that they can light up any where, in line, while walking in a crowd. etc... My son has asthma and close proximity to smoke can trigger his symptoms for days.

My question is how to handle these people.

Thanks

 

[eeyore0062]

I am sorry to hear about your son's asthma... I have horrible smoke allergies.

To be honest, we haven't had any problem with people lighting up in lines. Mostly, it is just getting downwind of them as they are walking along. If it does bother you, do one of 2 things. Politely ask the smoker to smoke in the designated areas, pointing out your son's asthma, or find a convenient CM and get them to point the smoker in the direction of the nearest smoking area, pointing out that there have been complaints from guests who are sensitive to smoke.

Good luck, but I really don't think you will have too much of a problem.

 

[Memph1s]

While we do see people smoking outside of designated areas occasionally, I think Disney does a good job of keeping it under control. I have never seen a CM ignore someone smoking outside a designated area. They have always told them to put it out immediately and to only smoke in designated areas. If you see anyone just report it to a CM and they will handle it for you.

 

[Kallison]

My friends mother decided on their last trip that she was going to smoke wherever she darned well pleased. My friend said she got busted every time much to the delight of the rest of the family.

I had someone sitting next to me in the UK while waiting for the British Invasion to start, I just asked a CM to please point them to the designated area. I'm not a shy person, but I've never met a smoker who took kindly to being asked not to blow smoke in your face. I know everyone states they are a considerate smoker but I've yet to actually meet one. Since I'm on vacation I'll let the CM's do the confronting. Now if I was stuck in a line I would just say nicely - I'm sorry you can't smoke here, my son has severe asthma. If that doesn't work then get the CM. I really don't think you will have much of a problem.

Whatever you do don't ever vacation in Las Vegas!!!

 

[clkelley]

British Invasion Courtyard

Part of this area IS a designated smoking area.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Kallison
I'm not a shy person, but I've never met a smoker who took kindly to being asked not to blow smoke in your face. I know everyone states they are a considerate smoker but I've yet to actually meet one.

My name's Pat. Nice to meet you. You've now met a smoker who won't take unkindly if you ask me not to blow smoke in your face

I myself, and I find most of those smoking in the parks, strive to get to the non-smoking areas. I've seen a small minority of creeps, and they didn't all have cigarettes in their hands. Many mistakes are born of ignorance. On more than one occasion, I've thought I was clear and wasn't. It's not intentional and after several years, I know every legal smoking area in all four parks. I may still make a mistake. Let he who is without sin, ya know?

As a smoker, I think going to a CM is a good idea. If the person is just being rude, the CM comes with authority. If the person's just picked a bad spot or is not familiar with the park rules, the CM can handle it quickly and with more class than someone that's ticked. For the record, I'd personally have no problem with another park guest asking me to stop. It's not my intention to ruin someone's day, it's my intention to enjoy my vacation, too. I've read many threads on this board and others where smokers and non-smokers go at it about each other's rights like neither side has any. It's kind of silly. I think it's sad when someone says "I'm going to smoke wherever I want." I also think it's sad when someone knocks me over to get ahead in line. Rude is rude, regardless of the application. Attitude begets attitude.

 

[Horizons16]

well i handle it by going up to them and asking to stop... and if not i take it...

good job not smoking anymore... thats a goo thing to do.

 

[Ted and Holly]

It seems to have gotten worse over the past two trips we've taken.

The WORST was a man who was smoking IN THE LINE for the Kilamanjaro Safaris! We were all crowded together under the thatched roof and he was smoking away. He stopped to let his family catch up and I literally had to walk through his CLOUD of SMOKE! I very loudly said,"Smoking isn't allowed HERE! YUK!" To which he grinned and took another puff!!!!!

Some people!

We do go to WDW with a friend who smokes and he ALWAYS uses the designated areas! THere are still quite a few considerate smokers who abide by the rules, but it is the ones who don't care that drive me insane!

I think the best way to handle it would be to find a CM. They are not always "right there" in which case, I get very vocal!

Holly

 

[aring75]

Rude is rude, regardless of the application. Attitude begets attitude.

Well said!!

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Ted and Holly
I
We do go to WDW with a friend who smokes and he ALWAYS uses the designated areas! THere are still quite a few considerate smokers who abide by the rules, but it is the ones who don't care that drive me insane!

Holly

I get edgy with this smoking thing because I think ANYONE who doesn't abide by the rules is annoying, whether it's a fellow smoker lighting up in line, people butting in line, or people who let their twelve year old's run wild and ignore it. So I agree, it's the one's who don't care that drive me insane. It's not the smoking, it's rudeness. My two cents...

 

[MacDalton]

My DH is a smoker and the very first thing he does (weeks before the trip) is to study the park map to find all the smoking areas! I plan our route through the park, hitting all the great attractions, he plans smoke breaks. To each his own, I guess!

 

[JeffC]

i'm a two pack a day smoker when at home or in town. When out of town or at a park or somewhere, I rarely smoke.

We just spent 4 days at WDW, and I smoked 6 cigs the entire trip.

Wish I found it that easy to cut back at home...

 

[DisneyFan79]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents on this. I smoked when we were at Disney this past May in designated areas and had no problem. In my opinion they were some of the very nice, out of the way, hidden treasures in each park. I don't smoke anymore. In my opinion I think you should let a cast member handle the situation rather than you doing it yourself. Most smokers will go on the defense if you asked them to put their "butt" out especially if you are rude about it. I personally would have never smoked in Disney in a non-designated area, so I wouldn't had to worry with anyone saying anything to me. If you do say somethign don't be surprisded if you get something in return. Let someone in authority do the dirty work. You just enjoy your vacation

 

[Regina]

It was great for awhile, but lately I've also noticed quite a few people smoking wherever they feel like it.

Over Christmas, we were on a very crowded line for the Haunted Mansion. There was a lady smoking. Fortunately, a CM came along to instruct everyone to move up. I took great pleasure in pointing out the smoker to the CM. (She was trying to hide her cigarette so she knew very well what she was doing.) The CM was very insistent that she put it out NOW.

I would never approach anyone directly. You never know what their reaction will be.

 

[mrsv98]

Last week we were at the Baby Center next to Crystal Palace and came out to find three people smoking. Excuse me, do you really think Disney would put a smoking section in front of the BABY CENTER! Anyway, I just went to the outdoor podium and pointed them out to the CMs working there and they took care of it. I feel it is better to let someone "official" handle it rather than get into a confrontation with someone. Overall, I don't recall seeing that many people smoking in general and it was a lovely week...*sigh*.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I'm not a shy person, but I've never met a smoker who took kindly to being asked not to blow smoke in your face. I know everyone states they are a considerate smoker but I've yet to actually meet one.

Hope to meet you sometime so you can finally met a considerate smoker.

I'm a smoker and I TOO am annoyed by those that think they can smoke wherever they please. There are CHILDREN there and there's a reason for smoking in designated areas. In fact, some of those "designated areas" are not places I would smoke anyway- there's one in MK (near Frontierland I believe?) that is right there on the side of the walkway where EVERYONE has to walk through a cloud of smoke. Bad area for a designated smoking area if you ask me. I prefer spots AWAY from others and children- like the one behind that building near the liberty square area (can't remember the name of the store). Because it's out of the way and it's not subjecting everyone to the smoke. In fact I wouldn't smoke there once on my last trip because there was another smoker there with three young children RIGHT THERE in the midst of the smoke. ugh Maybe they want to subject their kids to the second hand smoke- but I don't.

I have noticed QUITE a few people my last two visits (more noticably on the last trip but that might be because I had more time to myself to watch others and it wasn't as crowded either) just walking around smoking wherever. I wouldn't really be pushy with others myself because I don't have the authority to do so, but I would suggest you let a CM know so they can handle it. What did I do? Most times I just made a comment like "wow, is THIS a designated smoking area???" They usually acted all flustered because they obviously couldn't say yes. Quite a few times they put the cig out without me telling them to.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

OH I forgot another incident where I said "is THIS a designated smoking area???" and they said something to the effect that they didn't know there WAS any designated smoking areas so they were trying to sneak a smoke whenever they could away from people as much as possible. So I pulled out that park's guide map and showed them how to find the smoking areas. They needed help figuring out where the closest one was and put their cig out and headed that way.
Obviously they could have figured that out on their own if they would have studied the park map a little better.... but atleast that is one person that really just didn't "know" and I helped them to realize there WAS places for them to go and smoke.
Just a suggestion... maybe SOME don't realize they have special places they can smoke and a simple hint that there are designated areas might be appreciated by them like this gentleman appreciated it.

 

[f-LORI-da]

Originally posted by DisneyFan79
In my opinion they were some of the very nice, out of the way, hidden treasures in each park.

I agree.


I don't smoke, but my DH does. On one trip, we approached a bench in a designated smoking area, and my DH lit up. A woman sitting near us (not smoking), waved the smoke away, coughed, and said, "How rude!"

Map in hand, I pointed out the designated smoking area

She just got up and left in a huff... or was it a puff

 

[Kallison]

I think that is a great way to handle it - Did you know there are designated smoking areas and this isn't one of them.

BTW I know that UK is one of the designated smoking areas but she wasn't in it, she chose to sit next to my kids, light up and start blowing it over their heads. I have one asthmatic kid and one who just gets completely ill from smoke.

 

[kylara]

I do think that there are a lot of people who honestly make the mistake of thinking since it is an outdoor area, that smoking is allowed anywhere. And since many people just walk right passed the park maps, they really do not know. I have only even had one person be rude when I asked him to move to a designated area and I went to get a CM to handle it. Otherwise I do not mind politely asking...I don't hack and cough, say Yuck etc., I just politely ask if they realize they are not in a designated smoking area. Most of the time, they don't, a couple of times they did, but were waiting for someone but since I asked, they put them out. As I said, only one was rude, and he was walking around and swinging his hand with the cigarette...talk about not only being rude, but being dangerous.