News Disney removing plastic straws and more by mid-2019

[wdwfan22]

That will inevitably change before long. You can consider it good practice that the Disney Store is making you take a reusable bag when you shop there!

I don't see it changing anytime soon. Retail is struggling as it is they are not going to risk loosing a sale over a bag. Disney is only doing it for publicity and nothing else.

 

[LittleBuford]

Sorry but I disagree. I'm not going to carry a bag into a theme park just in case I decide to make a purchase.

I was talking about going to the Disney Store.

As for the parks, many (most?) of us take some sort of bag with us anyway for our water, ponchos, etc.; it wouldn't be difficult to include a few folding reusable bags among the stuff we already carry. Those of us who neglect to do so can just buy a reusable bag along with our purchases and use it in our real lives (I quite like the idea of doing my grocery shopping with a Disney-emblazoned tote).

 

[LittleBuford]

I don't see it changing anytime soon. Retail is struggling as it is they are not going to risk loosing a sale over a bag. Disney is only doing it for publicity and nothing else.

I suppose this is regionally specific. I live in a part of the country where you are charged wherever you ask for a bag; nowhere is risking losing a sale, because customers have no alternatives. I don't think it'll be long before this is the norm across the States.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

What if the Planet wants plastic?

 

[JoeCamel]

When companies do stupid things people often protest. It's the best way for customers to let businesses know when they have done something stupid because sending letters or emails never works.

Their property their rules. Only economic pressure works for this company.

 

[Lensman]

When companies do stupid things people often protest. It's the best way for customers to let businesses know when they have done something stupid because sending letters or emails never works.

I wouldn't suggest that people always jump straight to "lawless" acts instead of a letter-writing campaign or even just taking your business elsewhere. I mean, if you don't like the straw ban, write letters, create a protest website, post on Facebook, complain in online forums, or just stop attending (apologies to those who hate that, I'm not apologizing for Disney's straw policy, I'm suggesting the protesters have other options than protesting at a Disney park).

I'd also like to note that there are two sides to this argument and neither side is "stupid", they just disagree.

Disney is not going to reintroduce plastic straws because some selfish individuals decide to go on a littering spree. No-one who behaves so foolishly deserves to spend a moment at WDW. (Sorry, @Lensman, but harsh words are warranted in this instance.)

I don't think protesters should be banned from the parks because they think about the plastic straw ban is intolerable. I do think that Disney could enforce their park rule against "Unauthorized events, demonstrations, or speeches", or their rule against "Engaging in any ... act that may impede the operation of the Park".

"Good practice"

In the minds of some people it might be but not in the minds of everyone. The reality is this whole ban plastic bags is just another way that Disney is trying to milk more money from guests and has nothing to do with the environment. If Disney wanted to save the environment they might start by eliminating the plastic Mickey ears... eliminating any plastic bottles that are used for drinks and replacing with reusable glass bottles... stop selling stuffed Mickeys and other stuffed items that are filled with polyester and made from polyester... And then we can move over to the other wastes from Disney, lets see why have fireworks, it just pollutes the air, so lets just go to a light show of some sort... and how much plastic do they use in those evil magic bands, probably need to get rid of those too.... All sorts of things that cause more pollution than a thin plastic bag.... but hey go on pretending that its a good practice..

Hyperbolic straw men aside, I think plastic bag bans are generally viewed by those who would characterize themselves as "cares about the environment" as "good practice". Obviously, if you're in the "don't care about the environment" camp, it's not good practice, but I don't think that's you. So you're just saying that you'd rather see more significant contributions to the "cares about the environment movement" in place of "suboptimal" bag bans. What are some of your suggestions?

I guess dumping tea in the Boston Harbor was wrong too....

In some ways, I do think that dumping tea in Boston Harbor was wrong, despite the reverence that we Americans hold that act of protest. I mean, didn't it involve unauthorized boarding of a private vessel and the destruction of $1.8 million (2018 dollars) of private property? And with wider context it was a confrontation that shocked Parliament and resulted in their unification against the American colonials. The subsequent passing of the Intolerable Act alarmed all the American colonies and turned even more colonials against British rule.

So if all one cares about is the end result that the US gains independence and ignore that the Tea Party was illegal, involved burglarizing a ship and destruction of private property, and resulted in the passage of punitive and intolerable laws punishing the entire Massachusetts colony, then I guess it wasn't "wrong".

Besides, the Boston Tea Party didn't result Parliament eliminating the tax, right? So this act of protest failed if that was its purpose.

But I wouldn't want this issue to derail the thread even more. Ha!

I think we can all agree that we don't want people protesting the Straw Act in ways that would shock Disney and force them to create new rules punishing all guests, thus unifying the guests against Disney, causing business to drop off and the parks to close, making the Straw Rule moot.

 

[The Pho]

I suppose this is regionally specific. I live in a part of the country where you are charged wherever you ask for a bag; nowhere is risking losing a sale, because customers have no alternatives. I don't think it'll be long before this is the norm across the States.

Of course they have alternatives. They could either not buy the stuff or they could buy it online and save money. I know I haven't been to a Disney Store since they made me buy bags, not really out of protest but because if they want to make shopping in the store more difficult and costly, I'll just buy elsewhere.

 

[LittleBuford]

Of course they have alternatives. They could either not buy the stuff or they could buy it online and save money. I know I haven't been to a Disney Store since they made me buy bags, not really out of protest but because if they want to make shopping in the store more difficult and costly, I'll just buy elsewhere.

How do I have alternatives if I need a carton of milk or some medicine from CVS? Is ordering it online, waiting for it to arrive, and paying delivery costs more convenient for me as a consumer? Is it really that much of a sacrifice to take a bag with me when I go shopping?

 

[LittleBuford]

I don't think protesters should be banned from the parks because they think about the plastic straw ban is intolerable. I do think that Disney could enforce their park rule against "Unauthorized events, demonstrations, or speeches", or their rule against "Engaging in any ... act that may impede the operation of the Park".

I didn't mean to suggest it was their views on plastic that should earn them a ban. Any wilful act of littering, regardless of its motive, should result in stern action (a reprimand in the case of children/teens, and a ban for adults).

And let me clarify that by "good practice", I meant "helpful preparation", though I certainly consider it good practice in the other sense also.

 

[The Pho]

How do I have alternatives if I need a carton of milk or some medicine from CVS? Is ordering it online, waiting for it to arrive, and paying delivery costs more convenient for me as a consumer? Is it really that much of a sacrifice to take a bag with me when I go shopping?

Well many places will deliver milk around here. Amazon will get it to me within 2 hours for no extra charge (and usually it'll be under an hour even if I don't pay for the hour delivery, and if you want they'll even put it away in your fridge). Pharmacies also deliver here for no extra charge (including CVS). So yes an alternative and to me that's way more convenient. It's not so much a sacrifice as just another reason to not bother with retail, they keep pushing people away when online keeps makes things even easier.

 

[LittleBuford]

Well many places will deliver milk around here. Amazon will get it to me within 2 hours for no extra charge (and usually it'll be under an hour even if I don't pay for the hour delivery, and if you want they'll even put it away in your fridge). Pharmacies also deliver here for no extra charge (including CVS). So yes an alternative and to me that's way more convenient. It's not so much a sacrifice as just another reason to not bother with retail, they keep pushing people away when online keeps makes things even easier.

It seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me. If I need milk for my tea (and yes, as a Brit, I love my tea with milk), I'd sooner pop out to the corner store and get it within five minutes than wait up to two hours for an Amazon delivery. YMMV, as they say.

 

[The Pho]

It seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me. If I need milk for my tea (and yes, as a Brit, I love my tea with milk), I'd sooner pop out to the corner store and get it within five minutes than wait up to two hours for an Amazon delivery. YMMV, as they say.

Difference in areas I guess. If I want to run out to get milk it'll take at least 40 minutes between driving and waiting in the store, so waiting a little longer to not have to use gas and put wear on my vehicle while also getting to use my time for other things seems way better.

 

[LittleBuford]

Difference in areas I guess. If I want to run out to get milk it'll take at least 40 minutes between driving and waiting in the store, so waiting a little longer to not have to use gas and put wear on my vehicle while also getting to use my time for other things seems way better.

If you drive, then what's the difficulty in putting a few reusable bags in your car? It seems that distance rather than the plastic-bag issue is your main motivation for ordering online.

 

[larryz]

You don’t have to bring back the same bag; any reusable bag will do. In this day and age, anyone who goes shopping without a reusable bag has no right to complain if they’re not provided with a free plastic bag. Enough time has passed for people to have adjusted their behaviours in accordance with new realities.

Maybe in countries that spell "behaviors" "behaviours," but not in the US.

 

[LittleBuford]

Maybe in countries that spell "behaviors" "behaviours," but not in the US.

I live in the States, actually. And where I live, free plastic big are no longer a thing.

 

[The Pho]

If you drive, then what's the difficulty in putting a few reusable bags in your car? It seems that distance rather than the plastic-bag issue is your main motivation for ordering online.

I could easily put bags in my car, but the problem is with a place like a Disney Store, I simply never know what I was looking at buying, it's pretty much all impulse buying. Sometimes it would be lots of things, sometimes nothing, and sometimes I don't even go in the store. I certainly don't want to carry a bunch of bags around and have no need for them, and if I don't bring enough bags then I have to buy more. Plus there's the fact that the Disney Store is the only one that doesn't provide free bags to customers around here, why would I carry around a bag solely for that one store. It's an added hassle that isn't necessary when I can simply get the items for less money without having to deal with buying or carrying around bags. And it really doesn't have to do with distance, my office is only a couple minutes from a Disney Store.

 

[LittleBuford]

I could easily put bags in my car, but the problem is with a place like a Disney Store, I simply never know what I was looking at buying, it's pretty much all impulse buying. Sometimes it would be lots of things, sometimes nothing, and sometimes I don't even go in the store. I certainly don't want to carry a bunch of bags around and have no need for them, and if I don't bring enough bags then I have to buy more. Plus there's the fact that the Disney Store is the only one that doesn't provide free bags to customers around here, why would I carry around a bag solely for that one store. It's an added hassle that isn't necessary when I can simply get the items for less money without having to deal with buying or carrying around bags. And it really doesn't have to do with distance, my office is only a couple minutes from a Disney Store.

My comment about distance pertained to your grocery shopping, and as you yourself just pointed out, the only store in your area not to provide free bags is Disney. Anyway, I think we’ve said pretty much all we can on this topic. I’m sure we’ll all learn to cope one way or the other once plastic bags are more widely phased out.

 

[larryz]

I didn't mean to suggest it was their views on plastic that should earn them a ban. Any wilful act of littering, regardless of its motive, should result in stern action (a reprimand in the case of children/teens, and a ban for adults).

And let me clarify that by "good practice", I meant "helpful preparation", though I certainly consider it good practice in the other sense also.

 

[LittleBuford]

View attachment 330919

Is this a reference to my being British (and therefore European) or a joke about the possibility of people rioting at WDW when their plastic is taken away?

 

[larryz]

Is this a reference to my being British (and therefore European) or a joke about the possibility of people rioting at WDW when their plastic is taken away?

I would never consider the British to be European.