Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Go Smoke-Free

[normdisney]

:wave: Great news! No need to get stuck in a smoking room when they are full at DVC.

Go enjoy your cigar in the smoking area! That way both camps are happy.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Because people who drink dont harm others around them :lookaroun

I mean, we can all admit that we HATE when we get smoke blown in our faces by a smoker... its gross.

But honestly, I could care less if someone is drinking around me. It's not causing me any harm.

And yes, WDW is a "kid friendly" environment but that's why alcohol is needed on property... to keep the parents from going insane :ROFLOL:

Ok in all seriousness, the MK does not serve alcohol (as we all know) but I really believe thats the only park that can get away with that. In EPCOT what would the restraunts in World Showcase be without alcohol? People want to sit down to a nice dinner and order a bottle of wine... there's nothing wrong with that.

I completely agree. You can't really be a serious health risk walking around Disney a little intoxicated, but cig smoke can hurt everyone...

 

[Kriszee1]

Smoking keeps me from hurting my husband. :brick: LOL. The last time I tried to quit, my husband begged me to smoke again. It's like my ritalin. I'm a little hyper.
I hope someone posts the designated areas as soon as they find out. We are going in November and my goal is to quit by then. It would be helpful to smokers to know exactly where they have to go after waiting an enternity to get you room.

I always do the cup of water down the drain trick. My father in law smoked in the room and thought no one noticed. He and my sister in laws think I can't tell if they lit up with a door open. As a smoker, it drives me crazy when smoke drifts into my house. So I understand the balcony concept. I must say, I will not get a DVC membership until either I quit or you can smoke on a balcony. Not for $20,000 plus maintenance fees for 50 years. For the amount each member pays for maintenace fees, you'd think you paid enough to light up on a balcony.

 

[MKCP 1985]

. . . now if they could only do something about those sunflower seeds!

 

[SpongeScott]

. . . now if they could only do something about those sunflower seeds!

:lookaroun :lookaroun :lookaroun


:ROFLOL:

 

[PKD]

I must say, I will not get a DVC membership until either I quit or you can smoke on a balcony. Not for $20,000 plus maintenance fees for 50 years. For the amount each member pays for maintenace fees, you'd think you paid enough to light up on a balcony.

I think one reason for the balcony rule is that many smokers will just throw their butts over the balcony onto the grounds. So then Disney has to walk around and clean up after the smokers. If they don't, you will see butts all over the place and that is just gross/dirty. How many smokers do you see finish their cig and then throw it away in a trash can? Not many. I don't see a huge problem with smoking on the balcony IF said smoker would dispose of the cig in a correct manner.

As for those who say, paying X amount of dollars gives you the right to smoke.... Paying said price doesn't give you the right to vandilize a room. I'm sorry, but I have worked in places that allowed smoking and the damnge that is caused by it is a lot. Ranging from the walls turning yellow to the fabrics having a nasty smell 24/7. It is a lot of work, and money, to try and clean up after someone lights up.

 

[MattyFresh]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Move to smoke-free is in response to increased guest demand for smoke-free rooms[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., May 1, 2007 – Walt Disney World Resort Senior Vice President for Operations Erin Wallace announced today, all Disney-owned and operated hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort will become smoke-free by June 1, 2007. The policy also applies to all Disney Vacation Club Resorts. With more than 20 Disney owned and operated resorts on property; this represents the largest single site resort complex to institute this type of smoking policy change.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“We make adjustments to our operations based on guest demand,” Wallace said. “This policy complements our efforts to provide our guests with the healthy living options they are requesting.”[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]During the last five years guest demand for smoking rooms at the Walt Disney World Resort have been declining steadily. Currently, less than 3.5 percent of Walt Disney World’s 24,000 resort rooms are smoking optional. This transition allows us to better accommodate the increasing number of guests requesting smoke-free rooms. This trend is not specific to the Walt Disney World Resort. According to the American Automobile Association, more travelers are requesting smoke-free environments.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"With more than 50 million members, AAA represents North America's largest traveler group and increasingly our members, like many Americans, are demanding smoke free accommodations." said Sandra Hughes, VP of Travel for AAA. "Hotels are responding by going beyond the traditional standard of smoking and non-smoking rooms, and are going smoke-free throughout their properties."[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The new policy applies to all guest rooms, patios and balconies and designates outdoor smoking areas at all resorts affected by the change. Smoking is currently prohibited in all lobbies, common areas, restaurants and convention spaces. Additionally, in January 2000 the Walt Disney World Resort theme and water parks became smoke-free with smoking allowed in designated smoking areas only.[/FONT]​

Its about time.....now if only we could ban smoking everywhere.....not trying to stir anything up....just wishful thinking.

 

[Kriszee1]

I think one reason for the balcony rule is that many smokers will just throw their butts over the balcony onto the grounds. So then Disney has to walk around and clean up after the smokers. If they don't, you will see butts all over the place and that is just gross/dirty. How many smokers do you see finish their cig and then throw it away in a trash can? Not many. I don't see a huge problem with smoking on the balcony IF said smoker would dispose of the cig in a correct manner.

As for those who say, paying X amount of dollars gives you the right to smoke.... Paying said price doesn't give you the right to vandilize a room. I'm sorry, but I have worked in places that allowed smoking and the damnge that is caused by it is a lot. Ranging from the walls turning yellow to the fabrics having a nasty smell 24/7. It is a lot of work, and money, to try and clean up after someone lights up.

Believe me I agree that it makes a room nasty. I don't smoke in my home or in a hotel room, etc because its gross and horrible. I aggree that the ban on rooms is wonderful. No one should I just can't see not being able to have a cig or cigar on a balcony with the door shut. Perhaps I'd like to think that most smokers are as courteous as I am. I'm not saying its fine to light up in the room or even with the door open, or if your neighbors are home. Perhaps that is too many directions to follow for some people.

New sign. "You can only smoke on your balcony if the door remains closed, the butt is put out properly, and your neighbors have their doors shut or are not here. Or their are no other carbon-based life forms within 100,000 feet of you"

In all seriousness, how much time to we actually spend in the rooms anyway. I will complain to myself in Nov when I need that AM and before bed cig. Lord knows, no one wants to see me in my robe and pj's. Kids will have nightmares after seeing that. Hopefully, I will be able to quit before we go...I really want to.

I think we need a support group thread for people who want to quit just because it is such a hassle to be a smoker now. Lord knows I need the support.

 

[Dayma]

This is awesome news. We had to switch our rooms 2x last visit becuase the rooms smelled so badly!

 

[JWG]

Perhaps I'd like to think that most smokers are as courteous as I am.

Unfortunately many are not. I can't count how many times butts have bounced off my windshield because they were flung from a car in front of/next to me on the road.

Though, smoking is allowed now and I don't see the butt issue being a problem. If smoking was confined to balconies would it get worse? Hard to say. 3.5% of current rooms allowing smoking is about 840 rooms in total on property. Not significant to total space available, but still a lot of upkeep work I suppose.

 

[jjgoo]

Well I say good riddance to the smoke.

As for smoking on the balconies, well I paid a lot for my room too. Why should I have to keep my doors and windows sealed against your smoke?

And Cigars?!?! Do people who smoke cigars realize just how much they smell? Even if you are out in the "open air" that smell fills up the air for 100s of feet around you. I know many people that do not find anything pleasing about cigar smoke. So I cannot say that I will be upset to take a nice evening stroll and not have to walk into a cloud of stinky open air.

I know that people will probably have harsh words back for my opinion. Oh well.

I applaude Disney for thier decision!

 

[slappy magoo]

I just know that if I'm approached by a cast member trying to enforce the "designated" smoking area and it's one in the morning, and I'm far from a building, and nobody is about and I'm enjoying a cigar in the balmy Florida night, it ain't going to be pretty.

Wow, what a profoundly unwarranted sense of entitlement.

WDW is private property. You're paying to stay on that property, true, and you can opt to blatantly ignore their policies if you think you should be allowed to get away with it. But to imply that "it ain't gonna be pretty" if someone at WDW opts to enforce policies you chose to blatantly ignore because it didn't suit your needs at the time...I can only hope you're driving into WDW, because those brass ones you keep in your pants must set off airport metal detectors right and left

 

[MickeyTigg]

an excellent move...props to Disney for stepping up and doing this.

You do realize that health concerns had nothing to do with this decision even though that may be the PR spin, don't you? This decision was driven by money and nothing else. It costs more to clean "smoking rooms" and they need to rehab "smoking rooms" more often.

This move saves Disney a lot of money.

The fact that they're still allowing smoking at the resorts in designated areas proves that health and non-smoking guests have nothing to do with the decision.

 

[PKD]

You do realize that health concerns had nothing to do with this decision even though that may be the PR spin, don't you? This decision was driven by money and nothing else. It costs more to clean "smoking rooms" and they need to rehab "smoking rooms" more often.

This move saves Disney a lot of money.
.

I would agree that this is a HUGE factor in the new rules.

 

[clarkstallings]

With regards to sloppy magoo:

Perhaps if you'd read further into my post you would see that I'm really not that serious about it. A sentence or two later, I say something to the effect of "I really see a part of my vaction dying." Now if I was truly intent on being a bad guest and raising hell at the seven dollar an hour cast member who is simply doing his or her job by enforcing the rules, I would not have said that a part of my vacation is dying. That sentence implies my intended cooperation, even if I do not agree with or think the new policies are perfect. I acknowledge more than anyone, the idea that when you are at a private establishment by choice, you are bound by their rules. If you don't like their rules you must leave. I would expect the same respect from patrons in my business or visitors in my home. Now I know that Walt Disney World's smoking ban, well parts of it, isn't driven by the state's smoking ban. Disney didn't let you smoke in restaurants before the Florida ban was passed, but, if you want to talk about senses of entitlement, look no further than the attitudes driving governmental smoking bans. As I've stated before, I'm not a fan chronic smoker's habits. Cigarette smoke is disgusting and the whole thing's unattractive. But with regards to state or local bans in restaurants, why can't the people who lobbied for such a ban simply boycott the restaurant and let the PRIVATE business owner decide a policy that is best for them? This gets into complex rights of access law and what not, but I wish that governments could respect the autonomy of private business owners to decide whether or not market forces will drive them to ban smoking in a restaurant or not. Before smoking got banned in restaurants in Georgia, there were certain restaurants I chose not to frequent because the cigarette smoke was notoriously bad. Who has more of a right to what, me to get my fish and chips from that restaurant in a smoke free environment, or the owner of the restaurant to allow or not allow smoking in his restaurant? I'd argue that his rights as a property owner win. I'm not entitled to smoke free fish and chips unless I make them in my own home.

 

[PBarton]

GREAT news..



But will Disney be redecorating and replacing all the furniture and bedding in the "ex smoking" rooms? I hope so - surely those rooms will stink like a dirty ashtray for eternity otherwise??

 

[ToTBellHop]

You do realize that health concerns had nothing to do with this decision even though that may be the PR spin, don't you? This decision was driven by money and nothing else. It costs more to clean "smoking rooms" and they need to rehab "smoking rooms" more often.

This move saves Disney a lot of money.

The fact that they're still allowing smoking at the resorts in designated areas proves that health and non-smoking guests have nothing to do with the decision.

And that's a problem? If it saves money and keeps me healthier, I'm happy for it. I don't personally care about the health of smokers and I don't think it is Disney's job to mandate that they not smoke at all. If a smoker wants to smoke, that's their prerogative; Disney is just protecting its own interests and, in doing so, those of its non-smoking guests. For this, I applaud them. I should not have some of the money I pay to stay at a Resort going to cleaning up rooms damaged by smoking--now that money can go to general resort upkeep. It is simply not an option to deny smokers their right to smoke for an entire 1 week vacation (or more), so until smoking is entirely illegal in America, this is how things will be.

 

[slappy magoo]

With regards to sloppy magoo:

Perhaps if you'd read further into my post you would see that I'm really not that serious about it. A sentence or two later, I say something to the effect of "I really see a part of my vaction dying." Now if I was truly intent on being a bad guest and raising hell at the seven dollar an hour cast member who is simply doing his or her job by enforcing the rules, I would not have said that a part of my vacation is dying. That sentence implies my intended cooperation, even if I do not agree with or think the new policies are perfect. I acknowledge more than anyone, the idea that when you are at a private establishment by choice, you are bound by their rules. If you don't like their rules you must leave. I would expect the same respect from patrons in my business or visitors in my home. Now I know that Walt Disney World's smoking ban, well parts of it, isn't driven by the state's smoking ban. Disney didn't let you smoke in restaurants before the Florida ban was passed, but, if you want to talk about senses of entitlement, look no further than the attitudes driving governmental smoking bans. As I've stated before, I'm not a fan chronic smoker's habits. Cigarette smoke is disgusting and the whole thing's unattractive. But with regards to state or local bans in restaurants, why can't the people who lobbied for such a ban simply boycott the restaurant and let the PRIVATE business owner decide a policy that is best for them? This gets into complex rights of access law and what not, but I wish that governments could respect the autonomy of private business owners to decide whether or not market forces will drive them to ban smoking in a restaurant or not. Before smoking got banned in restaurants in Georgia, there were certain restaurants I chose not to frequent because the cigarette smoke was notoriously bad. Who has more of a right to what, me to get my fish and chips from that restaurant in a smoke free environment, or the owner of the restaurant to allow or not allow smoking in his restaurant? I'd argue that his rights as a property owner win. I'm not entitled to smoke free fish and chips unless I make them in my own home.

With regards to clerkstrollings

Either your concept of sarcasm is much much better than mine...or much much worse. I certainly didn't think you were gonna mace or stab a CM who asked you to move to a smoking area, but there really is no indication that you wouldn't kick up a fuss, have a little temper tantrum, because you couldn't smoke where you wanted to smoke, even though you were REAL considerate about it. After all it wouldn't be pretty.

Tempers were running considerably high on the other non-smoking thread, and quite a few people were espousing similar opinions than yours on this one and they were quite serious. They did feel that strongly about it. So I'm not exactly sure why I, or anyone else wouldn't think you were serious too. You wrote enough to make it clear you're not happy about the situation, and think smokers should have more options. Why wouldn't I think you'd get your knickers in a twist if you wanted to smoke outside, giving yourself special dispensation because of the extreme circumstances (1 am, nobody around, smoking area too far, whatever)?

Here's your post, in its entirety. If you didn't know you, and didn't know you were joking, how exactly would you know you were joking?
____________________

Yeah, I like cigar smoking on balconies, but I had to give that up in the spririt of compromise. For the record, I do try to ascertain if there are others who might be bothered by my cigar smoking on a balcony. If there are others out on their balconies, etc, I hold off. I just know that if I'm approached by a cast member trying to enforce the "designated" smoking area and it's one in the morning, and I'm far from a building, and nobody is about and I'm enjoying a cigar in the balmy Florida night, it ain't going to be pretty. Just typing that sentence, makes me sad, I really see part of my vaction dying now. I just might write a guest relations letter over this and see if they can adopt something with a 25 ft rule like most state and local smoking bans. The resorts are not the parks. They are supposed to be the home away from home for the guests. I know we can't let guests run buck wild, but notice, they do sell cigarettes (cigars at least,) and booze by the bottle, and other things not normally sold in the parks. Therefore I think things should be a bit more relaxed. Not to mention that at a resort, you might have a couple thousand guests spread out over a hundred acres, with the majority of them in their rooms sleeping at night. You don't have a park situation with 50,000 guests outside in a 100 acre theme park.

____________________

Maybe you can break down the precise moment you went from being serious to being not all that serious. Because a few sentences after the few sentences you wanted me to notice, you go on and on to defend your position. The position you, apparently, don't really mean. It's kind of a "I'm just kidding, but not really, OK I'm not serious, but seriously I mean this" kinda thing. I mean, not every post needs to have a j/k or a :ROFLOL: or :lol: to denote you're not being serious, but when there's nothing there that indicates you're joking, why should I assume you're joking?

 

[2excitedkids]

come on people, health risk for 2nd hand smoke? you are not going to get cancer from being around cigarette smoke for a few minutes. as far as someone drinking doesn't bother my health, i do drink occasionally but never ever in front of my children. they do bother my health when they are intoxicated and they say or do something stupid. i have an anxiety disorder (clinically diagnosed), so to see someone drunk in front of my kids sets me off. especially in a place that is designed for children mostly.

what would everyone do if disney went non-alcoholic, would everyone rant and rave like they are about smoking?

i think there should still be smoking rooms but not in the same building as a non smoking room, or still let people set out on the balconies. i have no problem eating out and not smoking around people in close quarters.

i am just going to have to stop looking at this thread, we are getting no where with the debates and what good is it doing? disney is going to do what is best for them. i work at a hospital and we are going smoke free anywhere on the campus july 1st. disney could have given a little bit more notice. we are going back in sept., so lets hope hubby and i don't start back up smoking, 3 weeks and counting! when i booked the room, i requested smoking and nothing was said to me about this policy, we booked 3 weeks ago and no letter notifying me of the change either.

oh well, i am done with this thread

have a great smoke free day everyone!

 

[Lee]

:sohappy:
A good first step. My lungs and nose applaud.
Next...the parks. Make designated smoking areas be...oh, I don't know...Discovery Island?