HUGE news was announced today about a new smoking policy in the Disney Parks beginning very soon.
Smoking Policies are changing at Disney World…
According to the Disney Parks Blog:
…beginning May 1, smoking areas will no longer be present inside Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks, water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex or Downtown Disney in California.
But if you’re a smoker visiting the Disney Parks, note that the entire properties aren’t undergoing a no smoking policy. Smoking areas will be provided outside the main entrances of the theme parks, and if you’re staying or visiting Disney’s resort hotels, there will still be smoking areas provided for your convenience. Disney Springs has designated smoking areas as well.
The policy begins May 1st, and note that it applies to both Disney World and Disneyland as well as water parks, ESPN WWoS, and Downtown Disney in California.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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Thank you…. the places were so dirty… and the smoke did travel.. but some people would just smoke while walking anyway… and cigarettes would blow away and still be lit..
So allow vaping. It encourages people to quit tobacco and there is no smell to speak of. I don’t smoke but I’m sick and tired of people being dictated to. What’s next? No peanuts?
Funny, as a smoker and with friends that smoke and go to the parks and follow the rules, consideration for other guests and cast members we make sure to stay right where we are asked everytime. However last time I checked our money was just as green as everyone else’s, so yes, it annoys us to an extent but we understand. The comments are funny guess how some of you will probably try and ban the elephants for the carbon emissions right???
Finally. And, hopefully they will enforce it. I’ve actually seen people smoking and walking right past cast members who said nothing.
They also announced no more loose ice in coolers effective today and size restrictions on strollers which will ban stroller wagons effective May 1.
The smokers are objecting to the removal of designated smoking areas in the parks, but if the smoke wasn’ t offensive to others and a health hazard also it wouldn’t be a problem. I wish the smoking area outside the parks were self contained so others going into the parks didn’t have to subject their families to the clouds of smoke. Maybe a nice plexiglass room with filtration and air conditioning so the smokers didn’t have to hate the experience. I’m all for this. Many family members have died from lung cancer and I would prefer not to be added to that list!
It’s about time. I’ve said this for years. Now they have to enforce it!!!!
Disney works hard to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. they bend over backwards to accommodate special needs, kids, babies, old people, fat people, different languages, disabled people, physically challenged people, mentally challenged people, special diets, you name it. Now, alcohol is being introduced in places that used to be dry so they even accommodate “normal”drinkers and alcoholics. I don’t see why smokers can’t be accommodated somehow, in some area they could build or create, far from the crowded areas of the park with a decent air filtration system… These are the greatest imagineers of all time! I think having smokers outside the park entrance will be grosser and more annoying than in some corner of the park that I could just learn to avoid. I haven’t smoked in over 20 years, my son recently quit so it doesn’t really affect me/my family anymore. But, um, smokers are people too. Maybe you’ve been blessed your whole life with never having an addiction, or having a family member with one, but really, do we have to be so harsh and judgmental? I agree cigarettes are gross and disgusting and dangerous to your health. Causes cancer and other health risks. Depending on what article you read, drinking and bacon are health issues too. So are the pesticides they spray to keep the mosquitos away, and things like round up weed control that they probably use in their gardens…. So we live with a lot of this crap every day, not just at Disney but at home. Did you know dryer sheets have known carcinogens too? I just found that out. My fresh smelling shirt that I wear all day is probably more likely to hurt me than the 10 seconds I walked by the smokers corner! Who Knew? Anyway, I just think we should all be a little kinder, even to the misguided, and find a way to coexist. And if anyone should be able to figure this out it would be Disney. That’s all. Good luck to everyone.
If Disney were not having problems with overcrowding–why they implemented tiered pricing–this probably would not be happening right now. The parks will benefit from losing the visitors who cannot go through the day without several smoking breaks, so from a park management standpoint this makes sense. If Disney still sold cigarettes and saw it as a profit center like they do with alcoholic beverage sales, it might be a different story. I am curious as to whether this will end up impacting the cigar shop in Disney Springs.
This needs to apply to Disney Springs too!!!
As a non-smoker I understand the jubilation by many people HOWEVER I am married to a smoker. He is courteous and only smokes in designated areas and if no trash can is provided field strips his cigarette and puts the trash in his pocket until he finds a trash can. He generally tries to keep his smoke from being blown into non-smoking areas and has moved within the designated area to try and reduce that from happening. With the new policy, my husband is either going to be forced to go in and out of the parks losing time with us and in the parks or suffer withdrawal symptoms on OUR vacation. I guess the family and friends of smokers don’t count either.
Wonderful that way little kids are not inhaling all those toxic fumes.
I am curious how many readers would also support re-instituting the alcoholic beverage restrictions in The Magic Kingdom since that is the most kid-friendly park. I’m sure the profit margin of alcohol is a huge determining factor but in the interest of family entertainment I would think at least one dry park wouldn’t be too much to ask. As for the smoking ban, that’s entirely up to the Disney people, it’s probably a good call and won’t affect the bottom line at all.
Walt would be sad to know he couldn’t smoke in his own park.
Yes!! It should be throughout the hotels also.
The hipocracy here is astounding, you can drink as much as you want until you are completely drunk, even around kids, but, smoking is no good, I am not a smoker so it doesn’t matter to me, however, just looking at things objectively it is very hypocritical and all of you cheering this are hypocrites
This is bs! I was planning a trip in Sept for my family (7 of us) we were going to do the 4 day park hopper…now I’m cancelling…I understand designated areas in places away from crowds but taking it out is a bit much….I am not a heavy smoker, but I do smoke and take that away and I will be evil and miserable hence throwing my money away…no thanks…bye disney
This is fantastic news. The parks are entirely too crowded anyway, and people who pay thousands to go shouldn’t be subject to clouds of smoke nor the revolting smell of smoke that moves with the wind. Plenty of other places for people to vacation so this is great for non smokers.
We will vacation elsewhere if they take away designated smoking areas. For goodness sake, you’re in a secluded, designated area in the parks out in the open air! I don’t smoke, but have a family member who smokes. I find this to be ridiculous! I don’t think this policy will last long.
Of all the abhorrent behavior I’ve witnessed at Disney Parks, smoking ranks lowest on the list. How about the dirty diapers left on bathroom floors? The smears of ketchup and food left all over tables and benches? I’ve even seen parents encourage their children to urinate into water bottles when they don’t want to get out of line for a ride, and then leave that bottle on the ground to be tripped over or worse.
So, please. Save the indignation over what was LESS THAN 10 designated smoking areas spread across four WDW parks for more wide-spread issues, and focus on what really matters: COURTESY toward all park goers, even the smokers.
I am so happy. Two weeks ago I was in Magic’s kingdom and sat under the area outside Space Mountain to stay out the sun with my daughter and the smoke was horrible. It smelled so bad. We sat in the sun instead.
I was okay with designated smoking areas even though there were only 2 in the park and the fact they were hard to find when the park was busy. But to tell me I have to leave the park to smoke, as long a walk as that entails for anyone but especially someone older, no dice. The increase in ticket costs, the increase in food costs, the increase in all costs within parks was bad enough, but now you are banning anyone who smokes from enjoying their very expensive day. I don’t drink but I have to deal with the drunks, I don’t have screaming unruly children but I have to deal with them, and yet the smokers are the bad guys! I have read the comments about the nasty smokers and yet when I have been in the smoking areas the only nasty people have been the ones passing the area dropping their trash as they go. We just cancelled our week long hotel and park stay. Our $5,000 plus trip will be somewhere else and while I’m sure you won’t miss us my hope is you will begin to feel the pinch when others stand up and so no more!
As I said on another blog, I’m a non-smoker and the smokers never bothered me because I just avoided the designated areas. Its the drinkers who bother me. Seeing adults drunk and being loud and obnoxious bothers me more than the smokers. They were in their own areas and didn’t bother anyone. They pay their ticket price, let them have their areas.
Now they just need to extend this to the whole Disney World property and include vaping and it would be perfect.
So happy about this. The smoking areas, and the areas around them, at Disneyland are disgusting. They should make the smoking areas indoors with fans at the doors so that the smoke doesn’t travel.
I’m not a smoker, but smoking is an addiction and I do NOT agree with people being forced to leave the parks altogether in order to just have a cigarette. (But feel free to get as drunk as you like, apparently!) It’s really not that difficult to find an area in or near each land where smokers can go. Having said that, this doesn’t affect me or my family at all so I’m not entirely sure why it bothers me so much. 🙂
YAY!!!!!!
As long as they don’t stand right outside the gate so you have to walk through the last puffs on your way in
OMG! It’s about time! I am so excited. As a cancer survivor I could not stand the sight or the smell of people smoking basically killing themselves. Now, to get the designated areas at the resorts away from the food courts.
Ain’t nothin’ better than spitting into a WDW refillable resort mug ….. Thanks Disney!!!
I officially proclaim the start of the 2019 Disney Parks Skoal Games!!!!
*** sarcasm welcomed ***
I think it’s a great move. No cast member should be forced to clean up a smoking area and no one should be forced to breathe second hand smoke in.
This is great news but a serious problem for me is the smoking area right near the food court entrance. Pop Century is our favorite resort but because I’m allergic to cigarette smoke I have to go the long way around to the lobby entrance. Second hand smoke causes instant and severe migraines with nausea and vomiting for me. Also I have restrictive lung disease and COPD though I’ve never smoked. Those complaining about the inconvenience might consider that I’ve had to spend an entire day in bed at the resort after spending thousands of dollars for a family Disney World vacation. My physicians say I must avoid second hand smoke. Thank you Disney!
It’s about time! The smoking areas were not secluded enough to stop the smell from wafting into the non-smoking areas. It was really unpleasant.
Are you still allowed to bring ecigs into the park to use later outside?
I am loving this new rule! Sure hope they enforce it. A rule without enforcement doesn’t work!
What about Downtown Disney in Florida?
This is super irritating. There were only like two smoking areas in each park (usually out of the way of guests). To those complaining: how would you feel if they banned alcohol inside the parks; everyone has their vice. For all the money Disney charges they should have left the few areas alone to cater to everyone, not just entitled people who complain that they can’t sit on a bench in the smoking area because they don’t like it….there’s literally a thousand other places to sit. Plus the nicest people I’ve met in Disney are usually smokers in the smoking area. It’s the entitled whining guests that leave a bad taste in my mouth, not the cigarettes. Not a good move.
I am so happy that they stopped smoking in the Parks. The smokers were always given the best places to smoke. Always in the shady areas. Congratulations Disney good job.
Disney created this problem by not putting smoking areas “off the beaten path”. Non-smokers have a right to not be around smoke, but smokers should have one designated spot inside the parks, away from the walkways, to smoke/vape. To have to exit the park and re-enter is crazy! I think there is a better alternative or solution here if Disney is interested… but a full ban is not the solution!
I am very disappointed that Disney has made the decision to totally eliminate smoking in the parks and other Disney venues. I have been a big Disneyworld fan for a long time. I have visited the parks and stayed at Disney resorts 10 times in the last 8 years and was perfectly OK when they cut back on the number of smoking areas to 2 in each park. The smoking areas are well marked so if someone has an issue with smoke should avoid those small off the beaten path areas. The fact that I will have to go outside the parks to smoke is a real inconvenience considering the hassle of getting into the parks and through security in the first place, I am going to have to rethink my plans of vacationing there again.
Good! Nothing ruins a trip quicker than accidentally wandering into the smoking section. The first time this happened to us was 2011 and I couldnt believe MK wasn’t a non-smoking Park. If you can’t stroll around with a beer why should you be allowed to do so with a cigarette or vap pen?
Wahoo!!! That’s so great!! Maybe this can be a good way to help people quit smoking 🙂
Could hurt the bottom line in that smokers and their family’s will not go. The smoking areas were so far out of the way and so few it was never a problem to most people if fact most never did even know that they were there. The real problem is they are letting too many people in and it is wall to wall people and some stink.
That ‘s great news as long as it is enforced. I hate walking through the “smoke clouds” while going around the resorts, so if they could designate an area away from main traffic areas that would be really nice too. Plus hopefully there will be less litter to clean up.
I’m not a smoker, but think they should keep the designated smoking areas. It’s outside for goodness sake – it’s not like you are in a closed in room with smokers. Now that would be different. If the smoke offends you – don’t go in the smoking areas. I do agree that the smokers that are smoking outside of the smoking areas should be confronted by the CM’s. Smokers aren’t disgusting like some people have said. They simply have a habit that you don’t agree with. Just move to a smoke free area. I can’t imagine having to walk to the front of the park everyone they need to smoke. This just causes more congestion on the entrances back in.
Will there be a map or article showing the current smoking areas vs. the new designated spots come May 1st? I’d be very interested in seeing the changes/progress; especially for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim!
This is hilarious. Reading everyone’s comments about how disgusting smokers are. How they always had the best spots in Disney to smoke. I am sitting here lmfao. Are you all perfect. No one drinks right because that is disgusting to some people. No one uses foul
language right because that is disgusting to some people. Oh and if you have tattoos you should probably cover them up at all times while in Disney because guess what they are disgusting to some also. Everyone is to sensitive and to worried about everyone else’s business. Disney could have come up with a better way to designate smoking sections so non smokers did not have to be near smoke. However they chose to go the smoke free route. Disney’s choice. How about we stop judging each other!
I’m thrilled with this. Our last visit was ruined because we had a big smoker in our group and we had to go WAY out of out way to find a smoking section. It caused a lot of issues within our group. Our next trip will be a lot less stressful without having to go in the complete opposite direction than we needed to be going. Now if they just get rid of that dumb parking at the resorts fee things will be so much better.
People do like to have a cigarette or cigar after dinner or while have a drink. I see the biggest challenge is going to be EPCOT… smokers are going to have to walk an actual mile out of the park, or take the international Gateway to the boardwalk / yacht beach club area.
Which means the Boardwalk area will truly be just like Atlantic City!
I smoke and I think Disney just helped me quit. Ugh.
If a smoker chooses to not go to WDW or DL with their family because they can’t smoke for x hours at a time inside parks, that’s their own loss. The few smoking areas were horrible to walk past depending on the wind, temperature, humidity etc. Then there are the select few that feel that the smoking areas didn’t apply to them so they smoked wherever they wanted. KUDOS to Disney for making a good decision.
Well I think Disney will loose a lot of people now that you can no longer smoke in the parks and Disney Springs. I would rather see no alcohol in the parks and keep the smoker areas in the parks open. Foolish move on Disney.