BREAKING NEWS: All WDW resorts smoke-free as of 6/1/07

[Dakota Rose]

Woo Hoo! Hooray Disney!

We once had to stay in a smoking room (it was a non-Disney vacation) and thank goodness we were on the 3rd floor. We slept with the windows open. But still it was on our clothes and in our hair for days. Yuck-o.

I only see one small disadvantage. There will likely be more folks smoking in the corridors and open areas near the rooms.

[DisneyDudet]

I wonder if they will have mousekeeping keep an open nostril for the smell and keen eye for butts... meaning the cigarette kind. I would think thats the only way to enforce it.

I booked the Swan this time partly because of the completely non smoking rule. Glad to see this is going on. I hope they can enforce it.

[TiggerRPh]

Another thing that people need to realize here....Disney didn't do this because of guest complaints or being all that health concerned. They did this for no other reason in that is saves them a lot of money.

Smoking rooms cost more to be cleaned and have to be redone more often.

This policy change shouldn't have come as any surprise to anyone that follows Disney....they did the same thing at Disneyland about a year ago. So it was only a matter of time before it happened at WDW.

[Mnchknbrat1982]

I'm not at all surprised about this. My TA told me this was going into effect like 2 months ago. I am actually glad. I can't be around smoke as I am allergic.

[Hammer]

Do we have any Intercotees who are going to be there when this goes into effect? I would really like if someone would come back and give us a fair assessment of the rollout. Are the resort maps updated to show where the designated outdoor smoking areas are located? If you ask a Cast Member, do they give accurate information? Can they direct a smoker to the nearest smoking area? Is there good signage to denote the smoking areas?

[grumpyguy]

i'm a big non-smoker,but beyond that,when i see someone smoking at my world i always think how it looks so out of place.it just doesn't fit at a place like wdw.love ya mickey!!
gg out

[Terk24]

Hopefully this is enforced much better then the non-smoking policy inside the parks. Without hesitation, I will be the neighbor that gladly calls in a 'rule' breaker

[lockedoutlogic]

I wonder if they will have mousekeeping keep an open nostril for the smell and keen eye for butts... meaning the cigarette kind. I would think thats the only way to enforce it.

I booked the Swan this time partly because of the completely non smoking rule. Glad to see this is going on. I hope they can enforce it.

They will in fact keep an "extra nostril" open....

I can remember as a WDW employee as far back as 2001 hearing about the machines that they had begun to use at the Grand Californian in Disneyland to detect smoke in non-smoking rooms. I believe that was when the $250 dollar fine for violating the non-smoking rules in a room were implemented as well.

I imagine that the Housekeeping managers at the WDW resorts will employ a similar system to enforce the smoking guidelines....and a new disclaimer line will be added to the resort registration slip that everyone signs when they check in (not as though anyone reads those anyway)

[BigRedDad]

Well, reading through these posts, it is definitely a non-smokers world. I am part of it and my wife is now as well. Everyone talks about smoking being an addiction like drugs and alcohol. That is a very poor argument while at WDW. The reason is that there are no "Designated Illegal Drug" and "Designated Alcoholic" sections to help appease these addictions.

If anyone is trying to quit smoking, I can only recommend Zyban. My parents smoked for almost my whole life. My dad retired and insurance required him to quit smoking. It only took them a few weeks to fully get over it.

[Hammer]

Moderator Alert

Some of the posts have strayed off topic. Let's stick to discussing the change in the smoking policy at the resorts and not venture on if/how people should quit smoking.

[lockedoutlogic]

Well, reading through these posts, it is definitely a non-smokers world. I am part of it and my wife is now as well. Everyone talks about smoking being an addiction like drugs and alcohol. That is a very poor argument while at WDW. The reason is that there are no "Designated Illegal Drug" and "Designated Alcoholic" sections to help appease these addictions.

If anyone is trying to quit smoking, I can only recommend Zyban. My parents smoked for almost my whole life. My dad retired and insurance required him to quit smoking. It only took them a few weeks to fully get over it.

I agree with your position....however the discussion is not about the medical responses to smoking...it's about whether the policy is "fair" and how it will be recieved.

In fact, Disney does have the "designated" alcohol areas that you speak of...it also has designated smoking areas in place...the question is whether or not the ban on private areas (resort rooms) will be percieved as over the line by the public.

Tobacco....is not illegal. If a state were to take the step to "ban"tobacco products (California...of course...will be the first to cross that finish line), then it wouldn't be an issue. disney is taking the step to ban it from hotel rooms and common areas...which has been done by many other businesses....but it still could be perceived as a violation of consumer rights or social and civil liberty.

That's why the discussion is taking twists and turns.

[Granny Jill A]

Good for Disney!! They may lose some business from die hard smokers but in the long run everyone benefits (even the smokers who may add a little time onto their lives w/o those resort cigs!). There seems to be no shortage of folks who fly even after the airlines went smoke free. I know I will sleep better in a smoke free environment!

LOL - I agree that the airline business did not suffer after banning smoking, and I'm sure Disney will do very well after they ban smoking.

Yippee - woo hoo!

[Woozles Gram]

Hello All, I have been reading a lot of the post regarding smoking!! Myself & Dh are smokers, but for the length of time we visit Florida, we do not stay on the property,so this won't affect us as at this time. I will reserve my opinion of the smoking ban. I did however, not read any mention of Fort Wilderness in all the posts I read......................seeing as this is a (I imagaine) Disney resort, will the ban apply to the campground too?? It seems to me that this would be difficult, as the camper is privately owned...............but all around you breath the air. We have friends who stay there and the DH is a smoker..............was just wondering if the rules apply to this resort also. I look forward to answers and comments!!

[lindique]

I was wondering, what will they do with the rooms that are smoking now? As a result, non smokers can potentially be in a "smoking" room because all will be labeled the same. Those of you with Asthma may want to consider this when checking in and see if you can get what was previously a non smoking room. Disney may be able to do something in the long run, but starting off, anyone could end up occupying a room that has had years of smoke. Just a thought.

Last year, I checked into a Marriott just after they had gone smoke-free. I was assigned a room that used to be a smoking room. It still reeked of stale smoke. They changed my room to one that was always non-smoking, so it turned out okay. I hope they are planning to refurbish the rooms that had been smoking rooms - a spray of Lysol just doesn't do it.

[kakn7294]

Do we have any Intercotees who are going to be there when this goes into effect? I would really like if someone would come back and give us a fair assessment of the rollout. Are the resort maps updated to show where the designated outdoor smoking areas are located? If you ask a Cast Member, do they give accurate information? Can they direct a smoker to the nearest smoking area? Is there good signage to denote the smoking areas?

I won't be there until August - staying at POFQ. As I've said before - I am a non-smoker but, I too am curious as to how this is played out - where the smoking areas are going to be located throughout the resort, how easily accessible they are, if they are well marked, if there is information either given out at check-in or placed in each room warning of the non-smoking status and what the penalities will be, etc. I also wanted to know if the current smoking rooms will be refurbished or if we will chance being stuck in an old smoking room. If it reeks of smoke, I would be miserably sick if I have to stay there. I wonder how accomodating they are still going to be about the non-smoking rooms and health issues when the whole resort is considered non-smoking.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

I was wondering, what will they do with the rooms that are smoking now? As a result, non smokers can potentially be in a "smoking" room because all will be labeled the same. Those of you with Asthma may want to consider this when checking in and see if you can get what was previously a non smoking room. Disney may be able to do something in the long run, but starting off, anyone could end up occupying a room that has had years of smoke. Just a thought.

I have already given that a lot of thought. I appreciate your thoughts too. As someone else posted, it is so hard to get rid of the smell of smoke to the point where a person like me, my kids, or others that have medical issues around smoke can be in the room. Without a major refurb anyway. We, too, always go everywhere prepared, Inhalers, nebulizers for the kids, etc.
I am hoping that when we mention that to the front desk and when we call before hand, they will take that into consideration. I have never had to request a room change, unfortunatley we would have to if there was a lingering issue.

I hope I am not offending anyone. It is an issue we would love not to worry about, but, we have to.
Thanks again.

[llamaface]

Last year, I checked into a Marriott just after they had gone smoke-free. I was assigned a room that used to be a smoking room. It still reeked of stale smoke. that had been smoking rooms - a spray of Lysol just doesn't do it.

We recently had the same problem at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. The non-smoking room smelled badly of stale smoke....my whole family woke up the next morning with red eyes, stuffy noses and yucky coughs(allergies &nd asthma). Unfortunately, we could not switch rooms - ours was pd for by DH employer and rest of blocked rooms were full.
That being said, when I heard of Disney making this move, my first reaction was one of jubilation. However, after my experience at the Waldorf, my fear is that my family could once again end up in a non- smoking smoked-in room. I hope that they don't plan on just using room deoderizers to eliminate the smell. As previous posters have mentioned, the rooms will have to be totally gutted. I can't imagine Disney doing that to all the resorts that were recently refurbished..i.e., Poly.

[lockedoutlogic]

We recently had the same problem at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. The non-smoking room smelled badly of stale smoke....my whole family woke up the next morning with red eyes, stuffy noses and yucky coughs(allergies &nd asthma). Unfortunately, we could not switch rooms - ours was pd for by DH employer and rest of blocked rooms were full.
That being said, when I heard of Disney making this move, my first reaction was one of jubilation. However, after my experience at the Waldorf, my fear is that my family could once again end up in a non- smoking smoked-in room. I hope that they don't plan on just using room deoderizers to eliminate the smell. As previous posters have mentioned, the rooms will have to be totally gutted. I can't imagine Disney doing that to all the resorts that were recently refurbished..i.e., Poly.

This is a valid concern...but I don't think it will be an issue.

I worked at CBR when they converted one of the smoking buildings to non about 5 years ago....and they sandblasted the thing down to the concrete and completely rebuilt the rooms. Disney knows that there physically is no way to simply deodorize a smoked it room....
I'm sure that the smoking rooms are going to be completely gutted....but I don't know if that will be possible in the busier summer months that are coming...we'll have to see...I would expect this to be complete by the end of september.

[Here we go again...]

I am happy to see Disney making this change. However, I am with Lockedoutlogic on this one... I am worried we will end up with lots of smoking non-smoking rooms.
I recently stayed at a Mariot that was brand new and smoke free since opening. The room I was assigned smelled so bad that I did not walk in, I went back to the deck to ask for another room. They had no other rooms so I had to take it. I brought a bottle of thier spray in the room and got up about 4 time to spray because it bothered me so much.
When I checked out all of my clothes smelled like stale smoke. I was embarrased to go to my meeting that way. According to the lady at check out, even though they have the sign up saying that a person will be charged $250 for cleaning if they smoke, people fight it and say it was not them. Since you were not in the room to see them smoke, it is hard to enforce.

[WishingStar2006]

well, most of these posts have been from non-smokers who are elated about the change in policy.

however, for those of us smokers, who always obey the rules, smoke in designated areas and in the privacy of our own SMOKING OPTIONAL rooms, this is devestating news. I always reserve two rooms so that my sons do not have to be in a room with me, I am very aware of the dangers of 2nd hand smoke.

We have a 13 day trip planned in August to celebrate my son's graduation. This change in policy has now taken a lot of the excitment out of the trip and the planning because I'm dreading having to cope with the new rules. When we get back to the resort at 2:00 am (after an EMH night) and I want to relax and unwind with a cigarette or two....now I will be out in the middle of nowhere, chain smoking in the wee hours of the morning. Who is going to protect my safety as I sit out there in the middle of the night, are they going to walk me back to my room safely?

Leave the few smoking optional rooms alone and just enforce the non-smoking rules in the areas where the rules are being broken.