Walt Disney World Resort Hotels to Institute Smoke-Free Policy June 1, 2007

[Horizon93]

Great move by Disney! Does this include the Swan and Dolphin even though they are Starwood?

[2manykats]

I am so happy I forgot to mention Non-smoking and I thought I would have to call back.

[big blue and hairy]

I too, am glad for the total smoking ban inside WDW rooms. I must say though, I'm a little surprised by the fact that you can't smoke on balconies. I know the smoke can travel, but I wonder how many people will smoke in the room instead of being seen on the balconies breaking the rule.

[CanadianWDWFan]

We just got back from POFQ and all I saw were smokers out in front of their non-smoking rooms. It was horrible to run the guantlet of smoke just to get anywhere. Also the mess that was left behind by them. Disgusting, can't these smokers put their cigaretts out anywhere else but the gardens?!?!

I sure hope as well that this rule will be enforced.

[WishingStar2006]

Unfortunately, I am a smoker and this is devestating news to me. I never break the rules and only smoke in disginated areas and always request a smoking room (and get a non-smoking room for my family members who don't smoke). I have booked our dream vacation for this summer, celebrating my son's graduation from high school, 13 days at WL...now I have to rethink the entire thing. I can't imagine not being able to relax in my own room that I am paying a premium price for...but to have to go outside with strangers, at night, just to smoke. I try to quit every Monday but by Tuesday I'm smoking again. Now this adds SO MUCH stress to what is supposed to be a relaxing dream vacation.

I understand the elation of all of the non-smokers and those with allergies. Truly, I do. But for those of us who do smoke, this is just not good news. I feel like my favorite place in the world is now gone.

[Figment!]

Does this include the Swan and Dolphin even though they are Starwood?

No, this only applies to Disney Owned & Operated Hotels; however, The Swan already has a similiar policy in place.

[Darbylew]

This is great news. I hope they will enforce it.
They really need to enforce it in the parks. I
see people smoking all the time and not in the
area for smokers. They are just walking along
smoking. In Florida we have a non-smoking in
all public places which is great. When we travel
to another state it is awful to smell the smoke
while you are trying to eat even if you ask for
non-smoking you can still smell it. Thank you
DISNEY!!

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

I'm also hoping they rethink where the designated smoking areas will be located. I found it irritating at All-Star Music and All-Star Movies that you had to walk through a wall of smoke as you exited the main buildings towards the rooms.

[Tygger7]

Woo hoo! After the experience we had at the Wilderness Lodge last year, this news thrilled me. We had requested a non-smoking room, but ended up with the worst smelling room I've ever been in. My husband used to smoke, and the stench of the room literally made him sick. We complained to the Front Desk and they offered to put us in another room, but we had to make the change IMMEDIATELY....which would have meant missing our dinner at the Whispering Canyon. So, they offered to deodorize the room for us. Now let me interject this point: Considering how much it costs for a room at the Wilderness Lodge, I was more than a little miffed that they didn't do more. The room was so bad that they had to "deodorize" it 3 TIMES...and it still stunk. But at least after the third time it was tolerable and we spent as little time in the room as possible. I was already stressing over what we would end up with on our next visit, so I must say again that this is fantastic news!!

[Hammer]

I'm also hoping they rethink where the designated smoking areas will be located. I found it irritating at All-Star Music and All-Star Movies that you had to walk through a wall of smoke as you exited the main buildings towards the rooms.

That is an excellent point. My sister, who is a smoker, noticed that they had placed designated smoking areas in areas where the general population would have to walk through (the one right outside Rockin' Rollercoaster comes to mind). If WDW makes the same mistake with the placing of the smoking areas at the resorts, I implore everyone to voice your concern with WDW and not take it out on the smokers. They are are only going where they were designated.

[Jeff G]

[SurferStitch]

This announcement actually concerns me a little....

I think you're going to find a lot more smokers sneaking their fix in a lot more places now. If the parks are smoke free except for designated areas, and so many people here complain that they see so many people not sticking to the rules there, do you really think they're going to stick to the rules at the resorts??? Really?

Sure, if someone checks out of a room and it reeks of smoke, or the cleaning staff is given orders to report the potential offenders, then they could possibly be charged the monitary fee (I stress possibly), but I HIGHLY doubt that those who smoke outside their rooms (and they still will) and leave their butts on the ground (and they still will) will get any charge, because how will Disney prove it was them??? I doubt they'll hire CM's to walk around and watch for rogue smokers. That would be more cost to WDW, which in turn, would result in higher room costs, which we all know nobody wants here. And, a guest can complain, but by the time a manager would investigate, the offender would be gone.

I have a feeling a lot of those applauding the new rules will be the first to complain here that their trip was ruined (or at least tarnished) by rogue smokers at their resorts that didn't follow those rules (and there will be those that don't follow the rules).

I don't smoke, and even though cig smoke affects me very badly, I never had a problem with guests grabbing a quick smoke on their balconies or walkways. I only take a second to walk past them. I want to make it clear that I don't think all smokers will break the rules....goodness knows I've been in support of smokers in all of these smoking threads. BUT, there are those who do, and they will break the rules. I just think you're going to see more and more of it at the resorts now.

[sleepingbooty]

I have to agree with Surferstitch. I have asthma, and I hate being stuck in a room with someone smoking. But, if you're outside, it only takes a second to walk past them.

Unfortunately, my parents, both brothers, and my grandmother all smoke. My parents wish they could quit and have tried many times. Any doctor will tell you the addiction is stronger than heroin. My grandmother is old and cranky and has no intention of quitting.

This is going to put a huge damper in our family vacation this september. I had planned to request a smoking room for my parents and brother. They have no problem smoking in the designated areas in the parks, but to not be able to come home after a long day and smoke in your own room? Are they going to have to walk way across the resort to some designated area? This will be tough. I'm scared to tell them.

[tink2006]

Unfortunately, I am a smoker and this is devestating news to me. I never break the rules and only smoke in disginated areas and always request a smoking room (and get a non-smoking room for my family members who don't smoke). I have booked our dream vacation for this summer, celebrating my son's graduation from high school, 13 days at WL...now I have to rethink the entire thing. I can't imagine not being able to relax in my own room that I am paying a premium price for...but to have to go outside with strangers, at night, just to smoke. I try to quit every

Monday but by Tuesday I'm smoking again. Now this adds SO MUCH stress to what is supposed to be a relaxing dream vacation.

I understand the elation of all of the non-smokers and those with allergies. Truly, I do. But for those of us who do smoke, this is just not good news. I feel like my favorite place in the world is now gone.

We are smokers as well. Just like you, we do not break the rules and are considerate of others. I know how you feel. We usually stay in a non smoking room with the understanding that we could smoke almost anywhere outside (remember, we are considerate smokers). We would never smoke around other people.

I just got off the phone with WDW. There are going to be designated smoking areas at each resort. They have not determined where these areas will be. It will be up to each individual resort. We are staying at POR in August. The CM was nice enough to call the hotel, while I was on hold to see if they had determined the smoking areas - not yet. I would suggest you call WL directly to see where the smoking areas will be. Hoepfully, this will alleviate some of your stress.

The CM also mentioned that it would be a $250 "recovery fee" for smoking in the rooms or balconies. This is more for information -we wouldn't break the rules

[Strmchsr]

But, if you're outside, it only takes a second to walk past them....Are they going to have to walk way across the resort to some designated area? This will be tough. I'm scared to tell them.

I feel for the smokers. Unfortunately, there isn't a win-win solution to the whole smoking issue. As you said, it's tough for smokers to be out at the parks all day, come back, and then get a craving and have to walk a good distance to find a designated smoking spot. You mention only walking briefly through it currently, the problem there is that my DW is so allergic to smoke even that brief exposure will trigger her asthma (of course, I tease her about being allergic to about 90% of the substances on earth, so it's not just smoke). If I see smokers on the balcony or in front of a door we have to find an alternate route. I'm concerned about those who break the rules lighting up in the room next to us and DW having a bad attack as the air filters through to our room. 95% of smokers will, I'm sure, abide by the rules, but the remaining 5% (who will break the rules no matter what's in place as we see by those smoking all over the place in the parks) ruins it for others. This is definitely very good news for those who don't smoke and those who have health issues related to smoke, but I hate how much this will negatively impact the smokers. Certainly I know if I had to walk halfway across the resort to drink my morning coffee I wouldn't be too happy either, especially if its cold or rainy.

Thank you to those of you smokers who are considerate. I know you're not all rude beasts as you're sometimes portrayed. For your own health, I wish you could stop smoking (of course, for my own health I wish I'd stop eating McDonalds), but I very much appreciate those of you who are so considerate of the health of others.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I am so happy to hear this news! Every trip I would stress about what would happen if we couldn't get a non-smoking room. Sleeping in the lobby as a protest came to mind! This is GREAT news for me and my family.

That being said, I do realize that this is going to be hard on the smokers, and I don't know what I would think if I was a smoker about being so limited on my vacation.

Still, seems that this is a good decision for most, and I'm hoping Disney will make appropriate smoking areas available, so smokers can still enjoy their trip without too much hassle.

[mickey98]

This is GREAT news, a long time coming, however I hate to put a damper on the idea but it won't be enforced,, The current secutiry does not enforce non-smoking in the parks. We have watched security look at a guest smoking in non=smoking areas of the parks and NOT say a word.. This is very disappointing. So we will take this change with a grain of salt and see what happens.. Again GREAT idea.. however if it is not enforced it won't mean anything..

[DNS]

I have mixed feelings. A part of me feels like this is a step in the right direction, now if they would just ban perfume (no offense intended to anyone) from property, my asthma would get a rest, but the other part of me feels really bad for smokers. Plus I've been trying to arrange a family reunion at WDW, but my brother-in-law and his wife are smokers and I know they won't stay on property with this rule which will be less fun for all of us. They have tried really hard to quit so many times, so I don't think there is much of a chance in less than a year from now.

[2Epcot]

I am happy to hear that Disney is finally doing this. Though I was lucky enough to outgrow my asthma problems about 20 years ago, it still comes back once in a while, and smoking is one of the main things that can do it.

.
We had a closet smoker next door to us at our non-smoking Polynesian rooms for the last few days of our last trip, and it was quite unpleasant. So while I applaud the boldness of the move, I worry. Rule breakers are everywhere.

Maybe the answer is the airplane route ... more smoke dectectors in the rooms.

I too, am glad for the total smoking ban inside WDW rooms. I must say though, I'm a little surprised by the fact that you can't smoke on balconies.

Having lived in apartments, one of the worse things you can have is a smoker who lives under you, and goes out to their balcony to smoke. It is just like the person is smoking in your room.

I know someone in the hotel industry and actually they haven't seen a trend towards NOT smoking, but a trend for smokers to request non-smoking rooms because the smoking rooms stink of cigarettes.

:We had requested a non-smoking room, but ended up with the worst smelling room I've ever been in. The room was so bad that they had to "deodorize" it 3 TIMES...and it still stunk.

I am also very sensitive to the smell of smoke, long after the smoker(s) have left I know they were there. I hope the former smoking rooms are properly redone/cleaned by Disney, to rid the smell of cigarette smoke.

[mecarroll]

Kudos To Disney!