Editors Note:
Neither
Barbie or I are smokers, and we, along with the writer of this article,
do not wish to promote or encourage smoking in any way, but feel this is a good
service announcement, and deserves to be read.-Nick
By: Tamara
Disney parks are squeaky clean and a family-friendly atmosphere. But there are a few of us who are on the dark side. And I don't mean Darth Vader and Company. I am talking about smoking.
I am one of them. The politically incorrect, the current scourge of society. Like it or hate it, we are currently still permitted to smoke on Disney property. Of course we have to follow the rules and only smoke in designated smoking areas. And we do comply with these rules.
At least most of us do, I hope.
Disney doesn't allow us to smoke in our resort rooms. This is for very good reason. If you smoke in your room, and are discovered, you WILL be billed for a cleaning charge. This deterrent is enough for me to seek out designated smoking areas at my resort as well as in the parks.
I recently spoke to a fellow guest who seemed rather perturbed that she wasn't permitted to smoke inside her car while it was parked on Disney property. In fact, Disney security informed her that she was only permitted to smoke in the proper smoking areas. She wasn't happy, and felt it was an invasion of her privacy. But is it really? It is their property, and their rules. As a caring guest, I understand and choose to abide by these rules.
We smokers have to consider the other guests and respect their rights to enjoy a clean safe Disney experience. And this means, curbing that urge to smoke anywhere, properly disposing of our cigarette butts, and be good Disney guests.
Our days as smokers are numbered, I am afraid. With the popularity of the ecigarettes, we may be experiencing new rules come into play. We may even see a day where all smoking is banned from the parks, resorts and all Disney property in general.
Until Disney goes totally smoke-free, I ask my fellow smokers to be as polite, and as unoffensive as possible. Take note of the smoking areas. Use them. Leave behind no evidence of your habit. After all, Disney banned the selling of chewing gum for good reason, and we probably will see the day when smoking is banned altogether.
I am a smoker who visits WDW regularly. I have always tried to be a polite smoker. I only smoke in designated areas, I never leave a mess behind and actually have met some really nice fellow smokers to chat with since when you spend a day in a park you tend to meet up with the same people multiple times throughout the day. I have recently run into many park visiting non-smokers that will decide to sit in the designated smoking area and then complain about people smoking. I used to sit silently and listen to them complain but recently there seems to be fewer areas that smokers are allowed to go to. A non-smoker has many, many other areas to visit. I now try to nicely explain to them that they have chosen to sit in the smoking area of the park so shouldn't complain. Some are very nice others are not. Smoking is an addiction. I have tried numerous times to stop with limited success.Some non-smokers should be just as polite as we are.
ReplyDeleteThis is a touchy subject with many. I applaud you for making this Public Service Announcement. While many would not want to see smokers anywhere in the parks, they are people and deserve the right to have a section to go where they can enjoy a smoke. I too ask only that you keep the butts where they belong (receptacles are provided for this). Disney and the smokers have no command over the wind--so getting upset at a smoker who is doing the right thing yet the winds carry their smoke is rude. . Having said that, I realize that people have certain habits that are viewed by many as "socially unacceptable". Disney goes out of their way to attempt to accommodate everyone. The smoking areas are few and far between--and someone who does smoke has gone out of their way, literally, to do the right thing. Is it really all that hard to just go around or walk a different path?
ReplyDeleteI just returned from WDW and as a non-smoker, I do appreciate smokers who follow Disney's rules on smoking. One morning when I got up, I noticed an ozonator sitting outside the room beside mine. My first thought was whoever smoked in that room is going to regret the $200 or more charge on their credit card!
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