The Walt Disney Company will be removing the designated smoking areas from within its U.S. theme parks, requiring smokers to light up in designated areas outside the parks, Orlando news outlet WESH-TV is reporting. The move effectively bans smoking inside all Disney theme parks in the States.
Smoking
For decades, visitors to Disneyland and the four Walt Disney World theme parks have been able to take a smoke break at a handful of designated smoking areas within the theme parks. Those days are coming to an end, according to reports. Instead, visitors who want to smoke will have to leave the parks and smoke in a designated area outside of park gates.
The smoking ban also applies to Disney’s water parks, Florida’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and California’s Downtown Disney.
Designated smoking areas will remain open at Disney resort hotels — smoking is not allowed inside the rooms at Disney hotels — as well as at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs. Disney Springs is not a theme park, per se, but is rather a shopping and dining center for which there is no admission charge.
Although not mentioned specifically, it appears that the ban will extend to the use of electronic vaporizer mechanisms, such as pens. As CheatSheet reports, vaping was only allowed in designated smoking areas within the parks, so it appears as if the smoking ban will apply to e-cigarettes as well.
Walt Disney World will be eliminating designated smoking areas inside their theme parks and will only be permitting it outside of park entrances starting May 1. https://t.co/ktLUSwhjxb
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) March 28, 2019
The company is also tightening up the rules in a couple of other areas as well.
Strollers
They’re the bane of theme park visitors the world over — navigating pedestrian areas clogged with strollers, getting hit in the ankles when traffic slows, and having to navigate a sea of parked strollers at the entrance to rides and attractions, among other annoyances.
In order to try to mitigate those problems, at least somewhat, the company is imposing new stroller rules. The new rules state that strollers must be no more than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long. Walt Disney World News Today points out that most strollers on the market (at least, in the U.S.) easily fit within those guidelines. The new rules also forbid wagon strollers, a rule which the company says will be “strictly enforced.”
Loose Ice
Finally, guests will no longer be allowed to bring loose ice into the parks. Reusable ice packs will be allowed.
Why the new rules?
The new rules come as the parks are preparing for a major influx of visitors when Star Wars -themed sections of Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios open up. Those attractions are expected to open, in phases, beginning later this summer.
The new smoking, ice, and stroller rules will take effect on May 1.
