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[disnut8]

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Go Smoke-Free

Move to smoke-free is in response to increased guest demand for smoke-free rooms

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., May 1, 2007 – Walt Disney World Resort Senior Vice President for Operations Erin Wallace announced today, all Disney-owned and operated hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort will become smoke-free by June 1, 2007. The policy also applies to all Disney Vacation Club Resorts. With more than 20 Disney owned and operated resorts on property; this represents the largest single site resort complex to institute this type of smoking policy change.“We make adjustments to our operations based on guest demand,” Wallace said. “This policy complements our efforts to provide our guests with the healthy living options they are requesting.”
During the last five years guest demand for smoking rooms at the Walt Disney World Resort have been declining steadily. Currently, less than 3.5 percent of Walt Disney World’s 24,000 resort rooms are smoking optional. (That's 840 rooms).  This transition allows us to better accommodate the increasing number of guests requesting smoke-free rooms. This trend is not specific to the Walt Disney World Resort. According to the American Automobile Association, more travelers are requesting smoke-free environments.
"With more than 50 million members, AAA represents North America's largest traveler group and increasingly our members, like many Americans, are demanding smoke free accommodations." said Sandra Hughes, VP of Travel for AAA. "Hotels are responding by going beyond the traditional standard of smoking and non-smoking rooms, and are going smoke-free throughout their properties."
The new policy applies to all guest rooms, patios and balconies and designates outdoor smoking areas at all resorts affected by the change. Smoking is currently prohibited in all lobbies, common areas, restaurants and convention spaces. Additionally, in January 2000 the Walt Disney World Resort theme and water parks became smoke-free with smoking allowed in designated smoking areas only.

NOTE:  I follow the Disney boards quite faithfully and never saw this one coming.  Disney is showing alot of balls on this one because it's not phasing this in resort by resort but all at once.  So, as of June 1, 2007, you will basically not be allowed to smoke in any Disney resort room, restaurant or bar (in compliance with Florida state law), OR in any Disney theme park except in designated smoking areas.

Now, enforcement of the new policy is going to be interesting.  Disney entertains many foreign guests who don't understand why the United States makes such a big deal out of smoking.  It's aceptable in their country, what's all the flack here? Foreign guests will be able to enjoy the television in their room in their native language (Disney has multiple channels for each network and will show programs in many different languages) but they won't be able to smoke while doing it.

[Supermercado]

Smoking is such an icky habit.

[elmono311]

Well, foreigners will have to deal with it. They may not be as fat as we are here but in the end we'll all die at the same time since they all smoke anyway.

[jitspoe]

Disney.Respect++;

The fewer places to smoke, the better, I say.

[Supermercado]

I concur.

[disnut8]

Well, I'm glad I posted this debate somewhere because the mods on the DIS board have closed all the discussion on this topic completely.  It started to roll into the whole "smokers are just so rude" debate.  Which has been done to death over there.  And always followed up with "what I do with my body is my business and until smoking is declared illegal, I'm doing it" stuff.  Biggest concern of the posters is how Disney is going to "magically" take a former smoking room on May 31st and turn it into a smoke free room by June 1.  Actually, they can do it and it's been done when someone has received a non smoking room and it smells like smoke.  Takes about six hours to suck up all the "polluted" air and exchange it for sanitized air.  Honestly, they do have machines that do that.  Complete with air freshener.

[elmono311]

Only Disney would have stuff like that...

[disnut8]

Only Disney would have stuff like that...

Because only Disney World has crazed people who will scream at the top of their lungs if their every single room request isn't met.  I mean, some people request a second floor room, next to the elevator but away from the ice machine (impossible since the ice machines are right at the elevator bays) with a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks and the Illuminatons fireworks (impossible) with a guarantee that no one in the next room snores or watches TV after 9:00 (don't put them next to us).

[disnut8]

Results of a poll -

Question to smokers only - With Disney World's new smoking policy would you...

A - Continue to stay at a Walt Disney World resort and comply with the new requlations?

B - NOt visit as much but still stay at a Walk Disney World resort?

C - Stay off property?

There were 94 responses before the poll was closed due to debates instead of voting. 

A - 64 votes for 68.09%
B - 16 votes for 17.02%
C - 14 votes for 14.89%

Disney losing 14.89% of the 3.5% of the total of 24,000 resort rooms that are requested by smokers in a year is like Paris Hilton having to pay a $5 fine for jaywalking.