Disney Park's No Smoke Rule Reportedly No Longer Enforced, Children Affected

It seems that smoking at the Disney parks has seen an uptick in frequency, specifically in areas where they should not be.

If you have ever been to the Disney parks around the world, you know that there are specific rules and regulations that guests must follow during their visit. Lately, we have shared that a lot of the rules are being broken. For example, guests are attempting to violate the park dress code in hopes to get a free t-shirt and a viral TikTok, and now, Disney is even cracking down on their no commercial filming rule, forbidding certain filming items from the parks at Walt Disney World Resort.

When a guest breaks the rules, they may not only be removed and trespassed from that Disney property for life, but additionally, will have to face law enforcement, depending on if they broke the law or not. We recently saw this with the Disneyland streaker, who was on drugs and decided to get naked and expose himself on “it’s a small world” to hundreds of guests, many of whom were children. Not only was this guest removed from the park, but he was also arrested.

At each of the Disney parks, there are different rules when it comes to smoking. At Walt Disney World Resort, guests have to leave the park entirely if they want to smoke, and do so in a specific smoking spot. At Disneyland Paris, there are still smoking locations in the park, but guests are required to only smoke in those areas.

Sadly, it seems that the rule appears as a suggestion to many, as smoking all over the theme park has become normalized.

One guest took to Reddit to share their sadness in regards to the amount of smoking that they and all guests have to deal with when going to Disneyland Paris, a family-friendly park.

“I must express my deep sadness at the prevalence of smoking in Disneyland Paris during my recent visit. Throughout the park, I observed individuals smoking outside designated areas and people vaping in crowded spaces, such as those waiting for shows and in lines. I was locked waiting for fireworks with people vaping around me. Not once I witnessed a cast member calling their attention.

My concern stems from personal experience, having grown up in a household with heavy smokers—both my parents, who smoked 4-6 packs a day, ultimately passed away around 20 years prematurely due to smoking-related complications like COPD. I, too, suffer from asthma, and my health improved significantly once I was able to move away from such an environment. My first born when visited the grandparents for a week ended-up in the hospital with breathing complications, that triggered asthma that affected him for years.

Reflecting on the history of Walt Disney, who also battled smoking-induced lung cancer, it is disheartening to see the compromise on air quality within the park. The park should prioritize the well-being of visitors, particularly children, over any short-term financial gains associated with ticket sales to smokers. Preserving the purity of the air should be paramount, ensuring a wholesome and enchanting experience for all, in line with the timeless legacy of Walt Disney. I recall the enchanting smells of Mainstreet USA in Orlando but from Paris I just remember the smell of smoke.”

In France, over 30% of the population smokes cigarettes, which is nearly double that of the United States, which comes in at 16%. With smoking being such a normalized and recreational activity in Europe, eliminating cigarettes from the parks entirely would be difficult, which is likely why there are still smoking sections in Disneyland Paris. That being said, as we can see from this post, those sections are not being utilized as the only spot to smoke, and cast members are reportedly allowing it to happen.

Related: Universal Orlando Trying to Go Smoke Free

Having gone myself to Disneyland Paris in 2023, I can also attest to the large amount of vaping and smoking that occurs in the open areas of Disneyland Paris. While waiting in the indoor section of the Hyperspace Mountain queue, the guest in front of me smoked an entire cigarette, while another behind me openly vaped. While this can take place at any Disney park, many of the guests at Disneyland Paris do not seem to care to hide it, making the no smoking unless in a designated area rule void.

One reply to the post stated, “It’s sad but it’s also the culture in France, they smoke a lot so they won’t really care about it that much but one would hope the park would do more to stop it,” agreeing that Disneyland Paris needs to enforce their rules much more strictly.

Others chalked it up to the culture, “That’s just the culture in France, and Europe in general. They don’t see it as rude because to them, it isn’t. I went to Italy when I was 13 and kids my age were smoking every day. It’s just normal. If I had a significant health problem I would do extensive research before going somewhere to be sure it was going to be a good place for me to go. You can’t go to a foreign country and expect them to heed your culture and values. I absolutely hate smoking, but if I went to Paris I would expect it to be going on.”

From this point, it appears that some are ok with guests breaking these rules as it is the way of life in the country, which takes priority.

Some noted that Disney World does have vape culture presently, but other locals to the theme park replied, “I live in Orlando and I’m a passholder, we go to the parks every week and occasionally we see some vaping but nothing in the likes of what I saw in Paris. I used to live in Europe and I remember going to the Paris park and I could see some smoking but now with vaping it is really out of control. They have x-rays, they could be storing these devices for people to pick-up when they leave.”

Others noted that they were warned about the smoking in Disneyland Paris, “We visited last summer and had been warned about the smoking so I was expecting it.”

As noted by Disneyland Paris, “Theme Parks covered and uncovered areas are non-smoking, except for designated outdoor areas specially created and equipped for smokers. This rule also applies to electronic cigarettes.”

Overall, while smoking in France is certainly allowed, it seems that Disneyland Paris may be too relaxed in their rules of where guests can smoke inside of their theme park. If you are caught smoking in Disney, you will be asked to put out and throw away the cigarette, and to leave the park if you want to smoke. Repeated offenders may receive a more serious punishment rather than a warning.

Have you noticed an uptick in guests smoking throughout the Disney parks?