Should These Things Really Be Banned at Disney?
Walt Disney World doesn’t make a big deal regarding its park rules. Instead, management presumes that most of them are common sense.
Are they right? Should these things be banned at Disney theme parks? Let’s talk it through…
Alcoholic Beverages
Yes, you can nurture a beverage at EPCOT, and some other theme park restaurants sell alcohol as well.
Disney hasn’t outright banned alcoholic beverages, as that would be insane. However, this rule applies to guests bringing in their drinks, and that’s smart.
We don’t want people chugging moonshine in front of the kids. In fact, if the idea bothers you, it’s probably best to avoid the World Showcase after dark.
Honestly, this rule is more about revenue than anything else, though. Disney wants people to pay for its beers and wines, not bring in their own.
Cigarettes
In 2019, park officials finally ripped off the band-aid by banning all cigarettes, including e-cigs.
For several years before that, Disney had reduced the dwindling options for smoking locations inside the parks anyway.
So, this change was more of a formality than anything else. Should Disney have done it?
As an asthmatic, I vote yes. However, if you’re a smoker, I understand why you may disagree.
By the way, the unheralded aspect of this rule involves hotel rooms. Disney reserves the right to bill guests $250-$500 for smoking in the room, even on the balcony.
Fireworks
First of all, why are you carrying around fireworks? Do you carry a lighter as well? Do you aim bottle rockets at strangers for fun or something?
Seriously, I think this rule speaks for itself. It shouldn’t come up much, but it’s important to say so publicly so that everyone knows.
Folding Chairs
Believe it or not, some people have tried to sneak folding chairs into Disney over the years.
Their (weird) plan was to have a place to sit down for parades and fireworks. While that’s great for them, it’s obnoxious to the other guests.
From a seated position on the ground, those folks would be staring up at the butts of the people in folding chairs.
This rule is in place on the off chance that some selfish lunatic tries it.
And I guess it always protects professional wrestlers from random assaults, too. Unfortunately, those referees seem to miss so darn much during matches.
Glass Containers
There’s one massive caveat here. Baby food jars are acceptable at Disney parks, which is a relief to parents of infants.
The overriding thought with this rule is that people break glass containers.
Someone has to clean up that mess, and the conditions are unsafe until they do. If anyone falls on broken glass at a park, Disney’s responsible.
As such, this one’s a huge no-no.
Gum
Quick, what did you always do with your gum when you were in school? You stuck it under your desk, didn’t you?
When you’re out at a restaurant or whatever, you still sometimes do this, don’t you? For shame!
Anyway, you can understand why Disney stands firm against gum. It’d ruin the beauty of the parks.
Horns, Whistles, and Other Noisemakers
This one’s painfully obvious, especially if you’ve ever had someone blow a whistle in your ear.
You may think it’s unlikely to come up at Disney theme parks. But, alas, that’s untrue.
For a while, vuvuzelas (!) created problems at the parks. So, Disney took a particular interest in those.
Now, the company has grown proactive about potentially noisy toys and other devices.
Mace and Pepper Spray
Okay, I fully understand why people would keep this stuff in their purses or backpacks.
When you keep a later schedule – and I’m regularly up past 2 a.m. – you sometimes run into folks who don’t have your best interests at heart.
However, when you’re at a Disney theme park, security guards are everywhere. In fact, you probably don’t even realize how many are near you.
Many plain-clothes guards roam the parks, keeping an eye on the proceedings.
Simply stated, you have no need for mace, pepper spray, or other defensive measures at Disney theme parks.
Marijuana
This rule is also obvious. Even if/when the state of Florida changes its laws to allow marijuana usage, Disney will probably maintain this policy.
Edibles might be an exception, but that’s a discussion for another day. Still, Disney’s right to have this rule as long as pot’s illegal.
Oversized Baby Carriages
This policy change is also relatively new. Disney altered the rules due to the growing proliferation of super-carriages.
Some parents and MANY stroller rental agencies purchased what I can only describe as the Cadillac Escalade of these devices.
They started clogging the walking lanes of Disney theme parks, forcing officials to limit the size of these devices.
So, if you have a double-wide stroller, you will need a Plan B at the parks. And yes, that’s a good thing.
“Recreational Devices”
This list runs the gamut from drones to skateboards to in-line skates. It even includes Segways, which Disney once used for park tours!
Alas, management has correctly deduced that some people cannot behave appropriately with these items. For example, they bump into other guests, which isn’t acceptable.
As for the drones, Disney doesn’t want ANY kind of aircraft flying around that it cannot identify. That’s best for everyone.
Selfie Stick
Hoo boy, there was a time when the quickest way to anger other guests was to break out a selfie stick.
Those things seemingly went from novelties to ubiquitous in about two weeks at Disney.
Guest complaints went through the roof as people loudly expressed their displeasure with these extension sticks.
The atrocities blocked views and often led to clumsy unintentional assaults. The user would whip around and accidentally hit strangers with them.
Disney quickly stepped on the neck of these things, as they should have.
Toy Guns/Real Guns
This one’s pretty obvious. Disney spends an astonishing amount of money to keep everyone safe at the parks.
A grim but true fact is that the killer in that Orlando nightclub incident had initially targeted Disney Springs.
The strength of the security there forced him to change plans, with tragic results.
“Trailer-like Objects”
Some ECV users at Disney have tried to hook up wagons so that they can carry more stuff.
Obviously, this leads to congestion issues at the parks that Disney discourages.
Also, the wagons aren’t the greatest at turning, which can lead to some unfortunate mishaps. Of course, those aren’t scenarios Disney officials want, either.
So, yes, these should absolutely be banned. In fact, I think Disney has justification for banning everything on this list.
I totally agree with all these bans.