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The Real Villain of Halloweentime at Disneyland 

This year at Disneyland, HalloweenTime is full of pumpkins, candy, new fireworks, attraction layovers, villains, and cigarette smoke. Yes, that’s right, cigarette smoke. The powers-that-be have put the Disney villains this year in a character walk in front of it’s a small world. In previous years, this would be a wonderful location. The line for it’s a small world isn’t as prohibitive as it will be for Christmas, there is ample room to make a line for a character meet n’ greet, and there are even trees around to offer some respite from what has been scorching sun. The downside is what is right behind the small backdrops they have made for Disney’s villains.

Fantasyland’s smoking section is located several yards away, close enough that smoke regularly wafts into the character location. It is also close enough that guests could be heard complaining about it in the park on Sunday. It is even close enough that one Cast Member had to be removed from this location when the smoke caused this person to have an asthma attack.

This is a problem that needs to be addressed. . . .

Within the Disneyland Resort, smoking is relegated to specific smoking areas. However when the smoking areas and an attraction or queue end up sharing air, there is a safety and comfort issue for the majority of guests and cast members who are not smokers. . . .

Disney has made great strides in past years in dealing with the smoking issue. This could have just been a case where the ramifications of the proximity of the characters to the smoking section weren’t thought through all the way. Now that a problem exists and has been recognized, it is time to fix it. Hopefully, this fix will come swiftly. The health of the Cast Members who work so hard daily to make magic for the families that visit must be vigorously protected so that Disneyland remains as healthy and safe as it is fun “for all who come to this happy place.”

DAPs Magic emailed the Disneyland Press Office but did not receive a response for comment on this story.

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