If you’re planning a trip to any of the Disney parks this year with small children, you better plan ahead.
At the park’s locations in Florida and California, use of stroller is being regulated. And you can’t smoke except in certain areas, either.
Disney has announced that starting May 1, smoking and certain large strollers will no longer be allowed inside Florida and California Disney parks, including Walt Disney World, Disneyland theme parks, water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Downtown Disney.
Guests who smoke will still be able to light up in designated areas outside park entry points and in smoking areas at Disney Resort hotels and Disney Springs.
“As we expand our offerings, we will continue to take steps to enhance the guest experience and make it more enjoyable for everyone who visits,” a Disney spokeswoman told CNN.
Deb Koma, editor of the AllEars.Net Disney fan site, agrees that the new policies will be an improvement.
“Restricting stroller size and prohibiting wagon strollers will, hopefully, eliminate the traffic problems they can cause — blocking walkways, bumping into guests (especially little ones) and taking up space in queues and elsewhere,” she told CNN.
“Guests shouldn’t be too concerned with this new policy, because many strollers already fit the size requirements.”
The Disney announcement is coming as Disneyland ticket prices were boosted by about 8 percent in January, ahead of the summer opening of the celebrated new “Star Wars” exhibit. Prices do vary by ticket.
It might be worth your while to pull out a tape measure to check the size of the family’s stroller before you leave. If your stroller is larger than 31 inches (79 cm) wide and 52 inches (132 cm) long, you can’t get it inside the park. Neither are stroller wagons.
Strollers are available for $15 per day, or $13 daily for a multi-day stay at one of the parks.
