Disney is making some changes to its theme park rules, eliminating all smoking areas within the gates and banning large strollers.
Starting May 1, smoking will be limited to designated areas outside the front gate of each theme park at Walt Disney World in Florida and the Disneyland Resort in California, the company said on its blog.
And on same date, strollers larger than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long will no longer be allowed inside the parks. The company said wagons are already banned, and “wagon-strollers” will be included in that category.
“These updates are designed to help guest flow and ease congestion, making the parks more enjoyable for everyone,” the company wrote on its blog.
Indeed, increased crowds in the parks have led to more congestion and “choke points” where it can be difficult to maneuver, especially with strollers ― not to mention the increasingly large areas set aside for “stroller parking.”
The congestion is likely to get worse with the large crowds expected to turn out when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland in May and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in August.
Universal and SeaWorld have not placed restrictions on strollers and will continue to have smoking areas, at least for the time being, according to their websites.
Needless to say, Disney’s moves have led to some angst on social media – especially among those who already own the large strollers ― and more than a few jokes about it: