Los Angeles

Disneyland Bans Smoking, Stroller Wagons Ahead Of Star Wars Land's Opening

March 28, 2019 / 9:02 AM PDT / KCAL News

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ANAHEIM (CBSLA) — Big changes are coming to the Magic Kingdom ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Star Wars land set to open this summer.

The crowds have only gotten bigger at Disneyland over the years, even as ticket prices have skyrocketed. With attendance expected to grow exponentially with the May 31 opening of its newest land, "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," Disneyland will ban smoking within the park, loose ice in coolers and stroller wagons popular with families hauling multiple children and their accompanying gear.

The new changes will go into effect on May 1.

The stroller changes will impact families most. Regular strollers and double jogging strollers no larger than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long will still be allowed in the park. The ban on stroller wagons is intended to help guest flow and ease congestion, Disneyland officials said in a blog post.

Another ban that will impact families is the one on loose ice. Guests who plan to bring a cooler or cooler bag are being told to use reusable ice packs instead. A Disney Parks Moms panelist says complimentary cups of ice or ice water can also be requested.

Smoking areas are also being eliminated at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland. Guests who need to smoke will have access to designated smoking areas outside the entrances at the parks, or at smoking areas at Disney Resort hotels.

UNSPECIFIED - AUGUST 14: Handout image provided by Disney Parks, Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced at D23 EXPO 2015 that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, California and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, creating Disney's largest single-themed land expansions ever at 14-acres each. The attractions will transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life. These authentic lands will have two signature attractions including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle. (Photo by Disney Parks Via Getty Images)

There will be a number of restrictions surrounding the opening of "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," a 14-acre land that represents Disneyland's biggest expansion in the park's history.

For the first three weeks after opening, only visitors with reservations will be allowed into the Star Wars land. Guests at the three resort hotels during those three weeks will automatically receive reservations. Everyone else can make no-cost reservations online.

But even as the Magic Kingdom cracks down on crowding, the park is increasing its parking capacity by 50 percent. The Pixar Pals parking structure and its 6,500 spaces is expected to finish this summer, along with 2,150 more spaces in the Toy Story surface lot.