Balloons - Do the parks really need to sell them?

[kdonnel]

The vast majority of what we buy is not needed. Think of the starving, the homeless, etc next time you buy virtually anything. Then go ahead and buy it anyway.

 

[BrianL]

View attachment 417678

Oh, my goodness, what is that from? That sums it up perfectly!

 

[JaxDad]

Oh, my goodness, what is that from? That sums it up perfectly!

The I.T. Crowd

 

[Searc]

When I was a kid I hated balloons. I was afraid of them. I didn't want them to pop, and I knew that they all eventually did. I honestly to this day don't care for them. I don't think Disney should get rid of them though.

I have always hated balloons, but I don't want Disney to get rid of them.

 

[ChrisFL]

I guess what set this off is someone I follow on twitter posted info about the everglades which apparently is getting a lot of balloons, the ones that people let go of and they float that direction, and it's accumulating.

 

[JaxDad]

I guess what set this off is someone I follow on twitter posted info about the everglades which apparently is getting a lot of balloons, the ones that people let go of and they float that direction, and it's accumulating.

Maybe the balloons will kill the pythons...

 

[monsterkitty]

They may be a child's toy, but the are incredibly dangerous for children, not only the environment:

Although a mainstay at children’s birthday parties, balloons account for nearly half of all choking related fatalities. The March of Dimes describes balloons as “one of the most hazardous toys for children.” Latex balloons pop easily and when bits of latex are swallowed inadvertently, they can easily conform to the trachea and completely obstruct a child’s airway. A solution for your child’s next birthday party? Skip the balloons altogether or opt for Mylar over latex.

Here is the source: https://babygooroo.com/articles/10-most-common-choking-hazards

For the record, when I was an EMT we had a call of a choking child. The 3 year old was choking on a balloon. She did not survive.

 

[amberpi]

They may be a child's toy, but the are incredibly dangerous for children, not only the environment:



Here is the source: https://babygooroo.com/articles/10-most-common-choking-hazards

For the record, when I was an EMT we had a call of a choking child. The 3 year old was choking on a balloon. She did not survive.

Thanks for this. Based on this post I was thinking we might pick up some balloons tomorrow night before we pick up the kids and take them to a princess and superhero thing. Now I'm thinking maybe I'll grab them each 1 mylar like they get at Disney.

 

[ronandannette]

I've been reading about the effects of balloons, even "bio-degradable" ones and how it can still take up to 4 years for them to decompose.

I know this is a big part of going to theme parks for kids, but I just wonder if the environmental impact is going to make them less appealing to consumers.

I KNOW there's MANY other places that have balloons and the parks are only a very tiny part of that, but just wondering your thoughts.

Disney will stop selling them when nobody wants to buy them anymore.

I do wish they would quit selling them. It's unfortunate but they do create tremendous environmental problems.

How are we defining tremendous?

 

[littlejimmy]

yes, yes they do.

 

[cinnaminny]

I never let my kids get balloons when they were younger in theme parks. They're a hassle. I've got no time for that.

 

[DeniseJH]

Really?? Now we're talking about children's toys?

We went after plastic draws but said nothing about the plastic cups. Let's see how people do with soft drinks, if they ever are brave enough to demand paper cups. (You can't use styrofoam, because that's even worse!)

One of the reasons why industries switched to plastic is because the ecologists (the Baby Boomer's word for "environmentalists") said that we were cutting down all of the trees. If we don't use plastic and we can't use trees for paper/cardboard, what option do you suggest?

Unless you're talking about the infamous 1986 Balloonfest world record balloon release in Cleveland, why not let the little kiddies keep their balloons? Wouldn't it be better for little Johnny and little Susie if the adults gave up substantial things that are made of plastic?

Hopefully as we "learn better", we do better.

 

[fla4fun]

I LOVE balloons! I buy one on the first day of the trip and enjoy it throughout the trip and am happy if it’s still floating when I take it home. Back when they were about $5 each I would buy a whole bouquet of them. I would never just release one though. When they quit floating I deflate them and keep them like others have kept old shopping bags or printed napkins.

 

[PollyannaMom]

hen they quit floating I deflate them and keep them like others have kept old shopping bags or printed napkins.

That's what we did with the mylar balloons when DS was little, too - let it float in the room until it was time to leave, and then I would poke a tiny hole near the bottom, deflate it, and bring it home. His closet door had a flat bunch of balloons taped on it for years. We just kept adding them from trips and birthdays.

 

[tvguy]

Let's face it, almost nothing about any theme park is environmentally friendly. DL paved over 85 acres of orange groves, and often packs 70,000 people a day into that space. DW paved over 7,100 acres of swampland and displaced all kinds of wildlife. So not selling balloons could certainly be good for the environment, but would be a needle in a haystack when it comes to protecting the environment.

 

[Squirlz]

Disney will stop selling them when nobody wants to buy them anymore.

How are we defining tremendous?

Very large.

 

[starry_solo]

I thought there was a helium shortage?

 

[willowsnn3]

I LOVE balloons! I buy one on the first day of the trip and enjoy it throughout the trip and am happy if it’s still floating when I take it home. Back when they were about $5 each I would buy a whole bouquet of them. I would never just release one though. When they quit floating I deflate them and keep them like others have kept old shopping bags or printed napkins.

I love seeing the big bouquets of balloons in the park!
My daughter will be 50 this year & every year at the end of our first day at Magic Kingdom she buys a balloon. It floats around the resort room til we leave then since we drive, we don't deflate it, just keep it where it won't block the driver's view or mirrors on the way home where it will stay inflated usually around 3 months then she flattens it and still keeps it.

 

[DisLiss]

We never bought balloons anywhere for our kids. If someone handed them out for free, we put up with them, but that's it. I think they're a pain, really. Trying not to lose them, pop them, or have them popping up in your line of vision in the car are just 3 non-environmental related reasons why I'm a big Scrooge about balloons.

 

[DisTXMom]

I’ve never bought one at the parks, but seeing the balloon cart makes me happy