Okay, so remember when Disney got rid of plastic straws and everyone complained about the soggy paper ones that fell apart in your drink?
Well, PLOT TWIST: Florida lawmakers are now trying to BAN paper straws because apparently they contain harmful chemicals and might actually be WORSE for you than plastic. I know, I know, this is wild. Disney World went through this whole big transition away from plastic straws starting in 2018, eliminated over 200 MILLION plastic straws and stirrers, and eventually just stopped giving out straws at most locations unless you specifically asked for them.
The company made it this huge environmental thing about achieving zero waste by 2030 and being sustainability leaders in the theme park industry. And now Florida is basically saying “yeah, those paper straws you switched to? They’re full of chemicals called PFAS that are linked to health problems, so actually you can’t use those anymore.” This is absolutely BONKERS when you think about how much effort Disney put into eliminating plastic straws in the first place.
Like, they changed their entire operation, dealt with guest complaints, invested in new products, communicated about their environmental goals, and NOW they might have to change everything AGAIN because the “better” alternative turns out to be potentially dangerous.
The proposed legislation filed in December 2025 would take effect January 1, 2027, which gives Disney about a year to figure out what they’re going to do. And spoiler alert: they have options, but none of them are as simple as just going back to plastic straws because that’s clearly not happening. So let me break down what’s actually going on here because this affects everyone who visits Disney World and honestly raises some bigger questions about whether anyone actually knows what’s safe anymore.
Florida Is Really Trying to Ban Paper Straws
Senate Bill 958 was filed on December 18, 2025, and then House Bill 2195 (which is basically the same thing) was filed on December 26. These bills are specifically targeting paper straws based on scientific research that found harmful chemicals in them.
Here’s what House Bill 2195 actually says: “Many businesses and communities in this state are using paper drinking straws and stirrers as a purportedly better option for public health and the environment. However, independent university studies have shown that most paper straws contain harmful PFAS chemicals, exposure to which is linked to concerning health risks.”
So basically, Florida lawmakers are saying that any regulations about straws need to be based on “government policy driven by science” instead of just assuming paper is automatically better than plastic.
If this passes, it goes into effect January 1, 2027, and any straw alternatives would have to be “renewable, home- and industrial-compostable certified and marine biodegradable.” Which is a very specific set of requirements that rules out paper straws.
The Research That Started All This
The reason Florida is even considering this ban comes from research done at University of Antwerp in Belgium. Scientists there tested a bunch of different straw types and found PFAS chemicals in 90% of paper straw brands. NINETY PERCENT.
They tested 39 different straw variants total and found PFAS in 27 of them. These chemicals are used as water-repellent coating, which makes sense because paper straws NEED that coating or they’d fall apart immediately when they touch liquid. But PFAS chemicals have been linked to various health problems, which is obviously not great.
And here’s the kicker: paper straws had the HIGHEST rate of PFAS detection compared to other alternative materials. So the thing everyone switched to as the “safe” option? It’s potentially the WORST option from a chemical exposure standpoint.
The whole situation is honestly kind of infuriating because millions of businesses switched to paper straws thinking they were doing the right thing, and now it turns out those straws might be introducing harmful chemicals into people’s drinks. Great.
Disney’s Whole Straw Journey Has Been CHAOTIC
Let’s recap Disney’s straw saga because it’s been A LOT. In 2018, Disney launched its Environmental Goals Program and committed to getting rid of single-use plastic straws, plastic stirrers, and those foam cups. They were all proud about eliminating over 200 million plastic straws and stirrers.
Then by 2023, Disney was like “you know what, we’re not even giving out straws automatically anymore” at quick-service restaurants and snack stands. You had to specifically ASK for a paper straw if you wanted one. This was part of their big goal to achieve zero landfill waste by 2030.
A lot of guests were NOT happy about this, by the way. People complained constantly about the soggy paper straws that would literally disintegrate while you were trying to drink your beverage. But Disney stuck with it because they were committed to the environmental messaging.
And NOW, if this Florida law passes, Disney would either have to keep doing the “no automatic straws” thing OR find a completely different type of straw that meets the new requirements. Which brings us to…
Sugarcane Straws Might Be The Answer
Here’s some good news: Disney already uses biodegradable sugarcane straws at Joffrey’s Coffee locations and a few other spots around the property. And these straws are actually GOOD. They don’t taste weird, they don’t smell funny, and most importantly, they don’t fall apart in your drink like paper straws do.
Sugarcane straws are made from, well, sugarcane, which makes them renewable and biodegradable. They’d probably meet all the requirements in the proposed Florida law, which means Disney could potentially just expand what they’re already doing at Joffrey’s to the entire property.
The catch? Sugarcane straws cost more than paper ones. So Disney would have to decide if they’re willing to pay extra for better straws, or if they’d rather just continue with the current policy of barely giving out straws at all.
Honestly, if I had to guess, Disney’s probably going to go with option two and just keep making straws request-only. That way they avoid the cost increase AND they get to keep their environmental credentials by not distributing tons of straws. Win-win for Disney, even if guests would prefer having straws readily available.
This Affects ALL Florida Theme Parks
It’s not just Disney dealing with this, by the way. Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, basically every major theme park in Florida that switched to paper straws is going to have to figure out what to do if this law passes.
Can you imagine being a theme park operations manager right now? You spent years transitioning away from plastic, dealt with all the guest complaints about paper straws, finally got everyone used to the new system, and NOW you have to change everything again because the paper straws are potentially dangerous. I’d be STRESSED.
The whole situation really highlights how these environmental initiatives sometimes move faster than the actual science. Everyone rushed to adopt paper straws because they seemed like an obvious solution to plastic pollution, but nobody really stopped to think about what chemicals might be in those paper straws or whether they were actually better for people’s health.
Timeline: What Happens Next
If the bills pass (and that’s still an “if” because they haven’t been voted on yet), the law would go into effect on January 1, 2027. That gives theme parks about a year from now to figure out their straw situation.
For Disney, that means they need to decide: expand the sugarcane straws they already use at Joffrey’s, find some other compliant alternative, or just keep doing what they’re already doing and barely give out straws at all.
My bet is on option three. Disney’s already committed to the minimal-straw approach, and this law would give them a perfect excuse to double down on that policy. “Sorry, we can’t give you a straw because Florida won’t let us use paper ones and we’re committed to not using plastic” is a pretty solid reason that most guests would probably accept.
But we’ll have to wait and see what actually happens when the legislature votes on these bills. If they don’t pass, everything stays the same and Disney keeps using paper straws on request. If they DO pass, things are about to get interesting.
Everyone’s Confused About What’s Actually Safe
The bigger story here is that this whole situation makes you wonder if anyone actually knows what’s safe anymore. Plastic straws were bad, so everyone switched to paper. Now paper straws are apparently bad too, so everyone needs to switch to… something else? Sugarcane? Bamboo? Metal straws you carry around yourself?
It’s exhausting trying to keep up with what we’re supposed to be using and what we’re supposed to be avoiding. And it’s especially frustrating when you’re at Disney World on vacation and you just want a normal drinking experience without having to think about whether your straw contains harmful chemicals.
The fact that Disney went through this massive operational change to eliminate plastic straws, only to potentially have to change everything AGAIN just a few years later, really shows how complicated these environmental issues are. There’s no perfect solution, and what seems like progress today might turn out to be a problem tomorrow when new research comes out.
My Honest Take on This Whole Mess
Here’s what I think is going to happen: Disney’s going to read this proposed law, breathe a sigh of relief that they already barely give out straws anyway, and just continue with their current “you have to ask for a straw” policy while maybe expanding those sugarcane straws from Joffrey’s to other locations for people who do request them. They’re not going back to automatic straw distribution, that’s for sure.
And honestly? I’m fine with that. The sugarcane straws at Joffrey’s are actually decent and don’t have the gross soggy breakdown problem that paper straws have. If those become the standard option when you ask for a straw, that’s a better situation than dealing with paper straws that fall apart.
But I feel bad for everyone who’s been dealing with terrible paper straws thinking they were making a healthier choice, only to find out those straws might contain chemicals linked to health problems. That’s just frustrating on every level.
What do you think about all this? Are you team “bring back plastic straws,” team “sugarcane straws for everyone,” or team “just don’t use straws at all”? Drop a comment and let me know because I’m genuinely curious where people land on this increasingly complicated issue. And if you’re planning a Disney trip in 2027, maybe pack your own reusable straw just to avoid the whole situation entirely.
I’ll think as much as Disney charges for tickets now they could afford to give out straws that are not harmful to anyone are either. Let you bring in your own yeti, cups or Stanley cups. And just tell you, you know, they have like a something you stick it in it. Steams it or washes it, and then you can use it all day long for whatever drink you buy.