WDW MK to Offer More Alcohol Options...

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/12/breaking-magic-kingdom-restaurants-be...next-week/

I know the "alcohol in a theme park" debate is always a passionate one for some folks. But in this case, I think this is a good thing. And in fact, I wouldn't have a problem at all if one day, you could walk around the MK with a beer in your hand.

Put Epcot aside for a second, because I would say that park is a different animal as alcohol is a big part of Epcot's culture and appeal. But take a look at Animal Kingdom for example. You can get drinks all over the place and I can't tell you one time that I have seen a "drunk" person acting out of the ordinary. And there are kids all over the place as well.

I really can't see the MK becoming a drunken mess. Let Mom and Dad have a beer or two and add some needed revenue growth. It's about time.

Ah, fond memories of our first trip to Disney three years ago (I had literally not been to a Disney park since 1991), and strolling into Gaston's searching for a cool beer on the menu.

I figured if there was any place to find a beer it was Gaston's, since...well...have you watched Beauty and the Beast?

Or maybe that was O'Douls they were drinking.

I'm sort of indifferent about it, as it wasn't a "big deal", just a bit surprising (and at the moment disappointing since that's what the pallet was demanding) that it was not there.

Hanging n' Banging said:

You can get drinks all over the place and I can't tell you one time that I have seen a "drunk" person acting out of the ordinary.

I think that's generally a by-product of the expense and the fact that a theme is not where someone would go to party and tie one on. That being said, it was great to be able to have a beer while I was walking around Disney Springs a few weeks ago.

Now it's time for the obligatory post with concern about "the children" and another about Iger figuratively taking a leak on Walt's grave by having the nerve to engage in a "money grab".

Followed by a post complaining about the price of six beers, when Disney should accommodate a family of six with four beers instead.

Then how immoral beer fast passes are.

Then some random new guy shows up to as if his brother is too fat for the beer, then another random poster comes in a year later and asks if his brother is too fat for beer at Disneyland.

Or maverick.

Some of the on-line comments about this really cracks me up; and some critics take this topic to the extreme crying doom and gloom about how the MK will be overrun with drunken sailors raising hell up and down Main Street USA.

Really?

Take Epcot during Food & Wine for example. Many of the comments on-line talk about how Epcot is one giant frat party during F&W, and I’m sorry, I just don’t see it when I look at it constructively. I’ve been to F&W dozens of times and to say that the park is overrun with drunks isn’t even remotely close to being factually correct. Yes, out of the tens of thousands of people at any given time at F&W, there are a small percentage of people who are visibly drunk and act like knuckleheads. But it’s really a small percentage if you look at it objectively. I can recall only two times over the years where I came across a group (both bachelorette parties) where I cringed at their obnoxious behavior. The reality is that it’s a small (yet obvious) percentage of people who are obnoxiously drunk at F&W. The overwhelming percentage of F&W guests act like civilized human beings, regardless if they have been drinking or not.

So, my point is that it is an easy target to take the argument to the extreme and predict how the MK will be over-run by drunks. But the reality is while yes, there may be a drunk person from time to time stumbling down Main Street USA, it will be way more the exception than the rule.

I've been to Epcot twice during F&W and, while it has the look of a big happy hour for locals in the evening, the place was also crawling with families with kids. You would have to be pretty hammered to not be able to blend in and the same will be true at MK.

Well, the EPCOT "drinking around the world" game just got WAY easier...just go to MK and sneak an adult beverage on to the Smaller version...

"it's a drunk world after all..."

OhioStater said:

since that's what the pallet was demanding

]

Great idea! Limiting availability to sit down restaurants has built-in ability to monitor consumption; lots easier to send a manager to table 7 then to call security on the guy that just stumbled past the Dole Whip stand, 'cause he'll keep going.

bigboy said:
I think that's generally a by-product of the expense and the fact that a theme is not where someone would go to party and tie one on.

I dunno, man, only if you're doing Epcot wrong. :) One of my favorite visits ever, I was staying at Beach Club, had an epic day, did drink-around-the-world. Also stayed on property and did the Illuminations Dessert Party once.

I love Epcot in and of itself (Mission: Space, Soarin', department store in Japan pavilion), but drinking my way around the world is a whole lot of fun. We always start in England so that we can end up in France with a bottle of wine to enjoy during IllumiNations.

That sounds interesting, how many drinks does it take to drink around the world?

We go with one drink (and one food item) per country. It's not a cheap outing :-) but once a year -- it's worth it. Good food, good drinks, good friends and Illuminations to top off the evening = a very good time

Best time ever.
We started in Canada for dinner and martinis. By the time we got around to Mexico I was all like ¡ole'!
I think we traded watching IllumiNations for the hundredth time for quality time in La Cava del Tequila.
And thank god we were on the monorail so stumbling home was quick and easy. (was it?....)

Pete: 11 countries. The informal rule is one drink per country. Honestly, it's not a challenge if you start early, because even with 11 to 9 hours for World Showcase, you can generally space out the drinks so you're not getting wasted.

RCMAC said:
We started in Canada for dinner and martinis. By the time we got around to Mexico I was all like ¡ole'!

You were all ole' gettng from Canada to Mexico? Please tell me you weren't going clockwise and Mexico wasn't the second country you hit :-)

Yes, we spend hours dawdling around the world, poking around the shops (I'm good for at least an hour in the department store in Japan), watching people, occasionaly making fun of the people we're watching, etc.

Every Person Comes Out Trashed.

We like to call it Schlepcot, because it takes a long, long time to get around the park :-)