Remember When The World Was Going To End...

[bcrook]

I haven't been yet.

BoG's day of reckoning is coming.

 

[AuroraRora]

I've never seen any kind of drunkenness at Epcot either, either as a kid or later as an adult who realized WDW sold alcohol in a lot more places than I previously thought. WS has always seemed like a very family-orientated place to me.

I've never been during F&W though, but I do think I would expect some level of an adult atmosphere at an event that had "wine" right there in the title and I would plan accordingly with my kids if I thought it was going to bother us.

 

[Micca]

I guess weekend nights at F&W must be a lot different from other times as I've never seen anyone drunk at WDW.

I'm glad to see things are working out with the beer/wine sales at BOG. I thought it would turn out ok.

 

[fla4fun]

I think one reason BOG hasn't had a negative effect is that the people who are going there tend to eat as well as drink, which helps a lot with the absorption of the alcohol in their system.

It's not like at Epcot where people drink and drink and drink, and maybe have a snack sometime during the drinkfest.

I agree that the drinking at Epcot is way out of hand, especially compared to the other parks. I no longer go to the F&W festival because of it, and now they are trying to turn the F&G festival into the same thing. Depending on my experience this year during F&G, I may have to mark that time of year off my schedule as well. The drinking is bad enough when they don't have any extra booths selling booze - but it's really bad when they do. It's also not just a late night thing. By 2pm, it's very apparent by smell alone who's been having a bit too much (especially if they end up next to you in line or in a show). I don't want to see drunks vomit, I don't want to smell it as I'm walking around the park, and I certainly don't want them to vomit on me if they can't make it to the nearest planter. Just nasty!

All things in moderation folks!

 

[>Ash<]

i went to BoG restraunt late october during soft openings, a cast member came over to us and just said rather quiet were open for lunch, come on in and just let us in, it was very quiet think they were testing the place making sure as it officially opened not long after that.

i loved the restraunt, you get the speed of a counter service meal with the attention of a table service meal and its such a magical setting. with the snow falling out the windows and the mountain in the distance you genuinly forget you are in a theme park.

but now.... just to address all these drunken posts around epcot... i gotta ask, why do you go during peak times when you know its a alcohol and food festival??

ive never seen a drunken person ever in epcot, ive seen one or two in DTD eating in the earl of sandwich but never in the parks. disneys policy seems pretty tight on people being drunk anyways,

i had a good drink im not gonna lie, i enjoyed the samuel adams oktoberfest becasue you cant get this back home, i wasnt drunk though! lol i suppose if you saw me coming with my beer in one hand and my epcot food and wine polo shirt having a laugh outloud to myself im more than sure some poeple may think im drunk lol

lets not forget its a vacation and if people are visiting on the weekend with small children they may encounter a few people but lets not forget outside the disney buble we see this same behaviour all the time

at least we do in the UK lol

but im not saying its right or wrong what people are saying i just wanna get my point accross that yes i enjoy the magic disney side of the MK

but equally i also enjoy lookin forward to my food and wine festival its somthing that now im old enough to do (23) i enjoy doing and we do it responsably. me and the wife have good fun their too its nice to have somthing at disney which is for the older crowds, ive also met some
wonderful people during the F&W Fest!

im on vacation, i like enjoying a nice drink around the pool or in a restraunt and somtimes even enjoy a beer at HS on a hot day when were taking a quick break in the HUB

i dont get why so many people seem to think disney is going down hill and walt would spin in his grave lol i think its a little far fetched , never encounted a park drunk and i go yearly and have been yearly since i was a kid, rose tinted glasses maybe?

anyways just my view lol needed to express my views.

 

[huhwhat]

I know alcohol is served in all parks. But I never seem to notice the drunkeness I see in Epcot WS anyplace else. I think there is just something about "drinking around the World" and the adult feeling that part of park seems to bring out.

I agree, I saw plenty of buzzed parents pushing strollers through EPCOT, sad really.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

We've done F&W the last 2 years, will be doing it again this year. We've seen a lot of happy folks, some due to alcohol I'm sure, but none who were belligerent or bad drunks, or people who I'd be uncomfortable to be around. I'm not sure why other people would either... Honestly, in terms of brutal, rude, non-family-friendly behavior, it's always the stone cold sobers who are guilty of acting in a way that I'd be ashamed of.

Anytime I've seen somebody acting like a brat (pushing through crowds, yelling at CMs, or mob mentality behavior), it's been people who were not only old enough, but sober enough, to know the tantrum they're putting on over their expired FP, their long wait for TSM, the ride breakdown on ToT, the impossible-to-get walk-in to BOG, the "must have pin" that's for the AP/Visa/D23 folks only, the lame Vinylmation they got from the mystery box, and on and on and on... Is completely inappropriate and thoroughly ill-suited for a children's park.

I think blaming alcohol is the easy answer to something that isn't really a problem, honestly. I mean, complaining about loud people and spilled drinks and how that's so intimidating that you can't bring your family to EPCOT? REALLY? We're talking about EPCOT, a Disney property, not a dark alley in Amsterdam. Considering the number of popcorn confetti explosions, dropped cups, and loud people I see at MK, I'd say that it's more reasonable to say that it's all the price of being at a major theme park and not the penalty of too much alcohol by a large percentage of folks at the park.

Like I said, having been to F&W, I've seen people who've had too much to drink and are extremely jovial as a result and I've seen the rude, condescending looks, the judgmental attitude, and the high-and-mighty "I can't believe you're drunk at a children's park..." But you know, it's not just for kids, especially EPCOT. And even in all of that, I've never seen anything other then the occasional happy tipsy folks, at night. No throwing up in bushes, no fights, no anything that's disrespectful, horrible, scarring, or inappropriate. Nothing to run out of the park with the family as a result of what's going on.

I think people just go in assuming the worst and are happy at maintaining that assumption so they have something to complain about on the bus and on forums when they get home. I remember a lady making a really rude, loud comment to me at EPCOT on the presumption I was drunk... It had poured rain and my long dress had gotten soaked, so it got super heavy, stretched out, and I was tripping all over it while trying to rush to the exit at closing. I was holding my other half's hand and laughing, trying to manage my dress, and laughing every time I stumbled over it. The lady behind me just yells not at me, but certainly with the intent of me hearing it "Oh my GOD... What is WRONG with a woman who'd go in front of families to get fall down drunk? What is wrong with people these days? PEOPLE need to remember that there are FAMILIES here... What a shame... One person ruins the experience for everybody..." Now, I hadn't had a drop to drink that evening, or that trip for that matter, and didn't drink at all at the time due to a medication/heart condition. But, oh my goodness, you trip all over your dress and laugh about it, suddenly you're a drunken floozy who gets sloshed to the detriment of children. I mean obviously, two adults at Disney with no children? OBVIOUSLY we were going to get hammered... LoL!

Even then, if I had been drunk, which I certainly was not, is seeing somebody who's tipsy and laughing over tripping really the end of the world? Is that traumatizing? Worth fleeing the park over? No. Somebody is enjoying their vacation, just as you are, and they're not hurting anything or anybody. Why is it worth getting in a twist over?

 

[TDC Nala]

I had 2 beers at Be Our Guest in January. And they were good! Try the Chimay Blue.

 

[JimmyV]

It can get very rowdy. We witnessed a LOT of drink spilling, loud groups of 10-15 people in matching drinking shirts with trays of drinks each.

but now.... just to address all these drunken posts around epcot...

I agree, I saw plenty of buzzed parents pushing strollers through EPCOT, sad really.

This wasn't intended to be a "bash Epcot" thread, but instead was intended to inquire as to whether the introduction of beer and wine into the MK has resulted in any perceived "slippage" of that park away from the "family atmosphere" that many sought to protect.

(And don't worry. Three months after the Main Street Bakery re-opens, there will be a follow-up thread inquiring whether the introduction of Starbucks into the MK has ruined anyone's vacation. )

 

[princessallegra]

This wasn't intended to be a "bash Epcot" thread, but instead was intended to inquire as to whether the introduction of beer and wine into the MK has resulted in any perceived "slippage" of that park away from the "family atmosphere" that many sought to protect.

(And don't worry. Three months after the Main Street Bakery re-opens, there will be a follow-up thread inquiring whether the introduction of Starbucks into the MK has ruined anyone's vacation. )

I was replying to a specific poster who asked what would make someone uncomfortable.

 

[Granny square]

Overreaction.

Not only are the drunken masses not stumbling out of BOG on a nightly basis (or ... really ... at all), apparently wine and beer sales haven't even come close to meeting the the predictions that had been made by the F&B folks.

That is interesting!

A percentage of People overreact to everything. And they tend to be the vocal ones. Complainers so often are.

 

[JimmyV]

I was replying to a specific poster who asked what would make someone uncomfortable.

Understood. Just trying to get things back on the rails. No blame.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

As long as people are drinking responsibly, then I can't say that it worries me. I don't drink alcohol at all and don't like the smell, however unless it's really strong, I can easily deal with it. As long as people aren't stumbling around drunk, we don't mind. I would have prefer MK remained "dry" but it's changing with the times. As a society it's generally considering one can't enjoy themselves without alcohol.

 

[t_catt11]

Only once have I seen drunken behavior - and yes, it was at Illuminations during F&W. Several college age guys were obviously feeling no pain; one was loud enough (even once the show began) to embarrass his buddies. For some reason, they had a rental wheelchair, and he kept jumping into and out of it, making a spectacle of himself.

But again, it was F&W, at park closing. I did not enjoy the behavior, but neither did I left it ruin the day.

 

[Granny square]

As long as people are drinking responsibly, then I can't say that it worries me. I don't drink alcohol at all and don't like the smell, however unless it's really strong, I can easily deal with it. As long as people aren't stumbling around drunk, we don't mind. I would have prefer MK remained "dry" but it's changing with the times. As a society it's generally considering one can't enjoy themselves without alcohol.

Really? People can't just have a glass of wine because it tastes good paired with a meal? But they NEED it to enjoy themselves.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

As a society it's generally considering one can't enjoy themselves without alcohol.

I don't think that's true... I just think that it's the basic realization that a French restaurant in an opulent setting that didn't serve wine or beer to compliment their food would be a little silly. Especially considering they have a cheese and meat starter...

I can enjoy myself quite fine with no alcohol. I didn't start drinking very, very occasionally until the last few months (frankly, I had 3 drinks while I was at Disney a couple weeks ago and that represented the most alcohol I've had in, I think, about 5 years) and I can't stand wine, but at BOG it only makes sense to have a tasting wine or beer to compliment the dinner... And our whole table did and the sun still rose over Fantasyland the day after as it did every other day before it.

I think it's a nice change. I wish they served mixed drinks but I can understand why they don't. As much as I prefer mixed drinks over beer and wine, it doesn't fit with the food.

 

[mikerobrewer]

We've done F&W the last 2 years, will be doing it again this year. We've seen a lot of happy folks, some due to alcohol I'm sure, but none who were belligerent or bad drunks, or people who I'd be uncomfortable to be around. I'm not sure why other people would either... Honestly, in terms of brutal, rude, non-family-friendly behavior, it's always the stone cold sobers who are guilty of acting in a way that I'd be ashamed of.

Anytime I've seen somebody acting like a brat (pushing through crowds, yelling at CMs, or mob mentality behavior), it's been people who were not only old enough, but sober enough, to know the tantrum they're putting on over their expired FP, their long wait for TSM, the ride breakdown on ToT, the impossible-to-get walk-in to BOG, the "must have pin" that's for the AP/Visa/D23 folks only, the lame Vinylmation they got from the mystery box, and on and on and on... Is completely inappropriate and thoroughly ill-suited for a children's park.

The absolute worst behavior I have seen on a routine basis has been right before, and during, parades. I have seen some really nasty exchanges over the years.

 

[grimley1968]

This wasn't intended to be a "bash Epcot" thread, but instead was intended to inquire as to whether the introduction of beer and wine into the MK has resulted in any perceived "slippage" of that park away from the "family atmosphere" that many sought to protect.

(And don't worry. Three months after the Main Street Bakery re-opens, there will be a follow-up thread inquiring whether the introduction of Starbucks into the MK has ruined anyone's vacation. )

I understand this, but the original post explicitly invited the comparison to EPCOT. I'll say it again, I think one reason BoG serving alcohol has not changed MK the way F&W changed EPCOT's WS is the limitation to consumption only inside the restaurant, and not being able to walk around with it. Consumption of food along with it, as mentioned by others, also probably contributes to a more restrained environment at BoG. Theming certainly plays a role. As for those who suggest not to bring pre-teen children to WS in EPCOT near closing time, my example of the cigar-smoking stumbling drunk guy occurred at about 3 in the afternoon, which is hardly "better take the kids out of EPCOT so they can avoid public drunkenness" time. My example would have been much less likely to have occurred if he had been inside one of the restaurants, if he had consumed some food, and because the restaurants keep people out of the walkways for a few minutes. Our experience certainly didn't ruin our time, and I actually had a couple drinks myself, but I used that one extreme example to show how MK with BoG serving alcohol will probably be a totally different experience than EPCOT during the F&W Festival.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

The absolute worst behavior I have seen on a routine basis has been right before, and during, parades. I have seen some really nasty exchanges over the years.

Tell me about it.

I was at the oft-mentioned, disaster MNSSHP night of last year, where it rained the whole night and they couldn't make up their mind if they were cancelling or postpoining the first parade, then they cancelled it without announcing it, then delayed HalloWishes by over 2 hours...

Anyway, we'd staked out a spot to watch the fireworks and sat on the soaking wet curb for over an hour before, finally, they said they were starting in 5 minutes (which ended up being 30 minutes... Anyway...). When the lights dimmed, a guy and his wife along with their kids pushed in front of us, when we thought they were just crossing through, stopped, stood there, and proceeded to put one of the kids on their shoulders. We, and everybody in our area, were like what the heck? My other half said something, and the woman said "oh, they can't see otherwise. I'm sure you understand. You'd do the same if you had kids!" and she giggled and went back to the fireworks. He said "We do have kids, but we wouldn't cut in front of people... We've been waiting here in the rain over an hour...." and they ignored us.

I was baffled and made a face and a gesture to a CM that was reminiscent of Beast staring down Belle's bedroom door while she was being defiant, and the CM came and whisked them away. He'd been doing crowd control in the area the whole time and knew just how long we'd been waiting and we weren't bugging him or being hostile about the perpetual delays, so he had no issue moving them along because they were in a "walkway" (wink, wink).

I was pretty sure the couple behind us though, they were going to kill the folks. They were beyond livid and the family... If they'd been oblivious, that'd been one thing, but they knew what they were doing was wrong, and as a parent to 1 child and 2 stepkids, it makes me bonkers to see people use the "oh we have kids, you understand" excuse when they're doing something they know is wrong. It's like dude, it's Disney... Everybody here has kids... That's not an excuse. And even those who don't have their kids with them, it's not like it didn't cost anything to be there.

 

[kbelle8995]

My parents recently returned from WDW. They went to EPCOT, Last time they were was during F&W. I asked her how it was.

"OH much better than it was during the DRUNKEN FESTIVAL." And my mom is one tough lady who can take much with a shrug.