What happened to "Alcohol will never be served in the Magic Kingdom."

[Yookeroo]

Originally Posted by Disney1fan2002

I have heard that for years. Something about how that is how Walt wanted it, so I assumed, it was written in his will or whatever he had to ensure his legacy.

What kind of precedent is being set now?

A great one.

Originally Posted by southern_belle21

Yes, it was a nice feeling of innocence having the policy remain at MK. I think it just plain makes me angry. But ya know, no one cares anymore. As long as they get what they want, who cares about innocence, or uniqueness. Who cares about anyone who gets upset? I mean, people are getting to have their cake and eat it too. I've read that Walt didn't want the feel or atmosphere of a "questionable nature":

"What this country really needs is an amusement park that families can take their children to. They've gotten so honky tonk with a lot of questionable characters running around, and they're not to safe. They're not well kept. I want to have a place that's as clean as anything could ever be, and all the people in it [his park] are first-class citizens, and treated like guests."

So Walt's reasoning clearly no longer applies. But the company should still blindly follow his 40 year old wishes despite this? The only thing wrong with this decision is that they took so long to make it.

[Magpie]

Originally Posted by KellyNY

Was he with a glass of wine and smoking?

Nah, it was a scotch and a cigar!

Originally Posted by southern_belle21

Yes, it was a nice feeling of innocence having the policy remain at MK. I think it just plain makes me angry. But ya know, no one cares anymore. As long as they get what they want, who cares about innocence, or uniqueness. Who cares about anyone who gets upset? I mean, people are getting to have their cake and eat it too. I've read that Walt didn't want the feel or atmosphere of a "questionable nature":

"What this country really needs is an amusement park that families can take their children to. They've gotten so honky tonk with a lot of questionable characters running around, and they're not to safe. They're not well kept. I want to have a place that's as clean as anything could ever be, and all the people in it [his park] are first-class citizens, and treated like guests."

I understand that having a little bit or beer or wine with dinner will not hurt anything. It won't make a difference to most people. Having an adult drink with dinner will not make most people even "tipsy". Big deal, right? Who cares? It's just a little bit of something to "add to" the nice meal. Isn't it? Why should anyone be so upset about just some beer and wine? There are some people who can only handle just a small amount before they're nature begins to become "questionable" lol (myself included lol). So I choose not to drink. If this does go over well at BoG, why wouldn't they offer it at CRT, or Tony's? Then, it's not the same MK as Walt intended.

I really don't get the link between "innocence" and a dry park. Are Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios not places families can take their children to? Is there no "innocence" in these parks?

In any case, you're right - A little bit of beer and wine with dinner will not hurt anything. It won't make a difference to most people. Having an adult drink with dinner will not make most people even "tipsy".

So, yes, it's no big deal. Though a lot of people clearly DO care what other people choose to do, now that Disney's given them the option of wine with their dinner at BOG (an option that already existed in the Contemporary resort, just ten minutes walk from the park).

It is indeed a little bit of something to add to a nice meal, and very much in line with Disney's long standing philosophy of Imagineering - trying to make the experience as authentic as possible for guests.

I really don't understand why anyone should be so upset about just some beer and wine, unless it's coming out of either religious conviction or deep-seated personal issues/traumatic experiences around alcohol. In which case, those people have my sympathy.

Some people can indeed only handle a small amount, and kudos to you for knowing that and choosing not to drink. Me, I don't like the way alcohol makes me feel, so I choose not to drink. I recognize, however, that I'm different and I don't expect the rest of the world to abstain because of me.

If this does go over well at BOG, they may indeed offer wine at other sit-down restaurants, bringing the Magic Kingdom in line with every other park Disney owns except Disneyland itself. Even Disney California Adventure offers alcohol.

Is this the park Walt Disney intended it to be? Oh my, that ship sailed LONG ago. Maybe when they started allowing hippies to enter the parks in the seventies. Certainly when they embraced Gay Days. Growth and change are good things. If Disney had stayed stagnant, they'd be long gone by now.

I believe Disney is acting true to the Imagineering ideal of providing an authentic-ish family French dining experience in a theme park.

Originally Posted by andyman8

I'm not trying to "stir things up" or anything of the sorts, but from a history buff's perspective, I must say that the reaction and argument over this topic (not just this thread) sounds vaguely similar to that over prohibition. Just an interesting observation.

It's uniquely American!

Originally Posted by Atrain13

But but but Walt didnt want it. We should all hate Jews, black, and smoke all around our kids(if we have them) because that's what Walt would want.

And before someone says I'm being extreme, that's just as extreme not drinking in the park because Walt didnt want it. You cant have it both ways.

Next time I visit I expect to see WWWW wristbands everywhere (what would Walt want?).

[Atrain13]

All of the thugs and hoodlems and evil people will come out of the woodwork now because they sell beer at sit down restaurants and the integrity of DisneyWorld is gone forever now.

[Glenn]

Want to say that I feel MG should stay dry. Yes, I do have wine with dinner at times. Right now this is 1 restaurant but it will be expanded to most sit downs in a year or 2. Wine does match a French restaurant. To be historically correct Liberty tavern should be able to offer beer, hard cider, apple jack and whiskey, all appropriate for the later 1700s.

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Want to say that I feel MG should stay dry. Yes, I do have wine with dinner at times. Right now this is 1 restaurant but it will be expanded to most sit downs in a year or 2. Wine does match a French restaurant. To be historically correct Liberty tavern should be able to offer beer, hard cider, apple jack and whiskey, all appropriate for the later 1700s.

And I would be ok with that. Just as I would be ok with a fine wine at Tony's. Or beer at Casey's.

The other parks, you know the ones that currently sell alcohol, are not over-run with drunks. You don't see people falling all over themselves, peeing in the bushes. Well some sober people apparently do that. The vast majority of people know how to handle their drinking.

[Granny square]

And real mint julips in Disneyland! Why some people are obsessed by what others do is beyond me.

[Tonka's Skipper]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

Then how do you explain the fact that you could buy alcohol at Disneyland? What makes it ok for one MK and not the other?

As another poster pointed out, Walt was ok with smoking everywhere in the parks. Should Disney have not moved forward and made smoking areas? Should we freeze time and keep the parks exactly the same as they were when they were built? Progress is not necessarily bad.

The club you are refering to at DL is a private club and not part of the park.

A better example would be Euro Disney, alcohol has been served there for years.


Just for the record.........Walt would not be happy over this and yes I feel I have studed the man and his life enough to be very comfortable is saying that.

This is nothing more then a money grab by the suits and bean counters. In a way they are killing the goose.

The mk has lost a good bit of its magic and pixie dust, a part of it that set it above and made it specail.

AKK

[KellyNY]

Wait a second, isn't one of the most popular scenes in Philharmagic show... wait for it... popping champagne bottles, with a smell no less...
So since alcohol is so evil and destroys innocence, Disney makes our kids smell it, and it smells good. So Disney destroys this innocence every 15 min at MK. Am I right or not?

[KellyNY]

Originally Posted by Tonka's Skipper

The club you are refering to at DL is a private club and not part of the park.

A better example would be Euro Disney, alcohol has been served there for years.


Just for the record.........Walt would not be happy over this and yes I feel I have studed the man and his life enough to be very comfortable is saying that.

This is nothing more then a money grab by the suits ans bean counters. In a way they are killing the goose.

The mk has lost a good bit of its magic and pixie dust, a part of it that set it aver and made it specail.

AKK

Just for the record, you do not speak on Disney behalf, no matter how much you studied, it is only your opinion, not his.

[phorsenuf]

Walt also didn't want cotton candy sold in the Magic Kingdom. Where's the outrage over that?

[Granny square]

Lol so alcohol is only for the wealthy? Give it to the peasants and the magic goes down the toilet?!

[southern_belle21]

Originally Posted by Granny square

So essentially, southern belle you are saying that the only thing that stops you from being stupid drunk at the mk is the forced abstinence?

I have yet to meet anyone at ak or MGM that even smells of a drink. Epcot does have its drink around the world people. Not a situation that one can't walk away from.

The concept that alcohol is evil is silly. Or unmagical. or that it takes away innocence?

Not sure how it's okay to throw out a personal attack on me, when I was just having my say. Man, over the past few months I sure have heard people say mean things the Dis. I'll say this: I do not drink, nor have the desire to. I've been almost drunk once in my life, and it didn't take much, but I do not appreciate my friends making me feel uncomfortable, and pressuring me into doing something I don't like. I was only voicing MY PERSONAL opinion. Thought that was allowed? You have your say on this matter, and your saying what you want, and I have had my say. I don't know you, and you certainly don't know me. Please do not make assumptions about me, since you have no idea what I am like. I've been tipsy once, and no, it did not take much. I was at my sister's home. Haven't gotten that way again, because I didn't like the way it felt. All my friends got a good laugh though. I don't like the way alcohol tastes. Do I force myself to abstain? Nope. I don't personally like it. I DO have friends and family who go to EPCOT specifically to drink around the World. I usually just go do my own thing. I'm fine with it, and I get to do what I want. Would I like to be hanging out with my friends? Yup. Does it bother me to be around them when they're "having a drink or two?" Yup.

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by Tonka's Skipper

Just for the record.........Walt would not be happy over this and yes I feel I have studed the man and his life enough to be very comfortable is saying that.


AKK

I'm sorry, but NO ONE can say how a man would think after he has been dead for 46 years. He probably wouldn't have many of the same viewpoints as he did back then. Don't kid yourself.

The fact is that there was alcohol in Disneyland, but you had to be rich enough to be allowed to enjoy it. Walt didn't think alcohol was bad it itself.

[southern_belle21]

To change the debate: Has anyone heard how much the drinks will cost? This may be an old question, but I hear they are $8-$9? Is that normal for a TS? Sounds on the high side to me.

[Granny square]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

I'm sorry, but NO ONE can say how a man would think after he has been dead for 46 years. He probably wouldn't have many of the same viewpoints as he did back then. Don't kid yourself.

The fact is that there was alcohol in Disneyland, but you had to be rich enough to be allowed to enjoy it. Walt didn't think alcohol was bad it itself.

You mean he might not still be a bigot? He might understand the concerns with smoking, and he might realize it is pretty ridiculous to have 1 out of 4 Florida parks be dry?