MK no longer "dry"????

[jnscott4]

Its 50 years later people, Walt has long past and things have changed in the world today. Disney has proven over and over again that alcohol can be served in their parks without ruining the family atmosphere. If you don't like beer and wine sales at Be Our Guest, then don't eat there. It will definately make ADRs much easier for the rest of us.

 

[Justin Jett]

Which book? I haven't been able to find anything about Walt Disney's determination to keep alcohol out of the Magic Kingdom in Florida.

I have also been searching for this "common knowledge." I have sent E-Mails, and done Google searches. I have only found references to Disneyland.....nothing about the Florida parks.

I would love to know the title(s) Nikki read to get the information about Florida.

Personally, I am still bothered by the "against Walt's wishes" part of the blog title.....Is that fact or speculation?

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I would love to know the title(s) Nikki read to get the information about Florida.

Personally, I am still bothered by the "against Walt's wishes" part of the blog title.....Is that fact or speculation?

I am pretty sure it was Bob Thomas' book or the large coffee table Imagineering book. I could be wrong in the title though as I have several on Walt and his creation. With that being said, I did also get this information live during a conversation last summer.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I have a feeling I know what I want to ask Dave Smith on PCC 4.0.

 

[dansyr2514]

I guess the addition of alcohol to the MK is leaving me a little disappointed. It may seem silly but the addition of alcohol to the MK , in my mind, lowered my respect for Disney.
By not having alcohol in the parks previously.. it made the statement..that yeah, we could make a ton more money by selling alcohol but we're giving up that money because we're Disney and we don't need to have alcohol and people will still come.
This is just my gut feeling when I heard about it.

In the long run, do I feel it will change anything about MK....NO! I think all will fine in the world, the castle will not turn into and after hours club, and there will not be gangs of dwarves fighting over territory on main street. MK will still be a family park, with people behaving as badly or nicely as they did before.

 

[sceavis]

Didnt Walt also mention the Magic Kingdom being for children "of all ages"?

Yes indeed he did but but he said that many years ago but that does not seem to count anymore!!!!!!

 

[WebmasterMike]

Um,
John Lasseter = Head of Imagineering
John Lasseter = Wine Maker (pusher)

This is not Walt's world. It is really John Lasseter's and the rest of the Disney brass' world. The execs have often had to break the mindset of "WWWD?" and take a dive into "This is what we are doing!"

 

[Justin Jett]

With that being said, I did also get this information live during a conversation last summer.

Uhhhhhhhh..........a live conversation?

I will read those books that you mentioned, and may have followup questions.

 

[disney david]

well walt wishes was also not to have cms with visible disabilities working in front of guest until a couple cms sued. So walt had to adjust his wishes so cms with disabilities can work in more areas. Meaning if walt was alive he might deicide that his wish are out dated and this restaurant fits the theme to have wine. It not like they decide the popcorn stand in story book circus should start selling circus themed mixed drinks. They still have some disney relatives still alive even though they have no say in the company but i wonder what they would say about this issue.

 

[KristaTX]

I've already expressed my thoughts earlier in this thread. I'm not bothered by this decision, and I'm not really even a big drinker myself.

Maybe this has been covered, but why aren't those of you who are upset also upset about Disneyland Paris serving alcohol? It's basically another Magic Kingdom. Or maybe some of you have been consistently making phone calls and writing letters about that over the past couple of decades.

As for people being drunk in the park, I'm now thinking of last week's segment about the monorail resort drinks. Wouldn't it would be just as easy (if not easier) for someone to get drunk by drinking around the monorail resorts and deciding to hop on over to the MK for a few hours? The chances of overindulging by bar-hopping are far greater than by eating a nice meal with a glass or two of wine.

Or has anyone been to the Hoop De Doo? Wow, the wine is free flowing there. I'm not even a big drinker, and I was pretty loopy by the time I left, as were the other DISers I was with. That's a family show. And someone hitting an early show can easily can just take a boat over to the MK after drinking to their heart's desire. Where's the outrage over that?

But maybe it's also a matter of how we view the parks. I don't think that the MK is just a "children's playground". Walt wanted the parks to be enjoyable for children AND adults. Does the fact that the park is also for adults require that it have alcohol? Nope. Does the fact that it is also for children mean that alcohol shouldn't be offered? Nope.

 

[Justin Jett]

well walt wishes was also not to have cms with visible disabilities working in front of guest until a couple cms sued.

Now, there's a horse of a different color.

Is there information about the lawsuit available? I can understand Walt's decision, given the times. I am just interested in learning more.

 

[disney david]

Now, there's a horse of a different color.

Is there information about the lawsuit available? I can understand Walt's decision, given the times. I am just interested in learning more.

i am looking for more info but cant find it right now will keep looking because it hard to find lawduits that far back. Also every time i pitnin walt disney or his full name all i get are more recent lawsuits. I found that out about it by talking to some cms at mnsshp party one year.

 

[Justin Jett]

i am looking for more info i found that out talking to some cms one had a cane and said she would be able to work in the emporium back then because of walts guidelines. And that some cms sued and they changed it and allowed them to work in area with guests. I still can't find any more but will keep looking wish i remember more she said their was four cms that did. we was on line for pins for the hollween show and she was kinda out their almost got into a fight with a guest cutting in line but had to remind herself she works across the street. Their was also a cm who worked at wilderness lodge it was a good night listening to their complaints about disney and one who loves working at wilderness lodge but was upset they might move him to a postion he couldn't interact with guest. But learned a lot of things both of them.

Very interesting......this is the first I have ever heard of this, and I have been through Traditions.

I wonder if Cheshire Figment has any information.

 

[disney david]

Very interesting......this is the first I have ever heard of this, and I have been through Traditions.

I wonder if Cheshire Figment has any information.

I was going off what the cms was saying one of them might have been a little bitter. Well after getting suspended and a letter saying you no longer work for Disney not sure how happy I be but when she said it it made sense. Because he other cms was talking about getting injured and having to haveing a dr from Disney approve a brace that his dr told he needed to wear so he could wear it with his uniform. So we asked more question and she told us this and how other cms was giving a hard time with medical equipment but she could be wrong and I could been wrong. Because not every cm tells the truth but both seemed to say the same thing.

 

[Justin Jett]

I was going off what the cms was saying one of them might have been a little bitter. Well after getting suspended and a letter saying you no longer work for Disney not sure how happy I be but when she said it it made sense. Because he other cms was talking about getting injured and having to haveing a dr from Disney approve a brace that his dr told he needed to wear so he could wear it with his uniform. So we asked more question and she told us this and how other cms was giving a hard time with medical equipment but she could be wrong and I could been wrong. Because not every cm tells the truth but both seemed to say the same thing.

When I worked at Disney in 1997.....they were concerned with the look of the chair, so I can believe that.

 

[disney david]

When I worked at Disney in 1997.....they were concerned with the look of the chair, so I can believe that.

Yeah what they both was saying made sense so when they brought up the law suit I figured it also made sense. Because back when Disneyland opened it was a different time it not like it is now where no company could get away with putting workers in wheelchairs in jobs out of guest sight.

 

[ShesAPirate]

Against my better judgment, I continue to read updates to this thread. Kevin is absolutely right - alcohol is being demonized for some unknown reason. Someone referred to John Lasseter as a pusher because he makes wine... I just have to shake my head.

And the question no one seems to answer, regardless of how many times it is asked -- do you not go to Epcot, DHS, AK, CA, etc., and keep your kids away from those places, because alcohol is sold there? Or are those parks not "for kids" or a "child's fantasy land", so it's okay for people to drink there?
MK is not just for kids. I am an adult, I don't have kids, and MK is my favorite park. Kids do not have a monopoly on enjoying MK.

 

[SueM in MN]

Very interesting......this is the first I have ever heard of this, and I have been through Traditions.

I wonder if Cheshire Figment has any information.

I have not heard of a lawsuit.
It would not surprise me if Disney wanted a certain 'look' which might not include people with certain disabilities.
But, when Disneyland opened,most people with disabilities were pretty 'invisible'. Many with severe disabilities were in communal living situation, even as young children. And, many did not have the money to travel. Since there were no laws saying people with disabilities had to be educated, many were not included in regular school classrooms.

But, I have to say that we have noticed people with visible disabilities working at WDW since our first trip with someone in a wheelchair in 1987, so if someone says people with disABILITIES working there is a recent thing, they re not correct.
There are more (many more) now, but there were some earlier.

 

[Justin Jett]

I have not heard of a lawsuit.
It would not surprise me if Disney wanted a certain 'look' which might not include people with certain disabilities.
But, when Disneyland opened,most people with disabilities were pretty 'invisible'. Many with severe disabilities were in communal living situation, even as young children. And, many did not have the money to travel. Since there were no laws saying people with disabilities had to be educated, many were not included in regular school classrooms.

But, I have to say that we have noticed people with visible disabilities working at WDW since our first trip with someone in a wheelchair in 1987, so if someone says people with disABILITIES working there is a recent thing, they re not correct.
There are more (many more) now, but there were some earlier.

 

[Justin Jett]

As Skip has pointed out, there is no indication that Walt felt this way about Florida, and there's certainly no indication how he would feel close to 50 years after his death.

I have been searching for days, and still have not found evidence to support the "Walt's Wishes" claims. I am not saying that it is not true. I am just skeptical due to lack of evidence to support the claims. With that said.....I just read Pete's post. The fact that Pete says it is true brings more credibility to the "Walt's Wishes" issue in my mind.

To me.....seeing is believing.

Actually, this is something that has been documented.

The documentation is very hard to find. You even admitted that you cannot cite an exact source. You did say you heard it in a conversation. Without supporting documentation, a conversation could be fact, myth, or urban legend.

You mentioned in an earlier post that this is "common knowledge among Disney fans." Something common should not be this hard to find.

I guess I'm confused by all of the "this is what Walt wanted" sentiment when nothing is said when other things that seem to go against "what Walt wanted" happen.

While I totally understand people not wanting alcohol to be served in a theme park, I am also confused by people getting upset speculation about "Walt's Wishes" for the Florida property.

People have mentioned that this information is referenced during the Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic trips. The fact that you have been on some of the Backstage Magic trips, and you are confused by the "Walt's Wishes" issue makes me wonder.

I have heard from 2 people that I trust that Walt did not want alcohol in Florida's Magic Kingdom. Others have questioned it. Without documentation to support one side or the other, I cannot say either way.

Nikki said that Walt did not want alcohol sold in Florida's Magic Kingdom in 2012. If there is documentation to support that.....then absolutely, alcohol should not be sold in the Magic Kingdom! However, without documentation, I personally am lead to believe that this is speculation, based on Disneyland.

Still, the question remains...should a visionary's opinion on an issue like this be upheld? In my opinion, most definitely.

Steve Jobs did not want to change the screen size on the iPhone.