Alcohol at Be Our Guest

[QueenElinor]

I'm glad they will be offering beer and wine with dinner- if they're going for a French atmosphere it would be very odd without it- considering the French even dispense it like soda pop in their cafeterias, and you can pump it like gas at the supermarket.

I can, however, understand why Walt would have wanted the MK to be dry back in the day. Alcohol consumption (especially hard liquor) is less than it was in the 60's & 70's when Mad Men style drinking was acceptable all day long, drinking ages were low (can you imagine a bunch of 18 year olds running around drunk on Splash Mountain? I can). And drinking and driving was sort of passed off with a nod & a wink until MADD was founded in the '80's.

He may not have a problem with it now given the current backdrop of tough laws and social restraint. As this thread illustrates, we're much less accepting of drinking around children, in general, and that's a good thing.

 

[Jessij25]

This is good news!!!:

 

[goofyintoronto]

VERY good news indeed!

 

[JimS4210]

Just snagged a reservation at BOG for Monday Feb. 4th at 7:20 for the wife and me. Stop by my table, the first rounds on me...

Jim

 

[DVCPAT]

You don't see the inconsistency here? Or are you always miserable when you visit Epcot? If you are able to have good, clean, wholesome family fun at Epcot whilst dining at the single most beer-centric venue in all of the parks, doesn't this tell you something?

I have a strange loyalty to supporting causes/people that I respect. I also believe in things that work well….MK has lead theme park attendance for decades. I don’t see anything wrong with putting a little distance between Dumbo and serving alcohol. It just seems a little self centered and/or laziness if it’s too much to leave fantasy land for a drink.

 

[DVCPAT]

How do you know Walt's concept would be the same today?

MK is the most successful theme park in the world. You really can’t argue with success, can you?

 

[crashbb]

MK is the most successful theme park in the world. You really can’t argue with success, can you?

Except that MK today (even before the introduction of alcohol) is not identical to the MK that Walt envisioned. Therefore, you statement does nothing to answer the question:

Originally Posted by declansdad
How do you know Walt's concept would be the same today?

 

[JimmyV]

MK is the most successful theme park in the world. You really can’t argue with success, can you?

This statement, as applied to alcohol sales, has no more statistical validity than saying that the MK is the most successful theme park in the world because it was/is home to:

Flight to the Moon, followed by
Mission to Mars, followed by
Alien Encounter, followed by
Stitch

How do we know that this is not the secret to its success? And how do we know that the MK wouldn't have been 10% more successful if it had allowed beer and wine with dinner at King Stefan's Banquet Hall followed by CRT for all these years?

 

[buffettgirl]

MK is the most successful theme park in the world. You really can’t argue with success, can you?

to say that MK's success is directly tied to Walt Disney is a bit strange, since the MK has operated far far far longer without Disney than with. Whatever success the MK has is attributed to all the folks who worked and ran the company after him.

 

[look1angel]

Where is the like button Cheers & be responsible please

 

[smcabee]

Its a different world today then it was when Walt was alive. No one here can say if he would be for or against Alcohol in MK at this point in time. All we can go by is what he stated when he was alive. But as I know that I have personally experienced and Im sure others have experienced, opinions on things change as we age. Walt may or may not today be pro Alcohol in the parks. Who knows if Epcot, DHS, or AK would still be around today if Alcohol was not served in those parks or maybe the admission price would be double today what it currently is if it wasnt sold. Hindsight is 20/20 and while everyone is entitled to their opinion on this subject the fact remains that Alcohol will indeed be served in the new restaurant and it may or may not be served in other locations at the MK in the future. The only recourse we as consumers have is to vote with our dollars. If you feel so strongly against it dont go and let them know why you are not going. If you want it more spend more and let them know why you are spending more.

 

[KellyNY]

MK is the most successful theme park in the world. You really can’t argue with success, can you?

Yes, MK is iconic park, the one in every commercial, with castle right before every Disney movie, yet Epcot is right behind it, with all the alcohol served.

 

[declansdad]

MK is the most successful theme park in the world. You really can’t argue with success, can you?

A theme park that has continually changed and updated itself. You didn't answer my question.

 

[DVCPAT]

to say that MK's success is directly tied to Walt Disney is a bit strange, since the MK has operated far far far longer without Disney than with. Whatever success the MK has is attributed to all the folks who worked and ran the company after him.

Do you visit Disney world just for the restaurants?

 

[DVCPAT]

A theme park that has continually changed and updated itself. You didn't answer my question.

When Walt said evolving, he may have been referring to innovation, technology and creativity. Although, wine making and breweries have also improved.

 

[declansdad]

When Walt said evolving, he may have been referring to innovation, technology and creativity. Although, wine making and breweries have also improved.

So are you saying Walt could have changed his concept over the years?

 

[LilyWDW]

When Walt said evolving, he may have been referring to innovation, technology and creativity. Although, wine making and breweries have also improved.

Business Strategy also has to evolve or your company will fail. Just because a strategy looks good in in 1966 (when Walt Disney died), doesn't mean it looks good in 2012. You have to grow and evolve with your consumer base. Any successful company knows that. So you have no idea what Walt Disney would have wanted in the Magic Kingdom in 2012. There is no way for any of us to know that.

 

[declansdad]

Business Strategy also has to evolve or your company will fail. Just because a strategy looks good in in 1966 (when Walt Disney died), doesn't mean it looks good in 2012. You have to grow and evolve with your consumer base. Any successful company knows that. So you have no idea what Walt Disney would have wanted in the Magic Kingdom in 2012. There is no way for any of us to know that.

That keeps being said but apparently the only people listening are the people that say it. I guess the rest are simply ignoring it.

 

[buffettgirl]

Do you visit Disney world just for the restaurants?

I'm not sure what you're going for, but no, I don't visit for the restaurants, because by and large, I find the food sub par. Especially at the MK.

But that doesn't have anything to do with the conversation at hand. You stated that you can't argue with success. I agree, MK is successful. But I don't think success at the MK has anything to do with the fact that there has never been alcohol sales there. I am stating that success at the MK has little to do with Walt Disney, the man, who's "vision" people keep parading out. And that success at the MK is one that is based on change. If everything in the MK had stayed exactly as it was the park would have flopped years ago.

 

[Dwheels]

Beer makes everything better.

Yea it does!