Another money grab...

[captain america 2003]

Didn't say or imply that it "would" be a problem...just that it "could"...IF they continue what they have been doing . Well aware of the dining plan changes . Of course everyone has a choice and hopefully my concerns will not become realities, because on this issue I don't want to be right ...however , I am still concerned .

 

[captain america 2003]

You are thinking that there are more and more venues with alcohol. What you do not see is that the parks are expanding exponentially. Avatar Land, Toy Story Land, etc. The parks are growing, the guest numbers are growing, and as such, more venues for food and drinks are needed (not a "money grab" but for convenience and nothing else).

How is it that a parent of a young child does not "deserve" to have an adult beverage while walking around a theme park on vacation, or is doing something not "family friendly" or wrong? Heck, often I needed that beer!

You make some valid points...though I never said or implied that " the parent of a young child does not "deserve" to have an adult beverage while walking around a theme park on vacation , or is doing something not "family friendly" or wrong ."

 

[maxiesmom]

Think of it this way...impulse items near the registers everywhere we shop...every supermarket , drug store , gas station , etc. ...years ago all of these retailers discovered that the easier accessible these items were the more they would sell . It used to be just candy , gym , mints , and magazines ...now add soda/drinks , chips , nuts , cookies , protein bars , phone chargers , etc. ...More access , easier access , more sales . Same principal Disney seems to maybe be using here ...in my opinion .

If you were merely expressing your opinion you wouldn't keep coming back to basically say you are right and everyone else is wrong. You keep trying to prove your opinion is the right one. You can't, as it is just your opinion. I think it is time to realize we all get that it is your opinion, and to stop trying to beat people over the head with it.

With that, I am moving on.

 

[Beer Me]

So far it hasn't been a problem. If drinking starts to ruin the experience for too many people I'm sure Disney will reign it in. I drink a lot but also appreciate the family appeal, cleanliness, safety and overall good wholesome vibes of Disney parks.

Maybe I put too much faith in them but it's really hard to believe they would allow things to get out of hand.

 

[happymommy]

You make some valid points...though I never said or implied that " the parent of a young child does not "deserve" to have an adult beverage while walking around a theme park on vacation , or is doing something not "family friendly" or wrong ."

I, and many others, then, do not get your point. You think there will be a problem. There won't. The amount of new venues coincides with the increase of guests and attractions. There is no concern.

 

[Haygar2]

Personally, I think that Disney should add a restaurant or two that is adult only (other than Victoria and Albert). I am all for Disney being a family place. We've done it several times with our children. Although they are a bit older now, the youngest was 9 when we started going. We have done Disney as a mom and dad trip. I know we aren't the only ones. I think it would be nice to have a place, or two, where adults could go and be surrounded by adults only for dinner. Just a little off topic but throwing my 2 cents in.

 

[cruiser21]

Well aware of that but I don't believe they should be there . Should be limited to TS restaurants at AK & MK ...just my opinion .

It's obviously not Disney's opinion. Why do you care no one is forcing you to drink.

 

[cruiser21]

I, and many others, then, do not get your point. You think there will be a problem. There won't. The amount of new venues coincides with the increase of guests and attractions. There is no concern.

Also the drinks are very expensive. I can't see it being an issue. If they start selling 2.00 dollars shots and 3 dollar beers you may see drunks all over the place, but that will never happen. Most people are sick of money being sucked out of their wallets by the second day and aren't going to spend 50 bucks drinking in the park. People don't go to the parks to buy 15.00 dollar alcoholic beverages. I love the margaritas in Epcot, but at 18.00 bucks I'm one and done.

 

[mckennarose]

Don't feel that I'm talking in circles just trying to clarify . My "opinion", based primarily on life experience, is that the more and easier accessibility to alcohol (meaning primarily carts, lounges, and QS locations) "could" mean more issues . Again I respect everyone elses opinion even if I don't agree and just want mine to be understood and respected as well .

Think of it this way...impulse items near the registers everywhere we shop...every supermarket , drug store , gas station , etc. ...years ago all of these retailers discovered that the easier accessible these items were the more they would sell . It used to be just candy , gym , mints , and magazines ...now add soda/drinks , chips , nuts , cookies , protein bars , phone chargers , etc. ...More access , easier access , more sales . Same principal Disney seems to maybe be using here ...in my opinion .

You have a right to your opinion and I respect that. I have a different opinion and don't agree with your line of thinking.

Even if a drink would catch my eye in WDW (and right now the frozen mojito at F&W in on my list for September) it certainly doesn't mean that I would stop at EVERY place that sells alcohol because it's in my line of site. Not only do I have self control, but I have no desire to drink everything in the parks that I come across. Honestly, it's not hard to find alcohol in Disney and every day responsible adults are not being impulsive and buying alcohol at every restaurant/cart they see just because it's there. The fact is that alcohol is easily accessible, has been for a while, and most people are not going from place to place getting hammered. I am guessing (?) that you don't drink alcohol so I can tell you that it is not difficult for many, many people to have one or two drinks and walk away and not be swayed by the next alcohol cart they come across.

What it seems you are implying is that more alcohol availability will mean people will over indulge and cause issues. My opinion is that if a person WANTS to get drunk they will regardless if there is one place that sells it or 10 places that sell it. I've seen posts on here about people getting on the ferry to MK at 9 am already having had a few beers. In all the times I've been in the parks, F&W and F&G I have seen far more responsible adults have a drink than I've seen people who "may" have over indulged. I say "May" because I don't know for sure and won't assume it's a fact.

I also don't agree that it's a money grab. It's marketing to target audiences. The target audience for adult drinks certainly doesn't mean marketing to "people looking to get drunk" or "party people". It means "people who enjoy an adult beverage on vacation". Disney also markets to children by putting toys at their level. And I've seen far more children with under developed self control pitching fits when they don't get the toy in front of them.

 

[Nancyg56]

Didn't say or imply that it "would" be a problem...just that it "could"...IF they continue what they have been doing . Well aware of the dining plan changes . Of course everyone has a choice and hopefully my concerns will not become realities, because on this issue I don't want to be right ...however , I am still concerned .

The alcohol was added slowly. WHen BOG offered wine with dinner you would have thought the sky fell in. Wine in the MK????? There will be drunks everywhere!!!! No. MK is family friendly, alcohol is available with dinner at several locations and I have not read any horrific accounts of drunkards running rampant through the MK.

I have not seen any issues at Epcot either, and while I know there are those that over indulge, I have not been subjected to offensive behavior.

You are concerned about something that seems to be a problem for you, but clearly it is not a problem for many. Perhaps consider the mindset of the "audience" and see if that makes a difference. We like all inclusive vacations on occasion. OUr last oen was in December in Aruba, and the resort had two levels of stay. COncierge or regular, the difference in part being the quality of alcohol offered to guests. It was flowing freely at all the bars and lounges throughout the resort, and available for breakfast cocktails upon request. WE had our teenage DGD with us and would never have exposed her to a drunken free for all, and my DD who gets very anxious if there are people who over indulge around would never have tolerated it. No drunken brawls, no people tossing it up in the shrubery. No obnoxious behavior. Not one time during the entire week.

WE researched before booking this resort and activites in order to get a feel for the dynamic. WE did not want a "party" atmosphere, not on the boats, not in the resort, and not on the beach, but we did want free access to food and beverages. DO you not think people who are in DIsney are there for the experience, rather than a booze filled party? You will always run into the person who cannot control the drinking or what is worse for me, the smoking, but that is anywhere you go, and "legal" access to alcohol is not a consideration for them. I suggest you reserve your "opinion" and see if you are right.

Personally, I think that Disney should add a restaurant or two that is adult only (other than Victoria and Albert). I am all for Disney being a family place. We've done it several times with our children. Although they are a bit older now, the youngest was 9 when we started going. We have done Disney as a mom and dad trip. I know we aren't the only ones. I think it would be nice to have a place, or two, where adults could go and be surrounded by adults only for dinner. Just a little off topic but throwing my 2 cents in.

Oh my gosh! That would send peopple through the roof! I have no problems if there are areas that are adult only, and if I had the kids with me I woudl just choose to go elsewhere, however there are those who want their little ones to be welcomed in every establishment. I bet an adults only resort would be a wonderful respite for those who traveled without kids, especially parents who left their little darlings at home for a change. But in DIsney that woudl be almost dead before it was announces.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I wonder what CaptainAmerica2003's real problem is. He doesn't seem to get that everytime he touches the keyboard he just reinforces the views on here that he's trying to tell the rest of the world how they should run their lives.

And he will 'find problems'. People like that i find what they want to find. So he will see someone doing something crazy and decide "they had too much to drink' rush back on here and tell us all about how "right" he was. But I am always reminded of the "temperance patrol" I met once at Epcot. Older woman who just KNEW that everyone was drunk. She saw some girls dancing crazy in front of the Canada stage. STORMS over to CM and starts telling them off because they are allowing "DRUNKS" in the park. She is screaming loud enough the girls here her. They burst out laughing and get louder and crazy! Temperance Patrol makes the CM call Security. Security comes, chats with the girls and tells Temperance Patrol that they are 16 and SOBER (which was true) Temperance Patrol goes over to her husband (who was trying to crawl behind a bush rather than be associated with her) and tells him that since Disney won't do anything about the "DRUNKS" she is never coming back again. Several of us raised our beers in a toast goodbye LOL! (She had made several comments about how we were all setting a bad example for our kids.... of course I didn't have any kids with me so I was not too concerned about that LOL!)

 

[mckennarose]

@OrangeCountyCommuter
I remember you sharing that story on another thread about alcohol. It stuck in my mind along with another member posting how he/she had just gotten a drink in Epcot, not even taken one sip out of it, and tripped on something and a woman loudly complained behind him/her about "the drunks" in Epcot! People will find things to reinforce their beliefs, whether they are true or not.

 

[nco91590]

Also the drinks are very expensive. I can't see it being an issue. If they start selling 2.00 dollars shots and 3 dollar beers you may see drunks all over the place, but that will never happen. Most people are sick of money being sucked out of their wallets by the second day and aren't going to spend 50 bucks drinking in the park. People don't go to the parks to buy 15.00 dollar alcoholic beverages. I love the margaritas in Epcot, but at 18.00 bucks I'm one and done.

This is SO TRUE. These threads always crack me up because it's like, who can even afford to get hammered in Disney? I've gone to Epcot with the best of intentions of tying one on, but I've only managed to get mildly buzzed and spent like, $60.

 

[lolomarie]

My husband has a bell that says "Ring for Beer." When he rings it, our 14 year old son runs down and gets him a beer. The bell was given to my husband as a Christmas gift, from that son, when he was 12. He thought it was funny. My kids know alcohol is for adults. They have no desire to try it. They won't even try soda (they are weird kids).

Drinking around kids isn't a problem. Kids need to be taught about and exposed to "adult things" when they are kids. That's how they learn responsible behavior. Sheltering them leads to bad decisions down the line, when they finally are exposed to these things.

Seeing overly served people at the theme parks should be a teaching moment, not something you should fear your kids seeing.

I keep my kids away from pop by telling them it is beer! Lol. So far so good and the oldest is almost 4!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The only drinks in Epcot that you can get "hammered" on are at the China Tea Pavilion. They are very free pourers there. But it's made up by those frozen margaritas that I don't think actually have booze in them

 

[NuJoy]

How is it that a parent of a young child does not "deserve" to have an adult beverage while walking around a theme park on vacation, or is doing something not "family friendly" or wrong? Heck, often I needed that beer!

Having been a teetotaler in my early adult life, I discovered far too late that a drink or two would have spared my children from their mother becoming an anxietal lunatic on occassion.

So far it hasn't been a problem. If drinking starts to ruin the experience for too many people I'm sure Disney will reign it in. I drink a lot but also appreciate the family appeal, cleanliness, safety and overall good wholesome vibes of Disney parks.

Maybe I put too much faith in them but it's really hard to believe they would allow things to get out of hand.

Agree. Mature adults understand their particular environment and act appropriately. For most people, alcohol in and of itself is self-limiting. The Florida heat can have a severe stifling effect on the desire to over-imbibe due to dehydration risks. And Disney themselves add another layer of hesitation with the price point on their alcohol.

I am guessing (?) that you don't drink alcohol so I can tell you that it is not difficult for many, many people to have one or two drinks and walk away and not be swayed by the next alcohol cart they come across.

I am glad you said this. I was raised in a religion that believed any alcohol=sin=hell and it didn't help that my mother was a child of an alcoholic father. What normal people do not realize is the absolute nonsensical brainwashing that goes on in some churches and households. I am not being dramatic when I say that as part of my indoctrination, it was taught that if 6 beers make you drunk, then you are 1/6 drunk if you drink one beer. If someone really believes that, it makes for an extremely judgmental moral view regarding alcohol of any amount.

 

[cruiser21]

You are thinking that there are more and more venues with alcohol. What you do not see is that the parks are expanding exponentially. Avatar Land, Toy Story Land, etc. The parks are growing, the guest numbers are growing, and as such, more venues for food and drinks are needed (not a "money grab" but for convenience and nothing else).

How is it that a parent of a young child does not "deserve" to have an adult beverage while walking around a theme park on vacation, or is doing something not "family friendly" or wrong? Heck, often I needed that beer!

Alcohol is what's getting me through my kids teens years.

 

[MomOTwins]

Alcohol is what's getting me through my kids teens years.

I once had a coworker who aptly said alcohol was "liquid patience" when it came to her kids. Kind of funny so many people here associate alcohol with bad behavior, but I actually find a drink with lunch and dinner prevents me from getting cranky and keeps me in an upbeat mood when we have to wait in an endless line or push the kids' stroller through non-moving crowds, or wait FOREVER for a bus.

 

[Haygar2]

Oh my gosh! That would send peopple through the roof! I have no problems if there are areas that are adult only, and if I had the kids with me I woudl just choose to go elsewhere, however there are those who want their little ones to be welcomed in every establishment. I bet an adults only resort would be a wonderful respite for those who traveled without kids, especially parents who left their little darlings at home for a change. But in DIsney that woudl be almost dead before it was announces.

Oh my goodness people would have a fit. Even on here someone was appalled that a person had the audacity to go off on their own and not make "memories". I am all for kids. Like I said, I have 2 of my own. And for the past 20 years I have babysat in my home. And kids are at 99.9999% of restaurants in Disney. But to have a restaurant or 2 that were adults only would be nice for those times when we, or anyone else, is kid free. I bet they would be surprised how quickly it would book. Probably will never happen. But that's okay. We still will go on the adult only trips.

 

[NuJoy]

I once had a coworker who aptly said alcohol was "liquid patience" when it came to her kids. Kind of funny so many people here associate alcohol with bad behavior, but I actually find a drink with lunch and dinner prevents me from getting cranky and keeps me in an upbeat mood when we have to wait in an endless line or push the kids' stroller through non-moving crowds, or wait FOREVER for a bus.

Not to mention that a shot of bourbon is a more effective muscle pain reliever than when I take 4 Advil at once.