Beer at the Parks

[scrapquitler]

I am at the world right now and I have been shocked about the amount of beer being sold at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. They had guys walking around just like it was a baseball game or something yelling out get your beer. One person yelled out "Bud Lite guy". It just seemed tacky to me. I don't mind them selling it as long as everyone is behaving but I didn't pay that much money to come to a vacation like this. Everything else has been great with the lines being low and the weather has been perfect but that one issue leaves a sour taste in my mouth. What does everyone else think?

I don't have a problem with it. It's my vacation and I like to walk around with a drink from time to time.

People yell out stupid stuff even in MK where there's no beer for sale.

 

[amberpi]

I wish they'd go through some of the lines with any kind of beverage for sale when its hot out!

 

[HopperFan]

I have never seen anyone walking around hawking beer ................ nor ever heard a peep to advertise where they sell.

...other than vendors in the Fantasmic stadium walking about.

There are kiosks that sell all kinds of beverages and I have no problem with that and occasionally make a donation - and I am a NO vote for alcohol in Magic Kingdom. (yes I know about BOG and don't count that)

There is only one time I noticed a walk-around beer vendor, and that was at Hollywood Studios in 2010. I even took a picture. In many trips over the last several years, this is the only time I ever noticed it, and it didn't seem outlandish nor did it bother me. Now that it's brought to my attention again, maybe I'll notice it more when I'm there in a few weeks.

View attachment 204395

Wow, so empty, last two years when we went he wouldn't have had room to move; never seen him.

 

[yulilin3]

It's becoming a growing trend. I first started noticing the walking beer vendors about 3 months ago, at DHS walking up and down Sunset Blvd and also around Center stage, and then I saw one at AK walking outside Pizzafari, toward Africa. I have not heard them yell at all though

 

[Rich M]

They were walking around DHS doing this or in the fantasmic area before the show?

I've never seen a "walk around" alcohol seller in any of the parks. Was the mobile seller in the Fantasmic theater or just wandering through the park?

This was outside of the theater next to the Planet Hollywood store

 

[Rich M]

I agree with a lot of people and the beer doesn't bother me at all if its sold in location where you have to go and get it. I just don't like the man yelling it out. Now its very possible it was a guest yelling it out because when I heard it I turned quickly around to see if I had heard what I thought I did.

 

[yulilin3]

I agree with a lot of people and the beer doesn't bother me at all if its sold in location where you have to go and get it. I just don't like the man yelling it out. Now its very possible it was a guest yelling it out because when I heard it I turned quickly around to see if I had heard what I thought I did.

I am almost 100% sure that it was not the CM yelling. I've never seen them yelling for anything they sell, light up toys, soda, popcorn...These walking vendors are an easy and fast way to get what you want. Lines at quick services are long so they can help speed up the process. I don't have a problem with that either

 

[TropicalDIS]

Thankfully it's not alcohol free -- downside is you have to grab a hard-to-get dinner reservation @ BOG to enjoy beer and wine. Sigh.

For the record, there's been beer & boozy drinks available at AK and DHS for years and I have yet to have someone else drinking ruin my experience at either park. Same for Epcot, and we've done F&W several times. In fact the only time I've seen stumbling drunks was on NYE at Epcot and even that didn't ruin my day (or night, really) I just walked past them. There are MANY other behaviors that others display that can ruin my day, so maybe I'm fortunate that alcohol hasn't been one (yet?).

Didnt know that about BOG, but no issue with that whatsoever because its a sitdown restaurant. Personally i wouldnt want it served at any quick service or snack cart in MK. Im sure beer has been served at DHS & AK for years. That doesn't mean they have to push it more and more, have it at restaurants, quick service, but not sure we need people walking around selling it. Ive never had a problem at the World, last time I was at Epcot there were drunk people stumbling around yelling but they moved along quite quickly and in the opposite direction we were going. I have gone to other family fun places where alcohol has been and issue. Most people have a beer, perhaps two, all is well. But it's the people that go over the top and ruin it for others i have a problem with. Yeah it's your vacation too, but if you want to get wasted, save yourself the entrance fee and hit a patio. Either that or there's some great deals on trips to Mexico.

 

[Jennasis]

I agree with a lot of people and the beer doesn't bother me at all if its sold in location where you have to go and get it. I just don't like the man yelling it out. Now its very possible it was a guest yelling it out because when I heard it I turned quickly around to see if I had heard what I thought I did.

I would be shocked if it was a CM who yelled it out...and even more shocked if it was a CM doing what he had been instructed to do. I would chalk it up to either a guest who was playing around and yelled it, or a CM who thought he was being funny and that selling tactic is not approved. Perhaps you could send an inquiry to guest relations and ask?

 

[ujpest_doza]

We've just arrived back in the UK after our 1st trip to WDW for 5 years (went to Universal and SeaWorld on our last trip 3 years ago and missed them out this time) and I too was shocked at the amount of people wandering around all of the theme parks drinking beer and in particular the number of tipsy/drunk people at Epcot both during the day and late at night at illuminations.

We couldn't remember beer being sold at Disney in the past, only at Universal and SeaWorld and were quite surprised.

I like a beer as much as anyone but don't think it goes with both the heat and the family theme of WDW.

 

[BeerMe]

We have been here for the last 50 days and I never saw anyone walking around selling beers, but most of the time we are in Epcot where beer is everywhere so no vendors NEED to walk around. I wouldn't buy Miller or Bud at any rate - it's not very good. If they sold it in some of the lines though, I'd consider it. I never saw it at Universal either, where I would expect it.

I've been drinking beer in the parks and walking around with it for years and years. It's endemic. If they stopped selling it, I might stop coming.

 

[Missyrose]

if you want to get wasted, save yourself the entrance fee and hit a patio. Either that or there's some great deals on trips to Mexico.

We've been at the parks plenty of times being a loud, giggly group. We were stone-cold sober, but I'm sure if some of you saw us as a group of adults with no kids, you'd just assume we were drunk instead of laughing so hard we could hardly breathe. Stop looking for problems or assuming something is a problem when you have no idea what you're seeing.

Are there drunk people at Epcot? Sure, I'm sure there are a handful each weekend evening. But I've been to the F&W Festival each year for the better part of a decade and have never seen people too drunk to walk, or puking everywhere. And I have never seen anyone slurring their words and stumbling around DHS with a drink in their hand.

 

[BrianL]

The only annoying drunk I've ever run into at WDW was in MK, standing next to me at the Boo to You parade. He was really into it though and knew all the lyrics, haha. He was just loud and couldn't sing, and would yell to his friends standing right next to him. Other than him, I've never witnessed anything too bad. Epcot F&W will see some tipsy people, but it's no big deal.

 

[AngiTN]

Didnt know that about BOG, but no issue with that whatsoever because its a sitdown restaurant. Personally i wouldnt want it served at any quick service or snack cart in MK. Im sure beer has been served at DHS & AK for years. That doesn't mean they have to push it more and more, have it at restaurants, quick service, but not sure we need people walking around selling it. Ive never had a problem at the World, last time I was at Epcot there were drunk people stumbling around yelling but they moved along quite quickly and in the opposite direction we were going. I have gone to other family fun places where alcohol has been and issue. Most people have a beer, perhaps two, all is well. But it's the people that go over the top and ruin it for others i have a problem with. Yeah it's your vacation too, but if you want to get wasted, save yourself the entrance fee and hit a patio. Either that or there's some great deals on trips to Mexico.

I've seen that too, at MK where folks are not drinking.

We've just arrived back in the UK after our 1st trip to WDW for 5 years (went to Universal and SeaWorld on our last trip 3 years ago and missed them out this time) and I too was shocked at the amount of people wandering around all of the theme parks drinking beer and in particular the number of tipsy/drunk people at Epcot both during the day and late at night at illuminations.

We couldn't remember beer being sold at Disney in the past, only at Universal and SeaWorld and were quite surprised.

I like a beer as much as anyone but don't think it goes with both the heat and the family theme of WDW.

Why? What is anti-family about beer? Can someone please make me understand this? I'm pretty sure it's perfectly legal for adults to do. What is wrong with a child witnessing an adult with a beer?

 

[ujpest_doza]

I just think there's a time and place for it really, for example at a bar or a restaurant rather than wandering around drinking which is something you don't usually see in the UK due local byelaws prohibiting street drinking.

 

[GlennN]

It's not a popular opinion, but I agree. I don't care about alcohol being sold in restaurants but it being everywhere drives me up a wall.

While I would agree that we don't need alcohol vendors actually walking around (something I have never witnessed, by the way), I do not for the life of me understand why alcohol being available in all of the parks would bother you (or anyone else). I enjoy a drink while I am on vacation. I especially love a Cantaloopy while strolling in Epcot. I am a responsible adult. I have rarely seen anyone so drunk as to be a disturbance. What is the harm of having the alcohol kiosks?

 

[plutolovr]

I just think there's a time and place for it really, for example at a bar or a restaurant rather than wandering around drinking which is something you don't usually see in the UK due local byelaws prohibiting street drinking.

Well, here in the US, most places have laws about public drinking (New Orleans and Las Vegas excluded), however, Disney is not public property. Their house, their rules!!!!

 

[TropicalDIS]

We've been at the parks plenty of times being a loud, giggly group. We were stone-cold sober, but I'm sure if some of you saw us as a group of adults with no kids, you'd just assume we were drunk instead of laughing so hard we could hardly breathe. Stop looking for problems or assuming something is a problem when you have no idea what you're seeing.

Are there drunk people at Epcot? Sure, I'm sure there are a handful each weekend evening. But I've been to the F&W Festival each year for the better part of a decade and have never seen people too drunk to walk, or puking everywhere. And I have never seen anyone slurring their words and stumbling around DHS with a drink in their hand.

1. Don't assume to know what I would think when i see a group of people. When i see a group of loud, laughing people, it makes me think they are having a great time, and thats what Disney is all about. When i see a group of people being loud, swearing, pushing each other, and with drinks in their hands, i would tend to lean towards the not sober option. This has only ever happened to me once in multiple Disney trips, but it did happen.

2. I am not 'looking for problems' as you say, im pointing something out and sharing my opinion on the subject. Is that allowed? Shockingly people do sometimes drink to excess and act like idiots, and Disney has been pretty much immune from that. I just hope that doesn't change.

Alcohol at Epcot is common place, and I do enjoy it there. It's fun walking around World Showcase with a drink. Im not a fan of having it so readily available at other parks, but thats my opinion. It doesn't me from loving Disney and enjoying it there.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Haven't been to Disney since 2011, but I've seen or heard of vendors doing this.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

While I would agree that we don't need alcohol vendors actually walking around (something I have never witnessed, by the way), I do not for the life of me understand why alcohol being available in all of the parks would bother you (or anyone else). I enjoy a drink while I am on vacation. I especially love a Cantaloopy while strolling in Epcot. I am a responsible adult. I have rarely seen anyone so drunk as to be a disturbance. What is the harm of having the alcohol kiosks?

I generally avoid telling my whole life story online, but I grew up in a family with an alcoholic parent and spent a lot of time as a child around people who, while being adults, were not responsible. As a result, I dislike being in environments that revolve around drinking and actively avoid them. For example, you'll never see me at a bar, a nightclub, Halloween Horror Nights, or a Saturday at Food & Wine.

There's a big difference between people who have a drink or two while strolling around, and people like the ones I'm thinking of, who show up with the specific goal of getting trashed. And they do exist - I sell them tickets and they brag about how wasted they're going to get. I've heard the radio calls for security to come deal with excessively drunk people and I've seen them being loaded into ambulances and police cars backstage.

I see and hear about a lot less of these kinds of things at the non-Epcot parks, but they do go on at DHS and DAK too.

I'm not in any way advocating for the parks to all be dry. Disney makes money from selling booze and people are perfectly willing to pay inflated prices for it at WDW, so even if people did advocate for that I seriously doubt it would happen. I don't believe that other people should have to live their lives according to my preference - but I'm not actually required to like it, nor am I required to pretend that I do.