Is Food and Wine ruining Epcot for families?

[JRawkSteady]

Sometimes F&W can get rowdy, but it's rarer than you think!!

If parents continue taking their children to sporting events which have 10x the alcohol consumption and 50x the rowdiness, I don't want to hear anyone complaining about F&W. I was just there last month and there were zero issues! And we spent 4 days in Epcot!

 

[jojosam]

We were at F&W for the opening night in September. Our daughter got to sample new foods from several different countries while her Dad and I enjoyed a few adult beverages with our tastings. I just asked DD if she felt there were a lot if unruly and obnoxious people around her and she said, "Maybe about 5 or so". In the grand scheme of things, we run into more unruly and obnoxious people driving to school or in the mall. And no, before anyone jumps in, I'm sure our daily run-ins are not drunk (usually ). We take our kids to concerts and sporting events. We don't provide alcohol to our kids but we also don't shelter them from it. They know that alcohol is an adult choice and not a secret. But we also talk to our kids about behavior, both those they see in others, and their own. Use it as a learning experience if you want to enjoy Epcot during a time when more guests will be drinking. Enjoy another choice of park if you think it will be too much for your family. We don't expect the world to change for our small family, but we do teach our kids how to get along in the world they live in.

 

[Magpie]

All the "what about the children " comments is cracking me up. Just how many kids really like the WS anyway, most of the kids I know get jello leg syndrome back there and want to get past it or avoid it to go on rides. Heck they might tolerate Mexico and Sweden cause they have rides but wil pass on the rest.

If it's really about the kids, MK is just a short MR away .

I think you know the wrong kids.

Mine loved the World Showcase right from our very first visit, when my youngest was seven. They got the masks on a stick (remember those?) and worked hard to try to visit every single one of the different countries and get a castmember to stamp their mask. Several of the castmembers taught them how to say hello in their language, and one gentleman in Morocco drew a picture of my son (he was very taken with his curly hair), and then gave each kid a certificate with "Welcome to Morocco" written in Arabic on it, along with their names, also in Arabic.

At the end of the that first trip, we asked the kids what their favourite park was. Neither mentioned the Magic Kingdom. Both said Epcot was the best!

There's a lot for kids to enjoy in the World Showcase, if you're willing to take them there with an open mind. Sure, every kid is different and they're not all going to like the same things. But I think sometimes parents decide ahead of time that their kids will be bored (because it's "educational" maybe?), and unintentionally send that message to the kids. So, the kids end up being bored, because we walked in there expecting them to be bored.

Kids are very good at living up to our expectations, for good or ill.

 

[vital]

Nope, but then again I take my son to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I used it as a teaching moment and it went like this:

Me: You see that grown man/woman over there falling down and acting stupid
DS: Yeah
Me: That's what happens when you drink too much
DS: Yeah, well, they look like an idiot. I never want to look like that
Me: Just remember that when you get older

This happened the first few times we went and now (he's 14) he just looks at me and shakes his head or ignores them entirely. Before you judge me on taking my son to Mardi Gras, my sister lives right off of St Charles and we were in the "family friendly" area of the parades, not on Canal St or in the Quarter. Whenever there are people outside of your family (sometimes it is your family) you run the risk of behavior you don't approve of. You can either use it as a teaching moment, ignore it or avoid it. I choose to use it as teaching moments so my son will be aware of all the things that can go wrong in life when bad choices are made.

 

[k5thbeatle]

I don't know that I would go so far as to say "ruining" but to the OP's point I definitely think there has been a gradual change in the atmosphere of the F&W especially on week-ends since it's inception. It's not all bad and I'd still say the really bad incidents are the exception rather than the rule but I would also say that it's definitely leaning more and more away from a kid/family friendly environment during this time.

 

[Frankiemack]

My DW, DM and DD4 went to Epcot on Saturday the 27th and agreed hat we will never go to the countries during the F&W festival ever again. We did not have any crowd issues outside of the World Showcase.

Although advised against it in every place we read, we decided to chance it as we thought to ourselves, "how bad can it be - it's Disney?"

The atmosphere was almost frat party like for me. We went about 2 in the afternoon and people we're already what I would consider well over the legal drinking limit - smoking and drinking everywhere...even had a drink spilled at my feet at one point. The magic of Disney was no where in site and we couldn't enjoy anything they had to offer.

Could it simply be because we went on a Saturday at 2pm and not mid-week? Sure - but regardless of what day it is, or what time of day, I would never expect this type of atmosphere anywhere in Disney.

 

[Bothepro24]

[/FO
Frankly speaking this behavior happens at State Fairs, County Fairs, hometown carnivals, not to mention Applebee's and Chili's and hundreds of other places. Better not take your kids to Baseball, Football, basketball or soccer games.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I think you know the wrong kids.

Mine loved the World Showcase right from our very first visit, when my youngest was seven. They got the masks on a stick (remember those?) and worked hard to try to visit every single one of the different countries and get a castmember to stamp their mask. Several of the castmembers taught them how to say hello in their language, and one gentleman in Morocco drew a picture of my son (he was very taken with his curly hair), and then gave each kid a certificate with "Welcome to Morocco" written in Arabic on it, along with their names, also in Arabic.

At the end of the that first trip, we asked the kids what their favourite park was. Neither mentioned the Magic Kingdom. Both said Epcot was the best!

There's a lot for kids to enjoy in the World Showcase, if you're willing to take them there with an open mind. Sure, every kid is different and they're not all going to like the same things. But I think sometimes parents decide ahead of time that their kids will be bored (because it's "educational" maybe?), and unintentionally send that message to the kids. So, the kids end up being bored, because we walked in there expecting them to be bored.

Kids are very good at living up to our expectations, for good or ill.

My kids when young loved Epcot as well!

AKK

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Frankly, F and W is a great time, everyone is entitled to have a few drinks, I have as well!.

However Disney Parks is not for drunks. There are plenty of bars off site for the heavy drinkers!

What I have seen and what is being reported is Disney is staring to crack down on the drunks and rude folks and tossing them out on there ear.

I fully hope this expands and grows!


AKK

 

[Haley]

I didn't read all the replies but I can tell F&W is a HUGE moneymaker for Disney - no way will they stop doing it because people get intoxicated.

 

[AmyB2006]

My kids when young loved Epcot as well!

AKK

Mine too. They love it. Not huge fans of WS but they love Epcot.

 

[AmyB2006]

Frankly, F and W is a great time, everyone is entitled to have a few drinks, I have as well!.

However Disney Parks is not for drunks. There are plenty of bars off site for the heavy drinkers!

What I have seen and what is being reported is Disney is staring to crack down on the drunks and rude folks and tossing them out on there ear.

I fully hope this expands and grows!


AKK

And honestly this should be this way. It's one thing to have a few drinks, hey I have them as well, but if you start to get unruly you should be thrown out.

 

[mm1971]

I cannot speak for this year, but we have gone with our children when young on several trips and we loved F&W. If we see something inappropriate, we will either head in a separate direction or explain to our kids why it is not appropriate. I'm not sure what behavior happens that my kids are not subject to at sporting events, holiday parties and just seeing it wherever we go. OR how about the daily news?

Intoxicated people are everywhere, those couples that are a little too close in public are everywhere. Just the way things are now unfortunately.

If you don't want your kids exposed to the behavior, it is pretty well known that you need to plan to go on a weekday. It's been communicated everywhere that weekends of F&W can be undesirable for families. Should you have to avoid the weekends, no probably not. Is the behavior going to change, probably not. Would you prefer they eliminate F&W like they did to PI? They have started to police it more.

 

[johnmhurt]

We were there last Friday evening just to do WS. Started in Canada and everything was fine. We got to England and someone had just puked at the front door of the R&C Pub. NICE!! Now it may have been someone legitimately sick but I doubt it. There at least 3 security guards around the R&C and they did not look happy. Things were rather boisterous in the pub. We made it all the way around the countries and did encounter some intoxicated patrons that were loud. I just kept my family moving and we had a good time. Has F&W turned WS into a drunkfest? In my opinion, yeah sort of. Kind of sad that people can't have a good time without becoming belligerent. Just my take on what I saw first hand.

 

[btk2333]

And honestly this should be this way. It's one thing to have a few drinks, hey I have them as well, but if you start to get unruly you should be thrown out.

agreed- if people are being drunk or rude- disney should enforce their policies

I just have pretty much never (in over 25 trips to WDW) seen the behavior mentioned here (puking in the bushes, peeing in the bushes, etc) and rarely if ever see anything that I would deem inappropriate for a child- especially if that child attends sporting events, concerts, goes out to dinner, or watches the 5:00 news. People being loud is not a reason to throw someone out (its WDW for crying out loud, there are screaming children all over!).

Maybe it is just because I"m not looking for it but I'm not concerned I guess

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I didn't read all the replies but I can tell F&W is a HUGE moneymaker for Disney - no way will they stop doing it because people get intoxicated.

They don't need to stop it, they only need to throw the drunks out on thier ear. They seem to be doing just that!

The remainder of the guests buy enough food and drinks to make up for the few that have no control over their actions.

AKK

 

[btk2333]

They don't need to stop it, they only need to throw the drunks out on thier ear. They seem to be doing just that!

The remainder of the guests buy enough food and drinks to make up for the few that have no control over their actions.

AKK

What is an ejectable offense to you?

 

[tarak]

My kids when young loved Epcot as well!

AKK

My kids love it, too. We would never consider skipping Epcot. I've taken my older girls to F&W when they were 3 and 4. They had fun. I took my son when he was about three. With or without my kids, I wouldn't go to Epcot in the evening or weekends during F&W because of crowds. If we'd seen someone drunk or unruly, I'd have reported it and probably suggested something like vital did. "See that person? Don't grow up to be that person." We had one of those people in our family. No need to visit Epcot for that teaching moment.

Honestly, the worst behaved adults I see at WDW are stone cold sober.

 

[ACJT]

All the "what about the children " comments is cracking me up. Just how many kids really like the WS anyway, most of the kids I know get jello leg syndrome back there and want to get past it or avoid it to go on rides. Heck they might tolerate Mexico and Sweden cause they have rides but wil pass on the rest. If it's really about the kids, MK is just a short MR away .

Where is Sweden? You weren't drinking too much ... Were you? LOL

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[pieface]

I have gone to Disney in October for many years but this will be the last time. The crowds were always manageable and you could be comfortable dealing with the crowds. This year all of the parks were crazy crowded. I love the Halloween party but this year the crowds were unreal. All of the major rides had over 60 minute waits the haunted mansion continued to have 50 minute waits during the entire evening. Trick or treat lines were packed. We were packed into a huge crowd on main st where you could not move without bumping into someone. I always stay until midnight but this year I left at 1030 did not have a good time at all.

Epcot was very crowded the drunks were plentiful. There were large groups of intoxicated people dropping their beer cups and just leaving them on the ground.
While trying to enjoy illumination a group of drunks stopped dead center of the walk way blocking people who were walking by. They were so loud and obnoxious it made watching illumination difficult to enjoy.

I will never go to Disney again during the food and wine festival. Drinking is getting out of hand so many people were bragging about drinking around the world and it seems they were successful highly intoxicated