Boy- this thread took off over the weekend!
Why are parents calling those of us who do not wish to put up with misbehaving children- child haters etc, however, I am certain, they would NOT want to tolerate a "drunken" "disorderly" or "annoying" adult while dining- or anywhere else for that matter - to me it is the same thing, no one wants to deal with either.
I have read several posts about the F&W getting out of control with drink adults misbehaving in front of children- so that is OK to complain about- but we CF people can't also want a moments peace in the parks and enjoy ourselves b/c we are do not have children in tow?
EXCELLENT analogy. Any parent who is complaining about this rule should think about how they would feel if alcohol was to start being served at MK. Parents would not appreciate it if their kids' lunchtime at Cinderella's Round Table was disrupted by loud drunken humor going on at the table next door or some guy telling his friend an "adult-content" joke or story.
Can you imagine the look on a mother's face if a random drunk person spilled beer all over their 4-year old right while getting her picture taken with Cinderella??
Just like a husband and wife enjoying their 5 year anniversary dinner or some guy about to propose to his girlfriend gets interrupted by a kid throwing a temper tantrum.
Young children, in general, have poorer self control and self-adjustment. That has nothing to do with good/bad parenting (well, the degree to it might), that's just child development. I don't get angry with kids for throwing tantrums in the parks-I understand (from a teacher's point of view), that they are growing and learning and working through the kinks of controlling their actions. I can only hope that their parents are handling it appropriately. The parks are loud chaotic environments so I expect that. I can't even get angry if a kid disrupts my meal at a casual restaurant. Again, it's WDW, I go there expecting to see kids. But I can (and do) get very angry when my meal is disrupted at upscale restaurants that are designed to create a quieter grown-up atmosphere in the first place. And some people might say, "Well go to a bar if you want to be garunteed a meal without kids", but I don't want to be around a rowdy drunk crowd either. If I did, I would have chosen to go to a restaurant that is marketed as a rowdy and drunk environment instead of one that markets itself as being grown-up, peaceful, and eloquent. So, it's not exactly the "no-kids" meal I am seeking in these places, it's the "no-kids behavior."
The fact is that, as a vacation spot, WDW may have started out at being mainly for kids, but it caters just as much to adults nowadays. Otherwise, they wouldn't have created upscale restaurants with quieter and adult themes in the first place-they would have only had places that are geared towards children. There are always going to be clashes. The only way for these things to be solved is for both sides to sacrifice something and get to a common ground or agreement.
I think the true magic of WDW is that it's diverse in it's offerings-it caters to and appeals to all ages and most interests. Yes, they do market themselves as offering a "family experience" but "family" does not always equal children. There are all different types of WDW guests who go for all different types of experiences-some G-rated, some romantic, some over-21ers like to party or drink at night, some people smoke.....not everyone agrees to it, but Disney tries to accomodate to all of it.
The redundant theme in this thread seems to be "there's a time and a place for everything"
I wish the OP had created a poll to go with this thread, I'm curious to know how many people actually disagree with the new "no children" rule at V & A.
Bite your tongue!
