What if WDW banned Alcohol?

[tigertides]

Just wondering what would happen to overall guest experience if WDW banned alcohol inside every Disney Park? This is for the average guests. I've seen too much day drinking for my taste, and remember simpler times in the 80s.

For AFODs, there would still be plenty of ETOH inside the resorts. My guess is that guest experience would overall improve. It would never happen due to profits, but still.

Thoughts?

 

[pezgirlroy]

Maybe I am in the minority but I have never had an issue with drinking at Disney. And truthfully every once in awhile on vacation I enjoy some day drinking. When we travel with our kids and if we see any issues that others are having with drinking, we just use it as a teaching example. When I am walking around the parks, I like to have a drink on a hot day.

 

[reddog21]

There’s far too much money in alcohol for that to ever become reality. Still, it’s a nice idea.

 

[MICKIMINI]

The worst place is EPCOT on weekends and sometime evenings. College age adults seem to rule the place. I think restaurants are fine with a meal and that is how it started. Booths that serve up endless alcohol encourage more drinking, but it is on WDW to watch for bad behavior as they set up this system to encourage drinking (and mostly, PROFITS).

 

[Smugpugmug]

People would just pre game in the parking lot or at their resort. I've witnessed people drinking out of flasks and beer cans in the parking lots before. Or sneak alcohol in by mixing it with soda in another cup. Last time I parked at TTC, I saw people tail gating and drinking beers and what I assume to be liquor out of red plastic cups. Guys....it's the Magic Kingdom.

 

[MPD]

I guess I've just been lucky to not experience more than one or two guests who were intoxicated in all the decades I've been going to Disney. Sorry for those who have had their trip impacted by drunk people.

Rather than ban alcohol I'd prefer they escort out any guest who is behaving badly - for whatever reason. That way responsible drinkers can still enjoy an adult beverage and Disney can make their alcohol money. I don't really expect that to happen though. Things will just continue as they are currently.

 

[reddog21]

People would just pre game in the parking lot or at their resort. I've witnessed people drinking out of flasks and beer cans in the parking lots before. Or sneak alcohol in by mixing it with soda in another cup. Last time I parked at TTC, I saw people tail gating and drinking beers and what I assume to be liquor out of red plastic cups. Guys....it's the Magic Kingdom.

I don’t disagree—I’ve seen some of the same things (sadly). At least when they enter the park, there’s time for it to wear off if no alcohol is being served.

 

[HopperFan]

Aside from the random ill behaved, potentially drunk guest ... I have only seen wide spread unenjoyable drunken folk IN PARKS at EPCOT on New Years Eve. Otherwise I think Disney has done well to narrow locations, some with time limits and honestly made it too expensive for most to get drunk. And someone who wants to get pickled will still find a way, drink in their room or car ...

Disney makes too much money from alcohol sales that if they were to eliminate it everything else would go up! I'd rather the drinkers line their pockets. I don't find folks having alcohol in the park has impacted the experience at all.

 

[MattB2G]

Stay away from Epcot on the weekends, especially in the evenings. We won't even bother going to Epcot in the afternoon on the weekends, just too crowded and to many drunk people. Luckily we go for at least 7 days and go during the week.

 

[jimmymc]

I think Epcot and Studios would see significantly fewer guests in the evenings. Adult groups might even do fewer park days.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I'm going to sound like the "back in my day" person....! But I remember when alcohol at Disney was only in the restaurants during meals, and it wasn't even all the restaurants. Over the decades, it's clear there are a couple reasons for the expansion of alcohol to every corner of Disney World - profits for Disney, and a demand from customers - else it would not have grown so much. But having things like Drink Around The World, and including alcohol on the dining plans - that's Disney appealing to a group of folks who want to drink, especially at Disney. I expect a large group of folks wouldn't actually care if Disney went back to being drier than they've become - drinks at Disney seem way to expensive to go there just for that. But I also know there are people who intentionally avoid EPCOT in the evenings, especially during festivals, because of the people drinking.

So, in short, unless there's another amendment to ban drinking in this country (which ain't happening!), Disney won't ban it. Too much profit! And as long as Disney makes it readily available, a majority of people are going to drink throughout the day at Disney. We just hope they're adult about it, as most are.....

 

[BrianL]

While I personally don't drink, I have never really witnessed any problems arising from it at WDW. I do roll my eyes at the drinking around the world t-shirts, but I've never seen it be an issue (though I have read reports of it getting stupid, like people trying to climb the pyramid). Mostly I've seen "fun drinks" which is to say they guy at MK loudly sining along to Boo To You. This was before MK had any type of alcohol so he must have pre-gamed like @Smugpugmug was saying. He did know all the words though! I've never actually seen any puking in the bushes or anything.

Personally, I wish society didn't place such an emphasis on drinking and it's corellation to having fun, but that's not really an exclusively Disney issue.

 

[Disneydawg74]

The “Drinking Around the World” at EPCOT often results in drunken, obnoxious behavior.

 

[WinterSolider]

Maybe I am in the minority but I have never had an issue with drinking at Disney. And truthfully every once in awhile on vacation I enjoy some day drinking. When we travel with our kids and if we see any issues that others are having with drinking, we just use it as a teaching example. When I am walking around the parks, I like to have a drink on a hot day.

I won't go to Epcot at night on the weekends during a festival, but other than that I agree.

 

[SteveH]

Honestly, it wouldn't bother me one bit. I know it won't happen due to the profit it generates though.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't think you can even wistfully think about this because of their Food & Wine Festival and over at DCA their festival as well. It's in the name for alcohol. I do agree drinking around the world can create issues but the festival plugs in the attendance holes and removal of that would affect that. Festival of the Arts does have stuff as well but it's really a well-known thing for there to be a Food & Wine festival.

But let's be honest while alcohol can be a problem for people fights break out at MK a lot more due to unruly behavior mostly line issues, alcohol is not cited as much of a contributing factor there.

Also the usage of the question "I've seen too much day drinking" is arbitrarily done. Having an alcoholic beverage during the day shouldn't be taboo, drinking in excess is the issue not that someone consumes a beverage during the day. If you're thinking "oh my but the children" you really need to look more at the brawls that happen most especially at MK. I see far more frustrated yelling, using profanity and mean behavior from adults who do not appear in the least to have been drinking, they are just plain over the theme park environment (with the weather a particularly added brutal component). If you're talking about guest experience that overwhelmingly was a negative for me seeing all the very mean and disgruntled parents.

 

[fla4fun]

I think the worst drunken behavior I have seen in one of the parks was a group of about eight thirty-something adults at Epcot who were completely intoxicated and racing each other on park rented ECVs with a drink in one hand and the other on the throttle. They passed by me quickly, and I didn’t see them again, but I have to believe at some point they either hurt themselves or another park guest before the day was done. This was during the week, during the afternoon, and during a festival.

I don’t think Disney will forego the profits from selling alcohol and there are plenty of guests who drink responsibly. However, they really do need to stop selling to guests who are already intoxicated and they need to start removing guests who are a danger to themselves and others. One day someone who was over-served is going to cause a fatal traffic accident or do something irresponsible that costs them their own life, and Disney is going to get a boatload of bad publicity and perhaps lawsuits as a result. We have all seen news stories about bars being held liable for what happens when they continue to serve someone who is clearly intoxicated, but when it’s Disney? They need to start making adjustments to their policies and procedures now before it blows up in their face.

 

[lanejudy]

Didn't MK used to be "dry" until a few years ago? I don't think WDW will go back, there was too much demand from guests and too much profit for WDW.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Didn't MK used to be "dry" until a few years ago? I don't think WDW will go back, there was too much demand from guests and too much profit for WDW.

For MK it was when BOG was added which looking it up that was in 2012 (where has the time gone!).

 

[Chuck S]

I'm pretty much a teetotaler, I rarely drink alcohol, but I do usually enjoy 2 or 3 adult beverages during my normal weeklong Disney trips. One is the Hollywood Lights beverage at the Brown Derby, and then what ever else that sounds good, which is most often at a resort and not a park. So it would have little overall effect on my enjoyment of Disney, That said, it is rare that I have seen any real problems from people who have had too much, though I'm sure they do happen.