Alcohol at the parks

[orlandorealtor]

If my drinking alcohol is so bad for the kids , why can't they just ban the kids

Excellent

 

[dumboflyer]

First, I apologize if any of this has already been said, because I zipped through pages 1-6 pretty quickly!

I have a drink perhaps once a week, so I'm by no means a big drinker. However, I think that it would really detract from Epcot to remove alcohol. Part of experiencing other countries is experiencing their food & drinks. To not have that open as an option for guests would be sad.

Second, I think the attitude that kids shouldn't even see alcohol is DANGEROUS! A parent may be able to shield their child from alcohol when they're young, but eventually the child will grow up and have to make his/her own decisions. Being afraid of alcohol or thinking it's evil would be socially devistating for that person. Most child development theories (my mother-in-law has her PhD in educational psychology) say that the most effective way to deal with things like alcohol is for the parent to explain, not hide.

Third, while alcohol should be kept in the parks, smoking should not. As much as Disney tries to control where people smoke, there are still countless people who will light up whenever and wherever they please. Plus, the designated smoking areas are not secluded enough. Anyone who, like me, is sensitive at all to cigarette smoke knows how the disgusting smells flood the areas surrounding the smoking areas. I understand that people want to smoke, but why can't it be done in such a way that none of the rest of us have to smell it and breathe it in?

SO, in response to RPMdfw,
"You know, I have a problem with smoking and I think it should be banned."

 

[DMC-12]

I find it interesting that the people who want to ban things (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) are never the ones who are actually suffering from the abuse of such things. It's always some self-righteous so and so who is bent on protecting the rest of us from ourselves, or failing that, crying "But what about the children!"

Once, just once, I'd like to hear someone say "You know, I have a problem with (fill in the blank) and I think it should be banned." But you never hear that.

It's always someone who knows better than all the rest of us. Telling us that we don't live up to their moral standards. Well, I have to say that MY moral standards include free-thinking, tolerance, and not bothering people who aren't hurting me. So, thanks for your opinion, now leave me alone while I have another Jack and Coke

I agree... The same thing goes for smoking... to the people who feel the need to come into the various smoking sections in the parks... and feel the need to 'preach' to me and say nasty things. But anyway, I digress.

I have "drank around the world" and "drank the [resort] monorail loop". Just this past DEC I even had a "Yard O' Cheer" from the stand in the UK at Epcot, the proceded to have another in Germany. I was fine... but knew when to stop... and that was it. I promptly went and got something to eat.. and continued to enjoy the rest of world showcase. So I imbibed a bit at Epcot... no one was hurt, and I controlled myself and had a great time. :wave:

I have been to the food & wine festival at Epcot a few times now. And its one of my fav times to visit. I love to sample all the various wines from different countries.

Anyway, I guess the point I am trying to make here... is that, not everyone that drinks at the parks, is an irresponsible @$$, that acts like a lout. :wave:

 

[SpenceMan01]

Can I? Yes. I have beer and Jager sitting in my refridgerator right now that I haven't touched in over a month.

Shame on you..... that Jag should be in the FREEZER not the fridge! Jag abuse!

So. Disney serves alcohol in their parks. That is their right. I think that their ethical responsibility in this situation is constrained to the following:

• Ensuring that all consumption is legal (ie: everyone is 21+)
• Ensuring that all consumption is responsible (ie: not selling to someone who is obviously already intoxicated)
• Ensuring that all guests are safe (ie: people who have had too much to drink aren't harming/disturbing themselves or others)

If anybody can think of more to add to the list, please share (its nearly 2am here and my mind isn't exactly in an academic frame of mind).

Disney is responsible in the way they serve alcohol at the parks. I think it is good that MK is dry, seeing as there is a much higher concentration of kiddies there. Disney removes anyone who obviously can't handle themselves when drinking, so I don't see a problem. Come back and we'll talk after you start seeing masses of people lying in pools of vomit with fights and brawls breaking out.

 

[RPMdfw]

SO, in response to RPMdfw,
"You know, I have a problem with smoking and I think it should be banned."

Ah, but you're NOT a smoker who is trying to quit and honestly wants help.

You ARE someone who wants to dictate to others. Not due to trying to save them from themselves, granted, but to lessen your own discomfort. I can definitely get behind such reasoning more than people simply moralizing. And I do sympathize. As a non-smoker who is also sensitive to smoke, I don't linger near smoking sections, myself. But I support the rights of those individuals to choose to smoke (and have a cocktail, too if they want.)

Also, banning smoking from the parks entirely would make the smoking problems WORSE, not better. You'll never get people to stop smoking. At least with designated smoking areas, the COURTEOUS SMOKERS have a place to go, leaving only the discourteous smokers running around with a smoke in their hands. Take away the smoking areas, and lots more folks will be running around the parks smoking.

 

[RPMdfw]

If my drinking alcohol is so bad for the kids , why can't they just ban the kids

Can't ban the kids, Speck! Parents need something to do with them during the day while they're waiting to take them to Pleasure Island at night! :hammer: :lol:

 

[righttrack]

I think that moderate alcohol consumption is normal in the world, and thus should be "normal" at WDW. We enjoy glasses of wine, beer, etc. at Epcot and a nice "umbrella drink" at our resort during our afternoon break. Our transportation is handled for us, so nobody is getting on the road. Even with that considered, we aren't getting to the point of being impaired. The world has lots of different cultures, people and belief systems. Its best that the most tolerant of those be "the law". Its up to the individual to further restrict themselves rather than those around them.

 

[MeTa]

when my friend went back to Disney World during christmas she saw in the Backlot Express, and many other food places, beer and other alcohol

i can understand at say the Hollywood Brown Derby having wine or something but beer at the fast food places is ridiculous!


what do you people think

When I am walking around in the parks and it is super hot I can honestly say its one of the only times I can enjoy a cold beer.

 

[dflye]

• Ensuring that all consumption is legal (ie: everyone is 21+)
• Ensuring that all consumption is responsible (ie: not selling to someone who is obviously already intoxicated)
• Ensuring that all guests are safe (ie: people who have had too much to drink aren't harming/disturbing themselves or others)

If anybody can think of more to add to the list, please share (its nearly 2am here and my mind isn't exactly in an academic frame of mind).

A few other ways that they manage consumption at the parks:

• Alcohol only available at a few of the many carts and counter service restaurants in AK & MGM, usually with a very limited selection (World Showcase at Epcot is a whole different story, where you can get a shot of schnapps in various flavors when in Germany, for example :lol: )
• Strict limit of one drink per guest per visit to the cash register. If you are buying for a spouse that is looking for a table while you are in line, the cashier has to be able to visibly identify the person you are purchasing a drink for before you can complete the purchase.
• No giant size for beer (again, Epcot being the exception to this rule.)
• Park maps list what food is served at each location, but don't indicate which locations serve beer (but usually do indicate if they serve mixed drinks)

 

[ScrapIron]

Be discrete, don't cause problems for others, and I have no problem with anyone using any recreational substance, legal or not, during an outing to the theme park of their choice.

Cheers.

 

[jasonchas]

not everyone wants to see nor sometimes smell the alcohol in public

Hmm. I was in World Showcase a few weeks ago standing in line for my EMH bracelet with a Jack Daniels and Coke. The cast member who swiped my card went "hmm.. that smells so good". He picked on me and said he couldn’t wait to go have a drink. He had worked a 13-hour day.

 

[CommunicoreBabe]

It just dawned on me that there will never be alcohol served at MK as long as the Tomorrowland Speedway is open. It would risk drivers under the influence going 12 mph. What a bummer.

 

[barnum42]

Also, banning smoking from the parks entirely would make the smoking problems WORSE, not better. You'll never get people to stop smoking. At least with designated smoking areas, the COURTEOUS SMOKERS have a place to go, leaving only the discourteous smokers running around with a smoke in their hands. Take away the smoking areas, and lots more folks will be running around the parks smoking.

True.

I'm asthmatic, loath smoking and am amazed that in a world where someone gets a multi million dollar payout for spilling coffee or tripping over their own kid in a store, the tobacco corporations can freely sell a substance know to kill...but that's a rant for another place and time.

I appreciate that a nicotine addict has to top up and it's great that there are places they can do so in the parks at no or minimum disruption to other guests. Full kudos to all those considerate enough to use the smoking areas, my gratitude and thanks to you all.

As RPMdfw said, if there is nowhere for them to light up then smokers will just do it anyway and as many do now, will get abusive to any CM who requests them to not smoke.

So apart from the occasional moron that feels they don't have to obay the rules I can enjoy the parks without playing dodge the clouds and the smokers can keep an even keel to enjoy themselves.

 

[Dwarful]

Ok, first off I didn't read every entry on all 8 pages. But, I like the idea of MK being alcohol free. I have also enjoyed the Food & Wine Festival and occasionally my husband has enjoyed a beer in Germany. People enjoy food and drinks at Epcot in particular. I don't fork out $$ for drinks in AK or MGM because we don't go to WDW to get plastered, and I don't think most people do either. Kids will see alcohol if they ever leave the house. I have two girls and they have seen alcohol in church (communion), gas stations (entire walls of beer and here they sell it by the individual cans ..hmmn, yeah that will cut back on the drinking and driving)

I think your kids learn what you teach them. I am the youngest of 3 kids, much younger than my siblings. My dad was a Korean War veteran, he had 2 tatoos that he got during his 22 month stint in Korea. He was a union plumber, who smoked Pall Mall unfiltereds and chewed Skoal tobacco, he also stopped after work to enjoy a Boilermaker with the guys before heading home. None of us kids has tatoos, smokes cigarettes or chews tobacco (which my husband appreciates). We do have the occasional drink but we don't get plastered or out of control and someone always is the designated driver no matter what. Will banning alcohol make WDW a better place? I seriously doubt it. Do we need it available at every cart, around every corner, no we don't. All things in moderation.

 

[NTI2002]

I guess this would be the wrong place to say that since my siblings and I have turned 21+ one of our favorite activities is drinking around the world at Epcot.

 

[DDPGambit]

Since I'm a fairly young WDW visitor (22) I feel I should throw in my 2 cents. I have been to WDW 35 times or so and only the very last trip (2003) did I even think about the fact that alcohol is available there. I should be a poster child for the claims that serving alcohol at WDW does not affect the children there. I cannot recall any instances as a child where I saw someone drunk or excessively drinking. I'm sure I may have been briefly around such things at WDW at one time or another, but they haven't stuck with me, primarily because as a child, I didn't know what alcohol was. My parents are not drinkers at all, ( glass of wine on NYE and that's it for them) so I was not raised around alcohol. As I grew up I learned what the stuff was from school. I saw it at WDW in beverage carts and menus, but I just didn't care. It wasn't meant for me, and I ignored it, as most children probably do.
At this point in my life I do go out and enjoy a drink every now and then, but always in moderation. (Well, I take that back, always in moderation after I got terribly drunk one time and learned my lesson. ) It's fun to go out with friends have a beer or two and just kick back and relax. Do I get drunk? Not at all. Do I often feel "the need" to drink? No. Sometimes after a rough day at work I'll be looking forward to going out with my friends moreso than usual, but I never feel like, "I need alcohol". So, since I am going to WDW in August for the first time with friends who will all be of drinking age, I look forward to going around the World Showcase trying new drinks and having a good time. Do I plan on getting drunk? Not really, although I'm responsible enough to know when enough's enough. Would I be upset is Disney stopped serving alcohol? Not really. I'd still go and have a great time, it's just one less thing to do/spend money on. That said, I agree with not serving alcoholic drinks at MK for various reasons, but I see no problem in having them elsewhere around "the world." Some people are making this a way bigger deal than it really is. Lighten up and chill out, it's Disney World for crying out loud! Just do the things that make you happy and ignore the stuff that doesn't. (i.e. drinking). We'll all be happy that way!

 

[orlandorealtor]

Just do the things that make you happy and ignore the stuff that doesn't. (i.e. drinking).

... i.e. taking a plastic sword in the eye or a stroller in the back of the foot. Hence the need for a few drinks in the first place.

 

[1disneydood]

I used to work the door at a few big bars on Bourbon Street. You'd have to be more drunk than disney can provide, in order to bother me.:lol:

 

[Dj Corona]

My 2 cents...
First off I thought it was amusing 2 different threads about alcohol got started almost in the same day ( see the Plesure Island thread ) anyways ....
Hey people, it's your vacation, if you wanna relax with a cold one or two, and your responsible about it, knock yourself out. I know I do. I've seen people at the parks who are sober act worse then some people i've seen drunk. Out of all the times I go, other then maybe a few Paris Hilton-esque girls wobbling out of last year's food and wine festival at Epcot, ( and yes, this next story is true, close your eyes and imagine) a guy who was so smashed at PI, when we got back to Riverside, tried to drive off in the luggage cart. Scarier thing was the night before the same guy was in drag as Snow White!! I have no problem with alcohol not being served at the MK, but as far as the other parks, and as long as people behave themselves, it's all good.

 

[b21nhl]

2. It is a HUGE profit maker, especially since very few people are drinking as they would "going out" at the parks.

i'm not sure if it still is, but beer in mgm was like 4.75 from tap and like 5.25 from the bottle. disney is making bank. they also have rules for their cms about serving the alcohol. its just a bummer that cms cant take tips. beer drinkers love giving tips.