Alcohol in the Magic Kingdom

[21stamps]

As someone who visits at least once a month I can tell you that it is a problem at times in the resort lounges. And just because your child sat their quietly doesn't mean all kids do, or that they still belong in the lounge to begin with. Two weeks ago I was at the lounge in the Beach Club and had one families children running around disturbing everyone. Finally the server said something to the parents and they left. However this shouldn't have been allowed to happen in the first place. The lounges are designed as quiet places to escape the hustle and bustle of the parks.

No, it shouldn't be allowed to happen, anywhere. Obnoxious behavior from children or adults is not acceptable... which is obviously proven by the concern people have for alcohol in MK within this thread.

Disney does not market any of these lounges or restaurants to adults only. They are listed on the website when someone is deciding where to stay, they are mentioned in a booklet, and the list of options are emailed to you prior to your arrival. So because of all of this, I'm still not understanding where the idea of "a child should not be there" is coming from..it's certainly not Disney.

 

[Gabe1]

We will agree to disagree then. A lounge is not a quick service spot to grab a bite to eat, It's a place to relax and drink. So in my opinion It's not a place for children to be. Because it's Walt Disney World, Disney will not restrict children from being present with there parents. It still doesn't make it right that parents bring them along.

Actually many of the Disney resorts encourage you to grab a bite at the lounges, have for decades. In many cases the QS venues close down long before the lounges that continue to offer quick bites. Guests are directed there.
I've yet to be in the Rooster's Lounge where at least good chunk of tables were not families.

My thoughts are adults having too much to drink are more likely to ruin an experience when liquor is involved that a child in the establishment.

 

[James Norrie]

You've expressed that you think children "should not be in" nice restaurants or these WDW lounges. Not because Disney or the owners say they shouldn't be though, just because it's your view.

What's wrong is the narrow minded view that a bar at Applebee's, 5 feet from the table your kids are sitting at, is any more "kid appropriate" than Shula's or Mizner's. The only thing different is the menu and noise level. All kids are different. Exposure is important to me. You view that as a horrible thought, I view it as attempting to raise a well rounded human in a way that makes sense to me.

If seeing a child sitting at a table 5 ft from you, eating and having a non alcoholic drink at 7or 8pm wrecks your evening.. I suggest first-taking a look at yourself, and second- maybe sticking to places that have a 21+ minimum

First, Never said anything about restaurants. I said Lounges and bars (where I'm from Lounges are bars).

Applebee's is a good example to use, and my kids have heard plenty of swears and seen plenty of innapropriate behavior there, when seated close to the Bar. Hence, we ask for a table away from that area to avoid it.

What I'm talking about specifically is anyone with young children in a Lounge after say 9 o'clock. There is no valid reason (*IMO) for a child to be exposed to that. Well-Rounded has nothing to do with that. It's about keeping them innocent and not having to answer questions like :"Why is his tongue down her throat?" or even better "why is she grabbing him there?". Yes, I've seen it at WDW, in all areas (even MK before Alcohol). It's about limiting exposure and allowing kids to be kids for a while, not prepping them for an anatomy class or giving the birds and the bees speech when they are 8.

And Lastly, do you mean the (3) 21+ places in 43 square miles? Or the 21+ places that you think your kid should be allowed in because he's well behaved? I get it, your son is the picture of perfection, and does not behave like the others. I'm glad that you are raising him to be respectful and well-behaved. You, unfortunately, are the exception rather than the rule when it comes to families in WDW. Now, if all were like your son, I might have a different POV... Just Sayin

 

[ford91exploder]

I think the point is they want to sell $30 worth of food and $30 worth of alcohol at these locations. That is going to be way more profitable than having a table tied up with just drinkers.

I don't believe it's management's intention to just sell alcohol. If that was the case they would just open a bar and allow people to buy drinks at will. That would be a lot more profitable than hoping people will figure out how to "game the system" to sit in the BOG dining room sucking down $7 beers.

Agree with you on Disney probably wants both sides of the sale (food+alcohol), My point was merely to indicate that alcohol sales are always more profitable than food sales and with Disney's behavior of late that's a bit troubling in that a short sighted manager might shift their establishment towards alcohol sales as it's lower risk and more profitable than food sales and that would further reduce dining capacity at WDW

 

[GoofGoof]

No, it shouldn't be allowed to happen, anywhere. Obnoxious behavior from children or adults is not acceptable... which is obviously proven by the concern people have for alcohol in MK within this thread.

Disney does not market any of these lounges or restaurants to adults only. They are listed on the website when someone is deciding where to stay, they are mentioned in a booklet, and the list of options are emailed to you prior to your arrival. So because of all of this, I'm still not understanding where the idea of "a child should not be there" is coming from..it's certainly not Disney.

You are 100% correct that the lounges are currently not adult only and there is no issue with anyone with kids going to them. What started all of this is that some people think Disney should expand the adult only options. We have focused this discussion on lounges because they have the least appeal for kids but it could just as easily be a signature restaurant that is converted.

I haven't seen enough photos to make me think it's the norm, so I can only go with what I've personally seen, and what I have not seen proof of. Like I said though, I have no idea about Top of the World bc I have never been there.

That begs the question though, if you are staying somewhere else, and you want to go have a cocktail in early evening (I keep stressing early bc I am talking before 9pm)at Tambu Lounge.. is it better that "you" (general) have a seat, or is it more 'fair" that me, as a guest at that resort, is having some sushi and drink there, taking up 2 chairs..not at the bar...Having chosen to stay at that resort in part bc of their many dining options.
Regardless of if I was alone and my kid was at Lilo's, or if him and I are there together, it is still taking up the same amount of space.

A good analogy for this would be an adult only pool at a resort. Some places outside of Disney choose to have a main pool and a smaller adult only pool. Even if you are staying at the resort you can't have kids in the adult pool. They don't make an exception for kids who behave and don't splash because if you let 1 kid in you have to let them all in.

 

[beertiki]

I live in Key West, a town full of drunks, drag queens, gays, and nudity. Complaining about kids in bars at Disney, is like a parent bringing their kid to KW and complaining that they saw 2 half naked men kissing. It's Disney, it's full of kids, everywhere you look, what did you expect? I do enjoy going to WDW, but there is no way I would go on a DCL, too many kids.

 

[GoofGoof]

Agree with you on Disney probably wants both sides of the sale (food+alcohol), My point was merely to indicate that alcohol sales are always more profitable than food sales and with Disney's behavior of late that's a bit troubling in that a short sighted manager might shift their establishment towards alcohol sales as it's lower risk and more profitable than food sales and that would further reduce dining capacity at WDW

I agree that management gets things wrong a lot. In this case I just don't see a lot of push to make MK a giant bar by having people drink instead of eat at the sit down restaurants. I think it all comes down to profit per square foot. The best way to optimize it is to sell both an expensive meals and expensive drinks with it. If a straight up bar was more profitable Skipper's would probably have been made that way. You can cram a lot of people around a bar and sell a lot of booze without building a large dining room or series of rooms.

 

[GoofGoof]

I live in Key West, a town full of drunks, drag queens, gays, and nudity. Complaining about kids in bars at Disney, is like a parent bringing their kid to KW and complaining that they saw 2 half naked men kissing. It's Disney, it's full of kids, everywhere you look, what did you expect? I do enjoy going to WDW, but there is no way I would go on a DCL, too many kids.

I don't think anyone is complaining about too many kids at WDW. Its clear by the current rules that outside of the 4 places with restrictions kids are allowed in bars/lounges with no restriction. The debate is over whether Disney should increase the number of adult only options or just keep it at 4.

 

[21stamps]

I don't think anyone is complaining about too many kids at WDW. Its clear by the current rules that outside of the 4 places with restrictions kids are allowed in bars/lounges with no restriction. The debate is over whether Disney should increase the number of adult only options or just keep it at 4.

That's the discussion/debate that the subject started as.. then it turned in to- "Parents should NOT bring their children to a lounge at WDW even though it is allowed" and "OMG Kids will see horrible inappropriate things if they are having lunch or dinner in a lounge at WDW!"

Im fine with adult only pools or adult only bars or even adult only resorts. I enjoy them. I don't think Disney World is the right place to be filled with "adult only" places. There's a reason why Sandals has the "Sandals Resorts" and why they also have "Beaches Resorts". You don't go to the Sandals resorts if you are seeking an adult only vacation.

 

[SorcererMC]

No, it shouldn't be allowed to happen, anywhere. Obnoxious behavior from children or adults is not acceptable... which is obviously proven by the concern people have for alcohol in MK within this thread.

Disney does not market any of these lounges or restaurants to adults only. They are listed on the website when someone is deciding where to stay, they are mentioned in a booklet, and the list of options are emailed to you prior to your arrival. So because of all of this, I'm still not understanding where the idea of "a child should not be there" is coming from..it's certainly not Disney.

Now that the thread has come back around to this unruly children issue I have a couple of thoughts. Like yours my kid was rather mature for his age (being the first grandkid), so quite often he was the only kid in a group of adults at restaurant celebrations that included alcohol. He was about 10 when we were wine-tasting in Napa; in the tasting room, there was a kids' table with coloring books (and he also got the best tasting grape juice he'll ever have). I think WDW could have more adults only options, but failing that, there's an easy fix - signs to this effect.

 

[21stamps]

Now that the thread has come back around to this unruly children issue I have a couple of thoughts. Like yours my kid was rather mature for his age (being the first grandkid), so quite often he was the only kid in a group of adults at restaurant celebrations that included alcohol. He came along when we were wine-tasting in Napa; in the tasting room, there was a kids' table with coloring books (and he also got the best tasting grape juice he'll ever have). I think WDW could have more adults only options, but failing that, there's an easy fix - signs to this effect.
View attachment 180546

Lol! Perfect sign!
That's really neat that he did those things! Maybe you understand a little of what I'm saying then...I am not at all, or even remotely, saying that my kid is some model behavior child, or that he is 6 going on 26..or that he should be allowed in any restaurant or lounge at any place where we live or travel to.. .He loves "kid themed" stuff of course, he also just loves spending time with me, some of out best times out are away from all of the loud "kid stuff" and just in an environment where we can eat some good food, have fun drinks, and chat about our day, or our next day, or about whatever else comes to mind. Like I said, they aren't daily or weekly, but we like our "fancy nights" (even when we aren't even dressed fancy) occasionally I know enough mom's close to my age, with kids similar to my kid's age, to know that I am not alone in this behavior.

 

[GoofGoof]

That's the discussion/debate that the subject started as.. then it turned in to- "Parents should NOT bring their children to a lounge at WDW even though it is allowed" and "OMG Kids will see horrible inappropriate things if they are having lunch or dinner in a lounge at WDW!"

Well you can't blame parents for bringing their kids to a place that has no restriction on kids. In the real world maybe you don't need a sign saying adult only or 21+ but this is WDW and I would say if it doesn't explicitly say no kids allowed then it is fare game to bring them in.

Im fine with adult only pools or adult only bars or even adult only resorts. I enjoy them. I don't think Disney World is the right place to be filled with "adult only" places. There's a reason why Sandals has the "Sandals Resorts" and why they also have "Beaches Resorts". You don't go to the Sandals resorts if you are seeking an adult only vacation.

One thing I disagree with is that it has to be all or nothing. You can have a family friendly resort that is overwhelmingly kid friendly but still has some adult only options as well. It doesn't have to be zero adult only options or filled with "adult only" places. Those are the 2 extremes. I think it's nice to have a few adult options like they currently have at WDW and I think based on their popularity and demand they could use a few more. Is there any argument that Trader Sams works really well as adult only after 8PM? It allows families and kids to still enjoy the environment during the day and early evening but gives adults a break from kids at night. A few more Trader Sams like options would do the resort some good.

 

[Minnie1976]

But currently they aren't really adding alcohol in an amusement park. They are serving drinks with dinner at waited service restaurants. There isn't really a difference between someone leaving the park, eating dinner at The Wave in the Contemporary (with a glass of wine) and coming back in, compared to eating at Tony's and having a glass of wine with their pasta.

The only place I'm less sure on it is Cinderella's Royal Table, as that is more like a theme park attraction than a restaurant. But the food I had was good, so for an adults only meal there I can still see the appeal.

It is the same thing as the restaurant is in an amusement park. Is alcohol really that important, really?

 

[GoofGoof]

It is the same thing as the restaurant is in an amusement park. Is alcohol really that important, really?

The beast scares me. I need a drink or 2 to face him after dinner

 

[21stamps]

Well you can't blame parents for bringing their kids to a place that has no restriction on kids. In the real world maybe you don't need a sign saying adult only or 21+ but this is WDW and I would say if it doesn't explicitly say no kids allowed then it is fare game to bring them in.

One thing I disagree with is that it has to be all or nothing. You can have a family friendly resort that is overwhelmingly kid friendly but still has some adult only options as well. It doesn't have to be zero adult only options or filled with "adult only" places. Those are the 2 extremes. I think it's nice to have a few adult options like they currently have at WDW and I think based on their popularity and demand they could use a few more. Is there any argument that Trader Sams works really well as adult only after 8PM? It allows families and kids to still enjoy the environment during the day and early evening but gives adults a break from kids at night. A few more Trader Sams like options would do the resort some good.

Oh I agree it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I just don't think it has to be "a lot" at a place like WDW. Disney World has always been a family destination, even though adults such as myself previously wentor still go without kids as well. Take a place like Atlantis, they have become a premier family destination, but they didn't start out that way. Families used to be in the minority. To make up for that they now have exclusive adult only areas of the resort, which I think was needed and is a perfect fit. (If only they would stop selling day passes!!!! But that's another subject..)
WDW does not have casinos, they don't have the same background as a place like Atlantis, so as I've agreed that a minor few 21+ places are fine, I will again say that I think the notion of children not going to lounges in WDW because it is inappropriate is just ridiculous. I hope Disney would never change all of their lounges to 21+, especially at the resorts. I do think Disney Springs is an appropriate place to have a few of them though.

The interesting thing about people bringing up Trader Sam's is that it is exactly the same before 8pm as it is after 8pm..minus the age restriction. So why people think TS before 8pm is ok,but Tambu Lounge or Mizner's are not, just adds to my confusion of the entire convo.lol.

 

[ford91exploder]

Now that the thread has come back around to this unruly children issue I have a couple of thoughts. Like yours my kid was rather mature for his age (being the first grandkid), so quite often he was the only kid in a group of adults at restaurant celebrations that included alcohol. He was about 10 when we were wine-tasting in Napa; in the tasting room, there was a kids' table with coloring books (and he also got the best tasting grape juice he'll ever have). I think WDW could have more adults only options, but failing that, there's an easy fix - signs to this effect.
View attachment 180546

I rather like the one that says unattended children will be given candy a double espresso and a puppy....

 

[21stamps]

I rather like the one that says unattended children will be given candy a double espresso and a puppy....

That's would definitely be the worst one out of the 2!

 

[SorcererMC]

Lol! Perfect sign!
That's really neat that he did those things! Maybe you understand a little of what I'm saying then...I am not at all, or even remotely, saying that my kid is some model behavior child, or that he is 6 going on 26..or that he should be allowed in any restaurant or lounge at any place where we live or travel to.. .He loves "kid themed" stuff of course, he also just loves spending time with me, some of out best times out are away from all of the loud "kid stuff" and just in an environment where we can eat some good food, have fun drinks, and chat about our day, or our next day, or about whatever else comes to mind. Like I said, they aren't daily or weekly, but we like our "fancy nights" (even when we aren't even dressed fancy) occasionally I know enough mom's close to my age, with kids similar to my kid's age, to know that I am not alone in this behavior.

I'm fairly certain that other tourists weren't 'silently judging' us ....(the owner and guides were quite cordial and were obviously accustomed to interacting with kids).

 

[21stamps]

I'm fairly certain that other tourists weren't 'silently judging' us ....(the owner and guides were quite cordial and were obviously accustomed to interacting with kids).

That's awesome! I think that makes kids feel a little extra special sometimes too. I'm sure your son thouroughly enjoyed it!

Most, not all, but the majority of times that we have been to Morton's, Shula's, or similar for dinner the server is usually extra cute with my kid. We had one once that "recommended" a drink for him to pair with his food.. he got a kick out of it. At Disney Trader Sam's is definitely lacking in the service department in general so nothing special there, but he loved his drink w/ an umbrella so much that it doesn't matter. Our server at the GV Lounge was AMAZING!! (Maybe bc we were his only table lol), but he was completely doting on kiddo.. called him "Mr. [first name]" the entire time, and generally came across very sincere in his interactions with my son. IMO that helps them behave even better..don't know if that makes sense.. but I feel like I notice him sitting a little straighter, paying more attention to the napkin on his lap, and just speaking a little more propper, face beaming with a "I'm a big boy" look.

Kids can enjoy adult like settings, they don't always need crayons and paper to entertain them at a dinner table...sometimes they just want to talk with their parents. There may come a time when he may not enjoy dinner out with me, I hope that never happens, but who knows what the teenage years will bring.. I'm going to eat it up while I can.

 

[GoofGoof]

Oh I agree it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I just don't think it has to be "a lot" at a place like WDW. Disney World has always been a family destination, even though adults such as myself previously wentor still go without kids as well. Take a place like Atlantis, they have become a premier family destination, but they didn't start out that way. Families used to be in the minority. To make up for that they now have exclusive adult only areas of the resort, which I think was needed and is a perfect fit. (If only they would stop selling day passes!!!! But that's another subject..)
WDW does not have casinos, they don't have the same background as a place like Atlantis, so as I've agreed that a minor few 21+ places are fine, I will again say that I think the notion of children not going to lounges in WDW because it is inappropriate is just ridiculous. I hope Disney would never change all of their lounges to 21+, especially at the resorts. I do think Disney Springs is an appropriate place to have a few of them though.

The interesting thing about people bringing up Trader Sam's is that it is exactly the same before 8pm as it is after 8pm..minus the age restriction. So why people think TS before 8pm is ok,but Tambu Lounge or Mizner's are not, just adds to my confusion of the entire convo.lol.

WDW doesn't need "a lot" just a little more than it currently has. I have a hard time putting the days of PI behind me, but that offered a great option for adult nightlife without impacting families in any way.