Alcohol now served at all table service restaurants in Magic Kingdom - what about DL?

[BasiltheBatLord]

Please no.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

The puritanical and arbitrary ban on alcohol in DL will end with SWGE, and from there it's just a matter of time before table service locations add it as well.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Walt was a hypocrite who drank Scotch Mists, an alcoholic's drink if I ever had one. Available at DCA!

 

[mmelka]

I personally enjoy being able to walk around WDW with a drink in my hand. Its much too expensive to ever get sloppy, but I guess there are people who still get that way - especially at Epcot. But I think if they kept the alcohol (and by the way, we're only talking about beer and wine, not hard alcohol) in sit down restaurants then that would be okay with me. I can understand Walt's wishes, but the money making opportunity alone seems silly for TWDC to pass up on.

I am also a person that truly enjoys beer and trying new ones out, I make it a point when I visit somewhere new to try local brews. So places like DCA and Epcot that offer lots of local beers from California/other Countries, lets me enjoy that experience too.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Personally, I'd ban booze from all castle parks.

They tried that in Paris. Was not a popular decision.

 

[TROR]

Out of curiosity, as the operator of a theme park like EPCOT or California Adventure, how would you speak to the local food cultures of places like Sonoma, France, Italy, or Spain where wine and beer play a big part in the food scene without alcohol?

Epcot is not a family theme park

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

It used to be a more adult park, that much is certain.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

And then Walt opened Club 33 (albeit a year after his passing) which has served alcohol since. Alcohol has been in DL longer than HM!

 

[Practical Pig]

It's weird because he seemed to have no issues at all with alcohol at The Disneyland Hotel or at Holidayland, and both had lots of children present.

I expect that for him it was a public relations image issue more than anything else. That squeaky-clean family-friendly image that was his brand wasn't about to get tarnished when he opened DL.

But yeah, Holidayland in it's day, with it's own entrance to DL, supplied alcohol to the adults who wanted it during their Disneyland day, to Disney's profit.

 

[Phroobar]

Of course this means another source of drunk drivers on the road. You can get slushed almost anywhere in the resort now so it doesn't really matter.

On the bright side, it will be a shorter walk for @George Lucas on a Bench to get slushed before starting a haunted mansion ride marathon for his YouTube channel.

 

[Practical Pig]

I think it makes sense to preserve some of the integrity of the park and not have alcohol booths like DCA has, but at table service restaurants, it only makes sense to add alcohol.

I think this is the most sensible approach. I don't want to see booze carts in DL. Table service alcohol sales are tempered with food consumption and table-turnover times. I could see sales being less restricted in SW:GE, with the Cantina serving as more of a pub.

 

[dweezil78]

When you are at MK, you do not feel the presence of alcohol one iota IMO. It's there at the nicer table restaurants, just like literally any restaurant you would walk into in America -- sans anything resembling a bar, which many restaurants also have. It seems silly, to me, to have a meal in a nice restaurant like Blue Bayou, eating that kind of food, and not have an option to have a glass of wine with the meal.

 

[The_Mesh_Hatter]

Walt doesn't matter, the Company can shape his image how they see fit. Besides, remember a few years ago when CM's were finally permitted to sport facial hair?

The more interesting question is: will DLR ever sell cannabis products and how soon?

 

[FerretAfros]

DL doesn't *need* to sell alcohol; clearly they've managed to be successful for the last 63 years without it. I kind of like that it's not there, as it helps distinguish it from the rest of the world, sort of like taking a weekend trip somewhere with spotty cell phone service: it makes you feel like you've arrived at somewhere that's different from your ordinary routine and adapt accordingly. It's not so inconvenient as to turn people off, but it's enough that they're aware something's different

That said, I am not necessarily opposed to adding wine and beer to the table service restaurants, which are few and far between in that park. Contrary to their claims (and prices), they're not exactly "fine dining" but this would help make them feel a little classier. Given that they're a rather limited sliver of DL's overall dining capacity (in my countless trips to the park, I'm not sure I've had more than 10 table service meals), this won't really impact the average guest in any way. If people want to be drunk in DL, it's already quite easy to do with DCA and DTD nearby.

I'll be curious to see how this impacts the turnover of tables, ease of getting reservations, and ultimately the profits. Every time I've had a table service meal at DL, the turnover has been remarkably fast; I often spend less than 30 minutes sitting at the table; in the real world, I can easily spend that long sipping a drink after a meal is done. Having people linger limits how often new parties can be seated, which could be a problem for high demand locations (like the Blue Bayou and Cantina). Is that $10 glass of wine really so valuable to the restaurant that they'd rather serve it than turn the table over to a fresh (and hungry) party?

 

[Texas84]

No, keep it a family park. Go to DCA and get drunk. And that's an opinion from someone who loves Epcot Drunkytown.

 

[SSG]

 

[SSG]

At Bayside Brews, you can get a Karl Strauss Tower 10 IPA for $10.00. At Alfresco Tasting Terrace, you can get a glass of Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon for $20.00. While I'm sure it happens now and then, at those prices how many people are getting faded at DCA?

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

It looks pretty clear to me. If WDW's cantina serves booze, how can DL's not? I think there are several options when SW:GE opens at DL:
1) Alcohol served in the cantina bar and restaurant, but consumed only within the facility.
2) Beer and wine also served at the other food places.
3) Both of the above with full roaming within SW:GE just like DCA and other non-castle parks (the entire DL resort is already licensed for this).
I think some combination of 1 and 2 is most likely because 3 would totally violate Walt's rule and would be hard to confine within SW:GE.

As for the rest of Disneyland, I think adding some form of alcohol service is inevitable:
1) Beer and wine at table service locations.
2) Limited or full cocktail service also at table service.
3) Beer and wine at buffeteria locations (Zocalo, Plaza Inn, French Market, etc).
4) Beer and wine at quick service locations.
5) Full availability throughout the park like DCA.
I expect some form of 1, 2, and 3 within a few years (probably with a gradual rollout). I think 3 and 4 are less likely, but not impossible. I would be disappointed if they went all out with 5. I don't think it's necessary for DL Park and Magic Kingdom to have roaming.

 

[Rich T]

The puritanical and arbitrary ban on alcohol in DL will end with SWGE, and from there it's just a matter of time before table service locations add it as well.

I just don't understand people who can't survive one day at a family theme park without longing for alcohol.

 

[Rich T]

I don't know what I'm worried about. What could possibly happen?
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