EpcoTim
Well-Known Member
Cheers.
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Food & Wine Festival - Drunkytown?
- Thread starter Wikkler
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Cheers.
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
Eh, different strokes, as they say. Sweet dig though.
Congratulations moving to Drunkytown. Won't you take me too?
I've been to F & W many times, and while I have found the crowd levels to be above what I like many times on weekends I have never had a 'bad time' because of someone over indulging. I have seen people getting a bit more lit up than I would prefer but I have never been exposed to rampant drunkenness or people passing out around WS (if I want that I'll go to Mardi Gras thank you) of course I have this silly idea that the world doesn't revolve around me anyway so if I did find any of those things I would express my dislike by not spending money there instead of insisting Disney should make everyone comport to my view of how people show behave. If you don't want to be "exposed" to adults drinking booze go to MK, of course there you will still get the Christians who's behavior you don't like during that nights of joy celebration, the gays showing public affection you don't like during their days, the Brazilian visitors whose behavior and overall volume you don't like during the many times of the year they seem to visit, the 'horrible' spring break behavior that ruins your visit, shocks your kids, destroys the Disney image and so on during spring break, and so on. To be honest, I don't understand how anyone could get really drunk at F & W, the lines are too slow to purchase booze fast enough and the prices are quite high.
As I said, I've been there many times and this whole notion of it being over run with drunkards just doesn't seem to have happened on any of my trips.
As I said, I've been there many times and this whole notion of it being over run with drunkards just doesn't seem to have happened on any of my trips.
luv
Well-Known Member
People...and I'm not singling anyone out here...
If you've been lucky enough to never witness crowds or drunkenness at Epcot, that's great.
If you mention that you haven't because you feel that your extremely limited experience is somehow proof that everyone else made up the crowds and drunkards for crazy and/or nefarious purposes...do stop.
It happens. It happens frequently. We didn't make it up. I can't even imagine why we would make it up, but we didn't. We know we aren't lying, lol.
It's great to share experiences, but you don't fool people who know better because they have more experience than you do and have seen it a lot, with their own eyes.
If you've been lucky enough to never witness crowds or drunkenness at Epcot, that's great.
If you mention that you haven't because you feel that your extremely limited experience is somehow proof that everyone else made up the crowds and drunkards for crazy and/or nefarious purposes...do stop.
It happens. It happens frequently. We didn't make it up. I can't even imagine why we would make it up, but we didn't. We know we aren't lying, lol.
It's great to share experiences, but you don't fool people who know better because they have more experience than you do and have seen it a lot, with their own eyes.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
The simple reality is that when there are thousands of adults and easy access to lots of alcohol, hundreds are going to get drunk. And some drunks are not nice.
Sporting events have heavy security and react quickly to incidents. I'm sure Disney does the same. I'm sure Disney does the best it can to control physically abusive guests.
The problem my friends (with girls ages 3 & 5) experienced at F&WF last Saturday was that there were more than a couple of drunks who clearly resented any children being present and told my friends in very unpleasant language to get out. A couple of times, they felt intimidated. It wasn't the drunkenness that bothered them; it was the distinct reaction they received from several adults that children should somehow not be at F&WF. Some drunk would trip over one of the little girls, swear at them for being in the way, and tell them to get out of Epcot.
It's a Disney theme park! It's for families! Until WDW turns F&WF into a hard ticket event with a 21 & over age limit, families should have just as much access to F&WF as anyone.
I warned my friends not to go. I knew it was not going to be fun for them with their little ones in tow. "It's Disney. How bad can it be?" was their reaction. After mulling it over for a bit, I realized that I should never have to warn a family to stay away from a Disney theme park. It's not a sporting event, a bar, or Vegas. It's a Disney theme park!
Maybe the solution is to turn F&WF into an over 21 event. Maybe it's to turn it into a hard ticket event. Maybe it's to limit crowds in the World Showcase. (Epcot has an impressive capacity. During F&WF, especially on weekends, I suspect way too many are crowding into WS, especially with all the booths set up.) Maybe it's to blackout F&WF for those with "Epcot After Four" tickets.
Disney certainly does what it can to control crowd behavior but, IMHO, Disney needs to decide exactly who F&WF is for and then take the steps necessary to reign in some of F&WF's excesses.
Until Disney makes F&WF a 21-and-over event, families should have every right to visit Epcot during F&WF without being made to feel distinctly unwelcome by drunken patrons.
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
and vice versa....
Just because you have seen unruly behavior does not mean it is the norm. In fact, my guess is, it's not.
And what exactly does frequently mean? Does it mean that one group per saturday gets too drunk and becomes a problem? Because to me, with the amount of people who attend f&W, that is the dead opposite of frequently.
And how do you know you have more experience?
I have spent many days at F&W and have yet to feel "uncomfortable" with the amount of drunkards. I do get uncomfortable with large crowds, so I avoid it on Saturdays.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
This thread is driving me to drink.
GeoDonJac34
Well-Known Member
I love the F@W festival. I have been there many times over the last ten years. The worst thing I saw was a young male relieving himself on the side of a building. No violence or anything like that. I have learned to avoid the place from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. It is just too crowded. The weekend nights are probably not the best place for very young kids.
Pixie VaVoom
Well-Known Member
You do know that 'relieving ones self on public' is an illegal act, and can get you labeled as a convicted registered sex offender, for exposure in a public place.
If that has now become acceptable in Epcot...maybe it is time to shut the gates !!!
Fable McCloud
Well-Known Member
I think the easiest way to handle this is just to set a maximum drink limit while in the parks. If you wanna get loaded at your Hotel or Downtown that's your business, but in the parks, a 2-3 drink maximum would alloow adults to enjoy their wine or beer, but also ensure that they don't leave and embarrass or endanger anyone. It would be really smart of them to make something like this a policy rather than leaving it up to the bartenders to make the call.
It's a better way to do the Zero Tolerance type of thing. This way it's a compromise rather than one extreme or the other.
It's a better way to do the Zero Tolerance type of thing. This way it's a compromise rather than one extreme or the other.
James122
Well-Known Member
I've never been to the Food and Wine Festival (gasp!), but I was at Epcot on St. Patrick's day a few years ago and the entire park was a madhouse of drunk folks. It was absolutely crazy, and not something I want to repeat again. I mean, I love a good beer just as much as the next guy but there were way too many out of control drunks around that night.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
Sheesh! Quit trying to control me already.
71jason
Well-Known Member
It's easy to say "the parks are crowded." And, in the case of F&W, it's just as easy to back that statement up--the photos speak for themselves.
Now, to say the crowds are made up of out-of-control drunks--that becomes harder to quantify. Of course people are drinking. But are they acting overly loud and boisterous because they're drinking? Or are board posters (not singling anyone out) overreacting to typical theme park merriment because they think guests are drunk?
I say this remembering years of complaints about Pleasure Island that simply didn't reflect reality. People go to places with perceptions in mind--what they see tends to reflect those perceptions.
Now, if someone wanted to go videotape the F&W crowd this Saturday night (@PhotoDave219 might know some people), it might give us a better basis for discussion. But until then, every anecdote of "I went and saw nothing" is as valid as "I went and it was a drunken bachanal."
mr spalding
Banned
Nothing but a bunch of locals using Disney's Epcot park as their destination for Oktoberfest and St. Patrick's Day blowouts. So much for the Disney Family Vacation at Epcot during these times.
wdwstateofmind
Well-Known Member
So what you're saying is your trip to Epcot is more important than any local's trip if they are drinking just because it's your "Disney Family Vacation" keeping in mind we all paid to be there...that makes sense...oh wait, no it doesn't...
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
^
This.
Honestly, this thread is starting to really annoy me. I didn't have any idea that there were all these anti-drinking crusaders running rampant, trying to control everyone. Ya know, the last time I checked, prohibition had ended and also, under any circumstances, Disney is hardly the Wild Wild West. It is a VERY controlled environment already and it doesn't need all these self appointed Drink Police. If someone is bombed and causing a scene, security will escort them out.
wdwstateofmind
Well-Known Member
But we need more rules! That way they can break them and use the excuse they are kids while the rest of us have to follow them...
I think it's more people think their time at Disney is more important than everyone else's and that the rules in place should benefit them, and them only...no one else...I wish they did cause I'd get on Saorin' everytime I get there after noon...cause lets face it, you can't drink before noon...
I've been there every weekend this year...wait for it...DRINKING...and I have not seen anyone nearly as hammered or annoying as anyone here has said (maybe some people can't handle people drinking in general or having a good time cause they are so miserable themselves)...now I'm not saying they aren't bad apples out there, but a lot of the people posting are either REALLY exaggerating or drinking O's kool aid that makes you think we need to police EVERYTHING cause it's best for us...
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Okay.
Explain the drunken rampage by that Navy Ensign. Where was security and why did it take them so long to respond?
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