Underage Drinking at EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival

[c-one]

Going to Epcot seems like the most expensive possible way to get drunk. Really doubt that's a terribly attractive option for underage kids.

 

[rkelly42]

I do not understand what you want disney to do here, they are taking the responsibility of carding those that they believe should be. To police what happens to the drinks from there can be fruitless and would be an extreme expense. Look at what happens at sporting events or concerts, the crowds alone make it difficult to police this. Yes you might be able to catch a few underage drinkers here and there, but you are not going to stop it from happening not even with more plain clothes security. I myself have never questioned someone I had seen drinking at epcot and wondered if they might be underage. I do not think it is that big of a problem and I am sure it does happen. It all comes down to people taken responsibility for their own actions.

 

[Tiggerish]

42 is the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Only to the initiated. Or those who speak to dolphins.

Going to Epcot seems like the most expensive possible way to get drunk. Really doubt that's a terribly attractive option for underage kids.

Amen to that. Having looked at the menus/price list for this year's Festival, I've already decided I won't be buying any wine at the booths, and they are seriously pricing me out of the food as well, since I do not DDP. :lookaroun



As to the policing of drunkards: last year I was appalled at the number of groups of adults I saw staggering thru WS during my F&W visit--the first that comes to mind was a "bachelorette" party, the second just a trio of post-collegiate gents who were leaning on each other to keep moving--and I wondered, why would anyone (particularly locals, which these groups seemed to be) spend this much money on the number of drinks required to get drunk when there must be cheaper alternatives close by?

As to the carding of the underage: six years ago, at the age of 42, I was carded before being allowed entrance to a wine seminar in the Festival Center. While very flattering, a rather extreme example of the lengths Disney may (used to?) go to to enforce legal consumption.


Based on this and the other "crowded F&W Fest" thread, I am very sorry to say that I am almost dreading my imminent vacation, instead of looking very much forward to it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Just to get a few more opinions. When someone posts anything that brings into question Disney's methods on these message boards, that poster is often stoned by the Disney disciples. So sometimes a little devil's advocate is necessary to get both sides of a discussion (which is often a one-sided discussion given the audience here).

Then all you are proposing is the questioning of Disney for the sake of questioning Disney. Until there is evidence of a safety issue I will remain unconcerned as underage drinking in of itself is not a problem for me and since I am not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company that view has no bearing on them.

 

[Communicore]

Overheard tonight at an extremely crowded F&W: "You kids had more beer tonight...please, please don't tell your mom!"

 

[Timekeeper]

Overheard tonight at an extremely crowded F&W: "You kids had more beer tonight...please, please don't tell your mom!"

Shhhhhhhhh, there are some people in this thread who sincerely believe that there is zero occurrence of underage drinking at EPCOT. Lest we not introduce evidence of such a thing at this stage in the game. :zipit:

 

[wm49rs]

Shhhhhhhhh, there are some people in this thread who sincerely believe that there is zero occurrence of underage drinking at EPCOT. Lest we not introduce evidence of such a thing at this stage in the game. :zipit:

No one believes there's zero occurrence of underage drinking at the F&W Festival. But they're also not buying your premise that it's more prevalent simply because there's less of a presence of uniformed police (issuing scores of citations), or because you can take a cooler into the park. So until you can actually prove that's it's more of a problem (and not just some discussion), insulting those whom disagree with you probably isn't the best route to take.

 

[rkelly42]

Like I said before, there will always be occurences of underage drinking. No matter where you go where they serve alcohol and they have that large of crowds it will happen. The only way to end this from happening is to make it a dry park, and the same goes for all sporting events and concerts as well. It is not that big of a problem for them to have to rectify. I am sure if disney catches underage drinkers they are dealt with appropriately as are those whom supplied those drinking. Once again it is all about personal responsibility on those drinking underage and those supplying them.

 

[c-one]

Shhhhhhhhh, there are some people in this thread who sincerely believe that there is zero occurrence of underage drinking at EPCOT. Lest we not introduce evidence of such a thing at this stage in the game. :zipit:

No. It's not that it doesn't happen. It's that it's not a problem.

 

[menamechris]

I am amazed anyone cares enough to be upset by this. As others have said, it is bound to happen. But I can't punish bad parents. Neither can Disney. If it's not your kid - mind your own business. Or if it REALLY bothers you that much - look for a manager and report it to them.

 

[EvanAnderson]

I remember a story that made the news at HHN. A father let his daughter have a drink of his alcoholic beverage, and either Security or Police witnessed it and pulled them aside. They were originally going to ban them from property for a year, but the dad caused a scene so it escalated to a lifetime ban. They don't mess around.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-10-23/news/universal23_1_underage-drinking-halloween-horror-nights-trespass

 

[Larry Mondello]

I never seen a drunk and disorderly adult at Disney World much less a minor.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i've seen some people who are certainly having a good time at epcot where you can tell they have been drinking but quite frankly the worst behavior i've seen has been from pushy parents and over stimulated over tired under parented kids. we were at food and wine oct 20-21st and heard people getting carded, however my daughter (22 years old) wasn't carded once. i was also able to purchase multiple drinks without any questions as to who they were for. when we went to just do regular epcot stuff in 2004 we had to show an id for each drink purchased but when my son, his daughter, my daughter (then 19), my husband and i went for christmas week in 2008 no one carded my daughter at all and she had a few drinks. the only excuse for them not to question her was perhaps because she was pushing my granddaughter in her stroller and maybe they thought she was hers??? overall i think it's hit or miss mainly because they don't seem to have the problems you'd expect from being at HHN at universal or hallow scream in tampa...totally different atmosphere/expectation of behavior. epcot and/or epcot during f&w doesn't exactly scream at you to expect to have a "wild rowdy drunk evening".

 

[rkelly42]

I to have seen people around epcot that have had probably a few to many, but I am sure they were over 21, not that it makes it alright to be that drunk at the park. As for those who purchase alcohol for underage guests or underage guests caught with drinks, they should be taken away immediately and agree with some sort of ban from the parks. I am not saying lifetime bans but maybe a year, starting from when they are caught, so if that was their first day on vacation, then they should find something else to do for the remainder that is not disney.

 

[CaptainShortty]

In the times I have been in the WS during F&W or any other time for that matter, I don't recall seeing anyone that I wondered how they were served an adult beverage. I have seen plenty adults that Ive wondered why they were served another adult beverage.....

Although that's generally true it is far easier than you think for those under 21 to get alcohol into their hands in Epcot, F&W festival or not. I'll leave it at that.

 

[SMS55]

I think as others above have said EPCOT is a more "relaxed" setting but also it's a family event. It appeals to a totally different crowd. Halloween Horror Nights is aimed more at a younger audience. One that puts an emphasis on drinking to have a good time. Many people that go are under 21 so you need greater enforcement.