Alcohol and Lobster - Now We Can Raise Prices Again

[mykidssaraalex]

Was just reading the pros and cons of expanding alcohol availability to two new restaurants at the Magic Kingdom (Crystal Palace and The Plaza). Many of those against the expansion claim that it will "ruin the family atmosphere" as people will become intoxicated more often and ruining the experience. A thought and a question...

1. On our last visit to the Magic Kingdom, I read how with the price increase on the meal plans, a selling point by Disney was that it now included alcohol. However, as we made our way around the parks, we stopped at Be Our Guest for lunch. When I asked for a beer with my lunch, I was told, "Oh, we don't serve alcohol at lunch. Only dinner." Come to find... Magic Kingdom turned out to be quite "clean" of alcohol except in a few locations. Which made me wonder how legitimate Disney can use the "now includes alcohol" as a selling point to increased meal plan prices if its availability is so limited.

2. My 2nd point... and question... I wasn't able to find much information about problematic drinking at EPCOT. I know Drinking Around the World is a favorite past time of many. To use the argument that increased alcohol availability at the Magic Kingdom is going to ruin the family atmosphere, it would be helpful to know how alcohol has affected the World Showcase environment. Has alcohol turned EPCOT into a family UNfriendly park?

All my thoughts as to the root of the controversy is with this rollout of two new restaurants and whether the concerns are well-rooted. In my opinion, if you are going to add alcohol to the mix as a justification to increasing meal plan prices... and then not offer it in 95% of the park... why not raise prices again and say it includes, "All the lobster you can eat" at Cosmic Rays?

 

[maxiesmom]

The meal plan is available at all parks. The Magic Kingdom doesn't have to offer alcohol at all restaurants in order for someone to find it a cost effective addition to the dining plan.

You mistake with Be our Guest is that it is a quick service meal at lunch, not table service.

 

[Shanti]

Was just reading the pros and cons of expanding alcohol availability to two new restaurants at the Magic Kingdom (Crystal Palace and The Plaza). Many of those against the expansion claim that it will "ruin the family atmosphere" as people will become intoxicated more often and ruining the experience. A thought and a question...

1. On our last visit to the Magic Kingdom, I read how with the price increase on the meal plans, a selling point by Disney was that it now included alcohol. However, as we made our way around the parks, we stopped at Be Our Guest for lunch. When I asked for a beer with my lunch, I was told, "Oh, we don't serve alcohol at lunch. Only dinner." Come to find... Magic Kingdom turned out to be quite "clean" of alcohol except in a few locations. Which made me wonder how legitimate Disney can use the "now includes alcohol" as a selling point to increased meal plan prices if its availability is so limited.

2. My 2nd point... and question... I wasn't able to find much information about problematic drinking at EPCOT. I know Drinking Around the World is a favorite past time of many. To use the argument that increased alcohol availability at the Magic Kingdom is going to ruin the family atmosphere, it would be helpful to know how alcohol has affected the World Showcase environment. Has alcohol turned EPCOT into a family UNfriendly park?

All my thoughts as to the root of the controversy is with this rollout of two new restaurants and whether the concerns are well-rooted. In my opinion, if you are going to add alcohol to the mix as a justification to increasing meal plan prices... and then not offer it in 95% of the park... why not raise prices again and say it includes, "All the lobster you can eat" at Cosmic Rays?

Count me among the guests who do not want alcohol widely available, particularly in the middle of the day. I'm sticking with Walt on that one.

I have read a lot of comments on these boards about people getting drunk at Epcot at certain times, so it can be an issue.

The dining plan is a rip-off and has been for a long time, before alcohol was ever even allowed at MK at all.

 

[Horizons-1]

In my experience alcohol hasn't lowered my enjoyment of World Showcase, or EPCOT overall for that matter. There are times where you will encounter groups of people that are drinking in every country, but for the most part it isn't obtrusive.

That's not to say that some can get rowdy, but I've never seen people stumbling or falling over. I'm sure there have been experiences while I'm not there that are the opposite, but I can only speak for my trips obviously.

As long as those that are partaking in drinking act responsibly I don't see the issue.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I have read reports that they limit the number of drinks you are allowed to have at MK. Don’t know if it is true or not but I rarely drink alcohol. We haven’t noticed any drunken behavior at Epcot but am sure it exists.
As to dining plan price - it is way too expensive for us. We don’t come close to paying that much out of pocket for meals and that is with ordering whatever we want. That being said we are past the character meal phase and I have not run cost calculations on that for a few years. We are taking a 15 night trip this summer and have only booked maybe 6 sit down restaurants. We will probably eat at a few more but will just see what is avail at the time or use Landry’s card.

 

[OneinThree]

In and of itself, I see nothing inherently wrong with the availability of alcohol pretty much anywhere. Sadly however, there always seems to be those. . . special individuals who can't seem to self-regulate -at all. Yes, this is sometimes on full display in Epcot, a Disney World theme park frequented by many families with children looking for an appropriate environment to vacation. That said, it's bad enough to have it going on in Epcot, but the MK now? For some, all they need is the opportunity and they'll reliably be vomiting and stumbling all around Cinderella's castle. The question shouldn't be whether or not it will happen, but how much we really want to see it happen.

 

[jarestel]

Since alcohol is only served inside restaurants (so far) at MK, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for all but the most determined to get tipsy during the time people are typically inside a restaurant at MK. It sounds like they are simply offering diners the option of a drink or two for those that enjoy it with their meal.

 

[Hopefully]

OP. I find it interesting that this is your first post on the DIS.
I agree with @maxiesmom. It is very well known that the MK limits alcohol. It is only available at sit down TS meals. That does include B, L, and D at those restaurants. BOG is QS at lunch.
Sorry you didn’t understand

 

[Farro]

.

 

[Farro]

In and of itself, I see nothing inherently wrong with the availability of alcohol pretty much anywhere. Sadly however, there always seems to be those. . . special individuals who can't seem to self-regulate -at all. Yes, this is sometimes on full display in Epcot, a Disney World theme park frequented by many families with children looking for an appropriate environment to vacation. That said, it's bad enough to have it going on in Epcot, but the MK now? For some, all they need is the opportunity and they'll reliably be vomiting and stumbling all around Cinderella's castle. The question shouldn't be whether or not it will happen, but how much we really want to see it happen.

They serve alcohol - at kiosks - at Animal Kingdom and DHS, all day. How many roaming groups of drunks do you see there? Oh yea, none.
Plus, you can only get a drink at the table service restaurants in MK, pretty hard to get that drunk that way.

 

[sharonabe]

All my thoughts as to the root of the controversy is with this rollout of two new restaurants and whether the concerns are well-rooted. In my opinion, if you are going to add alcohol to the mix as a justification to increasing meal plan prices... and then not offer it in 95% of the park... why not raise prices again and say it includes, "All the lobster you can eat" at Cosmic Rays?

Your first question is flawed to begin with. MK is NOT 95% of the WDW; rather it is closer to about 5%. Alcohol is and has been served at every park, every resort, water parks, and Disney Springs. MK is the ONLY park that did not serve alcohol. But even there, alcohol has been available at the majority of TS restaurants. Now it is available at all TS restaurants at MK. The few QS and snack places at MK now represent less than 5% of WDW.

AND the increase in the dining plan prices for 2018 were minimal and very much in line with the normal annual increases to the plans, so I'm not sure where you got that adding alcohol was the justification to increase the cost of the dining plans. When the increased amounts were figured out late last year, many of us were very surprised at how small of an increase there was considering the addition of alcohol.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Your first question is flawed to begin with. MK is NOT 95% of the WDW; rather it is closer to about 5%.

they said that the part of the park that DIDN'T have alcohol was 95%......and while I don't know the exact percentages, its something close I might assume....

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Drunkcot is bad enough. We don't need the Drunken Kingdom.

 

[sharonabe]

they said that the part of the park that DIDN'T have alcohol was 95%......and while I don't know the exact percentages, its something close I might assume....

Unless by "park" you only mean MK, 95% of the park DOES serve alcohol, so that part of his premise or question is a mute point. The dining plan is good all over WDW, not just at MK.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Drunkcot is bad enough. We don't need the Drunken Kingdom.

People are getting drunk at MK without it being offered on the menu. Trust me here.

 

[B-Ride]

In my experience the rare occasion we run into annoying guests at any of the parks it is unrelated to alcohol consumption. Alcohol might even mellow out a few annoying people.

 

[MikeNamez]

People are getting drunk at MK without it being offered on the menu. Trust me here.

***Slowly Raises Hand****

 

[DisneyHardin]

Count us as a family that would like to see more alcohol choices at MK. A Dole Whip with rum would be perfect on a hot day.

Epcot is my DH’s favorite park, so we always spend at least 2 or 3 days there per trip and we’ve never seen drunks stumbling around, even goi g during Food and Wine.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Unless MK starts selling alcohol from carts I dont think we will ever see drunken behavior at a noticeable uptick. World Showcase is perfectly designed to promote " drinking around the world" It is so easy to stop at a kiosk every 45 minutes or whatever and purchase a drink. I'm not even really a drinker outside of a wine with dinner and this sounds appealing to me. The problem is specific to WS, not Epcot as a whole. That being said, the worse drunken behavior I've witnessed was a bachelorette group on the resort monorail. They may have been doing a monorail crawl. I highly doubt there will be many guests making multiple ADR's at MK table service restaurants to get their drink on.

 

[BandtheBoys]

I have heard reports that if people are too tipsy they will be gently asked/escorted out of the parks (only tipsy people I've seen was Epcot and NO ONE was stumbling or vomiting! that would be extreme)...Alcohol was always available, now you can only get one "free" drink with the regular/qs meal plan - so unless people are light weights, they probably won't be getting drunk (unless they want to pay extra). I have never paid for the meal plan (probably not worth the cost) but go when it's free dining and plan on utilizing the choice of one alcoholic or specialty drink my next trip.