Disney to add booze at the Magic Kingdom *(Update with Vote of the Week)

Which is, BTW, a word I can't write without thinking of...

Beans

It is 7:34pm central time, I just witnessed the video at Disneyland with the drunk man on ToT on World's Dumbest on truTV. That was a nice touch.

I am always the first person to contend that the question "What would Walt do" is cliche and trite. But in this case I can say with unwavering confidence that the company's namesake would NOT DO THIS.

If this actually happens shame on Mr. Iger. If this actually happens it becomes the most lasting and visible watermark on Mr. Lasseter's legacy.

http://www.facebook.com/NoAlcoholInTheMagicKingdom?skip_nax_wizard=true#!/NoAlcoholInTheMagicKingdom

Let's be serious, a glass of wine or premium beer at dinner (it does specifically say "just for dinner") is not going to lead to the Magic Kingdom being over run by drunks. I do not believe that we will see the sale of rum, beer, or Margarhitas in the Magic Kingdom proper... ever.

By the way, crafting wine and beer is an ART, and they will absolutely ENHANCE the DINING experience! I can't wait to order my first glass!

News flash.......All theme/amusement parks have alcohol since time began. The people on this site are nuts. Another reason why Magic Kingdom is living in la la land. Alcohol is not the problem. We learned that in ....ow lets say prohibition from around 100 years ago...... And to those that think Disney should not have Alcohol wake up people. Not once have I gone to Cedar Point for more than 30 years and felt violated by a beer or cigarette, and I don't drink or smoke. Kids eat to much are you going to have low fat ice-cream? How bout this we home visit an amusement park were we can regulate everything by virtual reality. Fun times......

And for those who think we naysayers are going a bit overboard, I know that there are many people who are able to have a few drinks and not act like an idiot. But there is always that one person who ruins it for everyone. I know that many theme parks serve alcohol. I just can't stand the guy/girl who is loud, obnoxious and ends up puking all over me on the ride. I've experienced it, and it completely ruins the day. Those type of people annoy me just as much as those who complain at the long lines for rides during peak season.

I think if they only serve it at table service restaurants, it will be ok. Heck, I am ok with with having it only at Be Our Guest.

Perhaps this is a ploy to get more international guests? Hmmm

Drink around the Kingdom anyone? Counting Main Street there are 6 lands.. I'm kidding, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it started if alcohol was served throughout the park.

And then to place it under an umbrella of maintaining a theme? As if it were an indispensible requirement for proper presentation -- or in Disney-Speak "good show?" Please.

This is an ugly idea. It's not necessary and it will CERTAINLY and INEVITABLY extend beyond the single restaurant and further into the park.

Similarly, the Magic Kingdom has had a no alcohol policy, not a no drunkenness policy - I've stopped at the Contemporary for a few drinks in the bar before heading into evening EMH several times in the past. If people really want to be drunk in the Magic Kingdom they will be - one restaurant serving alcohol will not cause this.

As an aside, I once accidentally entered Tokyo Disneyland with a beer in by bag... I felt like a criminal when I realised! After getting over the shock I bought a soft drink, reused the cup for the beer, and spent a very pleasant ten minutes enjoying the drink whilst watching boats plummet over Splash Mountain. Very nice way to end the evening.

In the early 1960s, Mr. Disney and his company kicked around the idea of building a theme park in St. Louis. According to JHM one of the reasons Mr. Disney elected not to follow thru on the park was "... a rude remark allegedly made by beer baron August A. Busch, Sr. (At a dinner party attended by Walt, Busch supposedly said that "Any man who builds an amusement park in St. Louis that doesn't serve beer is a fool.") reportedly got back to Walt. Immediately after this, Disney lost his enthusiasm for building an indoor theme park along the waterfront in St. Louis.

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Source: All Ears Network: - Topic Seeking a Location for Walt Disney World.

"Walt and his team spent a considerable amount of time talking with officials from each location, making as many trips as necessary to insure all questions from each side would be answered. During one trip, Disney Company Vice President Donald Tatum was asked a simple question regarding a certain Disney Company policy. It involved selling liquor in the Magic Kingdom theme park, or I should say The Disney Company's decision to NOT sell liquor in the Magic Kingdom. Tatum maintained that the company would never allow liquor to be sold on the Disney premises. The Disney brand and image would be tarnished if they began selling alcohol to the public. Tatum and the other members of the team hoped they had made this clear to city and state officials and businessmen."

The story continues reporting on the St. Louis incident:

"Apparently not, as one fateful night in 1963 the issue was raised again. Not only was it the wrong time to raise the issue, but the manner in which it was raised would prove to be somewhat fatal. Walt had made the trip with a dozen of his top executives including Vice-President for Construction Admiral Joe Fowler and another Disney VP, Card Walker. This was a big deal. Everything was oh-so-close. As a matter of fact, Disney officials had gotten to the point where all the financial arrangements had been set and were already composing a letter of commitment to be signed and delivered the next day.

It was an exciting time for Walt and his team.

Then there was that fateful night before all this would take place. On that night Walt and his team attended a huge dinner party. Attending this party were all the local and state government officials, local bankers and prominent businessmen from the area who too were excited about the impending partnership. You would have thought that with everything in place, with almost all the T's crossed and I's dotted that nothing would have prevented this project from becoming a done deal. If there was ever evidence as to the power of words, this night would surely be a showcase for such.

During the dinner the following remark was made: "Any man who thinks he can design an attraction that is going to be a success in this city and not serve beer or liquor ought to have his head examined."

Everyone at the party, most importantly, Walt himself, heard these words. To his credit, Walt did not offer a response. But Joe Fowler, Card Walker, and the rest of Walt's team saw Walt's right eyebrow rise a bit and they knew that Walt had taken offense to what was said. Furthermore, they knew that it was one thing to offend Walt, but to do it in public was ten times that sin. The remark had offended both Walt's sense of ethics and morality as well as his business acumen.

After the party, back in Walt's suite, he called in Card Walker and asked what was the earliest time in the morning they could leave. Walker did not understand. He reminded Walt that the next day was filled with meetings and announcements and legal papers to sign. As Walker explained all this Walt held up his hand to interrupt and said, "It's finished."

Walt had two more simple sentences. "We're not coming. Forget about it." Walt and his team would move on to the next location, Central Florida, which would become the future home of the World's most popular vacation destination.

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So I guess it's not really "What Would Walt Do" but rather "What DID Walt Do?"

FYI - Dollywood (~3.5M visitors annually), Silver Dollar City (~2.5M visitors annually), and Holiday World (~1.5M visitors annually) are dry parks, so there are still a few great alternatives for wholesome family fun here in the US.

I really don't think this was some master plan to bring booze into the park. I think they have a restaurant they are really proud of. They want it to be well rated and well reviewed. That's not going to happen if they don't serve alcohol. All of the reviews will be about it not serving alcohol. People eating there will expect it, and complain about not having it. Especially the international guests who don't get 1950 American values.

Can we not have ONE park where we can focus totally on the kids? This is really irritating.

Consider the fact that Walt was a chronic smoker, and seemed to have no problem allowing cigarettes to be used in his family park. There is no debate that 2nd hand smoke is a direct health hazard- much worse than alcohol. Yet the modern Disney company did not become 'smoke free' until 2000... clearly NOT something that 'Walt did', but it made the parks better.

If you are going to get hung up on a saying, at least pick something that WALT actually said. Here is Walt quote for you; it permits growth and imagination, and I think it fits nicely for many circumstances...

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths".
--Walt Disney

Like I said, smoking has nothing to do with the price of tea in China, or the fact that a once proud company tradition has been swept aside as a side note in a blog release, but you brought it up, so there you go.

And there is nothing "new" or "forward moving" about selling booze. Sadly, getting liquored up at theme parks is a common ritual across the expanse of the nation. By taking this step the Disney company has moved backwards, not forward. They are now just like [most] everybody else.

I Respond: Respectfully that assertion is based upon conjecture. History teaches both in the anecdotes about St. Louis as well as the implementation of the original policy that came straight from Mr. Disney

Mr. Smith writes: "Walt wouldn't have allowed it at an Epcot theme park at that time either."

I Respond: Again that is based upon conjecture. Mr. Disney envisioned EPCOT as a community not a theme park.

Mr. Smith writes: "I really don't think this was some master plan to bring booze into the park."

I Respond: When I was a student in the MKCP in 1982 I was fortunate to be at the opening of EPCOT Center. At that time there were two bars (Rose & Crown and the Catina in Mexico). Alcohol was also served at the restaurants. Today at EPCOT you can't walk 30 feet without running into a beer stand. This is not about alcohol being served at one location NOW. This is about what will happen in the park five or ten years from today.

I Respond: My post is not how I think he would have done it. Rather it was based upon his actual actions with regard to this specific issue.

Nick Orlando writes: "If you are going to get hung up on a saying, at least pick something that WALT actually said."

I Respond: Okay ... Walt SAID to the Saturday Evening Post in 1956: "No liquor, no beer, nothing. Because that brings in a rowdy element. That brings people that we don't want and I feel they don't need it. I feel when I go down to the park I don't need a drink."

Again "No liquor, no beer, NOTHING."

WDW is the largest single seller of alcohol, wine and beer in the world by a large margin over the MGM Grand in Vegas.

And on numerous occasions I've dealt with intoxicated guest already at MK, from sneaking booze in or partying already at another park or hotel.

While the beer list starts pricey what happens when the 100th request comes in for a Bud Light, of course American Lagers will be on the list to accomodate Americans and international guest who have been "programmed" to order them when visiting.

And next maybe Tortuga Tavern could be open year round when its remade with a full rum bar.

Like I said, though, I am against this in almost every possible way. The Magic Kingdom already has an issue with rude parents and rude children, we don't need an infestation of drunks to add to the 'magic'. I hope that the only place to get booze will remain the new restaurant and not spread throughout the park.

Honestly, this is one of the things I always thought kept Disney above everyone, that you would not see shirtless drunks all day long like you see in other parks. Now, the only thing separating them from their competition is they don't have silly carnival games all over the place where people can win basketballs that they then try to bring onto a roller coaster.

I Respond: Respectfully we are going to have to agree to disagree. For me that quote, "No liquor, no beer, NOTHING" is definitive. The fact that he walked away from St. Louis seven years later further demonstrates his commitment to the policy. In Florida, the policy was so important to the business model's philosophy that the company stayed true to it for 41 years.

However, if you truly believe that assertion that "people change" I am going to assume you would agree with the "camel's nose" problem. Indeed if "people change" then company line that it will be limited to one restaurant should be dismissed as an empty commitment. You have to accept the possibility (or considering what happened at EPCOT the PROBABILITY) that alcohol will eventually be available throughout the entire park.

But then (as you say) "people change" -- so while he opposed alcohol in the Magic Kingdom 46 years ago, I guess it's safe to assume Walt would have no problem with beer stands on Main Street USA, Sam Adams served in Liberty Square or shots poured by Muff Potter when they re-open Aunt Polly’s as a walk-up bar on Tom Sawyer’s Island.

TH Creative
Explain Club 33. Your entire argument is based on the assumption of what a deceased man might do. You point to examples from Walt's past as a way to predict behavior. I bring up Club 33, one of his final projects, and you ignor it.

Explain to me how Walt said 'no liquor' in 1957, and then in 1965 he started planning Club 33 (a place that sells alcohol in Magic Kingdom).

I wasn't around in Walt's time, so I can only offer an opinion based on speculation.

You quoted Walt: "No liquor, no beer, nothing. Because that brings in a rowdy element. That brings people that we don't want and I feel they don't need it. I feel when I go down to the park I don't need a drink."

I didn't really want to go into this because people have romanticized Walt and I'm fine with it, but.... The country was different when the statements were made, and the park's core audience was different. I'm assuming that the majority of people who drank in public back then were viewed as more rebellious or 'rowdy'. As Nick Orlando already pointed out, if Walt's statement is so definitive, then why did Walt build Club 33?
"That(alcohol) brings people that we don't want"
...well the people that he did want, his millionaire friends, wanted to drink at the park with their meal. Walt didn't worry about his millionaire friends getting rowdy and ruining the park. With WDW costing so much to get into nowadays, current management is not worried about it's clientele getting rowdy and ruining the park. It is worried only about giving them what they want and what will keep them coming back. If alcohol causes problems, park management will do away with it. If it doesn't, then yes as you say, it probably will lead to more availability. But to me it's no big deal. I trust Disney to keep the atmosphere there a place where people want to visit.

Wanna bet there is a factory in China that's already manufacturing limited edition Spirit of '76 tankards?

Premium priced, imported, wine and beer in a table service location will not have a negative impact on the overall experience across the whole Magic Kingdom Park.

What will it do? It will raise revenues during a time of economic struggle and provide increased capital to reinvest in a park which is in desperate need of a little cash.

The whole idea that this addition will see drunks wandering round the park and puking on everyone is completely and utterly ridiculous.

For who? Disney? They made nearly a billion dollars in PROFIT last QUARTER. That was a joke, right?

I Respond: I disagree. Again consider EPCOT. At it's opening the availability of alcohol was limited to the Rose & Crown, the Cantina and dine-in full service restaurants. Now there are beer carts and drink stations all along the World Showcase promenade. The fact that the company ramped up the number of outlets serving alcohol demonstrates precedence. Your claim that it is "ABSOLUTELY baseless" is inaccurate.

Further (and PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) in the multiple articles I have read, I have yet to see any statement from Disney that says "this will be the only place in the Magic Kingdom where alcohol will be sold." I have read that diners will have to consume alcholic beverages in the restaurant. But I have not read a statement from a spokesperson promising that this will be the only venue that will ever serve alcohol in the Magic Kingdom.

I Respond: Respectfully, where is there financial news about the performance of the Walt Disney World parks that characterizes them as being in "desperate need of a little cash?" Emphasis on the word "desperate."

I just don't see this resulting in the chaos that some might be predicting. The WDW resort ALREADY serves alcohol in the other 3 parks. I'm sure if there were huge issues with guest consuming alcohol, this would be seen at the other parks (as most guest visit the other parks as well)

And as others have said, it's not like it's moonshine or malt liquor that's going to be served all over. It's expensive French beer & wine served only during dinner time.

Here in SoCal, DCA serves alcohol (and DL at the club)

I don't drink, and can understand why some may not a huge fan of it, but to go completely to the other side and suggest that the park will be over run with people drinking is a bit extreme in my opinion.

It's not like MK is serving alcohol to kids. Again, if the other parks are already serving it, this appears to be an extension of that.

Stupid.

You can't walk ten feet in a Universal Park, hotel or CitiWalk without running into a place that sells alcohol, which is why I prefer the party atmosphere of USF compared to Disney's squeaky clean image (unless you watch those awful shows on thier channels, then you will realize they aren't so pristine)

Amanda, I have been going to Universal for years now, they serve alcohol everywhere. I have never seen a drunk staggering around the parks or the hotels. I wouldn't worry too much.

TH, where have you been? Although we rarely agree on anything, it's good to see you posting again.

We've talked about this park evolving and how its progress is one of immersive entertainment. How it's a unique cultural experience. The Magic Kingdom (as much as its sister park in California) is iconic.

The visionary behind these parks said they would evolve, but in the context of being a platform. And he made it clear that the presence of alcohol had no role in this medium.

I first visited the Magic Kingdom in 1973. I arrived to become a cast member 30 years ago this month (1982). I have family who are still CMs. I have visited the park at least 1,000 times.

And I don't see the value in this decision. I do not see how alcohol plays a positive role in the experience. I trust the instincts of the park's creator: "No liquor. No beer. Nothing."

Without undermining the incredible accomplishments of the designers and operators of the other Disney parks or the parks of their competitors (who have attractions that I helped to build) I just believe that the Magic Kingdom should maintain its distinctions. Alcohol does not serve that purpose. It is NOT required to further enhance the experience.

This is not written because I am outraged. It is written because I am concerned. EPCOT's history demonstrates how alcohol began with a limited presence and is now available in every corner of World Showcase. And (as I have posted above) in all of the coverage I have read there has been no statement from the company that commits to limiting alcohol service (now and always) to the one restaurant.

Then again maybe I am overstating ... and I should simply regard the Magic Kingdom as "just another theme park."

I Respond: Not yet, anyways.

Yeah, and if you have enough drinks at Be Our Guest, maybe Disney can help you erase a few, too.

*rimshot* Tip your waitress!

I Respond: And it is equally naive to think now that it has arrived it will not permeate throughout the park and THAT is the problem. THAT is where the park as a platform, an artistic medium begins to falter.

Anonymous writes: Furthermore, a French restaurant without wine? That would compromise the theming.

I Respond: Respectfully I disagree. The suggestion that Disney would fail to make this dining experience amazing without the presence of alcohol is baseless.

EPCOT seems to sell a ton of drinks and it seems under control.

"Not yet anyways"

That is a slippery slope. It's not even a valid argument.

I am concerned that there is absolutely zero reason to believe that (based on EPCOT's history) happy hour will not eventually be scheduled between 5 PM and 6 PM at the newly renovated Main Street Cinema where you can get a photo taken with Mickey holding a martini glass.

I Respond: Again, I can't find a single statement in any of the news reports where the company says it will never ever ever expand alcohol sales in the Magic Kingdom beyond the new restaurant. And (again) EPCOT started with two bars and alcohol served only at sit down restaurants. Now drink locations are located everywhere in World Showcase.

This company's history does not support your assertion.

@Daniel - I believe they call that "Grape Juice", lol.

Orlando Sentinel:
"The company's decision was not automatic, she said.

"We really wanted to wait until it became something that worked with the particular theme," Bisienere said."

Does that translate to anyone else like?.. "We've been wanting to add alcohol, but we needed a good excuse to do so...now we have one."

I kind of know where you are coming from TH. A few years ago I argued almost your exact same argument to people who complained about no alcohol at the MK. I have no idea when or why I changed my mind on it. I'm huge on tradition and I love the park. But this addition just doesn't bother me. Putting a desert themed carpet ride in the middle of a tropical jungle bothers me, putting a red clay mountain right next to southwestern looking rock mountain bothers me. Adding ugly wooden walkways to deal with overcrowding bothers me. This, just doesn't.

I Respond: Oh sir, the "rowdy element" was only part of Mr. Disney's quote. You left out "I feel they don't need it. I feel when I go down to the park I don't need a drink." That speaks to the park experience which has been the crux of my position. This is NOT necessary ("I feel they don't NEED it.") That's the consistency of my position. Because I am unconcerned with the company's ability to manage a security and safety problem (a problem which I do not believe will ever exist) does not mean I cannot embrace the second opinion that appears in the quote.

Brian L writes: True, I can't find anything that says there won't be an expansion of alcohol sales in MK, but I also can't find anything that says there will be expanded alcohol sales either. So as of right now, I can only assume that it stays there at BoG.

I Respond: So why didn't Disney come right out and say "This will be the ONLY location that will ever sell alcohol in the Magic Kingdom?" And since they have not done that, why would this be the "only" assumption you can make? Why does the corporation adding profit to its bottom line earn (from you) the benefit of the doubt?

That's downright artful! Well done, sir! Well done!

It's pretty simple.

And +1 to Mr. Niles for the "erasing memories" comment. Perfect!!

And to anonymous poster 216.53.168.60, more than likely I have been going to theme parks for longer than you have been alive (40+ years), and sadly your limited 15 years of experience fails to impress me. Should I believe you or should I believe what I have seen with my own eyes? I live in the "Show Me State", so I will stick with my own eyes. Try spending some time in the World Showcase on a Friday night during extra Magic Hours to gain some real "experience".

There needs to be an option for only at fine dining resteraunts.

But if you really look at quotes from Walt's life, he probably wouldn't like much about the parks now. He detested Coney Island and the games of chance. Now we have those in Animal Kingdom. He thought there should be no shoddy merchandise or overpriced food and beverage. I think that thought is clearly being broken. He also said he didn't like to do the same thing twice, that he always wanted to create new things. Now there are 5 "Disneyland" parks with a 6th coming and they are all largely the same. If you want to live with the parks in Walt's image, that's fine. I believe they always should. But they have adapted, altered, and straight up ignored his original ideas since he died. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last.

If the same VERY restricted type of club were to open in the Magic Kingdom I would have no problem with it as alcohol being served in that VERY VERY SPECIFIC environment was in fact acceptable to the founder.

Likewise I have no problem with the private events (conventions) that take place in the Magic Kingdom were alcohol is served. That is not a service accessible to day guests.

However, I would hope Mr. Orlando would acknowledge that those two conditions are different (to whatever degree) from a restaurant accessible to all park guests on a daily basis.

And likewise, I hope Mr. Orlando will acknowledge that the announcement about the new restaurant does not say that this will (now and always) be the ONLY venue in the Magic Kingdom that will sell alcohol.

Camel's nose!

http://www.facebook.com/notifications#!/NoAlcoholInTheMagicKingdom?notif_t=page_new_likes

Nick, your Club 33 argument is apples and oranges and therefore not worth refuting.

Hic..hic...how dry I am....

Can someone say "marketing win?"

Honestly folks, TH Creative has nailed this issue dead to rights. There is no place for booze in the Magic Kingdom.

Those of you who differ with him are most likely responsible drinkers, but it doesn't take many irresponsible drinkers to ruin the party for everybody. In my life, I've seen far too many of them, and I've also seen otherwise nice people become complete nimrods when they've had too much to drink. I delivered pizzas for several years during and after college to help make ends meet, and I can assure you that being on the roads after the bars have closed can be incredibly hazardous due to the drunks heading home.

And those of you who scoff at the "camel with the nose under the tent" argument are flat out wrong. Lowering your standards in one small area inevitably leads to lowering your standards overall. It is human nature, and those of us who have been around a while have seen it repeatedly. I'm not predicting disaster and mayhem if they start selling alsohol in the Magic Kingdom, but something will be lost.

However, when reading the Orlando Sentinel that very topic is mentioned specifically . Here is a section from their article yesterday which references Disney's VP of food and beverage as a source...

"The sales will be restricted to dinnertime hours and only at the new Be Our Guest restaurant, which opens in November as part of the Fantasyland expansion."

So the reality of the situation is that these sales will be restricted to those guests who made dinner reservations 90 to 180 days before (whatever the policy may be at the time), in other words a limited number of guests. Despite what James Rao wishes to believe, the comparison to Club 33 is valid.

I can't predict the future, so I will also admit that maybe your camel's nose metaphor will hold true-- but it could also fall flat. only time will tell.

Alcohol in the Magic Kingdom will finally make the Tommorrowland Speedway the most popular attraction in the park. Can't wait to watch the mayhem.

"I will say this about Hogs Head - the domestic beer of choice is Yuengling. There is no Budweiser or Coors. The remaining selection are imports, mostly British. As long as your in park restaurants offer alcohol, they should adhere to the theming. I didn't ask for a drink menu and not sure if there is one, but I'm sure that it would have listed British style cocktails."

I say let them drink. As long as their drink pourers are trained properly it's fine. To those who really think the park will be full of drunks, get real. Nobody is going to the Magic Kingdom and getting drunk on ten dollar beer and fifteen dollar scotch. As for Walt's wishes, those were thrown out the window a long time ago anyway.

Regardless, I offer you my sincerest apology. I did not intend to disappoint or upset anyone with my attempt at levity.

What I am saying is that the park itself really needs investment. Yes the new Fantasyland area is a fantastic addition, but Tomorrowland is looking shockingly old.

Will serving alcohol at one table service restaurant be enough to spark park-wide improvements? No. But the more profitable that park is the better chance it has of getting some investment from the higher echelons of Disney in order to maximise its money-making potential.

For the record, I'm fully against adding beer carts and alcohol at counter service locations, but having a glass of premium wine or beer enhances an evening meal without having a detrimental impact on the rest of the parks guests.

This discussion is just silly. There is a group who thinks Disney, and Magic Kingdom espacialy, is more then a theme park that is there only to make a load of money for the Disney company and it's investors. The only reason!
What it's for you, well Disney don't care. As was stated before correctly on this site is that Disney is shifting it's focus from middel income family to high income and that group wants a wine or beer with it's dinner. They cather to that group because that group can come to WDW and they have losts of money.

Yes that was not wat Walt intended, but Walt is dead and the board of directors don't have the same vision as Walt and they want to earn as much money as they can from their rich visitors. I know that's not what some of you want to hear, and I'm not overly happy about it but thats what it is.

Must be a really quiet week on the theme park forums to generate such a hysterical response to such an inconsequential announcement...

And Michael, I cannot imagine in my wildest imaginings a scenario where the money gained from selling booze at a Fantasyland tavern will translate into a New Tomorrowland.

And for those who have never encountered the drunks at Epcot and DHS, be very thankful. I have and it is not a pleasant experience. I've even left before Illuminations so that my kids did not have to continue to witness such behavior. There again, this is my choice and opinion. I respect those opinions on here but, I do think we are deluding ourselves if we believe that this will be the only time and place to get an adult beverage at Magic Kingdom.

I Respond: I would like to be the first to welcome Honey Boo Boo Child to TPI ... Glad you are aboard!

I Respond: Can we get any reliable source to confirm this is the "the number one" guest complaint ... over, say, ticket, parking and food prices?

"Go Go Juice' is a trademark of Honey Boo Boo Child, Inc. A subsidiary of DuPont.

Please refer to your copy of the Book of Revelations.

And TH, it is just "Revelation", no "s". That's the only error you've made in this thread! ;)

Also, greed isn't the only reason it's being added! .01% of the reason is for the restaurant to be more authentic! The rest, yeah, $. Sad...

As far as money goes, I never said they were in financial dire straits. I do know however that this operation costs a lot of money to run, and they haven't spent a whole lot in the last 4-5 years...especially when compared with the previous 10 before those. If it didn't cost that much to run, they wouldn't have to charge $91 for a standard admission. James if you have access to a P&L and expense sheet for the Orlando properties, by all means provide me with evidence of this grand profit that the Disney resort in Florida makes.

I Respond: Because the Magic Kingdom aspires to be so much more than just "every other park."

From Disney's last earnings announcement: "Total revenue in the parks and resorts segment gained 9% to $3.44 billion...Net income for the three months ended June 30 rose 24% to $1.83 billion, beating market expectations."

And that's just "parks and resorts" for one quarter. Throw in the success of the "Avengers", ESPN, and all the other operations at Disney, and they are definitely doing very, very, very well. The pittance they will make off booze in the MK is going to be like p*ssing in an ocean of profit. Someone will be happy as a clam with a drink in their hand, just not 63% of the people who have responded to this survey.

And then the Magic Kingdom will be ... sigh ... just like all the other parks.