Walt Disney, the man behind his namesake company had a very specific vision of family fun. His early movies were all G-rated, making them accessible to the whole family with no fear that anything would veer into the adult space or anything even close to it.
The man behind the Walt Disney (DIS) company knew what he liked, what he wanted, and that vision extended to Disneyland when it opened in 1955. Disney's founder did not believe that certain things had a place in his company's theme park.
That included gum, ice cream, and cotton candy -- not because he didn't think those were family-friendly, but because their stickiness made keeping Disneyland clean a challenge. He was right, of course, but ice cream and cotton candy did eventually become Disney theme park staples. But there was one area the original head of the Mouse House drew a line in the sand that outlived him for decades.
“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,” he said in a famous Saturday Evening Post interview.
That no alcohol philosophy carried over into the company's second theme park. Magic Kingdom, now part of the Disney World family of parks in Florida did not serve alcohol at all for many years, and now only offers it on a limited basis.
Part of that ban, however, is about to change.
Magic Kingdom Welcomes More Alcohol
Disney has kept Magic Kingdom largely, but not completely dry. You can't buy alcohol of any type while walking around the park. You can, however, buy some alcoholic beverages in certain sit-down restaurants in the theme park.
"At the Magic Kingdom, you can only buy alcohol at select table service restaurants, and the only alcohol available at those locations is beer, wine, and hard cider – there are no spirits available. You may find a cocktail-like variation on the 'only beer/wine/cider' rule (sangria, for example), but you won’t find drinks containing vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila, or the like," TouringPlans.com explained.
There's bit of hypocrisy to this policy as Epcot, the second theme park to open at Disney World built much of its World Showcase around the idea of sampling drinks from different countries. And, while "Drink the World" is no an official Disney concept, alcohol is very much a part of the Epcot experience.
You can also get drinks of all types while walking around the park at both Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. That still won't be possible at Magic Kingdom -- alcohol will remain limited to sit-down restaurants, but a new report from WDW News Today makes it clear that hard liquor is finally coming to the Magic Kingdom.
Bottoms Up Disney World
Magic Kingdom has always been a bit of a throwback that trades on nostalgia more than it does cutting-edge innovation. Many of its signature attractions including the "Haunted Mansion," "Pirates of the Caribbean," and even its roller coasters, "Space Mountain," and "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad" are relics. They're fun, but they don't equal the newer rides being offered at the company's other parks.
In addition, Magic Kingdom still plays to kids and families more than the other three parks in Florida do. Meet-and-greets, parades, and shows are a big part of the experience there and it's easy to see why restrictions on alcohol remain.
But, the idea of serving a limited menu of drinks even in sit-down restaurants seems like the company actively curtailing its own profits. Because of that, Disney plans to add “'elevated' beverage options joining cocktail menus at some Magic Kingdom table service restaurants starting September 13," the website reported.
This will include Liberty Tree Tavern, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, and Diamond Horseshoe all having their own signature drinks, as well as presumably a full bar. Disney has not commented on whether it plans to offer a full bar and/or a selection of specialty drinks at other Magic Kingdom sit-down restaurants.
