Tacky, Tacky, Tacky, Not to Mention Uncalled For (IMHO) About This Page:

[mdobereiner]

Originally Posted by scarlettsmom

Sorry if this got off topic but I saw a few posts that were slightly anti drinking at all and thought I would pipe in.

I'm with you. I enjoy FAB's while we are on vacation. And yes, I drink them in front of DS. Do I get drunk? Not even close. Do I think it's irresponsible? Nope. But I also respect the choice not to do it if you are vacationing with your children.

With regards to OP, I agree with the poster who said that's called alcoholism. Honestly if you can't go a day without having a drink, there's a problem. I would definitely be one of the ones to let a CM know as well. Hey, I don't want to be riding near those folks on something like SM .

Mel

[njsmama]

Originally Posted by Marybeth

I have read many reviews about the delish FAB available throughout WDW(the exception being MK), I have decided to try a few on our trip in May. I promise not to be belligerent (sp?), obnoxious, foul-mouthed, or intolerant of others in this endeavor. I also will try not to run over small children and older people. I will have a keeper who is going to be the designated guider and keeper of the money during this time, to ensure that overindulgence does not occur.
Enough said-------

I just wonder if ID's get checked before serving AB, cause the drinking age is 21, and from the previous postings, alot of the miscreants are young adults, maybe too young to be buying legally? Just a thought.

LOL, Marybeth....I love your post! Too cute!
I also have to comment that while at Fantasmic a couple of years ago I saw something disturbing. There was a family of 2 women, sisters I think, and a teenage girl and a elementary age girl. One of the ladies was gone to get snacks and drinks and the teenage girl asked her mom to go get her a beer. The mother told her that she didn't need one. The girl threw a fit, so her mom got up and went and got her underage daughter a beer! I would have beaten my child to a pulp for even thinking about drinking! The only beer my child better ask me to buy for them better be a root beer!
That has been the only problem with alcoholic drinks I can remember in a WDW park.
Last June (1st week) we did have a problem with people in a large group, wearing very inappropriate shirts at MK. When our children started asking questions, we hopped a monorail and went to Epcot. We reported this the next day, just to make a recommendation, and were given fastpasses by guest relations. They told me that if we saw that again to report it, as that type of attire was not allowed and should have not gotten past security.

[Tink8726]

Originally Posted by GoofyMom

They sure do check IDs. I've been ID'd quite a few times in WDW since my first trip in 2004 and I'm 45.

I've had the opposite. I'm 28 and in all the trips we've done to both coasts since I turned 21 (several F&W Festivals) I think I've been carded 2 or 3 times. We did all the wine and beer flights at the Cali F&W Festival last year and only one of the CM's (out of 6 I think) carded me! I like to be carded, it makes me feel like a gown-up, lol Living in a college town, underage drinking is definitely an issue and not carding, at least here, is a big culprit. Just my 2 cents

[lesterhd]

I'm an Okie from Muskogee, and like Merle says, Oklahoma is a place where even squares can have a ball. Our closest amusement park to visit is Silver Dollar City. We go there three to four times a year and there is "NO" alcohol sold or allowed in the park. It makes for a very pleasant experience. You don't have to worry about it.............period. I just don't believe you have to drink to have a good time. I like Dr. Pepper, but if I can't get it while I'm at a park, I drink water. It doesn't mean I still can't have fun. I will probably get a lot of backlash for this, but IMHO, they shouldn’t sell alcohol in the parks and these issues wouldn’t exist.

[scarlettsmom]

Originally Posted by lesterhd

I just don't believe you have to drink to have a good time. I like Dr. Pepper, but if I can't get it while I'm at a park, I drink water. It doesn't mean I still can't have fun. I will probably get a lot of backlash for this, but IMHO, they shouldn’t sell alcohol in the parks and these issues wouldn’t exist.

I don't drink to have a good time. I have a cocktail at dinner because I love the taste. My mom loves the taste of ice cream and I love the taste of a good martini or cosmo. Its just a preferance. I can do without ice cream for the rest of my life and I can go withoput a drink for the rest of my life. I just prefer not to. Not everyone likes the taste of alcohol. Some people don't like chocolate. Its not backlash but Disney makes a fortune on alcohol and most people there drink it responsibly. I can see why its not in MK but everywhere else should be allowed. For the most part, there are no problems

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by lesterhd

, but IMHO, they shouldn’t sell alcohol in the parks and these issues wouldn’t exist.

The whole point of this thread was about MK, where they don't sell alcohol. So, obviously, this issue does exist where they don't sell it.

Overindulgence exists. People eat too much and throw up on rides. People smoke too much and it affects the air further out than designated areas. People drink too much and make complete fools of themselves. People wear offensive shirts because they're too idiotic to comprehend what's offensive or they want the shock value.

I can't control others, only myself and my reaction to them (and by extention, my kids). If I treat it matter-of-fact, then my kids will. If I see an offensive shirt, I will notify a CM and perhaps explain to my kids that they shouldn't be exposing people to those types of messages. If I see someone drinking or being disruptive, then I will notify a CM and explain to my kids that this is what happens when you don't follow the rules or when you don't use common sense. I may even point out the difference between that jerk over there who's obviously had TOO much and how Mom is when I've had my single Lemon Slushie from France.

Then again, I do this with people who drive badly and especially those who park badly, pointing out that people who don't park properly are rude....everything is a learning opportunity for the kids (or "you're not old enough to know why we're upset" still works when neccessary).

[Evil_Queen]

That is just horrible! I have never seen anyone do that before. I would have turned them in for that one. They should not be drinking in the parks period. If you cannot go a day or an hour without consuming an adult beverage at a child friendly place then you might have a problem. I mean come on really.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by scarlettsmom

My cousins who were raised in a house of drinkers (irish mom and her fam) are super responisble drinkers now. They never really were irresponsible about alcohol. They were shown how to have 1-2 drinks and respect alcohol.

Agreed on the principle. Heck, even when I was as yougn as fourteen, my mother was willing to let me have a (half) glass of wine with christmas or thanksgiving dinner; I'm pretty sure her aimw as "demistify alcohol in a controlled, limited environment while he's just hitting the age he might start experimenting with it himself". Lucky for her, I'd already made a decision of "permanent no, thanks" (long and unhappy story ... for another time, perhaps), so it wasn't really an issue even then. I was perfectly happy with that same glass being filled with a soda or ginger-ale instead of wine; in fact, I preferred it that way.

And still do, twenty five years later.

I'd always seen her with a glass of wine in the evening, after work - just the one, generally. Or my grandmother with her typical half-bottle of beer a day (which her doctor even lauded her for, as it helped treat her high blood pressure). So, I'd always been around examples of drinking in responsible moderation as a youngster and a teen.

So, even though I am a total non-drinker ... I haven't ever been upset when people around me have a drink. I've even occasionally taken a single sip of something slightly exotic myself, just to sample the flavor (at the annual New Years Eve get-together with friends past and present, bottles of "something a tad unusual" are usually brought by a few people - so there's a lot of different things to try and sample and such; somtimes, even I, the always "no thanks, make mine straight soda" guy, will try a tiny bit).

Originally Posted by njsmama

[...] the teenage girl asked her mom to go get her a beer. The mother told her that she didn't need one. The girl threw a fit, so her mom got up and went and got her underage daughter a beer! [...]

And another criminal act occurs. I'd've recorded the exchange on a fresh video disk, then gone to get a CM. Who would almost certainly have gone to get Park Security, who in turn would have gotten the police.

Last June (1st week) we did have a problem with people in a large group, wearing very inappropriate shirts at MK. When our children started asking questions, we hopped a monorail and went to Epcot. We reported this the next day, just to make a recommendation, and were given fastpasses by guest relations. They told me that if we saw that again to report it, as that type of attire was not allowed and should have not gotten past security.

Yeesh. And here, I kept having to put my foot down and insist that DGF would not be in my company on any day she elected to wear a particular T-shirt to MK. It wasn't "NSFW" inappropriate, mind ... just, IMO, inappropriately critical of Disney (it's from the old Simba vs. "Kimba the White Lion" controversy; while I agree with the shirt's message, I just don't think the MK is hte time or place to be wearing it).

But, something that makes young kids ask uncomfortable questions of their parents? Oy.

What you wear, whatou drink, what you say ... in the MK, it should all be G-rated. And frankly, in the other three parks, it should never get past PG-13, if it even goes that far.

IMO, at least.

[nurse_mom]

I have to agree that is sooooo not what you want when you bring your children to disney.

[lesterhd]

Originally Posted by scarlettsmom

I don't drink to have a good time. I have a cocktail at dinner because I love the taste. Its not backlash but Disney makes a fortune on alcohol and most people there drink it responsibly. I can see why its not in MK but everywhere else should be allowed. For the most part, there are no problems

Originally Posted by HeatherD

The whole point of this thread was about MK, where they don't sell alcohol. So, obviously, this issue does exist where they don't sell it.

Please excuse my ignorance. Obviously, I should not be posting about issues I apparently am misinformed about. I was under the impression that several posters had encountered problems in other parks with people under the influence of alcohol. The OP didn't see these individuals create a disturbance in MK, only fill their drinks with what was suspected to be alcohol. Since MK bans alcohol, people who want it, must sneak it in. This means that statistically, there should be fewer issues involving intoxication than in the parks that openly condone alcohol consumption. Will you have alcohol related issues in parks that prohibit alcohol? Probably. Will you have more alcohol related issues in parks that condone its use? Obviously.
Since I do not drink alcohol, I apparently do not understand why it is needed to enhance enjoyment. I don't really understand the double standard. It's not acceptable in MK, but it is in the other parks. Are young children not as abundant in the other parks as they are in MK?
I'm sure that I will be stepping on more toes here, but I still feel the same. Just as it is your right to have your opinion, it is my right to have mine. Whether or not you enjoy the taste or are a full blown alcoholic, I do not believe you need to consume alcohol in a family friendly atmosphere. If it is not something your entire family can partake in, then it is not family friendly. I guess I'm a prude, but that's my opinion. Obviously, it is not going to change Disney's practices, nor would I expect it to. Disney is there to make money, and they can certainly make a boatload by selling alcohol. People are going to do what they want, but I have a right to believe that my child should not have to witness it in MK or any other Disney park.

[bobbileighe]

= no comment.

I'm from a very Sctoch-Irish family and we were brought up having alcohol at all family events, and my kids are the same way. Teaching that it's an adult beverage to be enjoyed modestly and responsibly is not wrong, and I've never seen a family member drunk, and neither have my children. There are less teen-related alcohol incidents in countries such as France, were children drink wine from birth, as there are in America were so much is illiegal or frowned upon. Google it if you don't believe me.
The point was sneaking alcohol into a "dry" amusement park and allowing children to witness the unacceptable behavior, which is totally wrong. As far as opinions on who shouldn't drink or who should, that's off topic. You don't see me questioning why people feel the need to enjoy soda (which I HATE with a passion for some reason) and my children love to eat ice cream at family friendlly events but I'm allergic so does that mean since it's not something the whole familiy can partake in, I should deprieve them from it??? I mean....duh!
That being said, I'm going to take my kids out on their new swingset, enjoy watching them play, while I sit back with my new book in one hand, and a cold bottle of Bud in the other!!!!!!!

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by lesterhd

Please excuse my ignorance. Obviously, I should not be posting about issues I apparently am misinformed about. I was under the impression that several posters had encountered problems in other parks with people under the influence of alcohol. The OP didn't see these individuals create a disturbance in MK, only fill their drinks with what was suspected to be alcohol. Since MK bans alcohol, people who want it, must sneak it in. This means that statistically, there should be fewer issues involving intoxication than in the parks that openly condone alcohol consumption. Will you have alcohol related issues in parks that prohibit alcohol? Probably. Will you have more alcohol related issues in parks that condone its use? Obviously.

Everyone has a right to their opinion, so no worries!

I was only trying to bring it back to the original point that it was the "dry" park that had the issue. I felt/feel that not allowing alcohol wouldn't stop the problem. So, while others pointed out problems in other parks, as you noted, the problems are not exclusive to only parks that legally serve alcohol.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by lesterhd

Since I do not drink alcohol, I apparently do not understand why it is needed to enhance enjoyment. I don't really understand the double standard. It's not acceptable in MK, but it is in the other parks. Are young children not as abundant in the other parks as they are in MK?

Full stop.

First - most people who have an acoholic drink or two (or even three) over the course of a day at DHS, EPCOT, and/or AK ... are not going to be a problem for other guests. Most people who have a drink with dinner, lunch, or whatever ... are going to be good, proper, and responsible adults about it.

Keep in mind that Disney plays host to as many as a quarter million guests among it's four parks, two waterparks, and Downtown Disney every day. If, during the day, even one thousand people make complete, unmitigated drunken idiots of themselves? That's still less than half a percent of everyone there. And I doubt there's that many problem people per day, even.

Second - I, too, do not drink (swore it off when I was twelve; as I said, long and unhappy story). But plenty of the people I know, do ... and they don't do it to "enhance enjoyment", they do it because they enjoy it in itself, period. My DGF is a sucker for mead; she almost NEVER drinks otherwise, but offer her a glass of good mead, and you won't be able to finish the question before you're no longer holding the glass. Which is to say: some people drink for the flavor of it.

Kind of like, I will go WELL out of my way for a nice, cold bottle of IBC rootbeer. I don't have to have that - I could drink water, Sunkist, some other brand of rootbeer, ginger-ale, fruit juice, etc. But, I really like IBC rootbeer, for and in and of itself.

Third, and finally - the MK adheres to Walts personal belief of what a Family-friendly park should be. And I think the "no alcohol in the MK" rule is mostly kept in force nowadays, out of a desire to honor Walt's memory and legacy; moreso even than EPCOT, the MK is Walt's park. It's not a double standard, IMO, either. MK != AK, nor EPCOT, nor DHS. They are four separate parks, and so, they each have their own rules, for their own reasons. AK, for example, not allowing plastic drink lids, and using paper straws.

[GoofyMom]

Just a reminder everybody. This is the original post and the topic of this thread:

Originally Posted by modisney

Maybe it's just me but I saw something at M.K. while there on Spring Break that just had me shaking my head. There was a rather large group, seemed to be 2 or 3 families, buying Cokes at one of the carts. Fine but then I noticed them dumping some out and pouring clear liquid back into them from water bottles from their backpacks. I'm thinking they weren't adding water. Again, maybe it's just me but I thought that was a bit tacky. Especially when they were doing it in plain sight and they had kids old enough to understand what was going on in the group. I'm one to enjoy beer and wine but I can save that for the other parks or dinner. Just had to share.

Let's keep the discussion to the topic of sneaking alcohol into MK. Thank you.

[karyntay07]

Yuck super tacky if that's what they were doing!

I do have to say that I have a friend who, for medical reasons - specifically because of her heart - has to water down soda before she drinks it and her family does it because they've just gotten used to it. Because of this defect she can't have alcohol or caffeine. That probably wasn't the case here, but could be another explanation.