Photo credit: thedisneyblog.com
Walt Disney made it incredibly clear when he said that he
didn’t want alcohol served in his parks, but he also said that the parks should
adapt and change with the times.
The new Be Our Guest restaurant, which is part of the new
Fantasyland Expansion at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, will now offer a
selection of French wines and Belgian beers to guests. The only other parks to
do this are Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and
Animal Kingdom, and the exclusive Club 33 at Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom.
Why this has been made controversial is understandable- if
Walt didn’t want it, why are the current Disney cast members doing it? Well,
times are changing and it is already offered in other parks… so why not?
Besides, do you really think that people will want to
spend upwards of $10 on a glass of beer when their vacation is already costing
them an arm and a leg? I’m going to lean towards no.
What do you think? Are Walt's ideas totally being set aside or is this just Disney adapting to the changing times?
I think this is a tricky situation, and I find myself considering arguments for both sides.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, many grown adults come to this park for events such as reunions, weddings, and honeymoons. Adding alcohol will defiantly help their marketing to these older age groups, which will in return make them more willing to come. For adults that are getting dragged along to these parks when it may not of been their first choice destination, it would be nice to get a chance to try some of these wines and beer. The way you put it, it is being done in a very classy way. Hopefully, things don't get out of hand.
On one hand, this is a family park centered around the child in all of us. Adding alcohol seems counter intuitive, and a little bit wrong. Think of all the negative behavior that results from alcohol. Regardless of the expensive prices, people will become drunk. This is not what Walt Disney intended for his parks.
Overall, I don't think this was a great decision for Disney.
Thanks for the comment, Grace!
DeleteI agree with you on both sides. However, I think that Disney will find that the high price of beer and wine is going to offset how many people become intoxicated in their parks. I don't believe that people will really want to pay $8 a beer more than once or twice.
It will definitely be interesting to see how it plays out!