Always wished for some liquid courage (and patience) while walking around Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida? Your dreams have come true.
A completely dry destination until 2012, the amusement park started serving booze at restaurant Be Our Guest just a few years ago. Now, just in time for the holidays, the park is granting liquor licenses to an additional four eateries. Starting December 23, patrons at Cinderella's Royal Table, Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, Liberty Tree Tavern and Tony's Town Square Restaurant will be able to order wine and beer as part of their table service (so, no, you still won't be able to walk around with a drink in hand).
What sparked this massive change, considering Walt Disney's personal strict opposition to allowing alcohol on the premise? The visitors' own requests, according to an official spokeswoman.
"There was always a fear that people would drink to excess and become unruly," University of South Carolina in Columbia assistant hospitality professor Scott Smith told the Orlando Sentinel. As permission to serve drinks was granted to other Disney parks (Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot), "that fear slowly diminished."
Take a look at what each restaurant is expected to serve (via Orlando Sentinel):
- Cinderella’s Royal Table will serve champagne and sparkling wine.
- Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen in Adventureland will have a more global beverage menu, with drinks such as a riesling.
- Liberty Tree Tavern will serve beer, cider and domestic wines.
- Tony's Town Square Restaurant will offer Italian wines and beers, including a Chianti Superiore.