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Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicSince its inception, EPCOT has been viewed as the Disney Park of the future, but recent events have cast the Park in a very unfavorable and very alcoholic light. Drinking around the world at EPCOT has perpetuated a toxic culture around alcohol consumption that’s rubbing fans the wrong way, especially when it gets between them and their favorite rides.
A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld addressed the frequent occurrence of Guests disrupting preshows to rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. While most of the unruly riders in question were undoubtedly loud, some users on the thread accredit this behavior to the excessive drinking going on.
Disney Gets Drunk and Disorderly at EPCOT
While the original post blames simply putting a lot of excited people into one small pre-queue area, other contributors openly point their finger at those choosing to indulge in more than a few amply available drinks.
Related: Construction Plans Filed For Apparent Site of “EPCOT’s Future World Hotel”
EPCOT’s drinking culture truly has gotten to be an all too consistent factor, and (according to some Guests) it’s become the primary reason for visiting the Park. Despite things like the Food and Wine Festival generating a lot of revenue for Disney, getting a large number of tipsy and drunken Guests together in a single location is hardly the smartest idea.
u/SeekerVash writes,
They really need to rip off the Band-Aid and handle the drinking problem at Epcot. It’s going to start driving people away from that park at some point.”
And u/LaMaupindAubigny cosigns on this statement by adding,
In my experience it’s not college age kids, it’s “wine moms”. The people that have enough money to get blackout drunk on margaritas from the Mexican pavilion also have a sense of entitlement that make them act abhorrently towards cast members and other guests.
It’s even gotten the attention of long-time EPCOT visitors who agree that the problem has only gotten worse as it goes unchecked. u/Every-Cook5084 writes,
It’s always been a thing. Hell I did it there in my 20’s in the late 90’s. I know at least once we were fairly tipsy. But would never act disrespectful that’s just a**holes in society. But this makes me glad they don’t sell beer at MK except sit downs.
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There are dozens of comments that continue to carry the same tune. EPCOT’s drinking culture is having a significantly negative effect on Guests and it could very well drive down Disney’s visitors if it continues to remain unchecked. No matter how stunning or thrilling the ride or roller coaster might be, they might not have the patience if too many people are getting drunk and disorderly.
Do you think EPCOT is becoming more of a pub crawl? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!