Alcohol in Magic Kingdom: Where to Find Beer & Alcohol, Disney World Historic Alcohol Policy

Believe it or not, alcohol has only been served at Magic Kingdom for the past few years. Unlike the other 3 theme parks at Walt Disney World, guests won’t find alcohol openly served or carried inside the park. We’ve been to Magic Kingdom countless times and want you to know the ins and outs of purchasing an alcoholic beverage.

Let's go over the full history of alcohol at Magic Kingdom along with the most up-to-date policy on where to find beer and alcohol at the theme park. Our guide will cover all the ins and outs of this policy along with sharing our best personal tips on where to find the best drinks in Magic Kingdom.

History of Alcohol in the Magic Kingdom

When Walt first opened Disneyland in Anaheim back in 1955, he famously made it an alcohol-free park. Walt is famous for telling the Saturday Evening Post in 1956 “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.” Walt didn’t want to break any trust with families or introduce a risk that would change the atmosphere of the original Magic Kingdom.

Walt’s stance was cemented by the opening of Holidayland in 1957, a Disney-owned area just outside of Disneyland that served beer to guests. This eventually led to drunk guests entering Disneyland and causing a ruckus.

What many might not know is that Walt was actually open to the idea of alcohol in his theme park. In the words of Dick Nunis, “he was tentatively open to the idea of limited alcohol sales in specific locations we could control.”

EPCOT Changes the World

While both Magic Kingdoms on the West Coast and East Coast stayed completely “dry” for some time, things changed when EPCOT opened in 1982. There, Disney decided to sell alcohol at each country’s pavilion in the World Showcase in order to show off each country’s culture.

When subsequent parks opened at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Disney offered alcohol to those over 21. However, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World stayed “dry” until 2012 with the opening of Be Our Guest. Understandably, French wine and beer were offered to complement its French cuisine.

Disneyland in Anaheim has since started offering alcohol to guests, but today, we’ll focus on everything concerning this cup of “liquid extroversion” in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

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Magic Kingdom’s Alcohol Policy

Before diving into Magic Kingdom’s alcohol policy, it’s worth noting that throughout all the Walt Disney World theme parks, guests cannot bring outside alcohol through security and into the theme parks. Conversely, guests cannot bring alcohol purchased inside the theme parks outside the park’s entrance.

Magic Kingdom’s alcohol policy is still more strict than that of the other 3 Walt Disney World theme parks. Firstly, only table service restaurants can serve alcohol. Additionally, guests cannot walk around the park with drinks – they must be consumed at the restaurant they purchased them. Finally, guests cannot order plain hard alcohol or any off-menu cocktails. That is unless they are part of a secret menu – more on this later.

Where to Find Alcohol in Magic Kingdom

In general, guests can find alcohol only at table service restaurants in Magic Kingdom. If you choose to dine at one of these restaurants, we highly recommend that you make advance reservations on the My Disney Experience app. However, if you have no advance reservations, you have 3 options:

1. Check for reservations frequently on the My Disney Experience app. Since guests have the ability to cancel up to 2 hours before their reservation time, there’s always a chance that you can find a reservation closer to your park day – even on the same day of your visit.
2. The My Disney Experience app also shows the wait times for most table service restaurants if you choose to join the walk-up list. Use those times to gauge whether or not waiting in-person is right for you. Additionally, you can join the walk-up list through the app when you’re in close proximity to the restaurant. The app will let you know when your table is ready.
3. Finally, if there’s room, you can join the walk-up list in-person by speaking to a Cast Member at the entrance of the restaurant. We’ve found that even if the My Disney Experience app shows no availability, restaurants may still be accepting walk-ups.

Let’s go over which restaurants offer alcohol in Magic Kingdom.

Be Our Guest

This restaurant is one of the most popular at Magic Kingdom because of its Beauty and the Beast theming, complete with the West Wing, the Beast’s library, and magnificent ballroom. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are offered here with a pre-fixe menu. However, alcohol is not included in the pre-fixe menu price and requires an additional charge. Alcoholic options here are mostly from France, to keep with a more authentic dining experience.

Guests have 4 private-label champagne and wine options as well as a sampler option which includes your choice of 3 of these wines. Guests also have the choice of 28 other beers, wines, and ciders.

Be Our Guest also offers 3 cocktails: French 75 (Fords gin, lemon juice, cane sugar, topped with Charles de Fére Réserve Chardonnay Tradition brut), Boulevardier (Knob Creek rye whiskey, Campari liqueur, Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, garnished with Luxardo cherries), and a Bloody Mary.

My take: While the pre-fixe menu is good and the alcohol choices are wide, the ambience is what makes Be Our Guest a standout restaurant. With that said, two of my favorite beers in Walt Disney World are here and can only be found in select other locations: Chimay Blue and the ever-popular Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

If there’s one restaurant at Magic Kingdom more popular than Be Our Guest, it’s certainly Cinderella’s Royal Table. Here, guests get the opportunity to dine inside Cinderella Castle and meet some of their favorite Disney Princesses. You can dine here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – with alcohol served all day. While it is pricey, it’s worth trying at least once. Just like Be Our Guest, meals are served at a pre-fixe price, but alcohol is an additional charge.

Breakfast alcohol options are limited to the 4 cocktails: Bloody Mary, Mimosa, an Opici Family Selection white or red sangria, and the Canella Bellini Sparkling Peach cocktail (Prosecco, peach juice, and drops of wild raspberry). Undecided? You can also order a cocktail flight (featuring a mimosa, sangria, and the Canella Bellini).

Dine here for lunch or dinner and the alcohol options open up significantly. Guests can choose from a very wide range of wines, champagnes, and a good selection of imported beers. This location also offers a range of dessert wines and sparkling wines – something not offered everywhere in Magic Kingdom. There is also several wine flights to choose from for those looking for more variety.

My take: With such a limited cocktail list, I’d skip the cocktails and head straight to the wine list. A flight is also a wonderful way to sample several wines.

The Crystal Palace

Another restaurant where your meal is pre-fixe and alcohol is an additional charge, The Crystal Palace is a popular Magic Kingdom restaurant among fans of Winnie The Pooh and friends. Here, guests get to dine in a buffet-setting while meeting some of their favorite friends from the Hundred Acre Wood!

The alcohol menu includes a limited selection of beer, hard cider, wine, and several cocktails: a mimosa, white sangria, bloody mary, Jack Rose (Laird’s Applejack brandy, hibiscus grenadine, lemon and lime juices), and Last Word (Fords gin, Green Chartreuse liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino liquor, lime juice, luxardo cherries)

My take: With a limited selection of alcohol, the big draw to this popular Magic Kingdom restaurant is the ability to meet Winnie The Pooh and friends. With that said, the Last Word is certainly a tasty drink worth trying.

The Plaza Restaurant

Directly next to the Ice Cream Parlor, the Plaza Restaurant is one of the most budget-friendly restaurants in Magic Kingdom. While the food menu contains classic soda-fountain classics similar to Beaches and Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, the cocktail list is almost the exact same as that of The Crystal Palace. The only difference is that guests cannot get the bloody mary at The Plaza Restaurant.

My take: I wouldn’t be going to The Plaza Restaurant just to get a drink. The beer or wine may pair will with some of the comfort foods on the menu, but since the alcoholic options here aren’t unique to this location, I recommend opting for a milkshake instead.

The Diamond Horseshoe and Liberty Tree Tavern

Both located in Liberty Square, The Diamond Horseshoe and Liberty Tree Tavern feature identical food and alcohol menus. Both restaurants feature classic American eats, with guests feeling like they’re at a family-style Thanksgiving feast. The main difference between these two Magic Kingdom restaurants is that The Diamond Horseshoe is themed to an Old West music hall, complete with a live piano player for extra entertainment. Liberty Tree Tavern on the other hand is themed after colonial America. Think Thanksgiving vibes, but year-round.

Because both restaurants have buffet-style service, meals are a pre-fixe with an additional charge if you choose to order alcohol. To fit with their theming, both restaurants offer a selection of American wines, hard cider, beer (including several from Samuel Adams), and cocktails.

Some of the cocktails on their list are intriguing: Gold Rush (Elijah Craig 12yr Kentucky Straight Bourbon, lemon juice, honey, crystalized ginger), Innkeeper’s Shandy (Sam Adams Lager topped with Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider), Cranberry Sipper (Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Domaine de canton Ginger liqueur, lime juice, cranberry juice), and Ginger Pear Snap (Tito’s Handmade vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liquor, Domaine de canton Ginger Liqueur, pear nectar, lemon juice). They also offer a house-made liberty red or white sangria and a mimosa.

My take: A unique take on a whiskey sour, the Gold Rush is certainly a good cocktail to try for you bourbon lovers.

Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen

This very popular Magic Kingdom restaurant themed after the Jungle Cruise is chock-full of Easter eggs from the famous attraction and the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. “Skipper Canteen,” as it’s affectionately called, features adventurous food and beverages from around the world. As opposed to the previously mentioned restaurants, everything here is priced a la carte, which can be friendlier to your wallet. With that said, its alcohol menu is more exotic than other menus around Magic Kingdom.

Skipper Canteen features wines from South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. For reference, the only other restaurants to get such an exotic list of wines include Tiffins at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Jiko – The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The beer menu isn’t expansive, but it does feature 2 standouts: the Star lager from Nigeria and a beer exclusively brewed for Walt Disney World: the Kungaloosh Spiced Excursion Ale.

Cocktails include the Sunset Margarita (with smoked chili bitters), Jungle Bird (Gosling Black Seal Rum, Campari liqueur, cane syrup, pineapple and lime juices), Jungle Navigation Co. Shandy (Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, and Minute Made premium lemonade), and a house-made Skipper red or white sangria.

My take: To all the beer drinkers, get the Kungaloosh – it’s a great-tasting beer and a fantastic nod to the gone-but-not-forgotten Adventurer’s Club. And don’t forget to ask your server about the secret menu, which offers different food and drink items, including beer and cocktail items that are always rotating.

Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

Themed after the restaurant where Lady and the Tramp shared their first kiss over a plate of spaghetti, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant features Italian food with a Disney flare. Meals and drinks here are priced a la carte.

The alcohol menu features 2 beers and plenty of Italian wines, with some choices coming straight from Italy. Guests will likely find a drink to pair well with their Italian food.

The cocktail list is also Italian-inspired: Canella Bellini (mentioned earlier), Little Italy Cocktail (Knob Creek Rye Whiskey, Amaro Averna Siciliano liqueur, Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth), and Limoncello Sidecar (Caravella limoncello liqueur, Cointreau liqueur, Laird’s Applejack Brandi, lemon juice).

My take: As a big bourbon and whiskey fan, the Little Italy Cocktail is a perfect elegant cocktail to add to your Italian meal. For a great relaxing experience at the end of your Magic Kingdom day, make your reservations right after the fireworks. That way, you’re enjoying your meal and drink, people-watching (if that’s your thing), and waiting out the crowds before heading back to your resort.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties

One other option guests have in order to have access to alcohol in Magic Kingdom is through any of the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties. Magic Kingdom offers 3 parties, ranging from as low as $59 for children ages 3-9 (no alcohol for them of course!) to $129 for adults ages 10 and up. With that price, guests have access to all-you-can-drink beer, wine, and champagne, along with a buffet of snacks and dessert items. The cherry on top? A reserved spot to view the fireworks.

In the past, the availability of alcohol varied by which party you went to, so if having that cup of “liquid extroversion” is a priority for you, confirm it when booking. Make sure to for available reservations on the My Disney Experience app (or through the Disney website) up to 60 days in advance of your Walt Disney World trip.

Final Thoughts on Alcohol in Magic Kingdom

With alcohol only offered at table service restaurants, these areas require a time commitment – expect to be sitting for at least an hour since these are full sit-down restaurants. While guests may feel they have to go out of their way to get an alcoholic beverage at Magic Kingdom, there are definitely some good options to consider.

In general, the wine menus are fairly similar across all the restaurants (with a few exceptions). In terms of beer, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, Be Our Guest, and Liberty Tree Tavern have my favorite beers in Magic Kingdom.

In the end, the Magic Kingdom restaurants have alcoholic options to suit almost anyone’s needs. With that said, some restaurants have more options than others, so make sure to check their menus on the My Disney Experience mobile app to see what you might like. Not sure what you might like? Don’t hesitate to ask your server what they may recommend!

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