No two Disney World trips are the same. Whether the changes are big or small, the parks have come a long way since Magic Kingdom first opened over 50 years ago.
Magic Kingdom is about to get bigger
When Walt Disney dreamt up Disneyland and later Disney World, he had a very specific vision of what he wanted them to look like — and the easiest way to bring his vision to life was by implementing very specific rules to match. Over the years, those rules have been relaxed a bit and we’re taking a look at some of them.
It takes a lot of work to keep Disney World running smoothly, and both visitors and Cast Members have to follow specific rules in order to keep Walt Disney’s vision alive. But, certain rules have been amended or abolished altogether and we’re taking a look at a few of the biggest ones!
Drinkin’ at Disney
Magic Kingdom at Disney World (like Disneyland Park) has historically been a “dry park,” meaning this park didn’t serve alcoholic beverages at all for decades after it first opened in 1971. Later, as Disney World began adding more parks, those alcohol rules were relaxed a bit, with boozy beverages being available at EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom
Over time, there was a small change made to this rule. When Be Our Guest restaurant first opened in 2012, it was the first Magic Kingdom restaurant to offer an alcoholic beverage along with dinner. Slowly, we’ve seen other table-service restaurants around Magic Kingdom follow suit in more recent years — but those are the only places in Magic Kingdom where you’ll find alcohol. While you can grab a beer or a drink from a quick service spot or snack stand at the other Disney World parks, table-service restaurants are the only place you can get booze in Magic Kingdom — for now.
The BEST Drinks (Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic!) at Disney World
Tattooed and Employed
When you walk around Disney World these days, keep an eye out for Cast Members with Disney-themed (and other cool) tattoos! But, for years, Disney World Cast Members were not permitted to have any visible tattoos at all. This is actually quite a recent change! Back in 2021, Disney relaxed its policy to allow visible tattoos on Cast Members.
New Look for Cast Members
There are still a few rules Cast Members have to follow when it comes to tattoos, though. First, they cannot have tattoos on their face, head, or neck. They are allowed tattoos in other visible places as long as the tattoo is no larger than the Cast Member’s hand and is family-friendly. They cannot have tattoos that depict nudity, offensive or inappropriate language or images, or violate any of Disney’s company policies.
4 Major Body Modification Rules Disney Cast Members Must Still Obey
Dress Code Diaries
Believe it or not, Disney World has a dress code — and not just for Cast Members! Visitors have to follow certain rules as well. The official Disney website says the following are “inappropriate”: clothing with objectionable language or material, excessively torn clothing, clothing that exposes a little too much skin for a family-friendly environment, objectionable tattoos, and skirts or dresses that drag on the ground.
Magic Kingdom
The one rule we’ve seen Disney be a little bit more lax about lately is the “clothing that exposes a little too much skin for a family-friendly environment.” In this day and age, it’s becoming much more normal to see crop tops and bralettes worn as tops — especially in a hot, outdoor environment like Disney World. From what we’ve seen, as long as all the important bits are covered and you’re wearing more than a bathing suit — you should be good to go, but your mileage may vary!
Spaceship Earth
Ultimately, Disney has to try and keep up with the times and what the general public deems appropriate, and in this case, they’ve updated their rules to match! Things are always changing around Disney World, but we’re keeping up with it all so you can be prepared for your next visit! In the meantime, stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest news and more!
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For the past several trips, we have been enjoying winter trips to Disney World (last in January of this year), so inappropriate clothing has been less of an issue around the resort on our visits. We are not big drinkers, but it was nice to have the change to be able to enjoy some liquid relaxation with the evening meal. And IMO how people behave is much more important than how they look – so it’s good that Disney is relaxing the rules around appearance to attract ALL the best people.
These rules should all still be in place! People are rude enough without adding alcohol into the mix. If somebody can’t go a day without drinking, they’ve got a problem and they shouldn’t make it mine. I don’t spend my hard-earned money to be surrounded by drunks. The last time I was in Animal Kingdom – and I do mean the last time I’ll ever go – every single building was selling alcohol. My favorite sitdown, fast food restaurant that was so tasteful yet casual had been turned into an outdoor bar! I still see the African decor, that beautiful wall size map and I still miss the drumsticks and rice. Drinking isn’t needed in any other park either (fancy restaurants aside). Most companies have a dress code. Disney is the epitome and role model. Tattoos, piercings, etc should still be banned. Nor should guests be half dressed. It’s time youngsters learned etiquette and protocol. How one dresses does matter! I don’t want to see nakedness. There is a time and place for everything but some things simply are not appropriate in public, especially around kids and at a supposedly family friendly park. Disney continues to fail and disappoint us in its decisions and Walt must be turning over in his grave. Add to this the outrageous prices and nickel and timing and wdw will find itself going the way of the dodo. Shame on Disney and WDW!!!
*and diming! Btw I’m not a prude but society, culture and civilization have gone too far outside the norms of decency. It’s not wdw who should conform….it’s people who should welcome and abide by some parameters!
I enjoy having an alcoholic beverage while on vacation. There’s a difference between having a drink or two and “being a drunk”. I do think the dress code isn’t enforced consistently. My daughter a few years ago had running shorts on that had flipped up in the front while sitting on the bus and they told her to fold them down but we were walking out of Soarin’ one day following two teenage girls who had extremely short shorts on that had part of their cheeks hanging out. I personally don’t really care but at least be consistent. Also agree on the prices…it’s gotten ridiculous. We pay more and get less.