Disneyland expands booze to 3 more restaurants – against Walt Disney’s wishes

Famously dry Disneyland is about to get even boozier as the Anaheim theme park’s long-standing prohibition on alcohol continues to crumble despite warnings from Walt Disney that serving liquor would attract an undesirable crowd of rowdy troublemakers.

Disneyland will serve beer, wine and specialty cocktails starting this Fall at three more table service restaurants in Frontierland, New Orleans Square and Main Street U.S.A.

Select alcoholic beverages will be introduced on Sept. 12 in tandem with new seasonal menu items at Cafe Orleans, River Belle Terrace and Carnation Cafe, according to Disneyland officials.

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The three table service restaurants join Oga’s Cantina that introduced alcohol in 2019 when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge debuted and the Blue Bayou that added booze to the menu in 2021 following the pandemic closure of the park. The exclusive Club 33 private club in New Orleans Square has long served beer, wine and cocktails to its well-heeled members.

Specialty beverages are being added to the menus at Cafe Orleans, River Belle Terrace and Carnation Cafe in response to customer feedback, according to Disneyland officials.

Disney California Adventure has served alcohol at many eateries since the second gate opened across the esplanade from Disneyland in 2001.

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Serving booze at the Disneyland table service restaurants breaks with an alcohol prohibition instituted by Walt Disney — who worried about attracting the wrong crowd who frequented seedy seaside amusement parks in the 1940s and ‘50s.

“No liquor, no beer, nothing,” Walt Disney told the Saturday Evening Post about Disneyland in 1956. “Because that brings in a rowdy element. That brings people that we don’t want.”