It’s only in the past few years that alcohol has been served at Magic Kingdom, so many people don’t know the ins and outs of where to find it. Unlike the other three parks at Walt Disney World, you won’t find alcohol openly served or carried in the park. You have to know the few spots to go get it, and why you might want to leave the park to get some instead. Read on to learn all about where to get alcohol at Magic Kingdom!
Getting Alcohol at Magic Kingdom
Since opening in 1971, there has been very little (generally no) access to alcohol in Magic Kingdom. Well, that has changed, but it’s not quite a whole new world yet.
When people reported Magic Kingdom was getting alcohol, plenty of people reacted furiously at the idea of “the most magical place on Earth” being tainted. But the restrictions on alcohol seem to have kept things perfectly well under control, and it’s unlikely they’ll be rolling back access (even Disneyland park, “the happiest place on Earth,” now has alcohol at Oga’s Cantina).
The first thing to know is that you mostly can (mostly) only get alcohol at table service restaurants at Magic Kingdom. Table service restaurants typically require an advance dining reservation, and Magic Kingdom’s restaurants are among the most popular at Walt Disney World.
If you don’t have a reservation, you’ve got three options. The first is to check for reservations right now in the Disney World app. You can sometimes find same-day reservations. Just be sure to search by both meal time (e.g. “Dinner”) and by each actual hour (e.g. “5:00 PM”) because sometimes results will vary.
Second, the Disney World app now displays wait times for tables at most table service restaurants. You can also join the walk-up list via the app, and when a table is available you’ll be notified.
Third, even if the above two methods in the app fail you, you might just walk up the restaurant. Even when the app shows no availability, the restaurants sometimes can accept walk-ups.
Table service restaurants do require a bit of a time commitment. You won’t be popping in for a quick beer, and you can’t take it to go. These are full sit-down restaurants, so plan for an hour visit at least.
If you’re interested in a table service restaurant, you might want to consider the Festival of Fantasy Dining Package, which includes lunch at Tony’s Town Square and VIP parade viewing. (Note: As of June 2024 the dining packages still have not returned.)
There are two exceptions to the general rule that you’ll only get alcohol at table service restaurants. First, the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties serve alcohol. In the past, availability of alcohol varied by which party you went to, so be sure to confirm it when booking.
Second, Club 33, the private club inside the Disney parks, also serves alcohol.
Can you bring your own alcohol into Magic Kingdom?
No. You cannot bring your own alcohol into Magic Kingdom or any of Disney’s parks.
What kind of alcohol is available at Magic Kingdom?
Currently, there is only beer, wine, sparkling wine, and select specialty cocktails. You cannot order plain hard alcohol or any off-menu cocktails at Magic Kingdom.
Restaurants With Alcohol at Magic Kingdom
The following restaurants serve alcohol at Magic Kingdom:
Be Our Guest
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
Liberty Tree Tavern
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
The Plaza Restaurant
The Crystal Palace
The Diamond Horseshoe
Keep in mind—the alcohol menus are not the same at each restaurant, and the menus may vary by meal (typically a difference between breakfast and lunch/dinner).
Wine menus are pretty similar across the restaurants in the park, but we recommend Liberty Tree Tavern and Skipper Canteen for beer.
As you might expect, the character meals aren’t flush with alcohol options. Cinderella’s Royal Table has a pretty good—but often expensive—wine/sparkling wine selection and limited beer. Crystal Palace is limited on all fronts.
I’ve reviewed Breakfast at Be Our Guest. While I wasn’t happy with my plant-based meal, it was nice to quickly pop in for a reasonably-priced meal and to be able to add a mimosa while I was there.
Best Restaurants with alcohol at Magic Kingdom
With all that said, here are our recommendations for the best options to get alcohol at Magic Kingdom…
Best Option for Characters - This is just a tie between Cinderella’s Royal Table and The Crystal Palace. It mostly comes down to which set of characters you want—princesses or Winnie the Pooh and co.
Best Food - Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen - Skipper Canteen has some of the best food you’ll find at Disney World, and it’s definitely the most adventurous menu in Magic Kingdom by niles and niles and niles, and if you can’t see that, you’re in…
The Easiest Option - Tony’s Town Square Restaurant - With the caveat that it’s location at the front of the park isn’t centrally located, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is my pick for “easiest” of the options. It typically has good reservation availability, it’s straightforward Italian-flavored food, and it has many wines, a few cocktails, and at least Stella.
Getting Alcohol Near Magic Kingdom
Your other option is to leave Magic Kingdom to get a drink. There are three hotels that are quickly accessible from Magic Kingdom—Contemporary, Polynesian Village, and Grand Floridian. A fourth, Wilderness Lodge, is also a relatively short boat ride away, and Fort Wilderness is a final option, also by boat.
You might pick either the Monorail or Bay Lake Bar Crawl if you’re looking for an extended time out of the park.
The downside to this approach is that it takes time. At a minimum, you’ve got about a 12-minute walk from the front of Magic Kingdom to Steakhouse 71 Lounge at Contemporary Resort. A wait and slow monorail journey could have you taking 30 minutes to get to Trader Sam’s at Polynesian.
But there are a few upsides to this, as well. For starters, you’re escaping the crowds. It’s always nice to have a bit of breathing room in the middle of a long day at Magic Kingdom.
Second, many of the people still reading this post are traveling without children, and you might feel like a full, uninterrupted day at Magic Kingdom is a bit much. I disagree, but taking the monorail or a boat to a nearby bar is a fun way to add some adulting to Magic Kingdom.
And as we mentioned, the alcohol selection inside Magic Kingdom is limited, and those locations that serve it are restaurants, not bars. This means for a true cocktail hour experience, you’ll need to leave the park.
But most important to us, it’s just cool to go see these hotels (and to ride the monorail or a boat). They’re some of Disney’s best hotels, and if you’d like to see what they offer for a future visit, this is a great excuse.
While these aren’t all the options, here’s a list of bars to consider (bar, hotel, how to get there):
Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto or Tiki Terrace, Polynesian Village, Boat / Monorail / Long Walk
Enchanted Rose, Grand Floridian, Boat / Monorail / Walk
Steakhouse 71 Lounge, Contemporary, Monorail / Walk
California Grill Lounge, Contemporary, Monorail / Walk
Outer Rim, Contemporary, Monorail / Walk
Our personal preference—we go to Polynesian Village just before the fireworks, grab a drink a Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace, watch the fireworks from the beach behind Polynesian, and then head back to the park, assuming it’s open after the fireworks.
Obviously if you only get to see the firework show once you might not want to do it this way, and you’ll only be going back to the park on days when it’s open late (or you have access to some evening event at the park).
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.