Alcohol Is Being Added To Disneyland, Thanks To Star Wars

Disneyland is a dry park and has been since it opened in 1955, but that will change in 2019 when Star Wars Galaxy's Edge opens. Disney Parks released new information about the cantina that will be opening as part of the new land at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and it makes reference to the fact that "libations for adults" will be available at Oga's Cantina, and while that's no big deal for Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida, which has been serving alcohol since it opened, it's a major change for the first Disney Park.

The fact that Disneyland is using Star Wars Galaxy's Edge as its entry into serving adult beverages isn't too surprising. It's actually something I suggested could very well happen when the new land opened next year. Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom in Florida opened as dry parks, in accordance with the wishes of Walt Disney who wanted to separate his new theme parks from their carnival ancestors who routinely used alcohol as a way to entertain adults while kids ran around. The only place in Disneyland to get a drink at the moment is at Club 33, which is not open to the general public. However, the other parks at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort serve alcohol freely, allowing you to carry it around the park with you. Then, in 2012, the Magic Kingdom began to serve alcohol at Be Our Guest, its new high-end restaurant inside the park. Earlier this year, alcohol expanded to every table service restaurant in the park. After having made such a radical change to the Magic Kingdom, it seemed like only a matter of time before something like that happened at Disneyland as well.

While the announcement from the Disney Parks Blog doesn't specify, there's a good chance that Disneyland will follow the Magic Kingdom here and only allow alcohol inside the cantina. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, however, you'll likely be able to roam free with your lightsaber shaped cocktail, or whateve4r interesting concoctions Disney comes up with.

A number of other details were also revealed about the new Oga's Cantina location. Oga Garra is the name of the proprietor and the cantina is described as a notorious watering hole on the planet Batuu. Patron's are expected to adhere to a code of conduct, thus keeping things from getting out of hand. Musical entertainment will also be provided, by RX-24, the same droid who piloted the original Star Tours ride. He's now the cantina DJ and is described as being as talkative as ever. Hopefully, that means the return of Paul Reubens, who voiced the original character.

This change is sure to cause concern for many regarding Disneyland. While Walt Disney always said the park would never be finished, things would always be added and changed, many Disneyland fans can be resistant to change, and this particular policy, having been in place since opening day in 1955, is viewed by many as something that should never change. There's a lot more to learn about this change, and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge itself, before the parks open next year.