Why no casino

[Magic Man]

When my daughter was younger we took her on 3 different Disney Cruises(my first 3 cruises). Since then we had sailed different lines. Now my DW wants to take our grandaughter (different daughters child) on a Disney Cruise and I'm trying to lean towards another line , because the casino is where I spend every evening. I know there is gambling at some ports, but it's not the same.

[nelfamily]

The best reason I can think of why Disney doesn't have a casino or library on board is so you will spend your quality time with family doing other things outside your cabin. Disney is all about spending time with family.

[greenboi]

I agree Disney is about the families, but they spend a great deal of time marketing cruises towards adults only options. Just because a ship has a casino doesn't mean that our we forsake our family time. The adults who are there to spend time with their kids will spend time with there kids. The adults who will put their kids in the youth programs 100% of the time will do that just the same. Not that putting your child in a youth program is bad, some kids love it. I have also seen some where the kids weren't too pleased about being there. I hope they put casinos on the new ships.

[truck1]

I doubt the new ships will have casinos. One of the reasons I had heard,as to why there are no casinos, was that it is not the Disney Image. Which if you look at it on the surface, the parks themselves, with very few exceptions, dont have any alcohol for sale. (Usually only in the restuaraunts and as far as I know not in the Magic Kingdoms plural.Only the one exclusive club in Cal.) Yes Pleasure Island did have clubs and drinking, but they are removed from the parks and now are closed.One of the things Walt wanted was a place where people could take there kids and be safe. (Keep in mind this was in the 40s where the carnivals and amusement parks were dirty, filthy places and were run by drunks and crooks.)To this day, that is the Disney Image, free from the vices of "normal society" for lack of a better term.

 

Could they put in casinos and make a ton of money? Sure, but that is not what most people come to expect from Disney.

[Host Mick]

The ships originally had a casino designed in my the interior spaces naval architect. When Mikey Eisner saw it, he had them changed to what is now Up Beat and Radar Trap. The story officially is that the ships are family friendly and gambling isn't.

However, the real story may be different. Disney spends a lot of money lobbying to keep gambling out of Florida. They fight Indian and commercial gambling calling it family-unfriendly but coincidentally it's also Disney unfriendly in that it takes people away from Disney's parks and hotels. By having casinos on it's ships, Disney would undermine their own moral authority to resist casinos in FL on moral grounds.

[bnsilly]

Is there alcohol on Disney ships? I don't need it, just wondered..since we are on the topic of gambling, etc..

[bigbootee]

Is there alcohol on Disney ships? I don't need it, just wondered..since we are on the topic of gambling, etc..

 

Yes. There are several bars onboard. Also room service and restaurants.

 

There is a beer delivery service.

[greenboi]

Doesn't Disney allow you to bring Beer on board? I thought I read it somewhere an thought that was strange. Our first Disney cruise is not until Oct 09; I hope we can legallly bring something other than wine onboard.

[jjgoo]

The best reason I can think of why Disney doesn't have a casino or library on board is so you will spend your quality time with family doing other things outside your cabin. Disney is all about spending time with family.

 

:):)

[Lyncruiser]

Yep, we always go Royal Caribbean rather than Disney because my mom loves to gamble! It's not a cruise for her unless she can pull the handle on a few slots. It really takes nothing away from family time by the way. By the time she goes to the casino, the grandkids are in bed.

 

I think the previous poster's explanation that Disney opposes casinos because they don't want competition in Florida is the most likely explanation. Disney may frame it as "Disney is about famly time." But, what Disney is really about is "making money". Protecting their market is, I'm sure, extremely important to them.

[Host Mick]

I think the previous poster's explanation that Disney opposes casinos because they don't want competition in Florida is the most likely explanation. Disney may frame it as "Disney is about famly time." But, what Disney is really about is "making money". Protecting their market is, I'm sure, extremely important to them.

 

I have to hedge my theory with the thought that it is about both, family time and making money. Walt Disney didn't talk much in public about money (that was Roy's job) except when mixing it with less financial discussions. He used to tell people that the Disney Co. was in the business of making people happy and of course when they are happy, they spend more money with Disney. All of the princesses and pixie dust alone won't help if a company doesn't make a profit. That was proven in the early '80s when the Walt Disney Co. stopped making a profit and was nearly bought and disassembled by corporate raiders.

[dta87]

Doesn't Disney allow you to bring Beer on board? I thought I read it somewhere an thought that was strange. Our first Disney cruise is not until Oct 09; I hope we can legallly bring something other than wine onboard.

 

You can bring all the alcohol you want onboard as long as you can carry it on and it fits through the scanner. If you bring wine to the dining rooms you will pay a corkage fee though. If you don't end up consuming it all onboard you can't take an open container off the ship and the closed containers may count towards your duty allowance.

[Host Mick]

You can bring all the alcohol you want onboard as long as you can carry it on and it fits through the scanner. If you bring wine to the dining rooms you will pay a corkage fee though. If you don't end up consuming it all onboard you can't take an open container off the ship and the closed containers may count towards your duty allowance.

 

Good point. If you think that you might be bringing liquor or wine back home (and what a shame that would be) you should hang on to the receipt to show customs.

[midnight sushi]

keeping kids would probably be a big problem on board

[jenseib]

keeping kids would probably be a big problem on board

I don't get it?

 

I really could care less if they have casinos as I always lose anyways. LOL! But DH does like to go here and there. But I want this trip for ME! LOL My 40th celebrations, and I also want DD to enjoy herself as much as possible and I already know she loves Disney. But if Casinos are improtant, then it's better to go on a different line. Or perhaps take two short cruises? One on Disney and one on another line, back to back.

[Mack2]

Which if you look at it on the surface, the parks themselves, with very few exceptions, dont have any alcohol for sale. (Usually only in the restuaraunts and as far as I know not in the Magic Kingdoms plural.Only the one exclusive club in Cal.) Yes Pleasure Island did have clubs and drinking, but they are removed from the parks and now are closed.

 

Actually, you can buy wine and beer from "street" vendors in Epcot. Epcot also has a wine and food festival every year. There is also alcohol available in Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and MGM... the only place there's no alcohol is Magic Kingdom.

 

As for the absence of a casino on the DCL... yeah. Mike Eisner's "moral" crusade. It would make sense with the other posters' assertion that Disney doesn't want to compete with Florida casinos, and putting a casino on their signature cruise line would really be bad for PR.

[smoothdancer]

Yes, we just returned from a short visit to Walt Disney World and I was suprised to see the vendor carts selling beer quite openly. In Epcot champagne is also a hot item too. Notthat I mind, just found it curious.

 

I can understand the use of the ships space for something else than a casino and certainly can understand the line must take a position against casinos to protect the theme parks revenue.But again was suprised that someone said no Library... Disney could get great use out of this and keep in line with promoting family time.

[Ngilly]

The best reason I can think of why Disney doesn't have a casino or library on board is so you will spend your quality time with family doing other things outside your cabin. Disney is all about spending time with family.

I think the lack of casino on board is just a Disney thing. There are plenty of cruise lines that have casinos. Also, Disney has all the Characters roaming the ship all the time. I'm not sure how it would look having Cinderella taking pictures by the slots.

 

FYI, Disney does have a nice library on the Magic. It's in the over 18 area where the cigars and espressos are offered. I can't remember the name just now. But there are lots of books, hard back, soft back, novels, travel etc.

[truck1]

Actually, you can buy wine and beer from "street" vendors in Epcot. Epcot also has a wine and food festival every year. There is also alcohol available in Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and MGM... the only place there's no alcohol is Magic Kingdom.

 

As for the absence of a casino on the DCL... yeah. Mike Eisner's "moral" crusade. It would make sense with the other posters' assertion that Disney doesn't want to compete with Florida casinos, and putting a casino on their signature cruise line would really be bad for PR.

 

 

Like I said with exceptions. Since I dont drink when I go to the parks, I really dont look for it, however I do know that it is not as prominent as the soda/water and souvenier stands. The main places to get alcohol from Downtown are gone,(yes there stilll is places to acquire it) and with the exception of Epcot, its not pushed like you see in the other non Disney parks. I am not saying its not there at all, you have to know where to look for it.

[cruiserbryce]

I just think a Casino is too far from what Disney does...they just left it out of their plans. The Disney image and gambling dont seem to make the best partnership...at least I thin k thats probably what execs thought when leaving it out

[Eeyoregon]

Is there alcohol on Disney ships? I don't need it, just wondered..since we are on the topic of gambling, etc..

 

Yes there is and they push it just as heavily as any other cruiseline as booze is a BIG money maker for them.

 

it is not the Disney Image. Which if you look at it on the surface, the parks themselves, with very few exceptions, dont have any alcohol for sale. (Usually only in the restuaraunts and as far as I know not in the Magic Kingdoms plural.Only the one exclusive club in Cal.) Yes Pleasure Island did have clubs and drinking, but they are removed from the parks and now are closed.

 

As others have posted, the availability of alcohol is abundant through out Walt Disney World, espcially at Epcot where Disney hosts one of the largest Wine festivals in the country. They also happily encourage you to "drink your way around the World" in the World showcase where street vendors offer featured national alcohols in every country.

Doesn't Disney allow you to bring Beer on board? I thought I read it somewhere an thought that was strange. Our first Disney cruise is not until Oct 09; I hope we can legallly bring something other than wine onboard.

 

They sure do.

 

I have never bought the theory that a casino would not be "Disney-like". To me, the constant pushing of alcohol on board is MUCH less Disney-like than tucking a casino away in some area of the ship for those who do want to enjoy it. Even at dinner we were asked over and over if we wanted to purchase the wine package until I finally told them that we will NOT be drinking any wine while on board.

 

I know I'm a dreamer if I think that there will be casino's on the 2 new ships but hey, a girl can dream can't she??

[MILEMRKR63]

My buddy and I (we are 40 and 36) sailed on the Disney Magic this past December using my left over DVC points I was going to loose if I didnt use. It was his first Disney Cruise and my second.

 

We had a blast. I could care less about the lack of casino but he sure did miss it. Every night he would say "On RCCL we would be in the casino right about now" We just laughed and headed to the bars instead.

 

We had such a great experience and met great table mates, fellow passengers and some of the nicest crew members in all of our sailings. Our entire dining table took advantage of booking while on board and secured cabins next to each other for a December 2009 reunion.

 

Our best memory:

 

Watching High School Musical and all those Disney family movies on the big screen with a very healthy buzz on deck while laying in the sun. It was a riot how we were glued to the movies as were MANY other parents we saw. Oh yeah, our Palo's dining experience was fantastic!!!

 

Moral of this post:

 

Casino was missed but the money we would have contributed to the games were well spent at the bars. We left the cruise very tan, very relaxed and each with a 3 page room folio.

 

Can't wait till next year!!