BY PAM LOBLEY

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

NOW THAT’S FUNNY

For the first time since it opened in 1971, Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando will sell beer and wine at one of their restaurants.

I guess everybody’s going to be a little bit Goofy.

A French-themed restaurant, Be Our Guest, will open at the park in November. The president of food and beverage for Walt Disney Parks, Maribeth Bisienere, said that because the theme was French, wine and beer seemed necessary. "You cannot walk into a French restaurant and not get a glass of wine or beer," she stated.

The new restaurant is part of the expansion of Fantasyland. Right next door they’re going to open Hangoverland, where all the rides are really quiet and smooth.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Ms. Bisienere said that customer feedback indicated that guests wanted the option of beer and wine with the gourmet French dining experience. I have to agree with that: if I am ordering a lovely Foie Gras, followed by a Sole Meuniere, I want some nice wine with my meal.

Also, if I’ve been standing on line for rides while my kids use my legs and arms as a jungle gym, I want some nice wine.

Or, if my kids have been whining for hours about what else I can buy them at the kiosks, I want some nice wine.

Or, if I’ve been walking all over the park in the Florida heat with “It’s a Small World” thrumming in my head, I want some nice wine.

The Be Our Guest restaurant is modeled on a theme from the movie “Beauty and the Beast.” It will not serve alcohol “to go,” and the beer and wine will only be available during dinner hours. Disney has not decided yet what time dinner will start.

I say noon, baby! The French have their big meal in the middle of the day!

As reported in USA Today, the beer will be French or Belgian and the wines will be French, and sold by the glass for $8 to $17 each.

There will be no cheap drunks at the Magic Kingdom.

Reaction to the decision has been mixed. And by mixed, I mean stirred and shaken. Some people feel it is perfectly fine since booze is available at all the other Disney parks in Orlando, and at the hotels. Others feel that booze in the Magic Kingdom is a deep betrayal of Walt and his vision.

I personally think it’s going to make the place even more popular. It can only enhance your experience. After all, you could end up Dopey, Sleepy or Grumpy.

Pam Lobley writes the “Now That’s Funny” column. Check out her blog: Better Living Through Chaos! Follow her on twitter @plobley.

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