I recently celebrated my 21st birthday in Walt Disney World and had an absolute blast drinking adult drinks in a place usually connected with children.

Drinking in Disney is involved from vacation planning all the way to the end of the vacation, so here are a few tips from prep time to your 21st birthday to have a magical first drinking experience.

PREPARE

If you’re into wearing Disney shirts or bows, I’m talking to you. I’ve seen some really fun Disney drinking accessories on Etsy. Plus every cast member will compliment you on your accessories.

You’re welcome to bring a special 21st birthday cup, but cast members must first pour your drink order into a cup provided by Disney first. Then you can pour it into your own special birthday cup and will always remember whose drink is whose.

Bottom Line – If you love dressing up in Disney-inspired outfits, indulge a little and let everyone know it’s your birthday!

RESEARCH DRINKS BEFOREHAND

It’s Disney WORLD, people! That means a whole world of drinking opportunities are laid out before you. Awesome right?

Kind of. Don’t expect to just wing it when it comes to drinks, especially when you only have so many days to explore Disney’s “adult beverages.”

Disney offers a world of drinks so search for great alcoholic beverages in the parks or resorts you’ll visit during your stay so you know exactly what you’d like to try.

Research beforehand, especially if you attend Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival, offered in the spring, or Epcot’s Food and Wine festival, offered in the fall. Kiosks are placed throughout Epcot’s World Showcase offering specials (that are mostly not to be missed drinks) that showcase each country’s alcohol selection. Basically, you should know where to save yourself and your party time for selections you would have tried if you hadn’t already drank a lot beforehand.

Disney has restaurant menus available on Disney World’s website and always releases a menu for the festivals online. Plus there are many reviews online of the best drink from each location.

That being said, don’t be afraid to be flexible or try something really different. That’s why so many guests drink around the World [Showcase] at Epcot!

Bottom Line – Do your research and find a few interesting drinks in mind before the big day. This will save you time later and you won’t have to worry about missing out on fun drinks.

HAVE A BACK UP PLAN IF YOU WANT TO PARTY HARD

This isn’t your regular designated driver sort of plan.

If you get sick after drinking too much (very likely if you go hard in the heat) you need to walk through the park or resort, deal with thousands of other guests and know how you’ll get back to your resort or hotel in your state.

Give yourself some time (or have someone in your party remind you) to sober up if you’ll take Disney transportation like buses or the monorail. You’ll be dealing with other guests and if it’s obvious you’re not in a fit state, the transportation cast will ask you to wait before you use Disney transportation. They’re just thinking of the safety of you and other guests.

Bottom Line – Make sure you have made a clear plan and have someone there you can trust to take care of you if you drink too much. The plan will make everything smoother in case you get sick or have difficulty walking through the park safely.

ON THE BIG DAY

WATER. WATER. WATER. CARBS. CARBS. CARBS.

That’s already pretty standard advice for those planning to drink. But this is Orlando, Florida in the 90-degree heat where you’ll walk around a hot park for several hours. Do yourself a favor and even bring your own water bottle and some snacks .

You’re on vacation so don’t worry about eating a little extra. You’ll need to soak up that alcohol with some extra food and carbs do the best job.

Take advantage of the free cups of ice water at every quick service or kiosk location in the parks if you don’t bring a water bottle. This water is ice cold and probably one of the only free things at Disney. However, I suggest BYOW, bring your own water, (since you're at Disney for the beer) to ensure you always have some on hand.

Bottom Line – Take hydration and keeping a full tummy seriously. That’s the top way to ensure a magical time on your big day and on the following days.

HAVE FUN BUT DON’T GO TOO CRAZY

Especially if your birthday is between April and October – it’s HOT out. And 90-degree weather doesn’t “mix” well with extreme heat. If you want to party hard, maybe wait until the evening.

On top of the heat, you’ll have to walk around a huge park (or several) with thousands of other guests. If you’ve ever visited a Disney park, you know there is a lot of bobbing and weaving through the Disney crowds. Now imagine that while you’re drunk. No thank you.

Your friends or family are not going to want to hold your hair in some restroom surrounded by other guests in the Orlando heat. Not a magical day for you or anyone in that party.

Bottom Line – Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can skimp on the basic drinking rules – be with someone you trust, don’t drink on an empty stomach, etc. and you’ll have a great time.

DON’T JUST PARTY AT EPCOT

For those of you who are not as well-versed in Disney culture, Epcot is considered by many as THE place to drink and you’ll be asked when you’re visiting that park by almost every cast member.

I actually had my first drink at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom. It is the only restaurant in Magic Kingdom that sells alcohol. What would a French dinner be without a glass of wine? For someone who loves Beauty and the Beast, it was a wonderful memory I will always cherish.

However, there are many bars outside the parks, but still on property, that consistently receive raving reviews like Trader Sam’s at the Polynesian or Jellyroll’s on The Boardwalk. I’ve always wanted to go to these bars and can’t wait to return and test them out. Here are some pieces onthe best places to drink around property and the top drinks on property.

Bottom Line – Epcot isn’t the only park that serves alcohol so don’t save your drinking party time for solely for Epcot. Be adventurous and try drinks around property!

ASK CAST MEMBERS ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE DRINKS

Hey, the Walt Disney World cast has fun off-duty too! They live there year-round and have their own tried-and-true drinks.

If you have on a birthday button that says 21 “ears” most of-age cast members will give you plenty of suggestions without even asking them! You’ll get plenty of suggestions right after they ask you why you aren’t in Epcot.

Don’t be afraid to ask the cast members for their favorite drinks, especially those in Epcot. Several cast members suggested I try to Dole Whip (a pineapple soft-serve) with coconut rum, a drink I passed on during my planning. I ordered it at the Pineapple Promenade during Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival and it was hands down the best drink I had during the trip. If you’re a Dole Whip lover like me, you need to try this at least once. You can find it in Animal Kingdom and at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort as well.

MOST IMPORTANTLY – HAVE FUN

This is the most important tip! Sure, the tips above are important to ensuring you have a safe and magical time, but the key is to have fun. If that means drinking a lot, but staying hydrated and making sure you’re eating enough, wonderful! If that means only trying two drinks, amazing! If you’re not a big drinker and only plan on maybe having one or two drinks, fantastic!

So have fun and cheers to your magical 21st birthday!

If you have any questions or comments I would love to answer them in the comments section below!