Turning 21 at Disney? Questions about carding?

[magentarhps93]

Hey guys! I've been planning my Disney World birthday trip for almost a year and a half now and I had some questions about what you adults have experienced with getting carded or seeing your kids getting carded at Disney World. It might be a little early for me to be wondering these things, but I just spent the past weekend in Vegas which is one of the most frustrating places to be when you're so close to turning 21!

Will they serve me alcohol on my actual 21st birthday, or will they pull the "you have to wait a day/we don't know what time you were born" thing I hear sometimes happens to my friends when they try to purchase alcohol on their birthday? I'm trying to plan it out so my first drink with a nice dinner will be at BOG on my 21st and I'd hate to wake up at 6 am and stress about getting a ressie 180+10 and not be able to have a celebratory glass of wine!

Secondly, do they care whether your ID is vertical, or says "not 21 until..." It will be a valid license but we're flying in the day before my birthday so I have the full day in the park, so I obviously won't be able to get it changed at the DMV before the trip. I know clubs and restaurants in Chicago care about that kind of thing, how about Disney?

I know I might have better luck calling Disney with these questions, but I feel like it'd be weird to ask them about drinking at the Happiest Place on Earth, and I'd have no idea who to call!

Also, feel free to add on any drink recommendations. I'm definitely gonna try the Lapu Lapu at the Poly, and my two friends and I are going to drink around the world at Epcot the day after my birthday! (We'll be splitting 1 drink per country between each of us, for financial and sanity related reasons).

 

[ArmyVet80]

Well, I'm not sure about the ID thing. I have never been carded at any of the parks at WDW. With that being said I'm only 33 and look like a 33 year old.

If they card you I would make sure to point out that you are 21 as of that day. I don't believe that the time makes a difference seeing as I have never come across a DL/State ID that has the exact time you were born on it and I used to check ID's at a local bar.

As for a drink you should try.. Well, there is the La Cava del Tequila if you like tequila. The orange slush and Grey Goose lemon ice are both outstanding from the France Pavilion. Wines from Italy and Germany are very good and you can do a tasting of either 3 or 6 (can't remember which) for around $15-$20. The wines are 2-3 oz pours if I'm not mistaken. If you like beer you can try the good German beers and they have Strongbow Cider (my wife's favorite) at the England Pavilion. There are so many different things to try it's hard to list them all. I would look at some of the restaurant menu's to get some ideas too.

 

[D&R love Disney]

Techinally you are not 21 until the following "work" day. So if you turn 21 at midnight the next day is officially your birthday. It's all up to the bartender and the bar. If I knew you or your family I'd server you at 12:01 am but if I didn't know you, sorry. Good luck an enjoy all the wonderful places to have a drink at Disney.

 

[Itinkso]

You are 21 on your "birthdate" day and they will not question that. They will check your ID to confirm.

You do not have to get a new ID, the "not 21 until..." is on there for a quick reference for whoever is confirming you are "21."

 

[Axel]

I'm only 22, so I've been going through the "still young enough that they 100% HAVE to card me" instead of the "the rules say we should card you because you look under 40" stage of drinking at Disney.

I didn't go very close to my birthday. In fact, I had been 21 for months by the time I got to have my first adult drink in the World. That said, I don't think you'll have problems with servers not serving you on your birthday. That is the day upon which you are 21 years of age.

I don't think you'll need to worry about the license. As long as it's real, I'm pretty sure they have to accept it. It has your birthdate written on it so unless the server can't do the math, you should be fine with a vertical license.

As a side note, I've never been carded in World Showcase. Ever. And I've had drinks around the world. I think it's because most servers come from countries where the drinking age is lower so they're unused to carding people.

For recommendations: a Kir Royale in France (champagne and black currant liqueur), the Beaujolais Villages red wine at BoG, the Cherry Blossom Sake-tini in Japan, a Strongbow in England, and anything else that catches your fancy!

 

[rocky41102]

Time of day doesn't make a difference as long as it's the actual day of your birthday and the 'under 21' shouldn't make a difference as long as the server can calculate the age correctly! Your license is valid until it expires so you're fine if you haven't gotten your new one yet.

 

[AuroraRora]

I always get carded at the resort bars, but rarely at the parks and never ever at World Showcase... weird!

 

[magentarhps93]

Thanks for all the tips guys, I'm super excited!

 

[RnbwSktles]

Techinally you are not 21 until the following "work" day. So if you turn 21 at midnight the next day is officially your birthday. It's all up to the bartender and the bar. If I knew you or your family I'd server you at 12:01 am but if I didn't know you, sorry. Good luck an enjoy all the wonderful places to have a drink at Disney.

I am assuming you mean that if your birthday is on Nov 2 you can go to a bar on Nov 1, and at 12:01 on Nov 2 the bartender may serve you?

 

[JillianMarie]

Yup. If you turn 21 on November 2nd, the second that clock ticks past midnight and it becomes November 2nd - you're legal. I'm hoping this means that sometime in the decade since I turned 21 the 'power hour' tradition has died out. I've never heard a situation where you wouldn't be legal until the next work day, but maybe different states have different laws.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

My son turned 21 this past January. When we went down to WDW for our 4th of July trip, he ordered all the girly drinks with glow ice cubes. Too Funny! He was carded every time he ordered alcohol.
29 trips to Disney World and counting...next trip POFQ March 2014

 

[AuroraRora]

My son turned 21 this past January. When we went down to WDW for our 4th of July trip, he ordered all the girly drinks with glow ice cubes. Too Funny! He was carded every time he ordered alcohol.
29 trips to Disney World and counting...next trip POFQ March 2014

Maybe they carded him because they couldn't believe an adult man would order glow cube drinks LOL! Kidding! Sounds like something my brother would do.

When I turned 21, we went out the "night before" and went into the bar right after midnight when it became the day of my birthday

 

[Poohs100AcreWood]

I'm 24 and at WDW now, and I've been carded for all my drinks. If they have a problem with your vertical ID, point out your DOB and go from there. It took me over 2 years to get a new ID after my 21st bday, back when the cards had the red and blue stripes for turning 18 and 21. I was told I was under 21 when I was 23. I asked the bartender if he needed a calculator and then pointed out my "Age 21 in 20XX" was two years ago!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

LOL AuroraRora!!!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

We were at F&W this weekend, my DD turned 21 a month ago, she was only carded once and even bought 2 bottles of wine at the festival center without being carded. Kinda weird and she was disappointed, maybe its because she was always with one of her parents or grandparents.

 

[Ro Z]

Lots of places don't serve after midnite. Most bars call last call around 11:30-11:45. Jelly Rolls, Atlantic Dance and some DTD places serve later! Have a great birthday trip!

 

[meredith1]

i have no idea the answers to your questions but, you sound so sweet. With that said, I have to LOL at, "ask you adults."

Happy early birthday and enjoy!

 

[meredith1]

DIS needs to fix the double post thing. : )

 

[HopperFan]

Was in line at DHS and the family in front was celebrating their DD 21st! It was their first day, she had on a birthday sash and they were planning on trying drinks all over the world to celebrate. Poor thing was ordering her first drink and the cashier would not accept her ID. She called for a manager and she verified that they would not accept an international ID - only a passport. She had left that in the hotel. No idea if that is official policy but needless to say the birthday girl was disappointed.

 

[magentarhps93]

These stories are all really great! I do think it's weird that Epcot is really lax about my IDs, but I know it's the only place in DW where my friends have been able to buy two drinks without pointing out who the other drink is for.

Hopper- That's so strange about the passport thing. You'd think you wouldn't want to take something so important to the park just in case it got lost!

And we're staying at the Poly, so I might walk up to the bar at 11:59 and be like "gimme two minutes" and then order one of those awesome Pinapple drinks.

Anyways I'm glad we've established that I shouldn't have trouble getting drinks- the trip isn't until June but I'll be sure to post pictures!