Do I need an ID to Drink Around the World?

If you want to Drink Around the World, there are a few things you’ll need to take with you into the parks, like a form of payment, your park ticket, and if you plan to enjoy any alcohol, a valid form of ID.

In this post, we’ll explain everything you need to know about ID requirements at Disney World. Whether you’re a local or a visitor from afar, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in!

Vaild forms of ID at Disney World

We didn’t realize that there were different forms of ID considered valid at Walt Disney World until we met up with some friends from France (the real France, not the Disney France) at EPCOT.

It was only when they grabbed their passport to go to Hollywood Studios that we realized that the rules were a bit different for international guests, so here’s what you need to know:

Guests visiting from INSIDE the United States who wish to purchase alcohol must have one of these forms of ID:

U.S. state driver’s license (includes Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa)
U.S. state ID (includes Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa)
U.S. military ID
Original passport
Copy of passport (either on paper or captured on a mobile device), along with a government-issued photo ID** that can verify the person and birth date shown on the copy
NEXUS card issued by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (Canadian Guests only)

Guests visiting from OUTSIDE the United States who wish to purchase alcohol must present:

Valid passport, PLUS
Another form of government-issued photo ID from their country of origin

Disney is explicit in saying this “Foreign driver’s licenses or ID cards are not acceptable by themselves.“

These rules are the same for all the Walt Disney World theme parks: EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, both water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) as well as Disney Springs.

Disney’s Policy on Alcohol Consumption

If you’re reading this that probably means that you’re planning to have a few drinks on your next Disney World trip. Us, too!

In fact, that’s the entire reason we started this site: to give other people who enjoy eating, drinking, and enjoying the parks as adults a place to find solid reliable information, like what the ID requirements are at Disney World.

If you’ve been before, you’ll know that there are tons of places where alcohol is served. Aside from Magic Kingdom, it is easy to grab a drink just about everywhere on property.

However, despite having alcohol so readily available, Disney strictly enforces its alcohol policies to maintain a family-friendly environment. This means that Cast Members will check IDs before serving alcoholic drinks to ensure compliance with the law and park regulations.

Now, before you jump in and tell us all about how you have never been carded – that’s true. There are plenty of times when we aren’t carded, either. But they can – and often do (specially when the fresh batch of Disney College Program trainees hit the cash registers).

But, we’ve also seen people old enough to be our grandparents be carded. .

Now, before you start in with the “who would leave their wallet in the room?!” talk, don’t forget that Disney has kind of trained us to leave that stuff behind with the introduction of MagicBands.

Because those little things can act like your park tickets, let you make purchases that you charge back to your resort room, and even act as your room key, you may think “I don’t need to bring anything else with me!”.

But remember, your MagicBand won’t cover your ID check for alcohol. If you want to purchase alcohol, you’ll need to be ready to show your ID. And, we also recommend that you consider bringing an alternate form of payment, too.

MagicBand terminals can go down, and sometimes a cart or kiosk might not even accept MagicBands, so you’ll need a way to pay.

So, we don’t say “remember to grab your ID” because we think you’re dumb but rather because we know personally just how easy it is to get sucked into vacation mode where you grab the bare necessities and take off for the EPCOT without your ID only to be denied anything tasty to drink.

Tips for a Smooth Experience

Over the years, we’ve traversed the parks with dozens of friends and acquaintances, and after seeing how they handle things (plus our own experiences), here are our best tips for storing and keeping your ID safe and accessible:

How to Carry Your ID Safely at Walt Disney World

For maximum convenience, a lanyard around the neck is fantastic. Is it cute? Not always. But should you care? No. Do whatever is easiest, that’s what we always say.
There are lots of cell phone cases now that have places where you can store a card or two. These can be handy for folks who want to take minimal things into the park but don’t want to use a regular wallet or anything around their necks. This is what we often do. It used to scare us to carry our cards this way, but now we love it.
Small crossbody purses or belt bags are also a fantastic option. Because we trust nobody, we prefer things that allow us to keep our valuables like our IDs on our front (vs. a backpack). Belt bags and crossbody purses allow us to bring a bit more into the park (like chargers and water bottles), too.
Backpacks are our least favorite option, although Loungefly bags in particular are very popular with Disney parks people. The ONLY reason we don’t like to store our IDs (or any valuable, really) in a backpack is that it makes us nervous in crowded spots. Yes, we have trust issues, but we kinda worry that if we are all smooshed together someone could unzip it and grab stuff out without us knowing. We know, we know. We should believe in fellow humans more but have you watched the news lately?!

What to Do if You Forget Your ID

Forgetting your ID can put a damper on your plans, but it doesn’t have to ruin the entire day. What you do kind of depends on your level of comfort:

Risk it. YOLO and all that, but if you forget your ID in the park, you can try to carry on without it. If you are with someone else, it is a little bit easier (just keep in mind, that the maximum number of drinks any 1 person can order at a time is 2, and even if someone else is ordering and paying, if you are standing up there with them, they can ask to see your ID, too.
Head back and grab it. Frankly, this is ONLY easy to do if you are staying on-property. Disney Transportation makes it easy to get around, so that’s a plus. But if you are nervous (especially if you are freshly 21 or look extra young) it can be worth it to just go back and grab your ID because the likelihood that you’ll be carded is a lot higher than someone older.
Cry. Ok, this really isn’t helpful but I’ve totally been the one who forgot their ID before, and yes it was a hassle and a half and I felt like we left our entire group down. BUT when this happened I was the fresh-faced college grad who looked 17 and I knew I would have a lot more fun if I had my ID and went about things properly. That is the law, to be fair – if you are going to drink you need a valid form of ID. So yes I cried (not really, I more swore loudly in my head), but then I went back to our hotel to grab my ID. Besides, while I was back getting my ID, my friends opted to ride a couple rides while they waited for me, so it wasn’t a total waste!

Tell us what you think

So there you have it! Everything you need to know about what types of IDs are valid at Walt Disney World. What questions do you have? We value your input, even (or especially) when it differs from ours. Plus, we know other readers appreciate varying perspectives, so please take a second to drop your thoughts in the comments!