Disneyland Is Getting Its First Brewery. Kind Of

David McNew, Getty Images
David McNew, Getty Images | David McNew, Getty Images

Since Disney launched its first amusement park in 1955, the brand has been very slowly relaxing Walt's original zero-alcohol policy. Select restaurants at Disney World's Magic Kingdom began serving booze in 2012, and the adult beverage offerings there have been expanding ever since. But the original Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California remains just as dry as the day it opened. Now, USA Today reports that post-Disneyland drinking, at least, is about to get easier. Guests will soon be able to grab a refreshing craft beer at the first brewery in the Downtown Disney District situated just outside the gates of Disneyland Park.

San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing Company plans to open a location in Downtown Disney in late 2018. The 7300-square-foot space will feature a kitchen and tasting room as well as an outdoor beer garden, and the menu will highlight Southern California-inspired bar food like fish tacos and house-baked pretzels. As for the beverage selection, guests will have their choice of roughly 100 brews on tap, including Ballast Point's famous Sculpin IPA and some Downtown Disney-exclusive beers.

The establishment won't be the first to serve alcohol at Downtown Disney—the shopping district already has a few bars—but it is set to be the attraction’s first craft brewery. And any alcohol on the Disney grounds is a pretty big deal. Outside of Downtown Disney (which is open to the public without a ticket), the only other option for Disneyland Resort guests looking to imbibe is California Adventure, the park that opened next door nearly 50 years after the original Disneyland.

Meanwhile, visitors to Disney World in Orlando, Florida will still have far more boozy options. All four theme parks there boast restaurants that serve alcohol. That includes Magic Kingdom, the park originally built to be a grander version of Disneyland. Perhaps one day the California location that inspired it will become a little more parent-friendly, too.