We are going to be there Christmas week with the extended family. We don't have children and will need some "adult" time while at the park. Any good places to hang out and have a drink or two or just relax sans kidos?

Hi mandacie,

My name is Jim, and I'm from New Jersey. I've been to Walt Disney World (WDW) seven times in the last eight years. Walt Disney World isn't just for kids! I'm assuming that you won't be exhausted after a day at the parks.

It's hard for me to know where to begin. Keep in mind that no alcohol in served at the Magic Kingdom. All the other parks and all the hotels serve alcohol.

You haven't indicated whether or not you'll be staying on Disney property or off. If you'll have a car, that may not be an issue.

If you want a drink, there are bars and lounges in every hotel on property. I'm going to give a list of lounges by general area or cluster. I may not know the names of the lounges, because I'm more of a milkaholic than an alcoholic. I've left those areas blank.

Here we go.

Near Magic Kingdom:

At the Contemporary Resort: The Wave
At the Grand Floridian:
At the Polynesian: Tambu Lounge
At Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground: Davy Crockett's Tavern
At Wilderness Lodge: main lobby.

Near Epcot:
Beach and Yacht Club: nine restaurants and lounges.
Boardwalk Inn: has a whole nightclub district including an ESPN Zone; Jellyrolls dueling piano bar; Big River Grille and Brewery; Belle Vue Room; Harbor Club.
World Showcase, Epcot (circling Crescent Lake): Ten of the eleven national pavilions (which include Germany, Norway, China, Japan, the United States, Canada, England, France, Mexico, Morocco, and Italy) serve alcohol either in their main restaurants or in their counter service areas. Cantina de San Angel in Mexico's pavilion serves margaritas and Dos Equis beer; Boulangerie Patisserie and Crepes des Chefs de France serve French wine and beers, including Fischer la Belle beer; Norway's Kringla Bakeri og Kafe has some of the World's best desserts as well as Ringnes beer and imported wine and beer; China's Lotus Blossom Cafe serves Chinese wine and beer; Morocco's Tangerine Cafe serves Casablanca beer and baklava; and Japan's Yakatori House serves Kirin beer and sake; England's Yorkshire County Fish Shop serves Bass Ale, Guinness, and Woodpecker Sweet Cider among other specialty beers.
WDW Swan and WDW Dolphin:

Near Disney Studios: Hollywood Brown Derby and Mama Melrose's (restaurants). Both Epcot and Disney Studios are at opposite ends of Crescent Lake.

Near Animal Kingdom:

Animal Kingdom Lodge: Victoria Falls Lounge overlooks this gorgeous resort's two restaurants (Boma: Flavors of Africa and Jiko: The Cooking Place) and serves African-inspired cocktails.

Coronado Springs: A huge resort with one full-service restaurant and an interesting food court. I didn't check out the bar here, but the front desk people should help you out.

Caribbean Beach: There's a circular bar here where you can get pina coladas (including virgin ones).

All Star Resorts and Pop Century Resort: Bars near the pools.

Pleasure Island (nightclub district) including the huge Irish pub Raglan Road.

I hope you have the kind of blast that you can't approach with dynamite.

Jim

Jim,
Thanks for the info. We don't have children and tend to have a toddy every evening so I just wanted to make sure I can keep the tradition alive while on vacation with the entire family.
Thanks again!
Mandacie

I "second" the vote for Caribbean Beach. We love the bar with the tropical cocktails. A nice relaxing place with a festive atmosphere to take a break with adults. We also stay at Hotels Orlando that cater to adults with cool, large pools. Also, we usually book one of the Orlando Tours and explore a new beach or neighborhood.

Another great place to hang out just for the view alone is the California Grill on the 15th floor of the Contemporary. If you get there about an hour before the fireworks at Magic Kingdom you can get a seat in the lounge and have the most incredible view in all of Orlando!

Disney World is absolutely fantastic as an adult. Tons of places to drink with great views. If you're looking for a comprehensive guide, WDW For Grownups is a great site. I think they have a whole article about good places to drink and there's a good intro, Disney World for Adults