Disney recently surprised fans by announcing that GEO-82 Bar & Lounge, set to open in late spring 2025 at EPCOT, will be exclusively for guests aged 21 and over. While Disney has long embraced bars and lounges, an adults-only establishment inside a theme park is something we haven’t really seen before. Sure, Disney Springs and Disney Cruise Line have long catered to nightlife, but within the parks themselves? That’s a bold new step.
At first, I was taken aback. As a parent of young kids, this effectively means I won’t be setting foot inside GEO-82 for quite some time. And I know what you might be thinking—that I’d be frustrated by this, that I’d oppose the 21+ rule because it doesn’t cater to families like mine. But that’s where you’d be wrong.
EPCOT has always been a park with a strong appeal for adults and local crowds. Between the World Showcase’s festivals, the park’s rich food and beverage offerings, and its reputation as a go-to spot for annual passholders looking to unwind, it’s long been the most grown-up of the Walt Disney World theme parks. This new lounge isn’t some radical shift in EPCOT’s identity—it’s an extension of something that’s been true for decades. And that’s perfectly okay.
Frankly, GEO-82 Bar & Lounge will likely become a staple hangout for locals and passholders looking to grab a drink while celebrating an anniversary, a work promotion, or just the end of a long week. It gives adults a space of their own within a park that already does a great job of balancing family-friendly fun with experiences tailored to an older audience.
And really, not everything at Disney needs to be accessible to every guest at every stage of life. There’s already so much for families to enjoy elsewhere in the parks. If anything, the presence of an adults-only lounge might even help redistribute crowds, making lines for things like meeting Mickey or riding Frozen Ever After just a little bit shorter.
Some Disney fans have developed a sense of entitlement over what the parks should be, expecting everything to cater to their personal version of the “perfect Disney day.” But Disney is vast, with offerings for all kinds of guests, and not every single thing needs to be family-focused.
So while I won’t be pulling up a barstool at GEO-82 anytime soon, I actually appreciate that it exists. And who knows—maybe by the time my kids are old enough to roam the parks on their own, I’ll finally get my turn to enjoy it…assuming Disney doesn’t change the rules before then!
