Are snacks -frozen drinks allowed in the Parks-how much of a search through our bags?

[OverRunWithSons]

I have no idea if Universal is like Disney, but I am getting conflicting reports from others who have been there , soem say snacks are allowed, some say NOTHING is allowed, they search every bag. What is the truth, and how is Islands of Adventure park ? So I want to know upfront what Universals policies are also? If anyone is familar, taking 5 kids...we will probably eat at one place within this park -any advice on the cheapest place to stop for a family?

Thank you all

 

[Metro West]

You are allowed to bring in snacks and drinks...no glass containers or hard sided coolers. Security will search purses, back packs, fanny packs and any other kind of bag you have at the security point in the garage complex. No open containers are allowed into the parks. It shouldn't be a big deal.

I would recommend Thunder Falls Terrace for lunch...it's in the Jurassic Park section and the portions are large enough to share...to save some money.

 

[zack123]

From the Universal Website:

Acceptable items:
•Bottled water
•Small snacks that do not require heating
•Any food required for medical purposes and medically–indicated nutritional supplements
•Any food required for special dietary needs
•Baby food/baby formula
•Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep


Prohibited items:
•Picnic lunches
•Food that requires heating or refrigeration
•Alcohol and glass containers
•Hard-sided coolers
•Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep
•Coolers, suitcases, and bags with wheels
Please be advised that all bags and personal items are subject to inspection.


They do open every bag and look through it, usually with a small stick of some kind (one was even using a wand from WWoHP! ) I brought a camera bag and another bag, both were opened and inspected. Mine were inspected at the main entrance to City Walk, I did not see them doing inspections inside US or IOA.

But as long as you don't have anything on the prohibited list, you should be fine, and it doesn't take long.

A small cooler with a few frozen juice boxes (or other drinks) and snacks should be fine. I usually always freeze the drinks overnight beforehand, then I don't have to put an ice pack in the cooler.

For $8-$10 per day, you can rent a locker in either park that you can access as many times as you want, if you need a place to store it while you're on the rides.

ETA: The only place I ate at IOA was Three Broomsticks. And while I thought the food was good (considering it was prepared in a theme park), and the adult sized portions were okay, the child portions were very small - more like a "preschool" portion - and the kids at the table next to me did not appear to like their food. If you plan to let the kids snack all day at various places, it's probably an appropriate portion, but if you want to just have one good-sized meal and maybe a snack or two later, I'd choose someplace else.

There should be a sticky in this forum that shows all of the menus for the restaurants, if you want to see beforehand what it might cost in some of of the restaraunts.

 

[bumbershoot]

We haven't had very thorough searches. Yes they look in your bags, but it hasn't been a huge deal.

If you're walking from an onsite hotel, they tend to have people stationed towards the end of the path, just before Citywalk, to look in your bags. (in our experience)

If you're taking the boats, the captain will have a look as you get on the boat.

While we took a shuttle bus back to the resort one night, we haven't taken one to the parks, and don't know their routine. Nor have we parked at Citywalk, so we don't know the procedure for that, either.

 

[OverRunWithSons]

Thank you all very much for your help, I will have to meausre my soft sided cooler to see if it is small enough to go in the park!

Someone said if we "have a FEW" but there is 7 of us !!! So it will be alot more than a FEW ! I plan to have a stroller and fill it with snacks ?? Big deal? Will they refuse me ? Maybe I should call and ask directly! stuff like frozen drinks, crackers, granola bars, cheeses & crackers, cookies

What do you all think??

 

[kstgelais4]

We have 6 kids! so 8 of us total. We always take snacks/drinks into the parks. There were days where we didn't buy a thing, so lot's of snacks We were never questioned, only joked with. Some just mentioned they were going to take some since we had so much We always just packed the stuff in the bottom of the stroller.

 

[kohlby]

If you're eating in the park for 2 meals, then consider the meal deal. You can buy it just for the kids and not for you. We would have not broken even with the adults, so we just bought it for the kids. The kids portions were plenty big enough. It was nearly two years ago, but the kids pizza was the exact same size as the adult pizza then. Technically, it does say no sharing. But since the portions were so big, I'd buy something light like the fruit for myself and scavenge off of my youngest's plate. It wasn't high quality food, but my kids liked the pizza and it was edible.

 

[zack123]

For snacks, I don't think they care what you bring as long as it doesn't look like a full meal, you aren't going to ask them to heat it up for you, and you're willing to carry it around (or push it in the stroller). The items you mentioned should be fine - they might ask to look through the bags, but as long as there's not a 4-course turkey dinner in there, I don't think they'll question it.

For 7 people, I would consider getting at least two coolers that are the acceptable size. I don't think 7 drinks would fit in a cooler that small. They let me walk in by myself with more than one bag, I think a family of 7 would also be allowed several bags.

I'd assume the size restrictions are handled similar to the way most airlines do it - they probably only question it if it looks significantly bigger than the maximum size. If it looks about right, I don't think they're going to get out a measuring tape. So as long as your small cooler(s) is/are close, I think you'll be fine.

ETA: If you don't want to buy a full meal, some places also have side salads, (pretty good-sized) cups of fresh fruit, etc. A lot of the carts will sell just a hot dog, or a turkey leg, or something like that. If you take enough snacks with you, you might be able to buy something small to supplement and then you wouldn't have to pay for a whole meal.

 

[phamton]

You shouldn't have any problem bringing in frozen drinks except for HHN, During HHN no outside drinks are allowed. Your cooler should be OK as long as it is not a hard-side rolling cooler.

 

[hpfan100]

I take a bag full of goodies and it has never been an issue. I see many people with backpacks full of stuff and strollers getting through the "stick search" with no problems.

I took in a change of clothes, diet cokes, water bottles, tons of snacks and all my personal odds and ends. I even had the pleasure of watching hundreds of South American teens go through the search. Have your bags open and ready to go when you get there and you'll be fine.

cheap eats:
Terrace Falls is great, 3 broomsticks is acceptable at best, they have a pizza place in marvel land that is ok, you can order a whole pizza there too, if you walk to citywalk for nibbles there is a burger king, moe's and panda express that don't cost too much

Have a fun time!