Bringing Food In?

[Disney Dreams]

... that people with coolers, the small ones that can fit in a locker, have been turned away and or directed to eat it at the picnic area before coming into the esplanade!

ONce you cross into CoolerLand, it's a whole different ball game. A pack of string cheese, a little bag of walnuts, a bottle of water, etc... has never gotten me turned away.

- Dreams

 

[pixiewings71]

I bet if i tried to bring in and out in through the bagage check they would stop me

I doubt it, they let us bring in 4 footlong sandwiches and it wasn't a problem.

 

[Funball]

ONce you cross into CoolerLand, it's a whole different ball game. A pack of string cheese, a little bag of walnuts, a bottle of water, etc... has never gotten me turned away.

- Dreams

I doubt it, they let us bring in 4 footlong sandwiches and it wasn't a problem.

.. but kerri you are talking about when you went.. that was a while ago i am going to assume...I think they have enforced the rule for coolers since then, since have seen people witj small coolers turned away. And yes dreams snack type things won’t be a problem,…its just the coolers and things to make a sandwich with!

 

[Funball]

I will put the footlong sandwich theory to a test..if I get turned away then we know they do not allow any food in .(that does not include snacks like chips)

 

[jen22984]

We were there last Sunday/Monday and were able to bring food in with no problem. Just a small cooler with snacks (crackers, chips, pbj, cheese sticks) and drinks for our girls, but food none the less.

 

[skiingfast]

I actually bring food to every restaurant we go to for my DS who can't eat anything off the menu. None of the servers have ever told me I couldn't, of course, i have a valid reason, but no one has questioned it. I'm sure places are more lenient with kids though.

This is a lot different than a party of four walking into an olive garden, and saying "no menu's thanks we are just going to eat the sandwhiches we brought in with us, but can we get some water?".

I don't know if everyone heard, but there was a security issue with a cooler a little while back. The restriction on foods, as written and published by disney, has changed too. Now the cooler restriction is worse for guests needing coolers.


I have said this before since people seem to have never been on the flip side of serving a customer. It's one thing to piss off customers enforcing rules. It's another thing and easier to please them by turning a blind eye.

 

[pixiewings71]

Sara we didn't have a cooler, we just had the sandwiches in the Subway bag. We walked up, they checked the bag, we said "we also have chips and water" and they said "not a problem" and waved us thru. Our sandwiches didn't have mayo or mustard on them, just the meat, cheese & veggies. Once we were in we found a place to eat the first half (we went in late, around 11 am), then we wrapped them back up and put them in the plastic bag from Subway and put them in my park bag with the water and chips that were left, then around 5 or 6 pm we ate the other half with more chips and water to drink. We've never tried to take a cooler in and if they had turned us away with the sandwiches we would have just sat in the picnic area outside the parks and ate them there. Yes it was a while ago but I've seen nothing that says they aren't letting people in with snacks or premade sandwiches. Sara you mentioned In & Out in a bag, I highly doubt they would turn you away for that if they didn't turn us away with our footlong sandwiches.

 

[Funball]

matt and kerri. i am going to try and bring some sandwiches in the park this weekend and see what they say to me...

 

[WonkaKid]

I was turned away once about four years ago. I had a shopping bag with two complete lunches from a vegan restaurant in LA. They sited the "We don't want people having picnics in the park" policy. I split the lunches into two bags and my mom and I entered separately -- no problem.

I've also explained at the security checkpoint that I have dietary restrictions (which is true) and they've let me take in prepared food.

More recently (mid October), we brought in some small snacks: tea, cheese and crackers. No problems at all. They've always been very nice about it.

Rob

 

[Mugglemama]

We almost always bring in an insulated backpack with prepared sandwiches, fruit, snacks, and water bottles. We've never once had any issues with any of it. We've been doing that consistently since 2001, and our most recent trip was a 5 day visit in July of this year.

I did, however, recently hear from a friend that in April of this year, she and her family of 7 went to DL for one day. A relative who lives nearby brought them lunch from McDonald's, but they were all required to stay only in the picnic area with the food. So, that's kind of interesting. Especially since others on the boards say they have brought in foods from places like Subway.

I think we may have taken in Subway sandwiches ourselves, once, several years ago. Other than that, all the sandwiches we bring in are ones we made ourselves at the hotel that morning.

 

[ttig34]

I saw quite a few groups of people in the park this past weekend eating McDonald's food. Guess it just depends on who is at the security check point.

 

[ironpig70]

I saw quite a few groups of people in the park this past weekend eating McDonald's food. Guess it just depends on who is at the security check point.

I will say this is the case. Worked most my adult life in customer service and what I will allow and what you will allow is two very differnt things. Also what I'll allow if the boss is around is differnt than when the boss is gone.

In these cases if you tried walking in with a cooler I'd be inclinded to send you to the picnic area same if you had large bags of food. Now stuff that food in a backpack and I could care less. Its a big perception thing I would imagen.

 

[AlexJanessa]

We're going in February and as we're on a really tight budget, I really hope we can bring in our own food. I think its smart of Disney to allow it. So many families want to go but a large portion of them I'm sure couldn't afford do if they had to pay for 3 meals and snacks every day in the park as well.

Good on Disney! They seem to think about all these things and in the end, they are still ahead.

 

[pixiewings71]

matt and kerri. i am going to try and bring some sandwiches in the park this weekend and see what they say to me...

Let us know how it goes. I wanted to add that we did not do this in the hot hot summer, when we did this the weather was very nice, cool but not cold, warm but not hot. If it had been hot we would never have chanced eating a sub that had not been refridgerated after 4 or 5 hours.

 

[cmwade77]

As someone said you cannot bring in stuff to make a sandwich, but you can bring in a premade sandwich. Basically your food has to be fully assembled. By state law they cannot prevent you from bringing in fully cooked and assembled food, because you could have dietary restrictions that prevent you from eating the food in the park and they are not allowed to ask if that is the case under state and federal ada laws, at least this is what several employees, policemen and security have told me when I asked if brining in your own food is allowed in the past.

As for coolers: Coolers are not allowed in the parks, even for medical reasons...if you have medication that requires refrigeration you will need to take it to First Aid. Also, rolling backpacks are not allowed.

Coolers can be stored in the lockers outside the parks, security may escort you to the lockers though.

 

[haydeecm]

Never tried to take in a cooler, but have brought in a bunch of water bottles openly under our stroller and bags of popcorn. Last time was yesterday. No problem.

I actually was not aware you weren't allowed to bring food in. There does not seem to be visible signs to not take food in, as opposed to other amusement parks. I think if Disney was trying to cut down on people bringing food in they would make the policy more visible with "No outside food" signs.

 

[Dizneydaz]

We've never had a problem bringing in food and/or drinks. But then we have only brought in a small collapsable ice chest and that's only when it's really hot and we have a stroller. Most of the time I will bring in snack type items as well as cans of Diet Coke, in my bag or in a stroller. Never had any problems. They always tell me they are looking for glass containers.

If you have an ice chest and they won't allow it in, then take it to the outside lockers. There aren't that far from the parks and you will still save money on your food.