Bringing food into the parks?

[margot31]

Not sure if this is the exact place to be asking this.....

So after our last trip we were thinking of taking sandwiches into the parks each day to have lunch vs eating park food.

I imagine there is someone who has done this and how you make it work. I feel like now that we have the kids it will be more stuff to carry along but my husband is determined we will do it that way.

 

[Mushu's Twin]

The only restriction on outside food and drink is no alcoholic beverages and no glass containers (except small baby food jars). You can bring virtually anything you want, just don't bring anything that would need to be heated up because you will not be able to. If you bring a cooler or bag to store it in, it can not be larger than 24″ x 15″ x 18″.

 

[wilkeliza]

You can bring it in a soft sided cooler and with nothing glasses. I've seen people bring loafs of bread and packages of meat to make fresh and find that silly but premade sandwiches and bags of chips are pretty easy. If you don't want to carry too much extra look for a backpack that has a cooler space in it so you can pack the food in there and then put the kids stuff in the rest of the backpack.

You are not suppose to bring in a cooler with wheels so if you need a big cooler then get a stroller and stick it in there to push it around.

 

[BaymaxForever]

We did this one year on two park days. That trip I used a backpack cooler which I bought specifically for that trip (and I still use all the time for kids sports, etc- so I got my $'s worth!). We also had a stroller then, so carrying all that 'extra' wasn't a big deal, we'd just throw it on the stroller.
On our last trip my husband said I could eat sandwiches, but he was gonna eat park food -he's not big on leftovers/sack lunches anyway! It did mean we carried less and there was no 'prep' to do or more groceries to buy. You can make it work just fine, though.

 

[sharkyandbones]

Definitely would recommend bringing your own food if possible. There are plenty of places in the parks to take a break and eat a picnic lunch.

 

[Mushu's Twin]

If you don't want to carry the cooler around all day with you, you could rent a locker and put the cooler in there for lunch.

 

[1st*toright]

I'm also sure you could also figure out how to do a lunch that doesn't need a cooler - PB&J, chips, fruit, other stuff that can handle the heat. Won't be as interesting, but would be lighter to carry, if that is a concern.

 

[bookgirl]

Pringles cans are your friend. Non crushed chips and they are the right size to hold cookies in a stack as well so empty one out the day before. I second the PBJ you can freeze the sandwich and it will thaw in a few hours to enjoy at lunch (this works for lunch meat as well). You can also freeze fruit and use it for ice packs then eat it for dessert.

I would also consider non traditional lunches. Snacks as lunch work great with out cold packs. Packaged cheese/crackers, jerky, fruit, trail mix, Slim Jims, ind packaged salami/pepperoni, veggies with ind sealed dip cups like queso/ranch/hummus etc.

 

[Belle_1989]

We brought in our lunch for our week long trip in March. We mixed it up by packing both pb&j's and tuna kits along with chips , gogo squeezes for the kids and a variety of granola bars. It ended up working out really well because we could eat whenever we felt like it without out having to find a restaurant and order food. It was also great because none of us were extremely hungry so light lunches were perfect.

 

[Crystal824]

You can definitely do it. We generally don't bring lunches to the parks, but we do brings drinks and snacks in a soft sided cooler. We have friends that are locals and almost always bring lunches.

 

[Tink_83]

DD is going through a PB&J phase and who am I to force overpriced chicken strips on her when I can pack white bread, peanut butter and jelly and make her a sandwich in the park! If you do go that route pack food that you want to eat not just stuff to save money. Also I'm planning on a light lunch but Then when I want icecream or DD want some a treat we will get that because we are already saving money...

 

[HopperFan]

Love to pack my lunch. Make sandwiches on good firmer rolls so they don't get soggy, or a wrap. Put each in a sandwich (recycled) lunchmeat container. Pringles or other tube chips so they don't get crushed. If you can freeze water bottle or just put in fridge. When we eat our lid from our sandwich holds our chips. Cold water keeps food cool in our backpack. At end of meal, only light plastic containers I slip in plastic bag. No dealing with a cooler.

LOVE to pack my lunch. I never eat at tables at active QS locations since I am not a paying customer, so climate controlled is likely out of the question BUT some have built in shade, umbrellas and some are close to bathrooms.

MK:
- Storybook Circus has LOTS of tables, some with umbrellas
- Area with plenty of picnic type tables opposite Pecos next to the Pirate Scavenger
- Tables in Tomorrowland along the Speedway as you head to SM
- Tomorrowland Terrace if closed
- Few small tables at the Tangled Bathrooms (also a charging area)
- A number of tables, with umbrellas on the tiny street off Main Street
- Tom Sawyer Island, if you want to give up the time

DHS:
- All the tables from Starring Rolls (now closed) are still there
- Seems to be lots of empty tables by Min & Bills (boat)
- Outside at Backlot if you go to side by Indiana, many empty tables
- Umbrella Tables ACROSS from PizzeRizzo by the shop
- Tables at the dead end past Toy Story Mania

EPCOT:
- Tables by the African Outpost along lake
- Tables in the plaza of Italy (no QS there)
- Picnic tables along lake by Germany
- American Pavilion outside tables rarely used
- Opposite side of American there are covered picnic tables
- Tables in a small area to north of Rose & Crown

AK:
- Several landings between Africa & Asia looking at tree with tables
- Farthest Patios from Flame Tree are often empty
- Not sure still there bus was a couple picnic by Dinoland shop
- If they are letting folks in ROL theater

Took a few pictures last month .... these are in bold above .....

 

[FlyingBelle]

My kids like to graze all day, rather than sit down and eat a meal when we're doing something fun. On our last trip I ordered from Amazon Pantry and had delivered to our hotel:
Individual olive packs, pepperoni snack sticks, cheese & crackers (that you spread with those little red sticks), organic protein bars, goldfish, and fruit snacks. We also pack raw veggies and fruit. I bring snack-sized ziplock bags. My kids (now age 9 and 5) carry their own backpacks everyday with their own snacks and they feed themselves throughout the day.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Love me some wawa sandwiches to bring in...

 

[North of Mouse]

Just remember that during busy times at Disney, lots of times the CS places reserve seating for those buying lunches, and won't let you sit at a table until the food is purchased. It can be plenty hot in the summer to find places outside to eat.

 

[DisneyOma]

Just remember that during busy times at Disney, lots of times the CS places reserve seating for those buying lunches, and won't let you sit at a table until the food is purchased. It can be plenty hot in the summer to find places outside to eat.

I was just about to type the same thing - if you go in the summer, be prepared to sit outside in the glaring sun while you eat the food you brought in with you, especially at MK. EPCOT has a few places that are indoors, but I can't think of one at AK or HS that has AC and open seating in the summer.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Or just plan to buy a cupcake or coffee for 1...what works for BOG PPO breakfasts also works for all other CS restaurants during the day...everyone does not have to order, nor do they have to order full meals to enjoy the tables...

 

[North of Mouse]

Or just plan to buy a cupcake or coffee for 1...what works for BOG PPO breakfasts also works for all other CS restaurants during the day...everyone does not have to order, nor do they have to order full meals to enjoy the tables...

This would work for one person, maybe two, but would more than likely not 'fly' when you try to bring others in to join you! Of course, off season, there is no problem. I'm glad that Disney is not like most venues I know of - not allowing 'any' outside food brought in - usually maybe a bottle of water.

 

[anniemae]

You can also freeze juice boxes and use those as ice packs. They will be thawed by lunch.

 

[Klayfish]

I was just about to type the same thing - if you go in the summer, be prepared to sit outside in the glaring sun while you eat the food you brought in with you, especially at MK. EPCOT has a few places that are indoors, but I can't think of one at AK or HS that has AC and open seating in the summer.

At AK you can sit in the restaurant that's directly across the walkway from the Dinosaur entrance (I forget its' name). Worst case scenario there is that you sit in the outside area of that restaurant which is still under full shade. In HS, the ABC Commissary or the place next to Star Tours (to the left as you face Star Tours). MK and Epcot are really easy...tons of spots in MK and we always go to the Electric Umbrella in Epcot. We always bring our own food in, pretty much every meal. We've never had to sit in the sun of midday summer. We try to avoid eating right at peak lunch or dinner, but even then we don't have an issue.

Yes, WDW is very permissive in letting you bring food in, which is a wonderful thing. For us, it would nearly be a deal breaker if we couldn't. I don't know the size of our soft sided cooler bag, but it's probably right at the limit of what's allowed. We bring an umbrella stroller and push it in the stroller. Typically leave it somewhere in stroller parking and come back for it when we're ready. If you don't want or need to do that, perhaps renting a locker if you didn't want to carry it around could work?? Just make sure if you have something perishable that you have ice packs for it or something.

Short answer...yes, you can easily bring food in.