Bringing sandwiches into the parks?

[Jon99]

Been awhile since we have to to WDW for week after Christmas, but have been there for Spring Break a few times recently.. One of my worst memories is standing in line for 30 minutes waiting for a hamburger and pizza at CS..

Has anyone ever avoided this by bringing lunch with them???

 

[seashoreCM]

No problem, just do it.

Disney does not want you to bring in a huge cooler full of sandwiches, salads, chips, and drinks, though.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[skiwee1]

Actually on the map of MK it now says that food is allowed. Just no glass or alcoholic beverages.

 

[Jon99]

Any suggestions where to have lunch in each park that might be less crowded???

 

[bytheblood]

I am not insulting you at all, I promise, but I do have a question. Wouldn't toting around a cooler defeat the purpose of saving time? Lugging that cooler, having to avoid people's feet, etc......that to me seems time consuming.

 

[Jon99]

We will have a stroller so we can toss it in the bottom without even really noticing..

 

[robinb]

My DD is a very fussy eater. She eats maybe 2-3 things that are offered at WDW Counter Service restaurants, so we pack PB&J's for her meals. Since it's just her, we put her sandwich in a Ziplock or Glad "disposable" sqaure container and toss it in our backpack. The container works very well at keeping the sandwich from being crushed.

If you carry your sandwiches in a backpack, or if you have a cooler that fits under a stroller you should be fine. Please don't bring a rolling cooler with you during busy times. They can be dangerous to the people around who you may trip over it because cannot see the tag-a-long behind you. Plus, as BTB says, do you really want to carry something like that on the rides?

 

[bytheblood]

We will have a stroller so we can toss it in the bottom without even really noticing..

Makes sense.

 

[curiouser]

Sure you can bring sandwiches into the parks... my only request is that you please do not take up one of the tables at CS restaurant during a busy meal time in order to enjoy them. On our last trip, DBF and I were left standing with our trays at Flame Tree BBQ because it was very crowded at lunch time. What further made us a bit upset, was the family who took up two spaces to eat the lunches they brought in from outside the parks.

Again, I have nothing against you bringing in your lunches, but please be respectful of those who stood in line and paid for their lunches at that establishment!

Have fun, we'll be there, too!!

 

[Jon99]

If we do this it will be to AVOID the CS crowds, we will be as far away from them as possible..

 

[CajunDixie]

If you decide to bring lunch into the parks with you I can think of a couple of quiet spots to enjoy it. In MK we once ate our snack from the bakery at the old swan ride dock located near the castle between the "spokes" that lead to Tomorrowland and Mickey's Toontown. Another place in MK that I think has benches is a little path that runs between Space Mt. and Donalds Boat in Toontown(on a map you'll see it between the RR and the Speedway track).
In Epcot there's a quiet garden area in the UK. Now a not so quiet but so cool to sit for awhile place would be by the Fountain of Nations since at Christmas they have the water moving in time with the Christmas music. Possibly this is only at scheduled times during the day.
In AK our favorite place to sit for awhile was off to the side of the one Silverback Gorilla area.

 

[dsneygirl]

Sure you can bring sandwiches into the parks... my only request is that you please do not take up one of the tables at CS restaurant during a busy meal time in order to enjoy them. On our last trip, DBF and I were left standing with our trays at Flame Tree BBQ because it was very crowded at lunch time. What further made us a bit upset, was the family who took up two spaces to eat the lunches they brought in from outside the parks.

Again, I have nothing against you bringing in your lunches, but please be respectful of those who stood in line and paid for their lunches at that establishment!

Have fun, we'll be there, too!!

We saw a family to this at Pinocchios when it was packed. There were probably 12 of them and had spread out over several tables with their home brought lunch. I agree stay out of the restaurants if they are busy.

 

[Jon99]

Another idea we have thought of doing in bringing in snacks and eating at odd times, maybe a mid morning breakfast and a 3:00 lunch... How crowded are the CS places at such times during peak times???

 

[jsmla]

When the kids were little we brought sandwiches and snacks for waiting times. They were much happier waiting for Illuminations or Fantasmic if they had a little snack to help pass the time. When we didn't have a stroller I put a soft-sided cooler in a locker and picked it up when we needed it.

 

[cara76]

We bring sandwiches and snacks also. Most of the time it's in the backback I carry with me. DS has major food allergies and so sometimes it's easier to bring a safe snack then trying to track something down esp if the lines are long.

 

[officer tigger]

We brought lunches with us into the parks every day on this years trip. (12/04-12/10).
We also had a stroller and placed it underneath, so carrying it was not a problem.
Staying at the DVC allows us to keep more food in the rooms, so we also ate breakfast in the rooms every day. For less then $25.00 a day we ate breakfast and lunch everyday.

 

[Fedya]

We would bring food in as well. We left meals in a locker till me needed them, and then just carries snacks in a backpack so that if we wabted them we had them on hand. We also made a point of making sure that the backpack was not carried by one person the entire day.

 

[fausz4]

We went to WDW in early Sept and stayed at OKW. The day we went to MK we took lunches in a soft sided cooler for me, DM and two DS (DH and DDad didnt like the idea - so they ate CS). We stopped and ate lunch at the DoleWhip(?) place right outside ToonTown. We packed sandwiches in ziploc bags and had ind. size chips and juice boxes - so when we threw it all away - we just folded up the cooler on the bottom of the stroller! Very easy!

I cant see myself taking a lunch each day - but it worked for us on that day. I did keep on hand each day one or two of the following- packs of gummies, a couple pieces of fruit, goldfish snacks - for those inbetween times. That worked out - especially in lines - when the kids just needed a little something to hold them over.

We also took water bottles - I suggest one for the adults and one for kids (if you can handle that). We filled them up if needed - and usually bought a soda with our meals.

At the suggestion of an OP on the boards - my mom and ate kid's meals at the parks. It was just enough of a meal that we felt 'ok' about eating a Mickey bar for dessert! The stir fry meal at the Land in EPCOT was quite tasty!
fausz4

 

[dlf]

I couldn't do without it!

My two girls are not great breakfast eaters, so having a sandwich each to eat whilst being pushed in the stroller is ideal. I would hate to just get to the park then have to queue up for food!

We also take around 10 bottles of water (from the UK and can't get used to the taste of the water in the parks!) and various juice boxes, as well as crisps, raisins, cheesy snacks, fruit etc etc!!

 

[wvjovifan]

Just don't wrap them in foil....we were behind a girl one day who had about
10 subs wrapped in foil....at the bag search, she had to unwrap each and every one so they could see that it was a sandwich!!! Took quite a while and held up the line!!!!