Can you take food into DL?

[TiggerandTink]

I should know this but can I take sandwiches into DL? I think we took snacks in on our last visit but it has been a while and we didn't bring a full lunch or anything, however since we are trying to budget a bit to stretch our trip it might be nice to make our own lunch and take it with us. I am sure we could take a break and go back to the hotel to eat but I was thinking about taking a couple of sandwiches in case someone gets hungry early. Would this be allowed?

 

[avalon451]

Yup, although technically it's supposed to be "no outside food or drink," they let you go through with anything except glass bottles or a hard-sided cooler.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yep. They say differently, but they really do not care.

Probably want to take the assembled sandwiches, rather than all the fixings, though.

Just make sure you're not carrying anything glass (like a Starbucks Frappucino bottle) in with you!

We had the entire bottom of our stroller filled with water bottles, organic juice boxes, and granola bars, and we were there at what seemed to be a time of greater security checks (we think it's b/c of a very obvious arrest we saw at the front gates of DL the night before) so they definitely saw it, but still, they didn't care.

 

[disfamily07]

One thing to know about taking food into Disneyland is that the
sandwiches have to be pre made. We were there in December and
although most of the days we would make our sandwiches before
we left the hotel the last day we decided we would just take
the bread and fix the sandwiches at lunch time. Well, that didn't work.
They wouldn't let us go through the safety check area until the
sandwiches were made. We were escorted by one of the security
check people over to the picnic area and were told to come back
through once the sandwiches were fully assembled.

At least there was one other lady that had been sent over there
with me so I didn't feel completely stupid but I will definately
remember to always prepare the sandwiches before hand for
future trips.

 

[Catgyrl]

I'm so glad someone asked this question. The last time I went in November 2004 I was nervous about the security checks, and didn't think I could even bring bottled water in. (Now to see what snacks I can fit into my "hip pack".) Yes, I'm using one of those... I have no shame. Convenience before appearance is what I say!

 

[caygrayloremomma]

This may seem like a silly question but where is the security breech in sandwiches that are not assembled. I am more curious than anything. Anyone know?

 

[vossjemi]

This is good to know. But, how do you lug around food/water all day? My kids are 6 and 8...too old for a stroller. I miss the days of hanging a cooler on the handlebars at silver dollar city or on my own stroller, tucking it in the basket below. Can you bring a small soft sided rolling cooler? And, if I did bring a rolling cooler, what to do with it while on a ride? I don't want to risk it getting stolen. We'll have it along for our trip, but wondered if we could use it at disneyland or not. Thanks.

 

[bumbershoot]

This may seem like a silly question but where is the security breech in sandwiches that are not assembled. I am more curious than anything. Anyone know?

I would imagine it's b/c you're bringing in jars and things like that.

Or maybe it's like at the airports, where they don't want random containers of goopy stuff, for fear it's bomb-making goopy stuff instead of sandwich-making goopy stuff.

This is good to know. But, how do you lug around food/water all day? My kids are 6 and 8...too old for a stroller. I miss the days of hanging a cooler on the handlebars at silver dollar city or on my own stroller, tucking it in the basket below. Can you bring a small soft sided rolling cooler? And, if I did bring a rolling cooler, what to do with it while on a ride? I don't want to risk it getting stolen. We'll have it along for our trip, but wondered if we could use it at disneyland or not. Thanks.

No rolling coolers, b/c you generally pull those behind you, and that's not appreciated at the parks (and by guests trying to get by you).

If I were bringing in enough stuff and/or stuff that needed refrigeration, I'd get a just-big-enough cooler and rent a locker for the day.

 

[vossjemi]

I do have a small soft sided cooler that could fit about 6-12 drinks in it. How much is a locker? That would be better than carrying it around all day.

 

[Corpsebride]

Lockers are $7.00 but you can open close them all day long with no repay, I only laugh because , wow, 7 bucks. We were going to use them to store our sweatshirts, but decided not to but I suppose if you are going to stow a lot of stuff it makes sense. I am not sure how big they were though.

 

[disfamily07]

I really don't know why we were'nt allowed to bring the sandwiches in
unassembled. I guess I could understand if we were trying to bring
in a glass jar with jam but we were'nt. All I had was a small ziploc
plastic container with peanut butter and honey pre-mixed.

The one thing they did tell me was that I was just lucky they allowed
us to bring in sandwiches at all, because they really don't have to seeing
that their site does state no outside food allowed. I really think the
security person that we got was one that kind of enjoyed having a little
power and using it based upon her attitude towards me. I hadn't even
said anything to her and she was already being snobby like I was trying
to bring something illegal into the parks. So I suppose a lot depends
on who you get when your going through the security checkpoints.

 

[avalon451]

This is good to know. But, how do you lug around food/water all day? My kids are 6 and 8...too old for a stroller. I miss the days of hanging a cooler on the handlebars at silver dollar city or on my own stroller, tucking it in the basket below. Can you bring a small soft sided rolling cooler? And, if I did bring a rolling cooler, what to do with it while on a ride? I don't want to risk it getting stolen. We'll have it along for our trip, but wondered if we could use it at disneyland or not. Thanks.

I followed the advice in the Unofficial Guide to DL and made my poor kids wear hip packs. Well, it wasn't that bad but we all looked like tourists, of course. They each had a small-sized Nalgene with water in it that clipped to the hip packs with a little carabiner clip. Then they stuck some energy bars, goldfish crackers, and nuts-- stuff like that-- in there, which could tide them over when the hungries hit them in line or whereever. We mostly ate at service counters in the park when the urge hit. I remember I liked Bakersfield bakery in CA.

 

[TiggerandTink]

Thanks all for the responses. I'm glad to hear that this will be ok and we will pre-assemble the sandwiches. I could carry a little bit of lunch in my baggalini I suppose but I was thinking we would probably just rent a locker. Its easier to send someone back to the locker than send everyone back to the hotel if they are not ready. That is unless our friends rent a stroller for their littlest one and then we could just store stuff in that, I'm sure that they wouldn't mind.

 

[mshrm]

Ok now that I can get the food in the park how do I get the kids to eat it? My kids are definately not in the mood for pb&j and granola bars while at disneyland.

 

[cinderella_mom]

We have never had a problem bringing in sandwiches, snacks or salads. Besides glass bottles/containers, I have, on occasion, heard the guards tell people they couldn't bring in aluminum cans, larger soft coolers, any hard coolers and of course, alcohol (you'd be surprised how many times I've heard that one). Otherwise, you'll be fine.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ok now that I can get the food in the park how do I get the kids to eat it? My kids are definately not in the mood for pb&j and granola bars while at disneyland.

Well, that's up to you.

In our case, DS can't really have many of the "fun" foods at Disneyland, b/c he can't have corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (both are in Uncrustables, and one or the other is in most ice creams including Mickey Bars and even Haagen Dasc toffee crunch bars sold at vendor carts) or corn syrup solids (Dole Whips). He goes nearly insane when he has any of those things, become a raging, circle-running, violent kid. Gosh that's not fun at Disneyland!

He can have the chocolate covered banana (encountered the nicest CM last trip who let me look at all the ingredients of her products), and I let him have cookies b/c the cookies don't seem to affect him (corn syrup is in most vanilla extracts, so the cookies might have it in the actual cookie, and if not, then likely in the chocolate chips) all that much.

As you can see, with all those "fun" foods off the list for him (and my husband, who nearly passes out when he has corn syrup or HFCS), you can see why we bring his normal snacks like safe granola bars!

If your family isn't used to things like that being fun (granola is actually quite sweet) then you're never going to convince them to eat them and it's all moot for you!

 

[vossjemi]

Well, that's up to you.

In our case, DS can't really have many of the "fun" foods at Disneyland, b/c he can't have corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (both are in Uncrustables, and one or the other is in most ice creams including Mickey Bars and even Haagen Dasc toffee crunch bars sold at vendor carts) or corn syrup solids (Dole Whips). He goes nearly insane when he has any of those things, become a raging, circle-running, violent kid. Gosh that's not fun at Disneyland!

He can have the chocolate covered banana (encountered the nicest CM last trip who let me look at all the ingredients of her products), and I let him have cookies b/c the cookies don't seem to affect him (corn syrup is in most vanilla extracts, so the cookies might have it in the actual cookie, and if not, then likely in the chocolate chips) all that much.

As you can see, with all those "fun" foods off the list for him (and my husband, who nearly passes out when he has corn syrup or HFCS), you can see why we bring his normal snacks like safe granola bars!

If your family isn't used to things like that being fun (granola is actually quite sweet) then you're never going to convince them to eat them and it's all moot for you!

Gosh, your son sounds just like mine! We too limit corn syrup and hfcs! I'm sooo worried about that on this trip as we are going on the cruise first. How in the world am I going to limit that when I don't know what is in the foods the cruise ship serves?

 

[Gisele]

I am glad that someone asked this question,for it had been on my mind as well, and I just had not asked yet.
Last April when I went to Dl in Ca. a young woman had a big ol' honkin burger from I can't remember where, but it definitely was from a fast food chain, I asked her about it, and she said that she had no problem with bringing it in, she had it in the stroller, where you could easily see it, between that and other off site food that I had seen, plus my water bottle and my friends, that really made think, o.k. what is this about? for I know what I read on the sign! and I am glad that the policy is not strictly enforced.
I plan on bringing in at least one lunch, snacks and a PEPSI! with me on my next trip, hey it is not like I am not planning on spending my money on food at DL, I will be, but it is nice to have additional options as well. Not to mentions apparently people are allowed into WDW, with coolers! WOW! that is cool! pardon the unintentional pun! he!he!

 

[issapowers]

When we went in may I took food for the first time. I have a double stroller. I took two big sandwiches, and a whole bunch of bottles of diet coke and a lunchable for my daughter. We had a total of three "diaper bags" one for an actual diaper bag, one for extra clothes and blankets for the babies, and the other with our lunch. The CM didn't even check my diaper bag, and the one bag I did hand to her was my lunch bag she looked in it and that's it.

When we went this Monday/Tuesday, we rented a room on Harbor blvd and left our lunch at the hotel. We brought one diaper bag and one bag filled with bottles of diet coke and water. The CM looked through both bags and didn't say anything. Every CM I've encountered coincidently have always been distracted pretty much by my two kids, My daughter who is excited usually and my son (7 months old who for some reason gets scared when we go through security and is screaming his lungs off.

I noticed a ton of people who had obviously brought in their own food, anywhere from mcdonalds, to homemade meals.

Were budget consious people especially with having two kids in diapers and me being a stay at home mom so we only have the one income. We usually have our sandwich for dinner, and we go to the corndog firetruck on mainstreet and have a corn dog for lunch, plus we bring in all our drinks. The corn dogs are so huge it's a nice lunch plus it's only 10 bucks for the two of us to eat. Also we feel like we have the fun of having "disney" food.

I love bringing in our own drinks, We get very thirsty at disneyland with all that walking and instead of paying $2.50 for a coke or a bottle water, I don't feel so bad when I pick up a chocolate covered rice krispy treat for the next day at home.