Coolers at DL...What's you're experience?

[Tif]

We're getting ready to head out this week for our DL vacation and we have a large family so we plan on taking food into the park to save money. I've seen that you can take coolers in but I know there are rules. I read somewhere that you can't take a cooler that is wheeled behind or in front of you. How strict are they on that? I have a cooler that can be carried on my shoulder, but it also came with a cart and bag so that you have a "system" that you can push in front of you like a stroller. Its not very large (probably about the same as an umbrella stroller in height/depth) and I thought it would be a great way to bring with jackets for when the weather cools down in the evenings.

Has anyone had any experience with this at all?

Also, what types of foods and drinks will they allow or not allow into the park?

 

[Hawaiian Style]

I have never seen them reject someone, and I've seen people sitting in the DL restaurants eating their food that they brought in, so I'm thinking they are pretty relaxed about that. On the trams they do have a recording that asks guests who are bringing their own food to use the picnic area, but does no bother me if they bring their own food in the park. We bring our own water every time, figured that we can save $50-$60 if we don't pay $3 for each bottled water. Freeze a few bottles at the hotel, then throw in another 3 or 4 with those every day. I would have a couple backpack coolers with the food and you should be good to go. Probably no a good idea to pull a cooler around, and that I think they would not allow

 

[CrAzY4DL]

I think coolers are limited to the soft sided 6 soda can size coolers.

 

[sonnyjane]

I think coolers are limited to the soft sided 6 soda can size coolers.

This. I have seen larger coolers turned away at security.

 

[Tif]

The actual coolers in the system are no larger than a backpack or camera bag so they aren't huge. Then they stack up onto an optional cart that can be pushed in front of you. I looked at it again and it's not even umbrella stroller size. We're staying at the park so I guess we could try the first day and see. Worst that happens is we have to take it back to the room right?

What about foods? I presume no glass, obviously no alcohol. Sandwiches? Chips? Last time we just brought granola bars and ate quick service when hungry, but there are more of us this time so I prefer to avoid park foods when we can.

 

[Blue32]

The actual coolers in the system are no larger than a backpack or camera bag so they aren't huge. Then they stack up onto an optional cart that can be pushed in front of you. I looked at it again and it's not even umbrella stroller size. We're staying at the park so I guess we could try the first day and see. Worst that happens is we have to take it back to the room right?

What about foods? I presume no glass, obviously no alcohol. Sandwiches? Chips? Last time we just brought granola bars and ate quick service when hungry, but there are more of us this time so I prefer to avoid park foods when we can.

You are correct. No glass, no alcohol. Sandwiches are fine, as long as they are premade and not "assembled" in the park. All other packaged snack type foods should be fine also.

 

[Mabel67]

So there's a rule about no wheeled coolers. And you know about this rule. But you are still going to try to break it to suit your own needs? Why do you want to force the cast member into this position?? The rule isn't that wheeled coolers are ok if they are smaller than a stroller. The rule is no wheeled coolers. Period. No semantics about how the wheels are attached. Just a simple rule. Sheesh.

 

[firefly87]

We take food in every time we go. We take soft sided coolers, no bigger than 12 pack size. We bring in water bottles, variety of snacks (granola bars, string cheese, goldfish, etc), pb&j sandwiches for kids. We have never been stopped or questioned. I think previous posters are right in saying the cooler needs to,be soft sided and definitely not the kind on wheels and foods that are pre-made.

 

[coaches24]

Yea they dont allow hard coolers (or large ones) in from what I have seen. We have taken a small soft cooler with some snacks and waters in and havent had a problem. But it fit in the bottom of the stroller nicely. They always ckeck inside at the security gate and its never been an issue.

 

[Bunchkin]

Bags or containers of any sort with wheels are not allowed in the park, whether that be coolers, backpacks or suitcases. We store our small cooler in a locker in the area just outside the park and eat there for lunch.

 

[BayAreaMom]

We have refined our cooler strategy over the years and now bring in one of these Built NY Lunch Totes:

What i like about it is that it collapses once we take the food out.

Another big issue we have with bringing coolers in is that the fridge at our hotel (HoJo kids suite) does not have a big/functional freezer compartment to freeze our ice packs. We have tried packing up ice in zip locks (double bagged) which works okay. But we usually have to eat our food pretty quickly because the ice doesn't last long especially in the heat

 

[Malcon10t]

The actual coolers in the system are no larger than a backpack or camera bag so they aren't huge. Then they stack up onto an optional cart that can be pushed in front of you. I looked at it again and it's not even umbrella stroller size. We're staying at the park so I guess we could try the first day and see. Worst that happens is we have to take it back to the room right?

There are picnic lockers on the DTD side of the park they will allow you to put this in. They won't allow the cart. The picnic area is very nice.

 

[DharmaLou]

oops started inthe wrong place!

 

[Tif]

So there's a rule about no wheeled coolers. And you know about this rule. But you are still going to try to break it to suit your own needs? Why do you want to force the cast member into this position?? The rule isn't that wheeled coolers are ok if they are smaller than a stroller. The rule is no wheeled coolers. Period. No semantics about how the wheels are attached. Just a simple rule. Sheesh.

Wow, guess I struck a nerve with you huh? I was asking this ahead of time so that I do NOT put anyone into that position. I don't have a typical big plastic boxy cooler that you drag behind you which I know they don't allow and that is why I asked. Thanks so much for your opinion though.

To the other helpful replies I thank you! It sounds like the coolers themselves will be okay from what you've all described, just not the cart. So we'll just carry them instead or maybe hang it on the back of my wheelchair. I do like the idea of the picnic lockers. I had no idea those existed. Do they cost the same as the regular lockers?

 

[pixiewings71]

Wheeled coolers are not allowed, please do not try to take them in. Instead get a locker outside the parks and eat in the picnic area.

 

[Mabel67]

Wow, guess I struck a nerve with you huh? I was asking this ahead of time so that I do NOT put anyone into that position. I don't have a typical big plastic boxy cooler that you drag behind you which I know they don't allow and that is why I asked. Thanks so much for your opinion though.

To the other helpful replies I thank you! It sounds like the coolers themselves will be okay from what you've all described, just not the cart. So we'll just carry them instead or maybe hang it on the back of my wheelchair. I do like the idea of the picnic lockers. I had no idea those existed. Do they cost the same as the regular lockers?

Actually that is exactly what you said you were going to do. The info no wheeled coolers is found on the Disneyland web page. Your first paragraph states you heard that wheeled coolers aren't allowed. Yet you say that you're going to try it anyway what's the worst that could happen they will turn you away. This you stated in post 5.

So it's not that I'm sensitive and you hit a nerve. It's that you isn't seem to get that the rule meant you too. 16 million people a year get it. You didn't.

 

[Mabel67]

Wheels = NO.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...I read somewhere that you can't take a cooler that is wheeled behind or in front of you....

Correct.

I have a cooler that can be carried on my shoulder, but it also came with a cart and bag so that you have a "system" that you can push in front of you like a stroller.

The coolers are okay. The cart is not.

Its not very large (probably about the same as an umbrella stroller in height/depth) and I thought it would be a great way to bring with jackets for when the weather cools down in the evenings.

You could buy an umbrella stroller and push / pull stuff around in that if you want.

The actual coolers in the system are no larger than a backpack or camera bag so they aren't huge.

The cooler are fine.

Then they stack up onto an optional cart that can be pushed in front of you.

This part is not allowed.

...We're staying at the park so I guess we could try the first day and see. Worst that happens is we have to take it back to the room right?

True, but if you know it's not allowed, why bother, right?

What about foods? I presume no glass, obviously no alcohol. Sandwiches? Chips? Last time we just brought granola bars and ate quick service when hungry, but there are more of us this time so I prefer to avoid park foods when we can.

The general rule on food is that you can bring stuff that's made, but not the fixings to make it. Ex: A baloney sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes is fine. A loaf of bread, a package of baloney, a head of lettuce and a tomato is not.

- Dreams

 

[Malcon10t]

From Disneyland's website:
Coolers larger than 6-pack sized are not permitted into the theme parks.

Note: Guest can store coolers up to 18" wide x 25" high x 37" deep in rentable large lockers located outside the Disneyland Park Main Entrance. Lockers are not refrigerated and availability is limited. Guests who need to refrigerate medication may do so at First Aid.
Exceptions may be made for special dietary or religious needs.

 

[crystal1313]

We take a small 6 pack soft cooler in the parks. It fits a lot and looks like a diaper bag (tote). They always check inside and never say anything to us. We pre-make sandwiches and have Applesauce (individual servings) string cheese, water, etc. It works out great. We've never been questioned about food. I even have a separate bag just with dry snacks. It's never been an issue. My kids like to graze all day, so snacks are essential. Have fun!!