Cracking down on outside food?

[MammaMoe48]

We never bring in food, so it would have no personal impact for me.

I can't imagine how they would implement this. Will they question every guest with a granola bar?

I can see a "no cooler" rule, but not a global ban on all outside food.

I was thinking that this might mean they'll put some kind of limit to what would be allowed, like a "no cooler" rule. Honestly, a couple bottles of water and a few bags of granola bars and goldfish should be ok, but I can see why they might want to stop the people who are bringing in whole meals and 2 liter bottles of soda - ain't no way that's a dietary need. Ultimately, it's a business and they need to make money.

 

[Tomh]

I can't imagine a total ban on coolers, Disney needs kids visiting the parks, that means parents, who often have babies in tow. Babies require formula or milk, and that needs to be kept cool. Ban the coolers, you're gonna have lots of problems with parents.

 

[tmoo]

We usually go for 8-10 days when we go and do not leave the park. We will pack a lunch for all but 1 or 2 of those days when we might do something like Tusker house for a late breakfast/early lunch. We don't drag a big cooler, it isn't necessary our lunches are pretty compact. I figure this saves us about $500/trip. However, Disney doesn't lose that money. I use it to purchase really nice evening meals on site, nicer than I normally would. My food budget won't change so if I have to purchase lunch in the park I would then leave the premises for or cut back on the quality of my evening meals.

A few other concerns:

• Packing your lunch is much more convenient than buying it. Last trip, I waited in line 20 minutes at Yak and Yeti outdoor window and then couldn't find an available table walking around with a huge tray of drinks and food. It was horrible. Much less stressful to bring a bit of food in the pack.
  
• After 10 days you just can't take any more fast food for lunch, combine that with the rich dinners and a simple sandwich is all you want for lunch

• They have many foreign guests, some may not find their food palatable
• Disney has a different food policy because they aren't like other parks, they are a week+ destination. You go to Bush Gardens for a day and eat the bad lunch food and complain, that is a much bigger deal if you are doing it for a week.
• Water is already free in the park, the same water they use to mix your Coke.

This sounds like someone just stirring the pot with an unfounded rumor.

 

[pooh4evr]

Not to compare our Six Flags park with Disney Parks, but ours in STL does not allow anything. I brought in a bag of goldfish for our youngest when she was about 3, and they made us take it out and put it in the car. I don't know what they do about people with health/allergy issues.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't see what would stop them doing it. Like you say, they're already checking the bags so no extra labour involved. Ive been to music events where they don't allow own food or drink in - they just tell you to throw it away (or consume it) otherwise you're not coming in. Simple.

Not really simple.

1) Disney sucks at enforcing their own rules.

2) If I throw my food out at the gate, then see another family pulling sandwiches out of their bags, I'm going to be quite annoyed.

3) Guests have tons of dietary issues that might necessitate bringing in certain food. There will be million sob stories that will slow down bag check lines with appeals.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

One time we saw someone RIDING on one of those big rolling coolers!

I've def.seen that before

 

[kidshop]

Busch Gardens in Willamsburg doesn't allow outside food. I have hidden some in my purse, they don"t empty everything out! But the last few times I left the granola bars and applesauce pouches in full view. It was fine. They definitely would not let in coolers though, you'd have to leave that in your car. The parking lot is much smaller than Disney and they have nice shaded picnic tables for that. There is no problem with water bottles.

Banning food is really not in Disney's best interest. It is a nicety that is appreciated, however they should enforce the rules they have about rolling/large coolers.

 

[Turn the Page]

It will be interesting to watch them try. They are already checking all bags pretty closely.

But I don't think they can do it. Too many specific dietary needs and picky kids.

Sure they can. They don't HAVE to accomodate every dietary need under the sun. Since it is private property they are free to ban bringing in anything they want, including food and drinks. Heck, they can probably ban insulin for diabetics or other types of medically necessary things if they wanted to. It would be PR suicide of course but they could probably do it.

Just like carry on bags on planes! Some of those things are YUUUUGE!

When we were on our last trip just about every flight the gate agents got on the PA system asking for volunteers to gate check their carry ons because there wasn't enough room in the overhead bins. I get preferring to carry on since then there is no chance of the airline losing it and you save that hefty baggage fee but some people are really pushing the envelope. We saw more than one person with a carry on suitcase that had to be pushing the carry on size limit as well as a tote bag that was darn close to the size of the suitcase and both were stuffed full.

I always wondered why people line up to get on the plane as soon as they can. You're not taking off any sooner by getting on the plane first. You just sit on the plane and wait. You either wait in the terminal or wait on the plane and the terminal seats are more comfortable. Then it hit me, people want first crack at the overhead bins.

In answer to the OP's question yes, we do take food into the parks but usually only refillable water bottles and some snacks. We generally plan to eat breakfast and dinner at the villa and eat the snacks we packed or buy a snack for lunch. The exception is the water parks where we will actually pack a cooler with sandwiches and more snack items but I think the difference is at the water parks you can really set up a home base of sorts and leave all your stuff there while that isn't really possible at the other parks. Nobody wants to lug a cooler around with them all day.

We would be bummed if they didn't allow food to be brought in any more but, other than the water parks, I doubt it would really affect us all that much. Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't do it long ago.

 

[mom2rtk]

Sure they can. They don't HAVE to accomodate every dietary need under the sun. Since it is private property they are free to ban bringing in anything they want, including food and drinks. Heck, they can probably ban insulin for diabetics or other types of medically necessary things if they wanted to. It would be PR suicide of course but they could probably do it.

I'm just saying that Disney has such a reputation for being squishy with their own rules that they probably don't stand a chance of being firm on something like this.

Coolers over a certain size, and anything with wheels is already banned. Why do people keep reporting seeing big rolling coolers in the parks? Because Disney is squishy.

 

[EricInPA]

Not to compare our Six Flags park with Disney Parks, but ours in STL does not allow anything. I brought in a bag of goldfish for our youngest when she was about 3, and they made us take it out and put it in the car. I don't know what they do about people with health/allergy issues.

It seems this is common at large coaster parks (Cedar Point will let you bring an un-opened bottle of water but that's it). It varies at smaller parks. Kennywood permits full sized coolers and picnic gear. Lake Compounce will allow outside food "to the extent is medically necessary".

Seems like a lot of hassle for Disney since they are already searching every last zipper pocket.

 

[L&Lfan]

And I'm sure people use the "food or allergy issues" when their snowflakes are just picky. Disney can 't ask for proof, I understand from reading these boards. And in come the coolers...

 

[MJ6987]

Not really simple.

1) Disney sucks at enforcing their own rules.

2) If I throw my food out at the gate, then see another family pulling sandwiches out of their bags, I'm going to be quite annoyed.

3) Guests have tons of dietary issues that might necessitate bringing in certain food. There will be million sob stories that will slow down bag check lines with appeals.

1 is fair enough
The other two also apply at music events yet they still do it.

 

[mom2rtk]

1 is fair enough
The other two also apply at music events yet they still do it.

Except if other venues are firm with their rules, you're not going to walk in and see others pull out their banned items (at least not as much). Disney's squishiness will just make it a lot more prevalent.

I despise rules there are put in place only for those that choose to follow them.

 

[anniemae]

I really can't see this happening, I would think they would rather have folks pay the hefty admission price and bring their own food rather than people deciding not to go at all because the cost of a ticket plus food/drinks it just too expensive.

We don't bring in food, but we do bring in water. We save a bundle by having water shipped to our hotel room from Staples. We go in the summer, so we go through a lot of water. I can not and will not drink the free FL tap water. I just can't do it, to me it tastes like sludge and I simply won't drink it.

 

[mom2rtk]

I really can't see this happening, I would think they would rather have folks pay the hefty admission price and bring their own food rather than people deciding not to go at all because the cost of a ticket plus food/drinks it just too expensive.

We don't bring in food, but we do bring in water. We save a bundle by having water shipped to our hotel room from Staples. We go in the summer, so we go through a lot of water. I can not and will not drink the free FL tap water. I just can't do it, to me it tastes like sludge and I simply won't drink it.

I'm sure Disney would have no problem selling you all the $3 (or is it $4?) bottles of water you want.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Maybe this is another way to force people to shorten their park days. Let's say you will not eat Disney food. So you might still go, maybe pack a protein bar which would probably get past the gate, but then have to leave to go eat a meal at some point, maybe six hours later or so, assuming you ate a good meal before going.

Maybe they are trying to cut down on the people who come to the park from morning to close and who don't make at least one ADR or QS meal. In other words, the Disney meal is the price of staying the whole day.

 

[anniemae]

I'm sure Disney would have no problem selling you all the $3 (or is it $4?) bottles of water you want.

I'm sure they wouldn't! LOL! It would just kill me to spend all that money on water when a whole case is about the cost of 2 bottles from the park.

 

[Pkltm]

My issue with this whole "rumor" is the source, this is the same website who chooses wording to sensationalize their facebook posts, in the past two months they posted that TSMM will close on March 15, no where mentioning unless you click through that is for one day, and when you comment or answer someone's questions in the comments they will delet you answer and replace it with "the information is in the article"

 

[anniemae]

Maybe this is another way to force people to shorten their park days. Let's say you will not eat Disney food. So you might still go, maybe pack a protein bar which would probably get past the gate, but then have to leave to go eat a meal at some point, maybe six hours later or so, assuming you ate a good meal before going.

Maybe they are trying to cut down on the people who come to the park from morning to close and who don't make at least one ADR or QS meal. In other words, the Disney meal is the price of staying the whole day.

This is what I was thinking too. They may not want people bringing in food and drinks because it is money from their pocket. If you go in and bring all your food, it's a great money saver for the guest, but from a business stand point, it is money they are not making. By restricting food, they either force you to spend it in the parks, but they also run the risk of having you leave to eat then come back. But I suppose that wouldn't hurt them too much since most would likely stay.

I still don't see it happening. Like others have said, they would have to take into consideration those with allergies. They everyone could just say, "I have an allergy. I need to eat my own food for my safety."

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I'd imagine this will be an added security measure or a way to get people to pay more disguised as an added security measure (just being cynical.)

I can't see them doing away with outside food all together. What about dietary restrictions, etc.? What if you wanna buy a grab-and-go sandwich from the QS at your resort or bring in a bottle of Diet coke? Or your mug? It's def. gonna be to restrict people from bringing huge coolers.

The coolers could be annoying to search and are certainly considered a bag. Eliminating coolers can and will increase security and quicken lines. Look at the NFL. They don't allow bags - any bags. You have to bring everything in a clear bag and even then there's added restrictions. It could be worse.