Flying w/frozen food

[PalVal]

Has anyone flown with meals that you have prepared ahead of time and pre-frozen? If so, what is the proceedure at check-in? I don't care if it defrosts on the way to FL. I'm trying to save myself some cooking time when I get to WDW. I'm flying Southwest.
Thanks.

 

[safetymom]

No ice and it needs to be in some type of container that can be examined.

If it defrosts along the way what is the point of shipping it? If it thaws and becomes warm it probably wouldn't be safe to eat.

 

[PalVal]

I'm staying at VWL and it has full kitchen facilities. Upon arrival, it will go directly in the refrigerator. I plan to transport it in one of those cassorole dish carriers that has a insulated zipper bag along with frozen plastic ice packs to keep it cold. I use the bag for hot and cold dishes when I camp, boat, etc. I don't think it will thaw completely in 3 hours. I'm not shipping it, I was wondering if I could carry it on the plane without any problems.

 

[NotUrsula]

As long as it fits w/i the maximum measurements, and as long as it contains no dry ice, you can take it as a carryon if you like. It will be x-rayed, of course.

 

[Claudia1]

I flew last July with a lot of frozen foods. We had a direct flight from Indy but it was out of refrigeration of any type for 6-7 hours. The food was in the Boardwalk storage area for about 1 hour.

Here's what I did (and everything was still frozen or slightly slushy when we unpacked it):
I used a soft-sided cooler and secured it with duct tape. I also wrote "food items" on the outside label.
I used frozen water bottles & juice boxes for "ice". All of which were still factory sealed to eliminate any concern of a different liquid for security. I froze everything at least a day before departure so that it was frozen when we packed it. I took cooked ground beef instead of raw beef (less mess if it started to thaw and less risk, too). Some of the items that I took frozen included sealed lunch meats, a cooked meatloaf, cooked ground beef (for tacos or spaghetti), shredded cheese, sour cream, etc...

I have done this several times and have never had a problem.

With our family, it was easier for me to prepare & ship ahead than to have a big grocery stop on the way from the airport. Having prepared foods also cuts down on my kitchen time while on vacation. Also, I can use the empty cooler as addtional luggage for the return trip. It was great for stuffed animals and other soft things!

 

[PalVal]

Thanks for all your pre-cooked frozen dinner ideas. . . Now that I know I can carry them on, I'm adding meatloaf to my items. Thanks!

 

[Gretchen]

I mean this in the nicest possible way, you guys are nuts! LOL, only kidding.....I've never flown with frozen food but when my friend and her parents were living in San Antonio TX, they couldn't get good pizza. At least as good as what they were used to. So, my friend ordered a pizza from their favorite place (in San Diego, she was going to Texas) 1/2 cooked and frozen. She packed it with dry ice and stuck in in the bottom of her samsonite hard suitcase. The cargo hold in the plane gets cold enough I guess. She called her mom from the Airport and told her to preheat the oven, she had dinner! Pizza tasted just as good as if it came fresh from the restaurant. I've often wondered if I could do the same with my favorite fish burritos from Rubios....hmmmmm, I'm hungry!
Good luck with the meals on wheels!
Gretchen

 

[Claudia1]

That's funny, Gretchen!

I never used to take food until we joined DVC and I only take 1-3 meals, depending on the length of our trip. My kids do better if they have 1 or 2 home-style meals during the trip. We usually go back to the room in the middle of the day for them to swim and so I take things that I can throw together fast. It gives us some "chill" time and they eat their veggies, too. After a week of kids meals with grapes and/or fries, a meal in the room is not so bad.

PalVal, I have also taken baking potatoes. They travel very well and you can top them with cheese & taco meat for a quick meal. You can either do them in the microwave or bake them in the oven while you are at the park. This is all assuming that you have a kitchenette, though. I have heard of some guests using a crockpot for food, too. Easy Mac and Cheese is another quick dish for a side or an entree. I also start collecting little packets of butter, ketchup, etc.... leftover from fast food meals the weeks before our trip. The also freeze well and save you $$ and space.

Every little bit helps when at WDW!

 

[PalVal]

I'm also a DVC member and like the idea of some"home cooked" meals when we stay at the villas. There is just so much junk food you can eat and just so many expensive meals you can afford while you are at Disney, so I like to throw in some pre-cooked dinners from home. I makes a nice balance. Actually I have thought of bringing my crock pot, but I'm not sure that it would make the trip without breaking. I love the idea of having a meal ready when we get back to the parks however. Hmm, maybe I will bring it!