Gripe - Food in the Parks

[apostolic4life]

My thoughts are merely rhetorical in nature and meant as food for thought (but in no way can you eat this food on a table if you haven't paid me to do so)

I would not allow my family to take up space without the appropriate purchase, but I do have sympathy for families who may not have the means to purchase the food. WDW is for all families (rich or poor) who are able to share this magic together. Instead of flaming families who may not be as fortunate as some of us, we should focus on the real issue.......why are there no areas for families to enjoy a picnic (if they bring the food or purchase it at the park)!

 

[apostolic4life]

While I agree that this is something to think about- have you ever gone to a restroom and stayed there for more than a half hour and prevented others from being able to use the restroom? Probably not. By bringing in outside food and taking tables from other patrons, I would liken it to using a bathroom and preventing others from using it. Which is probably not what you meant....

Since I obviously struck a nerve with my statement, I must pursue this line of thought. Yes, I did mean exactly what you choose to assume I didn't mean.......many times I have seen people stop in restrooms and prevent paying customers from using the facilities in a timely manner.

Have you done this?? I will now attempt the same mind reading trick you did and say you probably have : this is why you defend the practice of using the restroom. I do not see a difference when the restaurants provide the restroom service for paying customers not for the non paying public.

I do not want to sound as if I condone this practice of non-paying customers using the tables; I don't! But as I have said in my post moments ago, why flame the people who practice this, should we not look towards the park managment who could easily solve this problem!

 

[apostolic4life]

The running in and using a bathroom at a fast food place other than WDW question- when we travel and I want to use the "facilities" I always make a purchase- even if only coffee and a snack.

I and my DW agree......we always make a purchase so we do not feel like we are being abusive to the facility or its owner

 

[DMRick]

Management had to ask them to stop since there were not enough seats for the paying customers.

But that is the difference. In the food courts Disney has encouraged people to eat there no matter where you buy your food. In spite of what people on the Disboard say, I go by what Disney tells me is OK to do.

Hey, how about those people who save tables even though the food line is 20 minutes long and they are at the end of it

 

[ECU Pirates]

I doubt that you will ever see a picnic area in the park.

I think that if Disney had a designated picnic area in the park it would seem to encourage people to bring outside food and drink with them, thus causing them to lose sales.

 

[scanfield]

Places to sit that are in publicly accessible areas (so, counter service places, but not CRT for example) should be available to everyone who paid admission to the park. If there are not enough places to sit, blame disney, dont blame the people who need or want to sit down (for whatever reason.)

Do you assume that your need for a table is greater than someone elses?

Even when you see that someone is eating there (even if its their own food they brought in) you still assume that your need for the seating space is more important than theirs?

Just my 2 cents.

 

[dlaushey]

Great Post SCANFIELD! I completely agree.

If it is a public place at the park then anyone can sit there for whatever reason they choose (people watching, read a book, or eat their brought food) and for as long as they like. Until Disney changes the policy you really don't have a reason to complain to those who are sitting there. Take it up with Disney Mgmt.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Quite the opposite happened to me here locally. My dd and DH wanted to eat at a pizza/ pasta buffet next to my grocery store. This place does a number on my stomach for some reason. So I went into the grocery, and had them make me a sub to go (no seating). We went next door to the pizza place, and oredered 2 buffets and 3 drinks. They said I couldnt eat my sub in there, even though I was buying a drink AND with 2 paying customers.

We walked out, got drive through from McD's for dh and dd, and ate in the car. None of us have returned to the pizza place, and we were good customers, at least once a week, counting, DH, DD, and mom

This happened to me at CBR! I couldn't believe it! My parents, sister and I were eating in the SD restaurant there but my sister was competing in the National Dance Championships the next day and didn't want anything heavy for dinner, so she went out to the CS area and order chicken fingers and brought them back in to eat with us. The manager came over and very loudly, and rudely, told her she was not wanted in the area and that she had to leave. This was totally uncalled for..had our whole family gone to CS and then brought it into SD I could understand his frusteration, but the rest of us had all ordered off of the menu, plus the hostess had told her it was okay. He completely humiliated her and when we complained to resort management they told us they would take care of it and then did nothing. It was such a bad experience that we won't ever go back to CBR.

 

[lillygator]

I doubt that you will ever see a picnic area in the park.

I think that if Disney had a designated picnic area in the park it would seem to encourage people to bring outside food and drink with them, thus causing them to lose sales.

this is why there is no designated picnic area...and hopefully they won't put any inside the parks....not sure if anyone has seen the designated picnic areas at Wet N Wild and other places...not pretty...

I have never encountered CM's or a WDW policy that welcomes off site food...but then I have never "needed" it, if that makes sense. (never asked, etc) Whether or not WDW has updated their website to take off the food/cooler issue...it seems they haven't updated to say "please bring in food" have they? I think it's an "overlooked" thing. I don't feel Disney should provide extra amenities to those who want to bring in their own food. But I am sure that may not be a popular opinion.

 

[DMRick]

I think it's an "overlooked" thing. I don't feel Disney should provide extra amenities to those who want to bring in their own food. But I am sure that may not be a popular opinion.

I don't think it's "overlooked". It used to be on the guides and they removed it. Nothing is overlooked at Disney. They've just decided on a friendlier policy. They aren't suggesting (and no one here on the board is) that you bring in a barbeque grill, however, they certainly appear to be allowing some food (which is different from asking you to bring it in).
I could care less what other's do. We'll continue to eat in the food courts at our hotel, and other than an occasional leftover sandwich from Earl's (that we usually eat while staking out a place for a parade, or waiting an hour for Fantasmic) that we'll bring in to finish up, we only cart water and snacks inside the park.

 

[MommyPoppins]

I also agree that if you bring food into the parks you should not take up seats at the CS places. I also think that either they should allow people to bring their own lunch(coolers) or stop them at security. We were going through security one time and the people a table over had a HUGE cooler that the security officer was pulling things out of to check it... Why don't they stop them, or make it "okay". We always bring a couple of juice boxes for the boys and I always bring my own bottle of water and refill it and we also bring a couple of snack bags for inbetween times, but those things always are in our bag or we use a very small soft sided cooler as our bag and put the things in that. But to bring in a big cooler? I would be too embarrassed seeing as how you aren't supposed to bring coolers in. But I think picnic areas would be wonderful, not just for people who bring their lunch, but for people who can't find seats at CS places. You could just grab a hot dog or turkey leg and sit at a picnic table.

I also think that it should be the offical "rule" that bringing in your own lunch should be allowed..disney prices are absurd and if you are their for any length of time you just get tired of hamburgers and hotdogs.

Who the heck would want to drag a cooler around all day though?

 

[SaratogaShan]

Great Post SCANFIELD! I completely agree.

If it is a public place at the park then anyone can sit there for whatever reason they choose (people watching, read a book, or eat their brought food) and for as long as they like. Until Disney changes the policy you really don't have a reason to complain to those who are sitting there. Take it up with Disney Mgmt.

OK...Yeah...someone COULD take up all the tables with book reading or people watching, but if I have nowhere to sit and eat my chicken fingers and have to stand and eat....those people may end up covered in honey mustard and diet coke. I'm not very coordinated! Don't think it would be easy to stand and feed a one year old either....

 

[C.Ann]

. We were going through security one time and the people a table over had a HUGE cooler that the security officer was pulling things out of to check it... Why don't they stop them, or make it "okay".

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Because Disney is notorious for making "feel good policies" which they have no intentions of enforcing .. If bringing in a lunch will get people to pay admission, possibly stay on-site for a week or so, and possibly spend the "food" money they saved on the overpriced souveniers instead, why would they discourage that? Believe me - I'm sure that Disney has looked at every policy they have (or ever thought of having) and has determined what the "dollar impact" to them would/will be.. So - rather than lose the "whole ball of wax", they just snip a little piece off instead.. Lose it on the food, grab it somewhere else..

 

[rsackett]

This has been an ongoing gripe with me and my family almost every time we go to WDW. We tend to go during busy seasons and it never fails that sometime on every trip we'll go to a busy counter service resturant (the resturant by Star Tours at MGM is the best example) and find little or no seating but see a family who has brought their own food eating at one of the tables. We don't personally bring any food into the parks, and don't have a gripe with those who do, but do feel that if you are paying for food in a resturant that you should have preference over those that are not.

I'm not soliciting flames, but wanted to see if we're crazy or if others agree.

I have a similar complaint. When we go to DW we rent a stroller for my daughter. Quite often when we get to a popular ride all the stroller parking is taken-up by people that have brought there own stroller in the park to save some money. I feel that since I rented my stroller from Disney I should not have to park farther away or wait for these CHEAP people to finish the ride and move their stroller. Stroller parking near the entrance and exit of the rides should be only for Disney Strollers.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

I understand packing in a lunch to save money. but it can't be worth it in comparison to dragging a 50 lb. cooler all over the parks. and I don't like it when I see a woman pulling it. if you elect to eat like this, the husband should have the burden. when we see a 90 pound woman pulling a 50 pound cooler, my wife and I just give each other the same look.

 

[mainewmn]

Everyone in the park had to pay a price to get in through the gates. There are some who want to save money and bring their own food, I have no problem with that. For us on the other hand going to Disney is also ability to eat Disney’s food, even tough its overpriced we enjoy it. However, when we do pay the prices for CS food we expect to have a place to sit down and enjoy our food.

As for why there is no picnic areas at Disney I think others hit the nail on the head when they said that Disney tries strongly to discourage this without upsetting anyone.

 

[rsackett]

If people that bring their food stoped doing this they would not go away. They would be standing in line waiting to buy it with everyone else and time from start to finish would take longer in all. The problem is that Disney does not have addiquate seating / eating space in DW.

 

[MamaLema]

Everytime I think that I've heard it all! I can't believe people bring their own food into a restaurant. That's appalling.They could sit on a bench somewhere.

Sorry but when you have little kids, it's hard to eat on a bench and so much easier when you have a table. It's also nice to eat without the scorching sun on your head and have a little umbrella. We have not sat INSIDE restaurants but sat near them and could care less about what anyone thinks

 

[C.Ann]

For us on the other hand going to Disney is also ability to eat Disney’s food, even tough its overpriced we enjoy it. However, when we do pay the prices for CS food we expect to have a place to sit down and enjoy our food.

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And rightly so.. If you are in the parks and you purchase food from one of the CS places, there should be adequate seating so you can enjoy the food that you purchased..

But how about this scenario? (And this is not directed at you, mainewmn ) - it's to anyone in general.. A family goes up to the counter and orders just beverages - and nothing else.. They're hot, they're tired and they want to take a quick break for a bit of refreshments and rest their feet.. Should they not be allowed to sit at a table because they "only" ordered beverages?

Same scenario, but one or two of them whips a P&B sandwich out of their backpack to chomp on while they're having a nice cool drink.. What then?

And this scenario actually happened to me.. I was in the parks all by myself last April.. I went to one of the CS places that had both indoor and outdoor tables.. I ordered a burger, fries and a carton of milk.. There were no seats available inside, so I went outside.. Still no seats, but eventually a table became available and I sat down to eat.. These tables (round) probably could seat at least 4 people - possibly 5 or 6 (can't remember how many chairs there were).. Was I wrong to take up a "whole table" because I happened to be on the first part of my trip alone? Should I have stood up to eat instead? I have to tell you - I felt very uncomfortable because it was so crowded and if anyone had asked if they could join me, I gladly would have said yes.. (Well - unless the person looked dangerous or something - LOL) But no one asked and instead I goobled my food and drink down as fast as I possibly could.. Not great for the digestive system and certainly not a pleasant meal experience, but until Disney addresses the issue of inadequate seating, what are people to do?

 

[Linzybrooke]

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I have to tell you - I felt very uncomfortable because it was so crowded and if anyone had asked if they could join me, I gladly would have said yes.. (Well - unless the person looked dangerous or something - LOL) But no one asked and instead I goobled my food and drink down as fast as I possibly could.. Not great for the digestive system and certainly not a pleasant meal experience, but until Disney addresses the issue of inadequate seating, what are people to do?

Indeed, I enjoy sitting with people I don't know because I get to meet a fellow Disneyholic! I hate when people say you can't sit with them though, ugh, or when they ignore you. My family and I are the type to offer the extra seats out because I know some people are uncomfortable asking. I HATE when groups give me and my husband dirty looks for sitting at a 6 person table because it is the only one available..if they would ask, or not give us dirty looks, we would certainly let them sit with us and chat! If people want to sit down they should just ask! Is it really that difficult! I'm sorry you felt so uncomfortable!