Gripe - Food in the Parks

[DMRick]

According to the WDW site, you aren't supposed to bring in food...but security is overlooking it as long as there are no glass bottles involved. .

Can you give me the link? I tried to find it when others on this site said you couldn't bring food, but if you write guest services, they say you are welcome to bring in drinks, sandwiches and snacks, just no glass. Thanks.

 

[DMRick]

Also, that same trip, people at POR food court with half gallon of milk and bread and meat...

OH OH, that might be us. I eat my hot cereal from home there every morning. I fill my mug and sit down to breakfast. The idea behind it, is not eating/cooking in our rooms. Again, a suggestion from guest services. They even told us to partake of the toasters and microwave..it's supposedly there for all the guests, not just those purchasing food (although sometimes we also purchase). I've never been at POR and not had plenty of empty tables, however.

 

[gshanny]

I feel better now. I felt bad and asked permission to sit at an outdoor table in the WS in the USA section. I had bought a pretzel at a stand across from the outdoor tables. I felt bad since I didn't actually buy anything from that place. There was only one other couple in the whole outdoor area, except for the worker. He was a really nice guy too.

 

[Syrreal]

I don't have any trouble with people bringing food into the parks- if they want to carry around 1/2 their kitchen that's fine. However, if it's a crowded day, don't take the seats from people who are buying their food at the CS. If it's that important that they sit at the CS restaurant (for the table or whatnot) maybe it would be a good compromise to eat at off peak times.

 

[happygirl]

I think restaurants need signs that say, no outside food permitted, for health reason as well as space concerns

 

[apostolic4life]

In January, at AK we saw a whole family take up tables at Tusker House with a large cooler, loaf of bread, lunch meat, individual snacks for the kids....etc...I was kind of taken aback that they would dine at a restaurant!

Remember though, the sundry stores located at many of the resort food courts sell items such as milk, bread, lunch meat, etc. etc.. If these people have purchased those items from the store located in the food court areas, do they have the right to make their sandwiches on the food court tables?? I pose this question simply to say, you can't assume the food was not purchased in the food court area.

As for the CS restaurants, have you ever stopped at a fast food restaurant to slip in and use the restroom without making a purchase?? If so, what makes using a table at the restaurant any different?

Just something to think about

 

[Linzybrooke]

It irritates me as well. It also bothers me when there is table that seats 8 and 3 people are sitting there and are unwilling to let you sit down at the table as well when there is NO other seating...

 

[Steamboat Marti]

As for the CS restaurants, have you ever stopped at a fast food restaurant to slip in and use the restroom without making a purchase?? If so, what makes using a table at the restaurant any different?

Just something to think about

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....

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that there should be an area for those who bring food into the parks. I don't bother with picnic lunches while on vacation any more, but when my family was young, it was a different story. We had to trek back to the car and have a lunch there. This was the case at the amusement parks and zoos all around our area. We paid the high prices for admission, drinks, and snacks in the park as well as one meal, The cost for all of our food would have been prohibitive. Disney allows food, but does not allow adequate seating.

 

[patsal]

I know parking places can be a premium at busy times, but why not a picnic shelter in the main parking lot? Six flags does this and it makes it easier for everyone. You can leave the cooler and stuff in the car, enjoy the park, return to the car and set up your picnic, enjoy, pack up and back to the park. At WDW though it may be easier for clenliness issues that the picnic lunch be eaten in an area where it easily facilitates clean up. I sure don't want to see picnic tables by the side of the castle moat with trash and bees and bugs. Heck I don't want to see checkered table cloths and picnic baskets in my castle photos!

 

[lillygator]

Can you give me the link? I tried to find it when others on this site said you couldn't bring food, but if you write guest services, they say you are welcome to bring in drinks, sandwiches and snacks, just no glass. Thanks.

I'll look tonight on the WDW website....I can't access it from work (it's blocked!!) - at least I can still get the DIS!

 

[lillygator]

Remember though, the sundry stores located at many of the resort food courts sell items such as milk, bread, lunch meat, etc. etc.. If these people have purchased those items from the store located in the food court areas, do they have the right to make their sandwiches on the food court tables?? I pose this question simply to say, you can't assume the food was not purchased in the food court area.

As for the CS restaurants, have you ever stopped at a fast food restaurant to slip in and use the restroom without making a purchase?? If so, what makes using a table at the restaurant any different?

Just something to think about

Well, sometimes that may be the case...we are a grocery family, my DH has managed a grocery store for almost 20 years and I used to work in one as well, we are kind of nerdy when it comes to brands...and we always look in the resort "grocery" section as well as visit Goodings and other grocery stores in the area to compare prices, etc...What can I say, we are nerds! But this couple had NONE of the same brands that were offered at the resort grocery section. So instead of eating in their room, they lugged it down to the food court to eat. I would only care if there were no seats for me, a paying customer. There were plenty of seats so it wasn't a big deal...me personally, would never do that...I'd eat in my room....

as far as using a CS bathroom...there are so many restrooms at WDW, I've never even thought about walking in them and using them...

 

[C.Ann]

I'll look tonight on the WDW website....I can't access it from work (it's blocked!!) - at least I can still get the DIS!

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It seems I remember quite some time ago a discuss on these boards about bringing food into the park and the official policy.. Someone went hunting for it on the official WDW web site and couldn't find anything of that nature in print there.. Have they updated their rules and regulations lately?

 

[lillygator]

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It seems I remember quite some time ago a discuss on these boards about bringing food into the park and the official policy.. Someone went hunting for it on the official WDW web site and couldn't find anything of that nature in print there.. Have they updated their rules and regulations lately?

I'm not sure...I remember it being on a blue screen and it was a while ago. I'll look tonight and see if I can find it. We don't bring stuff in other than bottles and a few cheerio's or Princess snack type things. We buy most everything we eat at WDW and leave our food and snacks in the room.
I'll do my best searchin' when I get home....unless you all can help me figure out a way to get around the "block"! Just Kidding!

 

[DMRick]

So instead of eating in their room, they lugged it down to the food court to eat. I would only care if there were no seats for me, a paying customer. There were plenty of seats so it wasn't a big deal...me personally, would never do that...I'd eat in my room....

I'm much happier having people eat in the food court, than in their rooms. It's meant for food, and spills, where their hotel rooms are bedrooms. A few crumbs here and there and in Florida and you have bugs. Write and ask guest services..I think you'll be surprised to find out they prefer it too. I do often see people bringing their trays to their rooms (even when there is plenty of room) so I think it's all in what you prefer. I sort of think of it as the school or hospital cafeteria. Some people bring their food, and some buy it. I think differently of the restaurants in the park..they aren't meant to have people spend the night and have a meal, but guest services response to several who have asked has always been that you are welcome to eat your own food in the food court seating area. I'd say that at any given time, 25-30% of the people are doing just that, and they have certainly made them nice and big to accomodate. Sure, at 8 am, they will be crowded, so the idea then, is to eat and vacate, so others will have room to sit down.

 

[The Sweetness]

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

 

[lillygator]

I would be willing to bet almost every occupied room on property has some form of food (candy, snacks what have you) and drinks in there. Hopefully housekeeping vacums up those crumbs...that's sort of their job.

I could care less where anyone eats until it affects my family, especially if I am a paying customer of said establishment.

 

[lillygator]

Sweetness - we kind of have the same thing where I work. There is a salad/deli type place called Crispers...located in the same building I work in, they have some inside tables and some outside tables. People that work in the area think nothing of bringing their bag lunches and enjoyed the establishments outside dining area. Management had to ask them to stop since there were not enough seats for the paying customers.

 

[LoveWDW]

I think I would feel uncomfortable eating in an area designated for a CS or any restaurant if I were only eating food I had brought in. If there were plenty of seats available and it was raining or hot and I wanted the shelter, then I might do it, but I would keep alert as to whether people buying food there needed seats.

Food courts though, I always considered them open seating, at malls for example.

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.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm not sure...I remember it being on a blue screen and it was a while ago. I'll look tonight and see if I can find it. We don't bring stuff in other than bottles and a few cheerio's or Princess snack type things. We buy most everything we eat at WDW and leave our food and snacks in the room.
I'll do my best searchin' when I get home....unless you all can help me figure out a way to get around the "block"! Just Kidding!

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Hope you have better luck than I did! I just looked all over that site and couldn't find that info posted anywhere.. (The one thing I did find was mention of the fact that there were lockers available in each of the parks for small coolers..) Checked my guide map and check-in package from my stay at Pop Century last April and didn't see it listed there either..

The only "official" thing I have ever seen is email responses from Guest Relations indicating that you can't bring glass bottles into the parks..