Gripe - Food in the Parks

[Sylvester McBean]

we were at the Florida State Fair today. most of the food vendors that had tents set up for seating had the same sign. 'tables are reserved for patrons of (this food vendor), no exceptions. that pretty much gets straight to the point.

 

[LoveWDW]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/tips_for_touring/coolers.htm


Cooler Policy for Theme Parks and Water Parks.

Magic Kingdom

Small coolers (that one person can carry) that will fit into the lockers under the Train Station are allowed. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Allowed ONLY for medical purposes. If a guest is in need of medication, they may bring a cooler and store it in a locker. If it will not fit into the locker, the cooler will be kept at Guest Relations. Coolers are not allowed in the Theme Park. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted.
Disney-MGM Studios

Small coolers that will fit into the lockers are allowed. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted.
Epcot

Small coolers (that one person can carry) that will fit into the lockers are allowed. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted
Water Parks(Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon)

Coolers of a size that may be safely carried are permitted
No glass containers or alcoholic beverages allowed
No storage areas for coolers

 

[LoveWDW]

this is one of the many reasons I don't do counter service.

I hate having to save a table
and the prices for sit down service are realistically only a $1 more PP
so why would anyone want to order at a counter, get all your condiments and then try to fight for a table...

I like to save the 20% tip and to get a quicker meal than having to wait for my order to be taken and the food prepared and then served. That is, this is a reason that sometimes I like counter service- cheaper, and faster- I think a dollar more for table service may be true for some places, but usually I end up paying a lot more than that for table service.

 

[DMRick]

This gal also seems to know Disney policy, and she told me food was OK, no glass...I can't put my finger on the address for sure..I think it was

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com:

I put attention:

Jennifer L. Gallagher
Executive Offices
Walt Disney World® Resort

I have actually talked to her on the phone also, but I promised the diser who gave me the number, that I wouldn't give it out.

 

[DMRick]

Yep, but I'm guessing Disney doesn't have that policy, so that may be why no signs .
Maybe they'll put one up that says,
"You can only use this table for food you have purcased during the length of stay of this visit on this day only, and must be eaten within 15 minutes. Food has to have come from this vendor. You must have said food in hand at the time, in order to sit. Babies being fed babyfood, must be fed outside and Chicken nuggets bought and left on their trays, in order to use a table. Mother's of babies being breasfed must have a meal in front of them, and said babies must not be put down on a chair, unless they have purchased food. If all tables are filled, you may obtain a fast pass before entering the Counter"
(tongue in cheek, for those who think I'm serious)."

we were at the Florida State Fair today. most of the food vendors that had tents set up for seating had the same sign. 'tables are reserved for patrons of (this food vendor), no exceptions. that pretty much gets straight to the point.

 

[lillygator]

I can't post my original til I get back to work on Monday...I thought the letter didn't make sense either. My original email was about 2 sentences that asked what the official policy was in the parks. Sorry I should have just copied the whole e mail. I'll try and stop in this weekend...

 

[lillygator]

There was nothing before the also part which is what struck me as odd...

I should have e mailed right back asking for a link on the website....

personally I don't think they have an official policy. and I may not remember correctly but I don't think there was a number on the bottom of the email...I copied and pasted the complete response.

I know on the cruise line, it specifically states no coolers...yet you can bring one on.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

If all tables are filled, you may obtain a fast pass before entering the Counter"
(tongue in cheek, for those who think I'm serious)."

you've solved the problem. a fast pass line for tables. everyone in the park regardless of cooler or not has a ticket, so they're all eligible. get a return time or wait in standby.

that would sure change people's touring plans. "after splash mountain, procede directly to pecos bill's and get a fast pass." I love it.

 

[lillygator]

anyway it really won't matter to me unless it is affecting us when we are paying and want to sit to eat....this is just kind of interesting to find out....I personally don't want to be dragging around PBJ's, gallon's of milk and what have you at the parks, or anywhere for that matter....we love eating out!

 

[AmyBWV99]

anyway it really won't matter to me unless it is affecting us when we are paying and want to sit to eat....this is just kind of interesting to find out....I personally don't want to be dragging around PBJ's, gallon's of milk and what have you at the parks, or anywhere for that matter....we love eating out!

Amen; we just want a table when we do it!

 

[Feralpeg]

Health department regulations in most states prohibit outside food brought into a restaurant. I wonder what the regulations are in Florida.

 

[LoveWDW]

I've read this thread with interest and enjoyed the comments.

I realized this morning that I agree that I just want a place to sit when I eat. If someone has brought their own food, especially to outside seating at WDW, where we have all paid to be there at the park, and they are sitting and there is no more seating available, it really doesn't matter to me, I'd just find somewhere else to sit. I guess it is a matter of choosing my battles, or choosing what to get mad about, and this issue isn't one of them. I appreciate all the discussion in the thread, it helped me to come to this realization about myself.

 

[C.Ann]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/tips_for_touring/coolers.htm


Cooler Policy for Theme Parks and Water Parks.

Magic Kingdom

Small coolers (that one person can carry) that will fit into the lockers under the Train Station are allowed. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Allowed ONLY for medical purposes. If a guest is in need of medication, they may bring a cooler and store it in a locker. If it will not fit into the locker, the cooler will be kept at Guest Relations. Coolers are not allowed in the Theme Park. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted.
Disney-MGM Studios

Small coolers that will fit into the lockers are allowed. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted.
Epcot

Small coolers (that one person can carry) that will fit into the lockers are allowed. Coolers will be inspected for glass and alcoholic beverages which are not permitted
Water Parks(Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon)

Coolers of a size that may be safely carried are permitted
No glass containers or alcoholic beverages allowed
No storage areas for coolers

------------------------------------------------

Yup - this is the kind of information I found when I googled the question of bringing food into the parks, but none of it is from Disney themselves - just iterpretations of what various other sites and individuals assume the policy to be..

I do believe that Disney is intentionally being non-committal about this so as not to alienate customers and ultimately lose the larger portion of money that is gained through park admissions, sounveniers and the like..

 

[bytheblood]

I have to agree.

Disney should place some picnic tables somewhere off to the outskirts of the park and those that want to bring their own food in should be made to eat there and give the paying customers (referring to food, not park admittance) a place to eat what they just purchased.

 

[mattsdragon]

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

This is the attitude that stinks. It's not that others are bringing their own food. Who really cares, it's the people who sit there, taking their time, and, could care less about what anyone thinks . Because the lack of common courtesy extends beyond just the counter service tables. The crux of this entire debate isn't whether people take up the tables, it's that people aren't courteous. How many other tables out there are taken up by people who have finished their meal, and aren't leaving. If you're tired, sit on a bench, or go back to your room. Have a little understanding of other people.

 

[DMRick]

This is the attitude that stinks. It's not that others are bringing their own food. Who really cares, it's the people who sit there, taking their time, and, could care less about what anyone thinks .

I think you are taking this wrong. I don't think she is saying she is not a curteous person, and wouldn't finish up and move on, but is saying, is if's OK for Disney that she sit there, it really doesn't matter what people on a board think. She mentioned the outside tables. That's how I took it.

 

[NotUrsula]

All parks: Seaworld, Universal, Six Flags, Cedar Park have always allowed food into the parks.

I wouldn't bet on that that. Universal can be quite strict, and my local Six Flags is so strict that they won't even allow outside bottled water. (You can bring an empty bottle, but no actual water is allowed.) WDW is much kinder, IME.

The simple answer to why WDW doesn't put picnic areas in the parks is that they want to discourage people bringing in outside food. It is one thing to look the other way when people do it, it is another to actively accomodate it by providing set-apart space for it. There actually WAS a set-aside picnic area for MK, but I don't know if it still exists: it was at the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Personally, I think that bringing outside food in is OK if one is discreet about it, but if you are going to take up a table in a counter-service restaurant, you should purchase something there (not necessarily an entire meal, but something. There is nothing to stop me sitting down at Cosmic Ray's if all I am doing is drinking a purchased Coke, after all.) If you don't want to do that then you sit outside on a bench or on the ground somewhere. I also think that it is considerate to spend as little time as possible taking up a table when you are not actually eating, especially at peak mealtimes.

What I usually do when staking out a table is not to look for an empty one, but one where people are obviously getting close to the end of their meal and thinking about leaving. You can tell; they start to put the debris on the trays, get out the park maps and clean off their sunglasses. This usually means that I have time to run back and alert my food-fetchers to my target area, and by the time they do leave, my food-fetchers are nearly there. I misjudge occasionally, but it works well most of the time. It's a bit more trouble that just plonking down at an empty table, but not as much as waiting until all the food is gathered to start hunting. I think it's a decent compromise.

 

[powellrj]

• Snacks and drinks are always handy to have with you when exploring the theme parks. You can carry them with you in a backpack or shoulder bag. Be aware that your bag will be inspected by Security before you enter the theme parks, and you may have to check it in a rental locker before boarding certain thrill rides and roller coasters.

I just copied this from the universal site. Here is a link to the page I got it off of.

http://www.universalorlando.com/pi_planning_bring.html

 

[Wendy31]

I really don't think Disney needs to post signs all over the restaurants stating "These tables are for patrons of the restaurant". It really should be common sense that the tables are there for paying patrons of the restaurants.

And common courtesy for someone to realize - "Hey, even though I brought my picnic lunch w/ me, I shouldn't sit at a table of a restaurant where I purchased nothing & perhaps cause someone else who did purchase something from the restaurant not to have a place to sit."

If someone wants to save money & bring their lunch w/ them, that's fine, but they shouldn't feel entitled to tables at restaurants. The tables are there for the customers of that restaurant.

It's the exact same thing as pool-hopping - someone pays less to stay at a value resort but then hops to a pool at deluxe resort because the pool there is better, perhaps causing guests of that resort who have paid to stay there to not be able to find a chair at the pool.

We can go around & around for days arguing about whether or not tables at counter services are for anyone or just for paying customers of the restaurant but it all boils down to the difference between common sense & courtesy & the sense of entitlement & a "me first" attitude that some people disply - "I'm the only one in the world, and it's all about me. I don't care about anyone else."

And to the person who said that people who purchase food at restaurants & expect to find at a table, should wait to eat at un-peak times, umm... no. The people who bring picnics in the park should wait to eat at un-peak times if they wish to eat at table of a counter-service restaurant.

And, honestly, like I said before, if I'm there & there are plenty of available tables & I see a family w/ a picnic lunch eating at one of those tables, I'm not going to care at all. But, if I'm circling the tables balancing a tray w/ 2 kids in tow & I can't find a table, then I'm going to be upset w/ the people who are there w/ their picnic lunch.

And there all kind of little "what if" scenarios - What if I'm allergic to the food there? What if I have a separate lunch for my child? What if I just buy a drink? - and we all know that those kind of instances are completely different from a family plopping themselves down at a table during busy peak meal times & pulling out a complete picnic spread from their cooler.

 

[88Keys]

I have a question for 88keys I like the atmosphere at coral reef but I can't afford it can I take my PB&J from home in and eat at their tables? I did pay to get into Disney right? I think it is just common sense that there are areas within Disney that you are to use if you are a customer in that area. The tables are there for food purchases only. If you need to sit there at least buy a drink or move if paying customers need the table. common sense, common courtesy

Coral Reef is a reserved seating area. I am sure that Disney has a policy that you can't bring food into those restaurants (plus, there is a CM that seats folks). That is a different category than Pizzafari or what have you. Here's to a 5th WDW park so that we all have plenty of room!