How big of a cooler can you bring in to DL and what to bring?

[munequita4]

We want to bring a cooler in a read that only soft sided coolers are allowed. Does anyone know how big of a soft sided cooler you can get away with bringing in to the park? I will be with my DH and 4 DS's ages 5 and under, so that's six of us (Plus I'm pregnant!). Depending on the size, I also want to try and figure out what to bring in the cooler. Any suggestions about that as well?
Thanks!

 

[godalejunior]

We brought one in with water that was about the size of a shoe box without any problems. It fit nicely in the bottom of the rental strollers.

 

[mystic_path]

I agree with that, you dont want something too big if you dont have a stroller cause its a pain in the butt to lug something around all day. But if you have a stroller or something then the cooler (Shoe box size) would be great for drinks. You arnt supposed to bring in foods like sandwiches or anything, but you can bring in snack items like granola bars and your own drinks.

 

[munequita4]

Ok, so I'm thinking I can bring a little soft sided cooler with waters and granola bars and then put that in our backpack (with diapers, wipes, walkie talkies, etc..) which will go in the double stroller and will come off with us when we go on the rides. Then we can get a locker and get some more snacks, drinks, etc.. to refill the cooler with if we need to. How far of a walk is it to the lockers from about the castle?

 

[BillyFan]

The lockers are about half way down Main St, so not far at all.

 

[InLoveWithTheBeast]

I believe that the official rule for coolers is that they must be able to fit inside a locker. This means that coolers can be fairly large as we've been able to put two or three backpacks plus three jackets inside a locker for the day. So if you wanted to you could probably bring two coolers, the small one that you plan to carry with you and one to put inside a locker so that your snacks and drinks can stay cool for when you go back to get them.

 

[mystic_path]

I believe that the official rule for coolers is that they must be able to fit inside a locker. This means that coolers can be fairly large as we've been able to put two or three backpacks plus three jackets inside a locker for the day. So if you wanted to you could probably bring two coolers, the small one that you plan to carry with you and one to put inside a locker so that your snacks and drinks can stay cool for when you go back to get them.

Yep excellent idea!

 

[Tink-n-Pink]

Yep excellent idea!

I second that motion! Thanks for asking what I was thinking! munequita4

 

[shamrockshake]

We tend to fill the cooler with soda, cheese sticks and juice boxes. And to keep them cool we freeze a water bottle or two. then as the water melts you can drink those too. Or we carry a canned lemonade in the back pack to add to the half thawed water. We also freeze more waters and juice boxes to stick directly in the backpack to drink later, once they have thawed. I hate spending 2.50 for a bottled water.

 

[funnygarcia]

Disneyland DOES have a picnic area with larger lockers.
No problems bringing sandwhiches, snacks and drinks into the park.


The only things you can't have:
no knives
no glass (except for baby food jars)
no cooking/ BBQ allowed

I live 45 minutes from DL, we go nearly every Sunday.
I bring a bag with drinks, sandwhiches and snack foods-- leave it in the locker during the day, have our lunch near the bandstand or the little tables near the lockers on Main Street.

Just don't bring a giant cooler with enough food to feed a family for a week long camping trip KWIM??
Our strategy is to eat at home for breakfast (or bing granola bars), pack a lunch to eat at the park and splurge on a dinner in the park (or on the way home, depending how late we stay).
Lunch time is crazy busy at the food lactions in DL , not as busy at dinner.

Have fun!

 

[funnygarcia]

Most of the restaurants have filtered water and plastic glasses in their dining area.
You're welcome to grab a glass of water at anytime.. no need to dine there or wait in line.. Rancho Zocalo and French Market have the easiest ones to grab and go.

Also, first aid has a wonderfully cold water fountain in their lobby.

Beats the $2.50 water bottle or the warm and icky taste in the water fountains.

I bring refillable water bottles and packets of Crystal Light (or instant iced tea), even if you get the icky water from a fountain.. the packets will kill the water taste... mmm cheap lemonade!

 

[kkheburn]

We always bring a shoebox size cooler and I put the small size Diet cokes in there and when we eat I get a free cup of ice and save the bottle and fill it with water to drink through out the day.

 

[ByTheHook]

On a related note, can we bring our beer-ad-covered soft-sided cooler into DL without any problems? No beer in it, of course, just family-friendly snacks. Will the DL folks sneer at us for bringing it, tell us it's in bad taste (no pun intended), and/or prevent us from bringing it in for its beer ads alone?

Let me know.