how do you carry food in the park?

[kris14]

my family and i DH DD12 DS10, recently visited an amusement park in utah. and one thing i found out is everyone was super hungry all the time. must be all that walking, we had our rolling cooler with us so they could just open it and take snacks out as needed. I know when we take our trip to DL in sept. i wont be able to bring that into the park. i had planned on everyone carrying a sling backpack with a few snacks in it and then having dinner in the park every day. but it looks like were going to need more food than planned, and i would like to have a cooler handy, i found a backpack cooler at target im considering buying, anyone else use one of those in the parks? also if i do get one is there any place i can set it down while we go ride rides? thanks!

 

[Geemo]

Everyone in my group carries a cinch bag or backpack.
They carry their own snacks and water for the day.

The ride areas really do not have a place to set backpacks while you go on the ride. The only exception are the free lockers for GRR.

What ever you take, plan to take it on the ride with you. Either at your feet or in the storage area provided on the ride itself.

Geemo

 

[figment_jii]

my family and i DH DD12 DS8, recently visited an amusement park in utah. and one thing i found out is everyone was super hungry all the time. must be all that walking, we had our rolling cooler with us so they could just open it and take snacks out as needed. I know when we take our trip to DL in sept. i wont be able to bring that into the park. i had planned on everyone carrying a sling backpack with a few snacks in it and then having dinner in the park every day. but it looks like were going to need more food than planned, and i would like to have a cooler handy, i found a backpack cooler at target im considering buying, anyone else use one of those in the parks? also if i do get one is there any place i can set it down while we go ride rides? thanks!

From the Disneyland FAQ:

Items not permitted include, but are not limited to, the following::

• Suitcases, backpacks or similar bags larger than 18" wide x 25" high x 37" deep (the size of our large rentable lockers)
• Coolers larger than 6-pack sized are not permitted into the theme parks.

As long as the backpack cooler is within the size guidelines, I would think you could bring it in. Just note that you cannot bring in glass containers, so do not store any of your snacks in glass.

For most of the rides, you will have to bring the back pack with you. DLR does not have locations at or near the loading zones where you can store backpacks/items and the CMs will not watch personal items for you while you are on the ride. I think only GRR has short-term locker rentals nearby.

 

[SMD]

You could rent one of the outside lockers for the cooler and refill your bags with more snacks when you park hop.

 

[Rubygoose]

I like to bring high protein snacks like nuts and turkey jerky that don't need to be refrigerated. We have insulated water bottles that stay cool for quite a while and then we'll refill them with ice water at lunch time.

 

[jina]

we have a cooler backpack we travel with constantly. For the parks, we keep fruit (apples travel best, we also sometimes slice a banana through the skin and fill w/ peanut butter) and water bottles in the cooler part, along with a double ziplock bag of ice from the hotel. 2 of the 3 of us can't eat gluten so we are used to traveling this way and also bring some GoPicnic box meals (basically single servings of random snacks like sunbutter, crackers, dried fruit and nuts, etc.) and sometimes protein bars like Nugo. That tends keep us fed and hydrated for rope drop until lunchtime.

These light snacks really come in handy when we're standing in a line (like during MM on Thursdays at DL - we've done 2 and they were our busiest mornings), or waiting for toontown to open. (we sit on benches uphill from the entrance, which is also right near a water fountain we can refill our water bottles at).

update: forgot to mention -we bring a stroller for DD4 and leave the cooler there when we go on rides. I'm assuming we'll just bring the backpack w/us when DD gets too big for a stroller - it would fit on our laps or at our feet for most rides.

 

[hyperminimalism]

Since I typically only go with two people in my party, including myself, I just carry things like granola bars, goldfish crackers, gummy snacks or whatever else we choose to bring into the park in my backpack. If I get hungry enough that those snacks won't cut it, we stop to get food.

 

[kris14]

thanks for all the advice! i did not know i could take it on the rides. think i might get it now