Just an update regarding bringing in outside food

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

This gets asked a lot so just thought I'd post my experience on our recent trip earlier this month.

Guests are still allowed to bring in outside snacks and drinks - no alcohol and no glass bottles. We had several individual packages and baggies of chips, junkfood, jerky, nuts, candy, also had fruit (apples, oranges), Powerade, soda cans, bottled water. All in plain sight, we were asked if we had glass, no issues at all. We even brought along a small collapsible cooler with 2 freezer bags filled with ice - we each had like Sig style bottles and the ice supply was so we wouldn't have to line up anywhere to ask for a cup of ice for our drinks.

Of course there are exceptions, while there we saw a man with a small collapsible cooler who had a bag of sliced lunch bread and sandwich ingredients - I'm guessing cold cuts, lettuce, etc. The checker asked if all that was to prepare sandwiches, the man said "yes". His food was denied entry, he was told he could take it to the picnic area but not inside the park. So I would be careful about bringing in burgers or large deli sandwiches say from Subway, unless you hide them. Of course you're welcome to travel with your own food but if it's not really small or snackable then you'll need to save them for the picnic area.

Each piece of fruit inside the park is about $2.75 or so, very close to $3.00 so if you like to eat an Apple a Day but don't want to go broke by the end of your trip consider bringing in your own fruit.

 

[Disney Dreams]

?..Of course there are exceptions, while there we saw a man with a small collapsible cooler who had a bag of sliced lunch bread and sandwich ingredients - I'm guessing cold cuts, lettuce, etc. The checker asked if all that was to prepare sandwiches, the man said "yes". His food was denied entry, he was told he could take it to the picnic area but not inside the park. So I would be careful about bringing in burgers or large deli sandwiches say from Subway, unless you hide them. Of course you're welcome to travel with your own food but if it's not really small or snackable then you'll need to save them for the picnic area.

Unless things have changed in the last month, you can bring sandwiches in without any problems. The issue with the family you saw is that it is against park rules to bring in fixings for sandwiches. There is no issue with sandwiches. So - if you have a loaf of bread, a container of mayonnaise, onions, a head of lettuce, a tomato, and some cheese, they will not allow it in and will direct you to the picnic area to make and enjoy your sandwich. However, if you bring a cheese sandwiches with mayo, lettuce, onions, and tomato on it in a baggie in your backpack, they do not care.

It's not an issue of bringing your own food, but an issue of bringing ingredients that need to be put together vs. bringing something ready to eat.

- Dreams

 

[benolathe]

Unless things have changed in the last month, you can bring sandwiches in without any problems. The issue with the family you saw is that it is against park rules to bring in fixings for sandwiches. There is no issue with sandwiches. So - if you have a loaf of bread, a container of mayonnaise, onions, a head of lettuce, a tomato, and some cheese, they will not allow it in and will direct you to the picnic area to make and enjoy your sandwich. However, if you bring a cheese sandwiches with mayo, lettuce, onions, and tomato on it in a baggie in your backpack, they do not care.

It's not an issue of bringing your own food, but an issue of bringing ingredients that need to be put together vs. bringing something ready to eat.

- Dreams

Hmm, that is a strange and interesting distinction. Trying to figure out the 'logic' behind that.

 

[kelmac284]

We saw a family who had a loaf of bread and a bunch of cans of tuna and this HUGE bottle of water. Like a gallon bottle. They sat next to us over by the pooh ride and started making sandwhiches. I thought ACK who would eat tuna with no mayo??? Then ironically I had JUST said to my mom why don't they go to hungry bear and get a few packets and use it and she was like they didn't pay for any food they shouldn't take it and I was like whatever it is out there for anyone to use and sure enough they came back with some LOL.

I personally wouldn't do it and I have told my dh that if I am ever THAT broke that I can't afford to buy the cheapest sandwhich or something and have to bring in my own lunch then I probably shouldn't go. But to each their own I guess. I personally wouldn't ever want to go and feel like I couldn't even buy a coke cuz I couldn't afford it but that's just me I guess.

Don't get me wrong when my kids were little we used to bring snacks and such for them but we also bought PLENTY of food there as well. So I guess I don't see anything wrong with bringing in snacks or water bottles but bringing in your entire lunch fixings is a little strange to me???

 

[jlwhitney]

We saw a family who had a loaf of bread and a bunch of cans of tuna and this HUGE bottle of water. Like a gallon bottle. They sat next to us over by the pooh ride and started making sandwhiches. I thought ACK who would eat tuna with no mayo??? Then ironically I had JUST said to my mom why don't they go to hungry bear and get a few packets and use it and she was like they didn't pay for any food they shouldn't take it and I was like whatever it is out there for anyone to use and sure enough they came back with some LOL.

I personally wouldn't do it and I have told my dh that if I am ever THAT broke that I can't afford to buy the cheapest sandwhich or something and have to bring in my own lunch then I probably shouldn't go. But to each their own I guess. I personally wouldn't ever want to go and feel like I couldn't even buy a coke cuz I couldn't afford it but that's just me I guess.

Don't get me wrong when my kids were little we used to bring snacks and such for them but we also bought PLENTY of food there as well. So I guess I don't see anything wrong with bringing in snacks or water bottles but bringing in your entire lunch fixings is a little strange to me???

I agree completely. If money is that tight the money saved from going to DL is huge and maybe worth doing. Plan for another year. I always find it annoying when I go into CS places to buy my lunch and can't find a seat since there are people eating there own food at the tables and bought nothing to eat there. THe tables are for those who pay to eat there. (had this happen alot at WDW, not sure about DL). A few snacks for children and bottle of waters is one thing, full meals completely different.

 

[whimsy87]

As a college student who bought an AP and makes a 9-hour drive every other month or so to go to DL, it just makes more sense to bring my own lunch. And as a Health Education major, I feel a lot better about what I'm eating because I know exactly what went into it. Though I do agree that going in to a CS restaurant and sitting down with my homemade lunch would be extremely rude. Me and my boyfriend usually just sit down on a bench with our cooler bags and tupperware sitting in our laps, people-watching and shamelessly eating our sandwiches and apples and carrot sticks while drinking from our environmentally-friendlier reusable water bottles.

DL waaayyyy overcharges for their food. I'd rather pack my own food and buy a treat that I can't get anywhere else than buy an 8-dollar sandwich that can't compare to my handmade turkey and dill havarti sandwich. I think there's no shame in saving to be able to go to DL and having to be frugal on food purchases that aren't the healthiest option anyway.

 

[phanomouse]

As a college student who bought an AP and makes a 9-hour drive every other month or so to go to DL, it just makes more sense to bring my own lunch. And as a Health Education major, I feel a lot better about what I'm eating because I know exactly what went into it. Though I do agree that going in to a CS restaurant and sitting down with my homemade lunch would be extremely rude. Me and my boyfriend usually just sit down on a bench with our cooler bags and tupperware sitting in our laps, people-watching and shamelessly eating our sandwiches and apples and carrot sticks while drinking from our environmentally-friendlier reusable water bottles.

DL waaayyyy overcharges for their food. I'd rather pack my own food and buy a treat that I can't get anywhere else than buy an 8-dollar sandwich that can't compare to my handmade turkey and dill havarti sandwich. I think there's no shame in saving to be able to go to DL and having to be frugal on food purchases that aren't the healthiest option anyway.

I was going to say you are crazy, I hate the drive from Utah to LA... but then I thought about me buying a WDW Annual Pass and going there about every three months... guess I am a little more crazy than a BYU student. But still GO UTES!

 

[whimsy87]

I was going to say you are crazy, I hate the drive from Utah to LA... but then I thought about me buying a WDW Annual Pass and going there about every three months... guess I am a little more crazy than a BYU student. But still GO UTES!

Haha, if I had more money I would totally get a WDW pass. But me and some of my other college friends bought APs last September. The drive isn't the greatest, but we have good company and it's always a good time. It is a squeeze on the budget, but we've made so many good memories over the last year! WDW would be so great. . .

Also. . GO COUGARS!

 

[phanomouse]

Haha, if I had more money I would totally get a WDW pass. But me and some of my other college friends bought APs last September. The drive isn't the greatest, but we have good company and it's always a good time. It is a squeeze on the budget, but we've made so many good memories over the last year! WDW would be so great. . .

Also. . GO COUGARS!

Very true, good company would make that drive better. Personally I am a little jealous, I wish I would have done that in college!

 

[momtotwolittleones]

I agree completely. If money is that tight the money saved from going to DL is huge and maybe worth doing. Plan for another year. I always find it annoying when I go into CS places to buy my lunch and can't find a seat since there are people eating there own food at the tables and bought nothing to eat there. THe tables are for those who pay to eat there. (had this happen alot at WDW, not sure about DL). A few snacks for children and bottle of waters is one thing, full meals completely different.

For some people, the only way they can afford to go is to bring their own food.

Others bring it because it's healthier. I don't like my kids eating processed meats, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. One year I tried to bring our own pb&j and energy bars and carrot sticks, but my kids really wanted the DL junk, so I decided to let them enjoy it the few days we were there. But I certainly understand bringing your own food.

Anyhow, I don't see any signs saying that the tables are only for people who buy their food there. Disney doesn't have a problem with them bringing it in, and no CM have ever told anyone with their own food to leave a table, so it seems like the official "rule" is that the tables are for anyone.

 

[disneydreamerbelle]

OT - I thought the rivalry was dead now . Just in case Go Cougars!

 

[Brady's Mom]

OT - I thought the rivalry was dead now . Just in case Go Cougars!

I'm pretty sure the rivalry will never be dead!

And it cracks me up to go to DLR and see all the BYU shirts. Literally I think all of Utah goes to DLR the same time I do and they all wear BYU shirts!

We almost always bring in some sandwiches and healthy snacks. Not because we can't afford what DLR offers, but because we choose to eat some healthier things to balance out the mostly unhealthy things that are offered there. When we feed our kids carrots, celery, friut, homemade sandwiches and stuff for lunch and make sure they get plenty of water, we don't feel bad at all for them to have cheeseburgers and fries (or chicken nuggets) for almost every dinner. It works for us and we don't feel bad about it at all. We spend plenty of money on other things at DLR when we go.

 

[MomToOne]

I don't bring in a full picnic meal to Disney, mostly out of laziness and the logistics of hotel living. But I've often debated it. I do typically bring full meals with us to the zoo, on planes, and will do it for our the day we will spend driving down to Anaheim this year instead of planning to stop and get meals at restaurants. Why do I do it? For several reasons:

1. I don't like to pay outrageous amounts for food that I could make for a few pennies. Can I afford it? Yup. But does that mean I deem it worth the money? Nope.

2. I actually like my child to eat something other than chicken fingers or pasta once in awhile. She is a good eater and has plenty of variety in what she will eat, but doesn't like burgers or hotdogs and various condiments. DL and WDW are very limited in their food choices for kids, and that does not go along with the varied diet I encourage my child to eat.

3. The DL and WDW (and zoo and plane food) just isn't very good often times. My stuff tastes better.

 

[whimsy87]

I don't bring in a full picnic meal to Disney, mostly out of laziness and the logistics of hotel living. But I've often debated it. I do typically bring full meals with us to the zoo, on planes, and will do it for our the day we will spend driving down to Anaheim this year instead of planning to stop and get meals at restaurants. Why do I do it? For several reasons:

1. I don't like to pay outrageous amounts for food that I could make for a few pennies. Can I afford it? Yup. But does that mean I deem it worth the money? Nope.

2. I actually like my child to eat something other than chicken fingers or pasta once in awhile. She is a good eater and has plenty of variety in what she will eat, but doesn't like burgers or hotdogs and various condiments. DL and WDW are very limited in their food choices for kids, and that does not go along with the varied diet I encourage my child to eat.

3. The DL and WDW (and zoo and plane food) just isn't very good often times. My stuff tastes better.

Here, here! I second all of the above! Even when I can afford it, I like to bring my own. We always bring lunch and buy dinner. Try to strike a good balance. And especially number three. I've never had a sandwich at DL that's as good as the one I make! And, I've never found an ice cream as good as the Mickey Ice Creams at DL. I'd rather buy that than a meal.

We find it pretty easy to bring our own food as long as we have a fridge in the hotel. And I'm in the habit of bringing my own food along for school days anyways, so it's not really a change for me. Lots of stuff that is stored cold, nothing that needs to be microwaved. For breakfast we bring banana muffins and hardboiled eggs, yogurt and granola. Lunch is always sandwiches, carrot sticks, chopped fruit. And for snacks: apple slices, cheese, celery and peanut butter. After 4 pm is usually when we start buying food in the parks. Never had a problem with hotels or getting anything into the park.

 

[MrsPinup]

As a college student who bought an AP and makes a 9-hour drive every other month or so to go to DL, it just makes more sense to bring my own lunch. And as a Health Education major, I feel a lot better about what I'm eating because I know exactly what went into it. Though I do agree that going in to a CS restaurant and sitting down with my homemade lunch would be extremely rude. Me and my boyfriend usually just sit down on a bench with our cooler bags and tupperware sitting in our laps, people-watching and shamelessly eating our sandwiches and apples and carrot sticks while drinking from our environmentally-friendlier reusable water bottles.

DL waaayyyy overcharges for their food. I'd rather pack my own food and buy a treat that I can't get anywhere else than buy an 8-dollar sandwich that can't compare to my handmade turkey and dill havarti sandwich. I think there's no shame in saving to be able to go to DL and having to be frugal on food purchases that aren't the healthiest option anyway.

I agree! We can afford to eat at Disney, but typically what we do is bring our breakfast to eat in the hotel, pack lunches and snacks for the day, and have our dinners in the park or DTD. I would rather save on calories and sodium (and money) by bringing in my own food, then feel bloated after several days of processed food.

 

[caimakale]

I'm pretty sure the rivalry will never be dead!

And it cracks me up to go to DLR and see all the BYU shirts. Literally I think all of Utah goes to DLR the same time I do and they all wear BYU shirts!

I'm buying PAP's for my family when we go in September and we plan on returning every other month over the course of the next year. I'll be sure to wear my Ute hat and shirts while there. Now that the Utes are in the Pac-10 (or will be next year), I will be wearing my Ute stuff in enemy territory now (USC/UCLA).

I haven't fully decided how to handle eating in the parks on our trips. My wife and I have lost so much weight in the past 6 months that it would be a shame to gain any of it back because of all of the processed foods we would eat while there. Our trip in September won't be as difficult as other trips because we are staying at the GCH with concierge. We can visit the lounge and load up on fruits, waters, and any other healthy offerings that they have and can limit our meals in the parks to the few that have become a tradition to eat each time we visit.

It will be the latter trips that worry me. We don't want to pack anything into the park so I have to search out some healthy alternatives inside the parks or we will have to leave and head back to our room for each meal. The jury is still out on what we'll do there.

Oh yeah....Go UTES!!!

 

[whimsy87]

Congrats on your weight loss! And your annual passes! Maintaining my own weight loss was a lot of what prompted me to start bringing my own food into the parks in the first place. As far as healthier options go inside the park, there's a little food stand over kind of where the rafts to go to Tom Sawyer Island that has a steak salad that I really enjoy.

We were there just a couple of weeks ago and I went and got the salad and opened it and was really excited to eat it, when a giant flock of birds landed in the trees and decided to poop on it. I was so upset, I actually almost cried. I really wanted that steak salad!

But, as an aside, I'm going to try to convert you to the ways of bringing your own food. . . Just buy a set of snapware at Costco, a freezer pack, and a cooler bag at Target (mine is even cute!). Then you won't have to pay 10 bucks for a steak salad.

Oh. . . and. . . go COUGARS!

 

[bumbershoot]

I haven't fully decided how to handle eating in the parks on our trips. My wife and I have lost so much weight in the past 6 months that it would be a shame to gain any of it back because of all of the processed foods we would eat while there. Our trip in September won't be as difficult as other trips because we are staying at the GCH with concierge. We can visit the lounge and load up on fruits, waters, and any other healthy offerings that they have and can limit our meals in the parks to the few that have become a tradition to eat each time we visit.

It will be the latter trips that worry me. We don't want to pack anything into the park so I have to search out some healthy alternatives inside the parks or we will have to leave and head back to our room for each meal. The jury is still out on what we'll do there.

Oh yeah....Go UTES!!!

Staying concierge really shows you how good it is to eat lots of fruit and drink LOTS of water while in the parks.

Sidenote: just found this out a month or so ago...Dasani's source is the local water for wherever it's bottled. They just filter it. Disneyland filters their water, which of course they get from a local source. Dasani is expensive filtered tap water. End of sidenote.

And there is fruit for sale in the parks...yes it is expensive. Yes that can be painful. But it is WORTH IT to set aside a portion of the food budget for fruit. Whether it's apples, packs of grapes, or mango slices with lime wedges, it's worth it.

For the future trips...if you really really don't want to bring in food (we always do, it's not a problem at all, it's worth it as well for at least healthier snack foods), start with *sharing*. The penne at Plaza Inn, combined with a side salad, is a very filling (we had some leftover!) lunch for me and DH. Actually, at the time that I realized this, getting two kids meals of the same thing (plus a side salad) would have been a little cheaper, we would have gotten a kid's size bottled water included (each), along with carrots (I think) and apple slices. Oh, and a mickey plate (some call them disposable I call them souvenirs that get DS to eat just about anything!) for each of you.

If people are still hungry later, you can get something else, but starting by sharing is nice.

If you like soups, you can ask for the soup in a cup, and then they'll put the sourdough breadbowl into a baggie. The soup looks like a tiny portion (it's the same as they put into the bread), but it's actually quite nice, and then you can eat the bread as you wish to, not as you're forced to because it's mushy.

 

[Funball]

I knew that is what they have been doing!! I saw this also last weekend happen, twice in fact,. Some guests had those carrying coolers and the cm told them that they had to take it to the picnic area only, they could not bring it in and put it in a locker….i'm sur that they(disneyland) get alot of complaints about that!

 

[specialks]

I think there is always a line that everyone has on what they will do. We stay offsite at a farther away hotel because we have a problem paying for breakfast everyday when we can have it for free at our hotel (which we are paying less for). We also stay in a suite with a kitchen so we can fix sandwiches to bring into the parks. Can we afford to eat at the parks -- yes. Can I bring myself to spend the money on it -- no. People just have different values on what is worth what to them. I would be embarrassed to bring in cans of tuna and a gallon jug of water. However, those people are trying to enjoy the DLR in whatever way is possible for them. If they are able to budget for tickets but not meals -- then go for it. They shouldn't be judged for how they choose to spend their money. I just think we (everyone, including myself) are so quick to judge people who do things differently then us. When really, we need to relax and if it doesn't hurt us then move on.