Outside food and drinks

[DISNEYFOURME]

It's been a couple years since we've been to DL as we normally visit WDW. Read somewhere that you can't bring in outside food and/or drink into the park. Is that correct? Normally when we visit WDW we bring a backpack with some snacks and water bottles. Since we will be there in the heat of August I'm just trying to plan. Thanks.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

You absolutely can bring snacks and water bottles in a backpack. Just no huge coolers or hard-sided coolers.

 

[cruisehopeful]

You can bring anything inside as long as it isn't in a glass container. They do ask that you eat at the picnic tables outside the park, but most people don't do that. I bring my own water and snacks every time I go.

 

[DISNEYFOURME]

Oh awesome! Thanks!

 

[rentayenta]

We bring water and a few small snacks and have never had an issue.

 

[disneychrista]

Unless it has very recently changed officially they do not allow outside food/drinks, expect for special diet requirement and babies.
Of course this is not enforced and it would be impossible to prevent, as they lockers & picnic area are within the security area.

 

[lalasmama]

As others have said, officially, you cannot bring in outside food and drink. However, they let it through security without a second glance, assuming there's no glass items, and no hard-sided coolers. Their other unofficial rule is that it must be "assembled"--that is, you can bring in PB&J sandwiches, but you can't bring in a loaf of bread, a jar of PB, and a jar of jelly to put the sandwiches together in the parks.

 

[ParkHopper1]

As others have said, officially, you cannot bring in outside food and drink.

Not the case, outside food IS indeed permitted inside the parks...just no coolers of a certain size or glass permitted.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/faq/dining/outside-food-in-park/

I think this is a recent official change as it used to be a bit more restrictive and enforcement was selective.

 

[disneychrista]

I think this is a recent official change as it used to be a bit more restrictive and enforcement was selective.

Definitely a pretty recent change to the official rules.

 

[lalasmama]

Not the case, outside food IS indeed permitted inside the parks...just no coolers of a certain size or glass permitted.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/faq/dining/outside-food-in-park/

I think this is a recent official change as it used to be a bit more restrictive and enforcement was selective.

Thanks for the correction! I hadn't seen the official policy change!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Thanks for the correction! I hadn't seen the official policy change!

I didn't know it had changed either! We've always brought food in and the only comment from security has been about sharing with them, but it always is more comforting to know we aren't breaking any rules.

 

[bcla]

I didn't know it had changed either! We've always brought food in and the only comment from security has been about sharing with them, but it always is more comforting to know we aren't breaking any rules.

Must be pretty recent. However, almost anyone who regularly went understood that there was a uniformly applied unofficial policy. I'd brought in stuff from McDonald's. I'd spilled my own can of Coke and had dropped some snacks on a ride. A CM came right to me and said she'd have it cleaned up but said nothing about the beverage. When I dropped the snacks a CM tossed them to me while on the Haunted Mansion vehicle.

And I remember there was an official policy on coolers brought into the parks being no bigger than necessary to hold a six-pack. I actually have this tiny cooler that I brought with me and had no issues.

The one uniformly applied policy was that if you looked like you brought a picnic in they'll tell a guest to stop. And separate sandwich components weren't OK, but already prepared sandwiches were. I wouldn't be surprised if that would still be enforced, with or without any official policy on it.

 

[ashley0139]

Must be pretty recent. However, almost anyone who regularly went understood that there was a uniformly applied unofficial policy. I'd brought in stuff from McDonald's. I'd spilled my own can of Coke and had dropped some snacks on a ride. A CM came right to me and said she'd have it cleaned up but said nothing about the beverage. When I dropped the snacks a CM tossed them to me while on the Haunted Mansion vehicle.

And I remember there was an official policy on coolers brought into the parks being no bigger than necessary to hold a six-pack. I actually have this tiny cooler that I brought with me and had no issues.

The one uniformly applied policy was that if you looked like you brought a picnic in they'll tell a guest to stop. And separate sandwich components weren't OK, but already prepared sandwiches were. I wouldn't be surprised if that would still be enforced, with or without any official policy on it.

How would that be enforced, now that the picnic area is inside the security area? Or do they not even allow it in those lockers and the picnic area?

 

[bcla]

How would that be enforced, now that the picnic area is inside the security area? Or do they not even allow it in those lockers and the picnic area?

My understanding is that it was typically enforced if a guest was actually inside the park and a CM saw someone making sandwiches from bread and fixings. At security it's always possible to claim that you're saving it for the picnic tables.

The cooler rules also seem to be relaxed. Before I thought that larger wheeled coolers would only be allowed for people needing them for medications.

 

[coasternut22]

Yesterday I saw a family walking in from the uber dropoff heading to security with a big cardboard box and about a dozen in-n-out burger drinks in cardboard carriers. Curious to see how far they made it.

 

[SteveMP]

I've always brought food and drinks the past couple decades. Used to always bring iced coffee in from Starbucks on Katella before they had their own. Only had somebody say something one time about 10 or 12 years ago, we were eating our outside food we brought in over by where the Royal theater is now(used to be a bunch of tables and chairs), and a CM said they asked us to eat in the picnic area outside and to the right, and then walked away.

 

[bcla]

I've always brought food and drinks the past couple decades. Used to always bring iced coffee in from Starbucks on Katella before they had their own. Only had somebody say something one time about 10 or 12 years ago, we were eating our outside food we brought in over by where the Royal theater is now(used to be a bunch of tables and chairs), and a CM said they asked us to eat in the picnic area outside and to the right, and then walked away.

That seems just about right. The unofficial policy seemed to be that if you were too obvious about it they would ask you to take it outside. If a group looks like they're having a picnic at a local park, that's too obvious. If you had a single soda can or were eating a sandwich as you walked, that was OK.

 

[SteveMP]

That seems just about right. The unofficial policy seemed to be that if you were too obvious about it they would ask you to take it outside. If a group looks like they're having a picnic at a local park, that's too obvious. If you had a single soda can or were eating a sandwich as you walked, that was OK.

I was actually lind of surprised they didn't care more about brands. Because I once brought an outside drink into a different place that served food, and was told I had to either toss it or pour it into one of their cups. I was told they had a contract with Coca Cola and my drink was a pepsi product and it would violate some clause in their contract. i would guess Disney has a similar arrangement with Coca Cola. Or for example the age old agreement with Nestle/nescafe and bringing Starbucks cups in the old days. But who knows /shrug

 

[bcla]

I was actually lind of surprised they didn't care more about brands. Because I once brought an outside drink into a different place that served food, and was told I had to either toss it or pour it into one of their cups. I was told they had a contract with Coca Cola and my drink was a pepsi product and it would violate some clause in their contract. i would guess Disney has a similar arrangement with Coca Cola. Or for example the age old agreement with Nestle/nescafe and bringing Starbucks cups in the old days. But who knows /shrug

Pepsi actually signed and agreement to be the sole soft drink supplier for Shanghai Disneyland. It could be somewhat different since they're a joint venture.

http://www.pepsico.com/live/pressre...ing-of-the-world-class-shanghai-disney-resort

I guess it's kind of a return to their roots. I remember seeing photos of the original It's a Small World at the 1964 World's Fair.

 

[SteveMP]

Pepsi actually signed and agreement to be the sole soft drink supplier for Shanghai Disneyland. It could be somewhat different since they're a joint venture.

http://www.pepsico.com/live/pressre...ing-of-the-world-class-shanghai-disney-resort

I guess it's kind of a return to their roots. I remember seeing photos of the original It's a Small World at the 1964 World's Fair.

Very cool! Love seeeing the old pics like that!