Packing food for the parks: Never done it before and need tips

[kymom99]

No we don't like Florida water. I know you can put those flavorings in but really we just like water. We should try it though uh? I would be nice not to have the bag. We'll have to think about it.

If you don't like it, I get it. No sense in forcing everyone to drink it. I've heard about people using filtered bottles but I don't know if I would go that far myself. I'd probably carry one bottle in each and buy more just so no one would have to lug it around.

 

[JenLovesMM]

For water, we`ve always used Brita bottles to remove taste of the Florida water. We would refill at a fountain or get iced water from a QS location. If water got too hot, we would just dump it and refill. 3 Florida trips so far and never bought a disposable water bottle yet. Big money saver, especially for a family like mine that drinks a lot! Though I`ve never tried it, for snacks I`ve heard some people use an empty pringles can and it helps the snacks from getting squished.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I like to stop by publix and get prepackaged meals from thei deli area. Salads, yogurt/granola/fruit, sandwiches, etc. I have also been known to make a pizza the night before and have cold pizza in park for lunch ( Yeah, I eat like a college student sometimes!). cold chicken tenders arent bad either, especially in a salad or wrap.



Pasta salads are a good idea.

 

[sets14]

Be sure you twistie tie your zipper together on your cooler if leaving in the stroller. We left our stroller outside soarin' and came out to find that squirrels had opened the zipper and were eating the peanut butter crackers out of the cooler. They had even chewed through a ziplock bag. Now I just take snacks that can go in a book after and I never leave them with the stroller. It's a pain but the squirrels are basically trained to find food in strollers.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Be sure you twistie tie your zipper together on your cooler if leaving in the stroller. We left our stroller outside soarin' and came out to find that squirrels had opened the zipper and were eating the peanut butter crackers out of the cooler. They had even chewed through a ziplock bag. Now I just take snacks that can go in a book after and I never leave them with the stroller. It's a pain but the squirrels are basically trained to find food in strollers.

 

[BLAZEY]

The water served by CS places it FILTERED. Starbucks also give free ice water that it triple filtered. We then put it into Brita water bottles. I won't however drink from the tap, or water fountain in Florida as I do agree there is something odd about the taste. Not that it's bad, just different than I'm used to and my body doesn't like that difference.

 

[dreiwhit]

People do not get dehydration in January in Florida unless they already have health conditions.

Actually, you can get dehydrated in the winter without having any preexisting health conditions. In fact, its easier to get dehydrated during the cooler, dryer winter months because you feel less thirsty when it is cooler and dryer outside than when it is hot and humid.

No matter when we go to Disney, we're going to be drinking water constantly.

 

[Eastern]

The water in MK can sometimes have an off taste, but Epcot water is usually good. Not sure about the other parks. Hotels may vary.

 

[angierae]

If I can smell the water, I'm not drinking it. We tended to fill water bottles from the CS location at the resort and that would get us through until a meal where we could ask for more (filtered) water or drink somthing else. At our 1900 Park Fare breakfast I asked for a glass of water and it was tap - I could smell it. It went untouched. If you're used to it, it's probably fine, but where I come from, water does not smell.

 

[monorailsilver]

I have never taken food in the park for lunch/dinner other then leftovers! But...When my older 2 went on their first trips, they both ate like birds so I brought a small collapsible cooler that fit in the stroller base and some zip lock bags and put their leftovers in there for their next meal. I did use an ice pack.

And water, have learned if I want to drink water, bring bottles and fill up our thermos containers.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Actually, you can get dehydrated in the winter without having any preexisting health conditions. In fact, its easier to get dehydrated during the cooler, dryer winter months because you feel less thirsty when it is cooler and dryer outside than when it is hot and humid.

No matter when we go to Disney, we're going to be drinking water constantly.

Admittedly, yes, it can happen. But our hometown is a place where the humidity is NO WHERE near as luxurious as Florida. So it was a very rare time when any of us were smacking our lips going, "Hmmm where's the drinks?"

 

[Bren's Mom]

Our last trip was with extended family. We packed snacks in one backpack, and adults shared carrying it. Cold stuff was put in small insulated bag inside the backpack with a couple of frozen water bottles that defrosted during the day and kept cold things cold. Yogurt tubes an cups. Slices of cheddar or mont jack cheese and crackers. Nuts. Frozen uncrstables sandwiches. Flavored fish crackers. String cheese. Bananas, apples, grapes, etc. We ate a big breakfast in the condo. Had snacks we brought, plus at least one treat during the day, sometimes 2. (A froz choc banana or a Dole whip, a pretzel, etc.) The adults shared some lobster mac and cheese at AK one day. We had more treats/things to try at Epcot the day were were there. We didn't eat a sit down lunch any day. And we ate dinners in the condo some days after we left the park, some days we went out to eat off-site.

 

[pweyl36]

Do you all not like the free water? It's really not bad and if I remember right some of the CS places had cups already filled that you could just take.

I had no problem with Disney water. Tasted fine to me.

 

[runwad]

Well you all have me rethinking bringing our water. I did drink the water at the disney restaurants and as long as it's cold I don't remember having a problem with that water. Now the drinking fountains, I know I didn't like that water. But if you say the CS places are filtered, I'd assume as the restaurants, then maybe we'd be ok. But how much of an inconvenience is it to get water at a CS location? Do we have to wait in line? Are there drink cups just out that you walk by and grab? How does it work?

 

[Asherry25]

We go in summer and almost always stay somewhere with a full kitchen. Breakfast before we leave for rope drop. Most days we bring lunch - usually sandwiches for all - turkey/chicken/pb&j. Sometimes we eat it all at once, sometimes a half at a time. Carrots, grapes, apples, pretzels, clementines, nuts - things that can withstand being jostled. We usually do frozen water bottles, but I think last year we brought an ice pack in our checked luggage. Last year, we also sometimes carried a water bladder in my backpack. Sometimes we buy a snack at the park, but not usually. We leave the park for the afternoon, and eat dinner at the condo before we return for the night. I've got younger kids - we eat a few meals out, but lunches work better for my kids, and are often cheaper as well.

We use a square zip cooler that fits in the bottom of the stroller. That said, my pro tip is to not put it under the stroller until after you go through bag check, or you'll be standing there trying to wrestle it out while everyone is waiting for you.

 

[powellrj]

I can't say 100% that Disney gets its drinking water through the soda machines, but most places do. That way its both cold and filtered.

 

[aprilgail]

If I was going to have a big breakfast I would just do an early dinner and not have to bother with taking food to the parks- I would buy a snack- popcorn or a pretzel is big enough to fill 3 kids for a snack to hold them over till dinner. I never get why people would want to lug food around all day long and worry about what to pack every day- that is not a vacation to me.

 

[TwoMisfits]

If I was going to have a big breakfast I would just do an early dinner and not have to bother with taking food to the parks- I would buy a snack- popcorn or a pretzel is big enough to fill 3 kids for a snack to hold them over till dinner. I never get why people would want to lug food around all day long and worry about what to pack every day- that is not a vacation to me.

I'd agree...except I have kids...and those kids have appetites...and desires to eat at the most unfortunate times (like in line)...when we were in Universal on the CS plan (gotten on a big AP discount on days we had big breakfasts at 9am and very light, very late dinners of cold sandwiches and smoothies at 9pm - I won't turn BOGO down on that CS plan), we had no food on the plan left every day...none...and my kids maximized everything they could get (sure they shared the Big Pink donut, and then they shared a Simpson Basket of Fries, and then they shared a Harry Potter 2 scoop Ice Cream, and then a Frozen Butterbeer...and each had their lunch meals and extra beverages, too...plus the bottled water and homemade trail mix I brought)...when I don't buy that kinda plan, of course I bring food b/c they would bankrupt me with just snacks (let alone the meals)...and that's even with them drinking CS tap water (thankfully, they don't do sodas - one cost saved)...

 

[robinb]

We packed PB&Js for my DD when she was little. I used Tupperware sandwich containers so they wouldn't get crushed but now that someone said upthread that they packed food in clear plastic bags, I would suggest that you use a clear container for the sandwiches too like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Sistema-Collection-Sandwich-Storage-Container/dp/B0040QD9MG .

 

[tigger51276]

Ok, I would consider myself a boss when it comes to bringing meals into the parks. The fact that I cook 90 percent of our meals for 2 weeks every summer is one of the main reasons I've been able to bring my girls every year. I have an Igloo Maxcold soft sided cooler that is amazing at keeping things cold http://www.ebags.com/hproduct/igloo...isttype=spla&gclid=CMHa-tbirNICFUSBswodH2YDxQ I've been using the same cooler for 5 or 6 years now. I love how it has the mesh top where I keep fruits, individual baggies with each kids daily snacks (small chips, laughing cow cheese, rice crispy treat, etc) and anything I don't want to get crushed. In the belly of it I pack our main meals, I can get quite a bit in it. There is also a nice zipper pouch on the outside where I store condiments that don't need to be kept cool-salt, pepper, parm cheese/ketchup/mustard/mayo/dressing packs, extra napkins and plastic ware, hand wipes.
As for the types of meals I make and bring in: Regular sandwiches, bagel sandwiches, bagel with peanut butter, pasta salad (I make a huge pot day one and bring a container of it everyday as a snack or meal), hot pizza if I cook it right before we leave for the parks (i'll wrap it in tin foil) or we love cold pizza too, chicken ceasar wraps, chicken ceasar salad (I buy frozen boneless chicken breasts and make a bunch at a time, usually while I'm winding down at night and then cut them up and leave them in the fridge to use for whatever), breaded chicken patty sandwiches, cheeseburgers (wrap in tin foil and eat for lunch so they are the warmest) or we eat them on a day that we leave late for the parks, hot dogs (I pack the hot dogs in a tupperware container and then get 2 cups of hot water from quick service, dump them in the container, cover it and I even then wrap a piece of tinfoil around it. The hot water will steam cook the hot dogs in about 10 mins. I carry the buns sometimes in the package and it'll fit on top of all the food or I pack them 2 to a plastic baggie), pasta (I pre cook the pasta plain and then put it in a tupperware container, I get one cup of hot water from counter service and dump in in the container, seal the container and swish the hot water around to heat up the plain pasta. In small plastic containers I bring alfredo and red sauce (one kid will only do alfredo the other red) and then I drain the water from the container back into the cup and dish out the pasta to each kid with their choice of sauce), cold fried chicken is always a winner too, I do mac and cheese and pack them in thermos containers, soup in thermos containers, etc. Since we are there two weeks we usually repeat most meals two to three times but I was able to do 11 to 12 days worth of meals and snacks for about $200.