SIL wants to bring whole meals to the park

[cindybasket]

Still disagree completely.

The way it was posted it was noted that if I didn't buy my food from that restaurant I shouldn't be allowed to get their condiments. That's exactly what it sounded like to me when I read it - so NO I shouldn't be rewarded my ketchup - they didn't have any available at their condiment area.

How did I get the priviledge of getting a cup of ice water? Which does take away from the paying customer next in line to have to wait for the CM to get it. I guess I got it by paying admission to the park. Most people don't even know they can get ice water for no additional charge.

Again, if Disney wanted to make sure that no one got away with anything such as taking a condiment pack then they would only be given to a customer when they ordered something and asked specifically how many packets of ketchup or mustard they needed and ask the customer to please return any that aren't used. Or better yet, if they wanted to pretty much curb people from using their napkins even if you didn't buy some food from that park they would not have them out. I guess some people would rather people not wipe their hands with an unpaid napkin from Disney than wipe their hands. There are plenty of people that eat and go to the bathroom that don't wash or wipe or dry their hands, I would prefer that Disney allow anyone a napkin even if they didn't purchase some food.

This logic of NOT allowing or completely calling it a WRONG thing to even get a napkin without purchasing something from the food shop is at least to me - laughable. If my kid is puking or got a nosebleed or just sneezed and even had some drippage from his nose and I am really close to a stand that has napkins - I'm going to grab some without purchasing something.

 

[cleo]

Bombings in London.
Kidnappings and murder in the US.
War in the Middle East.
Using napkins and condiments in Disney.

The OP is asking about how to handle her sister in law taking food while she prefers not to. She is not asking about the morality of using a packet of ketsup if you didn't buy a burger. Let's stick with advise on how to handle her situation, shall we?

 

[devmer]

Maybe it would be better for her to go back to the hotel for lunch and a little rest for her kids. My kids are the same age right now and while they could do one Disney day without rest, meltdowns would start occuring the 2nd day. Another idea is the Disney dining plan. If she has that then she won't want to waste it.

 

[MaryPoppinsLives]

Don't forget to Share... DS and I split a lot of our meals. While the food is expensive it is also somewhat huge... We split the turkey wrap w/ side from Cosmic Rays for lunch and drank water we brought with us and were full for a total of $7 for 2 for lunch.

We wanted to go to the SCi FI diner to check it out but had heard it was expensive and not the greatest food so we ate salads and dessert the bill was under $25 w/ tip.

Plus we had to overcome the urge to eat huge meals for B-L-D every day. We would plan something nice everyday for one meal and econimize the other meals. It helps to plan most of your meals in advance but to leave room in the budget for treats.

Also, you do not have to get the hamburger AND french fries that are on the menus at the counter service places, you can get just a burger solo... So for two people You can get one combo meal and one burger and share FF that type of thing

Hope this helps..

There are ways to save and be well fed and happy.

 

[PhotobearSam]

I have not read all the replies but I wanted to let you know what DH and I did on our first trip...BUDGET was tight...

We love to park hop so we would eat a big breakfast at the hotel, pack lunchables and sandwhiches along with frozen water bottles, leave them in the car in a cooler and eat them as we HOPPED...

We would go to the car, eat then drive to the next park. It was a nice down time. It only works if you drive because I would not LUG things around at the parks when it is hot.

Just a thought from my 2 cent mind...

 

[daisy_77]

If she wants to bring a cooler, let her. If you want to eat Disney food , go right ahead. It is both of your vacation...do what makes you happy. Have fun!!

 

[SuperGurl]

I'm going to be staying at a Fort Wilderness Cabin when we go. I plan to buy groceries so we can have breakfast and most dinners in the cabin and eat lunch at the parks (I will carry bottled beverages). We will have a few sit down dinners in the parks, but most dinners will be eaten in the cabin. I have two sons DS7 and DS9 and DH34 they already eat quite a bit-- and more than me at times! And I have a daughter DD3 who is picky, so buying groceries will work fine for me. I considered stay at POP but will have more than 5 people in my group, so that means that we'd have to get two rooms at the POP which is pretty close to what it would cost for us to rent one cabin. I will save money this way.

 

[lillygator]

Still disagree completely.

The way it was posted it was noted that if I didn't buy my food from that restaurant I shouldn't be allowed to get their condiments. That's exactly what it sounded like to me when I read it - so NO I shouldn't be rewarded my ketchup - they didn't have any available at their condiment area.

How did I get the priviledge of getting a cup of ice water? Which does take away from the paying customer next in line to have to wait for the CM to get it. I guess I got it by paying admission to the park. Most people don't even know they can get ice water for no additional charge.

Again, if Disney wanted to make sure that no one got away with anything such as taking a condiment pack then they would only be given to a customer when they ordered something and asked specifically how many packets of ketchup or mustard they needed and ask the customer to please return any that aren't used. Or better yet, if they wanted to pretty much curb people from using their napkins even if you didn't buy some food from that park they would not have them out. I guess some people would rather people not wipe their hands with an unpaid napkin from Disney than wipe their hands. There are plenty of people that eat and go to the bathroom that don't wash or wipe or dry their hands, I would prefer that Disney allow anyone a napkin even if they didn't purchase some food.

This logic of NOT allowing or completely calling it a WRONG thing to even get a napkin without purchasing something from the food shop is at least to me - laughable. If my kid is puking or got a nosebleed or just sneezed and even had some drippage from his nose and I am really close to a stand that has napkins - I'm going to grab some without purchasing something.

I wasn't saying it shouldn't be allowed or calling it wrong....thrifty maybe (or another t word)...obviously there are no CM's policing the fixin's bar!


ETA*(I looked back and saw someone's post who said it was wrong)

 

[lillygator]

I'd also be curious to know - all those that do bring in meals....where do you eat them?

 

[MommytoMJM]

Disney does allow outside food and coolers, we do it every weekend. If we could afford to eat there we would, but we would rather bring sandwiches and bethere than not go because we can't afford food. All of that said, you can split up at mealtime and each do what is comfy for you...

 

[DisFlan]

I'll agree with the posters who say to eat where you want and meet up with your SIL later. If your SIL wants to lug a cooler around, let her.

But...if it were me, I'd explain to her, as nicely as possible, that it's her cooler. And not to expect you to help tend it or wait for her when it slows her down.


DisFlan

 

[CindyBella]

Bombings in London.
Kidnappings and murder in the US.
War in the Middle East.
Using napkins and condiments in Disney.

The OP is asking about how to handle her sister in law taking food while she prefers not to. She is not asking about the morality of using a packet of ketsup if you didn't buy a burger. Let's stick with advise on how to handle her situation, shall we?

Wow, nice post. Thanks for bringing everyone down. You could have made your point without those comments. I expect more from a MODERATOR!

 

[cleo]

Just throwing a bit of perspective into the discussion, CindyBella. With all the worry in the world, do we really have to argue about who is entitled to a packet of mayo at Disney World? Doesn't that sort of bickering bring everyone down? I know it brings me down to see such petty arguing.

Rather than closing the thread or admonishing anyone in particular, isn't it better to continue the discussion the OP intended? We're all here to help each other, not to pick at each other about the little things. I would prefer to leave the fighting to those causes worth fighting about, and I am sure you would, too.

 

[Rafikifan]

we either make PB&J sandwiches, or i will make them with cold cuts and cheese and then get some mayo or mustard from one of the counter services. we'll buy something from the counter service, like a drink or dessert or something, and eat in a place with a/c. /QUOTE]

See, I have a real problem with this and I am afraid that is what she would want to do. I don’t believe you should take anything from the fixin’s bar unless you bought something there that you could put that stuff on. I know some people do it and some people say it is okay as long as we are buying a drink or dessert but I think it is wrong. I would no more do this than I would go into any other restaurant here in town that had a salad bar and help myself to some lettuce and tomato or mayo to go on the sandwich I brought in with me. Don’t want to start up an argument here but that is my opinion.

I agree with you jjarmin. It's not really the condiments that would bother me it's the part about going in and eating your picnic taking up seats from people standing there with a tray of food. And as for backpacks whether it's followed all the time - probably not, but the "official" policy is that you can't have any rolling backpacks or coolers unless they can be stored in a locker or carried. The only exception is for people with medical problems. The reason I know is that there was discussion on the forums about it and my sis in law wanted to know whether or not they were allowed on their trip. I emailed Guest Communications and got a reply by PHONE from a Disney rep. who was very clear about was and was not allowed. Smaller coolers are allowed, rolling ones are not. I am only posting this so your sil can decide what kind of cooler she wants to bring in and make her aware she MAY not be allowed to bring a rolling one in.

 

[cindybasket]

Bombings in London.
Kidnappings and murder in the US.
War in the Middle East.
Using napkins and condiments in Disney.

The OP is asking about how to handle her sister in law taking food while she prefers not to. She is not asking about the morality of using a packet of ketsup if you didn't buy a burger. Let's stick with advise on how to handle her situation, shall we?

The original poster (jjarman) was the one who called it wrong (i.e. morality) regarding the usage of packets of mayo/ketchup and utilizing unpaid for Disney napkins. To me - that was laughable. I felt compelled to reply to that portion of their answer. It wasn't an attempt (at least the way I see it) to take over a thread - just a reply to the "on-going" judging of some posters that may take a sandwich and/or drinks into the park and use a napkin or a tablespoon of mayo/mustard from the fixin' area. I just learned how to work the "quote" feature so I guess my original reply would have been a little more pointed to the op and how it relates.

As for those who wanted to know where all those people with sandwiches eat - I really don't know. But I can say that I have never see anyone pull-up an ice chest to a counter service area and make their sandwiches and take seats while they make sandwiches. I have seen people sitting on a regular bench eating a sandwich.

I can only say that the time we have brought some sort of food in with us it was snacks - we ate them directly out of the mickey souvenir buckets we bought the day before. We always buy a bucket or two of popcorn from each theme park each year (MGM, MK, AK, Epcot). The next day - we fill two of the buckets up with pretzels, peanuts, trail mix, etc and eat from it (they hang from the back of the stroller) while walking through the park. The older kids have what they like in one, the other has what the baby and toddler will eat. We have brought a cooler in and stored it at the bottom of our stroller so the baby/toddler have cold milk too.

As for how to handle their sister-in-law, that's not for me to say. I just know if our family wants to do something one way and another person or family wants to do it another way, then you sort of do it the way you want. The OP also mentioned the SIL kids are 5 & 3 this might also be one of the reasons that she mentioned going back to the hotel to eat lunch - little ones like to rest and sometimes the excitement of the park can be overwhelming - even though they didn't like to go back to the hotel until later.

Yes, the world has some very bad things that happen every day.

 

[LovesHauntedMansion]

Another thought -
Who is going to babysit this cooler when she goes on a ride? It sure wouldn't be me. Most rides have just enough room for your body on the seat & your feet on the floor. One person would have to hold the cooler & wait for the others to ride. If SIL insists on the cooler, I'd make her rent a locker.

 

[bigmerle1966]

I'd also be curious to know - all those that do bring in meals....where do you eat them?

On our last trip we took food to AK and ate sitting on a bench. I saw another family at Epcot who sat on a planter wall back in a corner away from the walkway with theirs.

 

[bigmerle1966]

Another thought -
Who is going to babysit this cooler when she goes on a ride? It sure wouldn't be me. Most rides have just enough room for your body on the seat & your feet on the floor. One person would have to hold the cooler & wait for the others to ride. If SIL insists on the cooler, I'd make her rent a locker.

Actually, if she gets a stroller, which I would highly recommend with a 3yo, she can leave it in there. We left our cooler in there while we rode rides and left other stuff in it as well and nothing ever got touched.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I think i is awesome that you care so much for her feelings! Just continue to do that and gently let her know that you prefer do do something else. Have a great trip!

 

[JoannaOhio]

As for those who wanted to know where all those people with sandwiches eat - I really don't know. But I can say that I have never see anyone pull-up an ice chest to a counter service area and make their sandwiches and take seats while they make sandwiches. I have seen people sitting on a regular bench eating a sandwich.

When we took our own sandwiches in the past, we ate them sitting on a bench, or while waiting in line. We had a bag slung on the back of my wheelchair, and everything was ready to eat. We didn't take the "fixins" and assemble them there. However, our upcoming trip in December will be different. My DD's fiancee has muscular dystrophy, and in order to feed himself, he needs to wheel up to a table where he can support his arms. I asked about this on a thread on the disABILITIES Forum, and was assured that it would be okay for us to sit at a counter service table, even if we didn't buy any of their food.

Now - before anybody gets out the flame throwers - we will be extremely conscientious about not taking up a table during the busiest meal times, when we might deprive paying customers of a place to sit. In fact, we would rather be riding rides and visiting shows while "everybody else" is busy eating - and then have things a little more leisurely when we stop to eat.