taking a soft cooler as a carry-on

[DISNEY4FUN]

Is this allowable?

I would like to take a soft cooler with some groceries in it on the plane. Maybe a bag of frozen chicken nuggets, cheese slices, deli meat and other soft groceries. This would mean that we wouldn't need to make a grocery stop. I could get my milk at the resort. Thanks.

 

[seashoreCM]

Yes you can do it.

But I don't think the stuff will still be cold when you get to the resort. Refrigerated items that rise to room temperature for a couple of hours and then go back into the 'fridge will probably be better off than frozen items that become thawed for just a few minutes and then end up being refrozen.

You might conduct some test runs with the cooler just sitting in the house to see how much in ice packs (extra weight) you need to carry and how long the contents stays reasonably cold.

Ice packs must be solidly hard when put into the cooler, otherwise the cooling power is dramatically less. Plain ice has more than twice the cooling power than has a patented blue cold pack of the same size that is "colder than ice" but still mushy when taken out to be used.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/food.htm

 

[PatsGirl]

Why not? Most people are bringing their own meals aboard these days so I assume those families with children are bring ss coolers with their sandwichs and juice boxes. I'm bringing one for my trip so maybe I'll use it as my carry-on as well.

Brenda

 

[deelam]

If you are talking about freezing food just to keep it cold, not because it needs to be frozen, you will be fine. I have packed a big duffel bag full of food, and carried it on with no problems. I usualy bring PB & J. Cereal & Many snacks. I would not hesitate to bring a brand of chicken nuggets that I always see in the refridgerated sectin of the grocery store.
This year I bought a rolling soft cooler from disney direct. It's the size of a pilot's case. I'll pack all my goodies in that to carry on.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

One thing I will caution you about -- there was a gentleman who did this on a flight I was on. About halfway through he wondered why he was being dripped on -- the ice he had brought in his cooler was melting from the overhead compartments! So, I would not put actual ice in with the cooler.

 

[deelam]

I agree, no ice and you will be fine. You could always free juice boxes if you want to keep things a little cool.

 

[safetymom]

Not allowed to have ice or dry ice in your cooler on the plane.

 

[ducklite]

I always use frozen juice boxes for the cooler when we travel by car. When we fly I just shop at the destination, not worth lugging stuff through the airport.

Anne

 

[deelam]

what I like about the soft cooler on wheels that I got from Disney is that I'm using it as an extra suitcase when I come home. It looks like a suitcase anyway.

 

[NotUrsula]

You actually can have regular ice in a carryon, just not in a checked bag. (You can carry on a soft drink in a cup, same deal.) However, to ensure against leaks, you should package the ice VERY securely, and be sure to always keep the container upright, which means put it under the seat, not in the overhead bin. When I carry ice on board, I always make it in plastic bottles with wide-mouth screw caps, like the sort people use to mix up salad dressings, etc. That way you can also drink the melt if you get thirsty!

IMO, the best way to do this is to make the food itself into the ice. Pre-freeze what you are carrying, and it will thaw to just cold by the time you arrive. This also helps to insure that things like muffins don't get crushed so easily.