Taking food into the park

[thinkerbell]

I have read on here before (several years ago) where people have taken sandwiches and snacks into the park. Just wanted to know if that is still okay to do. We will have a stroller and could put a small soft side in the bottom with some sandwiches in it. If it is okay and you have done this, where do you stop to eat in the parks?

 

[seven dwarfs]

I have read on here before (several years ago) where people have taken sandwiches and snacks into the park. Just wanted to know if that is still okay to do. We will have a stroller and could put a small soft side in the bottom with some sandwiches in it. If it is okay and you have done this, where do you stop to eat in the parks?

In Mk we like to go over to Tom Sawyer Island and eat. Its so quiet and a great view. In Epcot our favorite spot is up the stairs in Canada. There is a bench near the store front windows. You can hear the waterfall. So nice. At MGM we will try to sit along the street where the store fronts are. (Where they have Osborne lights) Animal Kingdom is just wherever we are at the time. We have some great memories of eating together in our special spots.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Yes it's ok, you can eat anywhere (except TS) we've seen people at the CS restaurants with their own food to escape the heat. We brought in our own drinks, juice, water and cokes. We only had a bit of an issue because we put the apple juice in a water bottle. We had a 1/2 gallon jug in the room and the AJ was in a water bottle. When security made a comment daughter explained what it was and he could smell it if he wanted. Guess they thought we were bringing in alcohol. He declined smelling it, made the comment "smart idea". My granddaughter was 15 months.

 

[china mom]

I always bring lunch (sandwiches and chips) to the park. If we bring checked luggage, I will also bring juice pouches but that doesn't work when we fly carry on only. We always eat at CS tables because that it convenient to get our free cups of ice water.

 

[ZoZo]

Yes it's ok, you can eat anywhere (except TS) we've seen people at the CS restaurants with their own food to escape the heat.

OP, I would disagree with this advice. I wouldn't recommend taking up a table at a CS restaurant if you're not buying food from that restaurant. The tables inside the restaurants are meant to be used by that restaurant's patrons. I know that I had bought food at a restaurant and couldn't find a table because they were all taken by folks who didn't actually buy food there, I'd be upset!

 

[Hopefully]

I always bring lunch (sandwiches and chips) to the park. If we bring checked luggage, I will also bring juice pouches but that doesn't work when we fly carry on only. We always eat at CS tables because that it convenient to get our free cups of ice water.

CS tables are for patrons buying food at that restaurant, not those bringing in their own food and only getting the free ice water.
This practice is totally unfair to those guests paying to buy food and now unable to sit and eat because of the rude free loaders.

 

[china mom]

CS tables are for patrons buying food at that restaurant, not those bringing in their own food and only getting the free ice water.
This practice is totally unfair to those guests paying to buy food and now unable to sit and eat because of the rude free loaders.

a) this is a moot point in my case because we eat early, before the lunch crowd and this is not an issue

b) this is not McDonalds where tables are for paying customers and food is the only service they provide. At Disney, we pay to get into the park and use all of the common spaces without restriction. The tables are for park guests whether they purchase food or not.

c) no more rude than a family who purchases food at the QS and eats it and then lingers in the air conditioning discussing their plans while watching other patrons circle endlessly looking for a table.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

We often bring our own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the parks. We don't like counter service food, for the most part (although there are some decent choices in some places) and the quality of WDW food has fallen sharply in the past several years.

In EPCOT there are several places where you can enjoy your meal. The little seating area by the Rose and Crown is open to the public, as are the benches down by the water near the Rose and Crown. There are some lovely benches in the gardens there too.

Canada, as mentioned is quite nice. America has the open air tables, which are good, and have umbrellas for shade. Italy has the water area with benches, as does Germany.

In the MK, it's not as convenient, but sitting at a quick service, or counter service restaurant table is perfectly acceptable. You've paid to enter the park and use all of its amenities, regardless of whether or not you wish to subject yourself to the mediocre food.

AK has many nice choices, so you shouldn't have a problem there. DHS is the one park where I'm drawing a blank. Probably because we don't often visit there, and when we do, we don't stay long.

Anyway, enjoy yourselves, and have a good time with your carried in meals!

 

[Hopefully]

a) this is a moot point in my case because we eat early, before the lunch crowd and this is not an issue

b) this is not McDonalds where tables are for paying customers and food is the only service they provide. At Disney, we pay to get into the park and use all of the common spaces without restriction. The tables are for park guests whether they purchase food or not.

c) no more rude than a family who purchases food at the QS and eats it and then lingers in the air conditioning discussing their plans while watching other patrons circle endlessly looking for a table.

We often bring our own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the parks. We don't like counter service food, for the most part (although there are some decent choices in some places) and the quality of WDW food has fallen sharply in the past several years.

In EPCOT there are several places where you can enjoy your meal. The little seating area by the Rose and Crown is open to the public, as are the benches down by the water near the Rose and Crown. There are some lovely benches in the gardens there too.

Canada, as mentioned is quite nice. America has the open air tables, which are good, and have umbrellas for shade. Italy has the water area with benches, as does Germany.

In the MK, it's not as convenient, but sitting at a quick service, or counter service restaurant table is perfectly acceptable. You've paid to enter the park and use all of its amenities, regardless of whether or not you wish to subject yourself to the mediocre food.

AK has many nice choices, so you shouldn't have a problem there. DHS is the one park where I'm drawing a blank. Probably because we don't often visit there, and when we do, we don't stay long.

Anyway, enjoy yourselves, and have a good time with your carried in meals!

We'll have to agree to disagree. I don't agree that your entry ticket at WDW entitles you to sit at a CS table during meal times if you do not purchase food from that locale. In my opinion it is rude and inconsiderate to the paying customers who do purchase food and now can not sit.
I am not interested in a debate over degrees of rudeness. In my opinion, this practice is wrong and I am entitled to that opinion.
OP sorry for digressing. I know you asked where to eat and there are plenty of nice places to sit, as described by many other posters.
Enjoy

 

[maxiesmom]

OP--You can bring food into the parks, with a few restrictions. No glass is allowed, or alcohol. Plus at the Animal Kingdom plastic straws and lids are banned as they are bad for the animals. So if you pack juice boxes for the kids, the straws will have to go.

I have to agree too that it is bad form to take up space at a restaurant when you didn't purchase any food there. A park ticket does not allow you to use space that is set aside for guests paying to eat at a restaurant. Restaurant space is not a common area.

 

[MattRyan]

It is acceptable, but as others have stated, please be polite and don't take up seating at CS restaurants. There are people paying to eat at those restaurants and they should have somewhere to sit down and eat.

Also, don't be like that family that sat in front of me last year at the Finding Nemo show in Animal Kingdom. They pulled out this huge party size bag of Doritos from I don't know where and started munching on them while the showing was going on, most annoying thing ever.

 

[susank76]

Sorry, but if the tables are located inside the dining establishment, they ARE for paying customers. If they are scattered in the general vicinity, they are free for the taking. That's just common courtesy and common sense.

 

[Laura66]

Sorry, but if the tables are located inside the dining establishment, they ARE for paying customers. If they are scattered in the general vicinity, they are free for the taking. That's just common courtesy and common sense.

This! And another poster who does this had the nerve to ask for free ice water? Rude!

 

[LucyBC80]

Sorry, but if the tables are located inside the dining establishment, they ARE for paying customers. If they are scattered in the general vicinity, they are free for the taking. That's just common courtesy and common sense.

Things that most people seems to be lacking nowadays.

 

[goofy4tink]

Can you sit at a CS table and eat your brought in food? Maybe. If it's a less busy time, without other guests roaming around looking for a seat, then sure, go for it. But it is beyond rude to bring in pbj sandwiches and chips, get free ice water and then sit at a CS table at noon! Those tables are for those that bought food at that restaurant.
There are many places around each park that offer seating, in the shade and that are perfect for a nice lunch.

 

[DisneyWisher]

OP don't be discouraged after reading some these comments. My advice is...YOU pay for YOUR trip not us. You do what you think is right. If there is a problem a CM will let you know. When we ate lunch at Pinocchio's. It was 11:30 plenty of seating and we saw people eating their brought from outside sandwiches and chips. We took up a table of four sharing Flatbeds and Salads. If we used a stroller we would bring in our food, hard to find decent food at Disney anymore. My kids used to love the burgers at Cosmic Rays now because of bread yuck! Hard and stale and they expect you to pay $11 for that? No thanks!!

You will find plenty of places outside to eat. Best place ever is by the misting station between Speedway and Space Mountain. There is a bench where you feel the mist but don't get wet.
Very cooling, and I hate misting fans. lol There are also tables there to but not to where you'll feel the mist and the tables don't offer shade.
Have fun!

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

When we were there last year, you were not allowed to enter the dining rooms of CS places unless we had purchased food with us. Me and our DS wasn't even allowed in to wait while DH purchased the food. Just so you know what to expect.

 

[disnut8]

I knew the counter service dining police would come into view with this post .

To the OP - yes, you can bring in a small soft sided cooler (size restrictions are posted somewhere) with sandwiches and non alcoholic beverages in non glass containers into Disney World. The only problem is that you might have to give a little bit of humor to the bag check attendant who asks if he/she can join you for lunch!

As for where to eat, I would advise you not eat inside a counter service restaurant when there are multiple families who have their purchased food from that establishment and are looking for a table. I think that's just obvious. Now, we have gotten a beer and a pretzel at Animal Kingdom from the kiosks just outside Flame Tree BBQ and then sat in the Flame Tree BBQ area to eat. However, there were plenty of tables when we did that and we have encountered some points of time where that area was mobbed so we moved on. Counter service police can also move on.

There are a lot of benches along the way at any Disney park. I wouldn't count on a full blown family picnic environment but there are places to go out of the way to have a decent time just for yourselves. And I think that's what the OP wants. But, the problem is, only the OP will know what kind of place will be acceptable. My advice - take your lunch, do your thing around the park and look out for what you want. And then do just that.

 

[bloodonthesaddle]

When we were there last year, you were not allowed to enter the dining rooms of CS places unless we had purchased food with us. Me and our DS wasn't even allowed in to wait while DH purchased the food. Just so you know what to expect.

Disney has instituted this policy in their CS establishments at busy times to allow for the guests that are purchasing food have a place to sit. The entire party has to be ready to be seated and then a CM escorts the entire party to a free table.

 

[delmar411]

When we were there last year, you were not allowed to enter the dining rooms of CS places unless we had purchased food with us. Me and our DS wasn't even allowed in to wait while DH purchased the food. Just so you know what to expect.

This is seating control and is in force when the parks are really busy. So during most of the year the OP would be able to eat inside a CS without purchasing a meal but when seating control is in play, no meal purchase= no seat. And you don't seat yourself during that time either, they tell you where you will sit. The OP would be easily clued in though by the fact that all entrances except are blocked by CMs directing you to the only front door.