Taking food into the park

[Iowajes]

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

There is no nerve required to ask for free ice water. Most states (including Florida) require by law that water is available to customers at theme parks without charge. It's a health thing. Although there are water fountains, Disney (and most other parks- like Sea World) has provided guests the opportunity to go to CS and ask for a fresh glass of water. Works at Sea World in Texas too- the cast members are trained for this, and don't bat an eye.

 

[thinkerbell]

Thank you so much for all of your replies. I appreciate all of the suggestions. It really got us to thinking about all of the places with shade that we could rest and eat. In the many years we have gone to WDW we have never brought in our lunch. I think it might just be fun having a picnic. Our daughter, her husband and baby will be with us this trip. I promise not to take someone's table. We will find a bench or space to sit on the ground outside. Sounds like the only park where there aren't very many choices is DHS.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

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.

^^THIS^^....Is absolutely wrong. Tables inside all WDW restaurants are intended for paying Guests. So what if you paid to get into the park. That admission does not grant you free reign over all areas of the park. The parks provide ample areas for Guests to consume their own outside food.

If a CS place has open outdoor seating, I don't really have a problem with guests bringing their food, eating and moving on. But to feel entitled to sit down, and eat your outside food, at a restaurant while paying customers are trying to find a seat (air conditioning or not) is just rude. If you have your own food and want to eat in an air conditioned room, you need to take a break and go back to your hotel.

 

[goofy4tink]

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.

So, you pretty much said what most of us already said! Not a case of 'police' coming along...it's just a case of common sense and courtesy...which I do believe you mentioned! It's always good to hand out good advice..that way no one comes back and yells at us, saying 'Well, you all said it would be fine if we went into the Electric Umbrella and sat down with our picnic lunch....CMs weren't so happy about it'....never want to see that happen to a poster. And now...I will move on.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

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

Cast members would disagree. We thought as you and made an effort to eat outside, but were invited in to sit at the CS tables by cast members on more than one occasion to eat our $5 footlongs.

 

[staceyeileen]

Just wanted to report a first hand experience regarding eating your own food at a CS restaurant table. We brought food into MK today and went into Cosmic Ray's to eat it. Since it was busy, the CMs were seating tables in the larger area in the middle once a group had their food. We were turned away from that area, but told that we could sit in the other "open seating" areas that were also inside.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Thank you so much for all of your replies. I appreciate all of the suggestions. It really got us to thinking about all of the places with shade that we could rest and eat. In the many years we have gone to WDW we have never brought in our lunch. I think it might just be fun having a picnic. Our daughter, her husband and baby will be with us this trip. I promise not to take someone's table. We will find a bench or space to sit on the ground outside. Sounds like the only park where there aren't very many choices is DHS.

I think there is an area you can sit not too far from the front entrance of Indiana Jones, but I don't think it has shade. I think there may also be some benches as you walk towards the Brown Derby. Maybe someone else has some pictures.

We'll be having sandwiches on our pool days and Blizzard Beach days on our upcoming trip. Nothing wrong with a family picnic.

 

[china mom]

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/16/13-questions-and-answers-about-bringing-your-own-food-to-disney-theme-parks/

http://blog.officialticketcenter.com/2014/02/tips-on-bringing-your-own-food-into-the-walt-disney-world-theme-parks/

From the second blog:

Where can I eat my food inside the Disney parks?



Answer: You can eat anywhere inside the Disney parks as long as it is not inside a reservation required sit down restaurant. Inside the Magic Kingdom for example, I have packed my own food and went to eat it inside Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe sit down restaurant over in Adventureland with no issues. You can even help yourself to their condiment station which has pickles, lettuce, onions etc. Just don’t show up at the new, “Be Our Guest Restaurant” and expect to be seated.

Wow, even I don't think I would have that much nerve

 

[MartDM]

There is an area with several benches just outside the Writer's Stop at DHS. Mostly shaded in the morning - not sure about lunch time. I believe there are five or six benches, so you might be able to score one of those for your picnic.

 

[LMN]

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.

YES! I agree 200%- tables INSIDE a restaurant are NOT considered common areas.

 

[livndisney]

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/16/13-questions-and-answers-about-bringing-your-own-food-to-disney-theme-parks/

http://blog.officialticketcenter.com/2014/02/tips-on-bringing-your-own-food-into-the-walt-disney-world-theme-parks/

From the second blog:



Wow, even I don't think I would have that much nerve

You know that second link is not a Disney link right?

 

[china mom]

You know that second link is not a Disney link right?

I know that. I was just commenting on the nerve it would take to use the condiment bar when you have not purchased food.

 

[Crystal824]

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.

There is no problem bringing food. We always bring a small cooler with soft drinks, water, and snacks. We usually do buy our lunch though.

OP, I would agree with the above advice. If it isn't busy, it shouldn't be a problem. If people are searching for tables with their trays, I would just use a park bench. We generally just eat our snacks on the go or on a bench.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

You can bring in anything except:

large hard-sided or wheeled coolers
alcoholic beverages
Glass containers (exception made for medicine or baby food)

if you're at MK and want a table, check out Tomorrowland Terrace. it's not indoors but it's undercover, plus it's not usually open for business and there are plenty of tables there without people who have purchased food looking for a place to sit down.

 

[jaysmom4285]

The OP sounds as if she has common sense enough not to try to bring her food into a CS restaurant that is so crowded that the paying customers are having trouble finding seats. I'm reasonably sure that the CMs would take care of that if anyone tried. But if the CS place is half empty, there is absolutely no problem going in and sitting at a table to eat your own food, or just to take advantage of the a/c and put your feet up and check your smartphone. This isn't rude in the least, as long as the paying guests have plenty of room. CMs are perfectly aware of it and don't have a problem. So the rudeness police can take a break and let the CMs handle it.

 

[disnut8]

So, you pretty much said what most of us already said! Not a case of 'police' coming along...it's just a case of common sense and courtesy...which I do believe you mentioned! It's always good to hand out good advice..that way no one comes back and yells at us, saying 'Well, you all said it would be fine if we went into the Electric Umbrella and sat down with our picnic lunch....CMs weren't so happy about it'....never want to see that happen to a poster. And now...I will move on.

I see you are a moderator and I'm sorry you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I'm a little concerned about what you thought was so nasty about my comment that you had to respond in such a way. Please PM me so we can discuss further. Thank you.

 

[maxiesmom]

I see you are a moderator and I'm sorry you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I'm a little concerned about what you thought was so nasty about my comment that you had to respond in such a way. Please PM me so we can discuss further. Thank you.

Your comment about the counter service police seemed, at the very least, ill willed, imho. As do the above comments by you.

If you think things are better discussed via PM, why make your comments out on the public forum? Goofy4tink is probably one of the most laid back moderators we have. If you have an issue or a question, I'm sure she will be happy to chat about it with you.

 

[Angel Ariel]

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.

I think this depends on.crowd level. One day we were allowed.to get a seat with my daughter and get her started on her food (she had just started on purees) while the men in the group ordered our food..it wasn't a busy day or time. Another day on the same trip, at the same restaurant, it was more crowded and we were required to have the food.with us before we could sit.

 

[shocker]

Does anyone have the link on the Disney website discussing bringing your own food that can be posted?

I used to be able to find in writing on the Disneyworld website in the FAQ section of dining that you could bring your own food and could find in writing on the Disneyland website that you could not bring your own food into those parks. I looked last week and couldn't find it on either. Have they removed the info or moved it on me?

 

[chloelovesdisney]

The OP sounds as if she has common sense enough not to try to bring her food into a CS restaurant that is so crowded that the paying customers are having trouble finding seats. I'm reasonably sure that the CMs would take care of that if anyone tried. But if the CS place is half empty, there is absolutely no problem going in and sitting at a table to eat your own food, or just to take advantage of the a/c and put your feet up and check your smartphone. This isn't rude in the least, as long as the paying guests have plenty of room. CMs are perfectly aware of it and don't have a problem. So the rudeness police can take a break and let the CMs handle it.