Why isn't the popcorn free?

[Dug720]

(Carnival serve it on the main deck where the main pool is during Dive-In movies.)

Which is outdoors and not where it can be ground into carpeting.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I mean, people keep making this out as binary.

It may be all of the above. By charging, they reduce labor costs to make and clean, and it makes them money. Perhaps one or the other would be enough of a business case, but together they are a slam dunk.

 

[brianvdb]

I agree with the others... free would involve demand at show times that DCL is not equipped to keep up with... especially if dispensed from its current locations (bars/concession stands with low capacity).

I get the feeling that the theatres are not places where DCL wants to encourage the consumption of free food (it still happens) due to the effort needed to clean up wasted food.

 

[Racer X]

The funny thing is that you can bring in chicken fingers, fries and ice cream for FREE! Or shawarma, sandwiches, peel and eat shrimp... (well u get the point). That meal would cost $20+ at one of the parks! Agreed it seems odd that after all of that they would charge for something that literally costs pennies per serving. I don't buy the cleanup arguement either, there are CMs all over the ship keeping it tidy. The trash left over in the theater from all of the other carry in food has to be as bad as popcorn.

 

[Dug720]

The funny thing is that you can bring in chicken fingers, fries and ice cream for FREE! Or shawarma, sandwiches, peel and eat shrimp... (well u get the point). That meal would cost $20+ at one of the parks! Agreed it seems odd that after all of that they would charge for something that literally costs pennies per serving. I don't buy the cleanup arguement either, there are CMs all over the ship keeping it tidy. The trash left over in the theater from all of the other carry in food has to be as bad as popcorn.

Actually I have seen them stop people from bringing those things in before, so technically I do not think it is allowed. People just get lucky and get away with it sometimes.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Does Carnival have a similar amount of kids like DCL has?
I think the ratio would be at least 10:1 for DCLvsCC
Kids tend to eat popcorn more than adults.

Carnival has its movies on the pool deck so a lot less people to serve. Less demand for popcorn, less mess, and wood decks and deck chairs are easier to keep clean

 

[Racer X]

Actually I have seen them stop people from bringing those things in before, so technically I do not think it is allowed. People just get lucky and get away with it sometimes.

Ok Dug720 - 4 pages in and you're the only one that states this. Been on a few cruises myself and never ever ever did anyone say don't bring anything in. They could easily stop this practice by posting a sign at the entrance.. but last i head no such sign exists. Of course nobody is bringing peel and eat shrimp in, but we have on plenty of occasions brought ice cream and even rarely chicken fingers and fries.

 

[Dug720]

Ok Dug720 - 4 pages in and you're the only one that states this. Been on a few cruises myself and never ever ever did anyone say don't bring anything in. They could easily stop this practice by posting a sign at the entrance.. but last i head no such sign exists. Of course nobody is bringing peel and eat shrimp in, but we have on plenty of occasions brought ice cream and even rarely chicken fingers and fries.

Ok, negate what I have said because “no one else has”. I have seen people carrying plates turned away before. Now, maybe there had been earlier issues on that cruise that meant they were enforcing it more stringently. There were some seats roped off as “out of service” in a row - I did not go investigate, but possibly they were soiled to the point of having the seats removed to be cleaned or re-covered.

Food other than the popcorn and whatnot available outside the theatre was never intended to be taken into the theatre, but as with everything else, people are going to do what they want. It is possible DCL has decided not to fight the battle unless and until they are forced to take seats out of service.

 

[Racer X]

Nor does your seeing it make it official policy. Nor is your statement of what should and shouldn't have been intended to be taken into the theatre. Clearly this is your opinion, yet you state it as fact. Whether they allow it or not is up to DCL. Clearly if they allow it then its not policy then, is it?

 

[peter11435]

Nor does your seeing it make it official policy. Nor is your statement of what should and shouldn't have been intended to be taken into the theatre. Clearly this is your opinion, yet you state it as fact. Whether they allow it or not is up to DCL. Clearly if they allow it then its not policy then, is it?

I have never seen any official written policy but on three seperate cruises I have seen cast outside the theater spiel that food (outside of what can be purchased at Preludes) was not allowed in the theater. And on at least one occasion I have seen them stop someone with chicken fingers.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok Dug720 - 4 pages in and you're the only one that states this. Been on a few cruises myself and never ever ever did anyone say don't bring anything in. They could easily stop this practice by posting a sign at the entrance.. but last i head no such sign exists. Of course nobody is bringing peel and eat shrimp in, but we have on plenty of occasions brought ice cream and even rarely chicken fingers and fries.

When we first started cruising DCL, they pretty much let people bring whatever munchies they wanted into both the Walt Disney Theater as well as the Buena Vista.

About 3 years ago, they stopped allowing "meal-type food" (burgers/pizza/fries) into the WDT, but would still allow it in the BVT. And, yes, I've seen people stopped who were bringing such things into the WDT. On occasion, there have been CMs inside the BVT asking people to remove their burgers/whatever before the movie started.

They've always (well, at least as long as I've been on DCL) allowed snack type foods in both theaters (ice cream, popcorn, candy, soda).

 

[serenitynow]

We have always brought in soda floats, (put ice cream in our cups, add root beer or cola) and French fries into the theater. I had no idea that was against the rules. It’s not posted anywhere. We have also taken in sealed bags of flavored popcorn and canned drinks given to us by the Concierge staff. No one has every said anything to us. Are we sure it’s against the Disney rules?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have always brought in soda floats, (put ice cream in our cups, add root beer or cola) and French fries into the theater. I had no idea that was against the rules. It’s not posted anywhere. We have also taken in sealed bags of flavored popcorn and canned drinks given to us by the Concierge staff. No one has every said anything to us. Are we sure it’s against the Disney rules?

In my experience, snack-type foods are allowed. That's sodas, popcorn, ice cream, etc. French Fries - sometimes allowed, often not.

 

[undertheradar]

Besides the obvious demand and mess factor, the location of the theaters in relation to the retail shops is a design for disaster. Imagine the amount of merchandise that would be dirtied by the many hands that were carrying around that "free" popcorn.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

When we first started cruising DCL, they pretty much let people bring whatever munchies they wanted into both the Walt Disney Theater as well as the Buena Vista.

About 3 years ago, they stopped allowing "meal-type food" (burgers/pizza/fries) into the WDT, but would still allow it in the BVT. And, yes, I've seen people stopped who were bringing such things into the WDT. On occasion, there have been CMs inside the BVT asking people to remove their burgers/whatever before the movie started.

They've always (well, at least as long as I've been on DCL) allowed snack type foods in both theaters (ice cream, popcorn, candy, soda).

That seems so weird to me. Here it's really common for movie theater to sell full on meals as snack food. Chicken fingers, nachos, hot dogs, etc. It wouldn't have occurred to me that it wouldn't be allowed into a theater on the ship.

Out of curiosity, have you observed this on one ship or across multiples?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That seems so weird to me. Here it's really common for movie theater to sell full on meals as snack food. Chicken fingers, nachos, hot dogs, etc. It wouldn't have occurred to me that it wouldn't be allowed into a theater on the ship.

Out of curiosity, have you observed this on one ship or across multiples?

On at least 2 (Fantasy & Magic).

 

[Dug720]

That seems so weird to me. Here it's really common for movie theater to sell full on meals as snack food. Chicken fingers, nachos, hot dogs, etc. It wouldn't have occurred to me that it wouldn't be allowed into a theater on the ship.

Out of curiosity, have you observed this on one ship or across multiples?

Now it is common. Even 5-10 years ago it was not as common.

 

[Spotthecat]

My son was stopped from bringing a plate of chicken fingers and fries in the Walt Disney Theatre just last week on the Fantasy. So he sat down and munched it down at the door, a d they kindly took his plate when he was do e