Will they confiscate food brought into parks?

[JoyG]

Can I bring a soft sided cooler with lunch in it to Universal Studios and IOA? Will they confiscate it?

Thanks
Joy

 

[mjgruber]

Can I bring a soft sided cooler with lunch in it to Universal Studios and IOA? Will they confiscate it?

Thanks
Joy

Not only with they confiscate it, they will eat your lunch in front of you....

Just Kidding....as long as you are reasonable...No Issue

 

[minniebeth]

Secuity checked our bags but not under our stroller in the storage area. I had nothing to hide, but we had plenty of bottled water and snacks for a full day. We have a serious food allergy in the family, and just didn't want to take a chance. Like the previous poster said, keep it reasonable and it will be fine!

 

[snjmorrison]

We have always brought in a soft cooler with drinks and snacks. It's easy with a stroller, but next time we won't have a stroller. I'm thinking a couple of snacks in a backpack, but we won't want to carry a cooler. We've never had anything said to us. Once @ a Six Flags I was drinking a bottle of coke, and they wouldn't let me in. I had to throw the rest away.

 

[Future Guy]

Officially, the signs outside the gates say the only outside foods you can bring in are water and baby food. However, I've never seen anyone refused admission just for sneaking in a sandwich. As long as the food is reasonable (small snacks, but not a turkey dinner), then I think it should be fine.

One time at a security checkpoint at WDW, I saw a kid with a 2 pound bag of beef jerky in his backpack. The security person looked at it and waived him through!

 

[Liverlips]

IF you look at Universal's website it encourages you to bring snacks> It does say no coolers though.

 

[goofy!]

IF you look at Universal's website it encourages you to bring snacks> It does say no coolers though.

Last summer, I saw a family having a picnic over by BTTF. The mom had a rolling cooler with her. She was dishing out a feast for her family. Looked so good, I was tempted to ask if we could join her.

But then we kept running into her. There she was, dragging that cooler behind her. During the fireworks, we were sitting on the seats in the pavillion at the end of the lagoon (opposite end of MIB) and there she was, sitting in the bench across from us. She looked exhausted. Had the cooler next to and the family had piled their backpacks on top of it, bungying them to the handle.

I was tempted to ask her if the lunch was worth dragging that thing around for 12 hours. She couldn't have ridden any rides, as the thing certainly wouldn't have fit in any lockers.

But, that is the only time I ever saw a cooler in the parks - at least a rolling one. It was so out of place, it was pretty noticeable. My guess is that there had to be a serious medical need or some good excuse to get it into the parks. However, I have seen many little 6 pack coolers in the backs of strollers, in backpacks etc.

 

[robvia]

That's the tradeoff to bringing a cooler, having to carry it around.

Since the parking garage is covered, the other idea is to leave the cooler in your car, and come back at lunch time around 1pm when the parks are packed.

Another idea, is to bring a water bottle, and some granola snack bars that will fit in your pocket. Yes, you'll save money, but it's kinda hard to do when there are snack stands all over the place.