bringing food into parks

[fanohpooh]

Is it permitted to bring food into the parks? If so, what recommendations would you have for healthy, filling snack ideas that will help to offset the cost of park food?

[TinkerbellT421]

Food and drinks are permitted in the parks. I personally have not done that but I know a lot of people have. If it was me I can only think of snacks that I would be satisfied with so heres a few things I would bring. Trail Mix packs (the packages that come with nuts, raisins, and dried fruits) i find that to be a healthy filling snack for me. I would avoid vegetablles like packaged carrots, and that sort of thing because the weather would not help hold those up long without having to be refrigerated which Im sure you know Im just rambling. Maybe boxes of the dried raisins or cranberries. Crackers. Thats really the only things I can think of right now that can be healthy and non perishable. Hope this helped.

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

One thing to be aware of is that you cannot bring in glass bottles or cans. And no alcoholic beverages.

We regularly bring in bottles of water (partially frozen, they stay cool for hours even in summer) and things like small bags of mixed nuts, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, etc.

Besides the cash savings, it is convenient to just dig into the backpack when somebody wants a snack or a cool drink.

[razor5002000]

I would also say carring a water bottle is a great idea. I did my last time to WDW and it was easy to refill at waterfoutains through out the park and belive me you won't be the only one doing it.

[laward32]

We bring crackers or granola bars. We also bring a couple bottles of water and those little crystal light packages that you dump in bottled water. Worked wonderfully.

[FaithTrustPixieDust]

We've got friends who pack a complete lunch plus all snacks when they go to the parks. It does save a lot of money I'm sure. I have no idea how they decide who gets to carry it around all morning.

But then how do you justify the turkey leg and dole whip???

[Georgesgirl1]

We usually pack nuts, dried fruit, and sometimes even PB&J sandwiches. Last time when I packed granola bars they got smashed before we ate them, but I did have them in the bottom of the backpack so maybe next time they need to be at the top! We also always bring in water that we can refill throughout the day. You can buy little string things that you can attach to the top of a bottle to carry it around which we always find handy.

When we pack snacks we feel less guilty about spending money on good table service meals

[DizneyRox]

I for one have never seen any savings in bringing food from the outside. It' just a pain to log that around, and then for anything substantial you probabl yneed a grocery stop and then pay for a fridges, etc. IMHO, I just go with the in park offerings. I do understand a little snack, but a meal is really not any sort of savings when you take everything into consideration.

[CleveRocks]

I for one have never seen any savings in bringing food from the outside. It' just a pain to log that around, and then for anything substantial you probabl yneed a grocery stop and then pay for a fridges, etc. IMHO, I just go with the in park offerings. I do understand a little snack, C but a meal is really not any sort of savings when you take everything into consideration.

I respectfully disagree.

I've not yet stayed in a Value resort,so I've not yet had to pay extra for a fridge in my room.

We get a grocery delivery mainly to help us out with breakfast foods; my wife and kids move very slowly in the morning, and EVERYONE is happier to have breakfast in the room while warming up to the day rather than having to get moving earlier to get breakfast at the resort before heading to a park. Usually a couple of days during a week there, we'll brownbag a lunch.

So in my case, we're going to get a grocery delivery anyway. SO to bring with us into a park for a lunch or dinner, there's usually opportunity for sandwiches like PB&J, cheese, turkey, tuna, etc., plus some grapes or an apple or 2 or something like that.

For us, it's nice to save the $30 to $60 that a lunch may have cost us (family of 4); doing that twice during the trip, therefore, we end up saving the cost of two lunches or dinners, which would be a total of anywhere from $60 to $120 or more.

But it's also a matter of convenience. On occasion, it's nice for us to not have to wait in line to eat ... if someone gets hungry we can just find a bench and chill out for a few minutes. No waiting in line, no having to find the right place to eat to satisfy everyone, no waiting for the ADR time to arrive.

I'm not saying it's for everyone, and I'm not suggesting that others should do it ... but I needed to present my very real scenario in which we do save a substantial amount of money by doing it. But remember, as I wrote, it's also a matter of convenience for us, not just a matter of watching pennies; for us, the cost savings is a nice side-effect.

[JRocker]

We take a one gallon igloo jug filled with lemonade or kool ade, depending on the flavor of the day. We mix it strong and fill up with ice, most of the time it will last my family of five all day. On occasion we have had to refill on our afternoon lunch.

Another good by-product is that the kids use it as a seat while we're waiting in line.

As far as snacks go; we've taken dried fruit, packages of cheese n crackers, those little pretzel and cheese snack packs, and even some beef jerky.

As mentioned before, this is a substantial money saver for my family. It was even substantial when we had to rent a fridge at the all star resorts, years ago.

[AXOAlum]

One thing to be aware of is that you cannot bring in glass bottles or cans.

I know about the bottles - but no cans?? We always bring a small cooler with a few cans of soda in it - is this a new policy?

[dmosher]

Just use common sense when bringing in foods and liquids to the park and respect the rules.

Technically. no foods that are not a requirement are allowed on property, however Disney is pretty relaxed about this rule. Here is a letter officially stating their policy:
-----
Thank you for contacting WALT DISNEY WORLD!

With the exception of food items for guests with specific dietary restrictions, we do not permit guests to bring food and beverage items into our theme parks.

Generally, however, plastic bottles for water, juice, etc. are allowed.

We hope this information is helpful, and we look forward to future opportunities to entertain you.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if applicable on all correspondence, and allow up to 80 hours for response to E-Mail.

Thank you - and have a DISNEY day!

Sincerely,

William Ferguson

On Line Guest Service
WALT DISNEY WORLD Reservations
P O Box 10,100
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0100
---
Again, use common sense. If you need to save some $$ then yes bringing a meal into the parks is understandable, but don't be the one who stands there arguing with the security guard if he tells you that you can not bring that whole rotisserie chicken with sides in, despite what you did last time you where there.

D

[thumperbug]

we always bring snacks and half frozen bottles of water. We have a travel stroller with insulated cups holders that hold 2 bottles and then we put a small cooler under neath the stroller so we don't have to carry it. Got a small one at the dollar store..does the job. We brings crackers, goldfish, cookies...stuff to nibble on. We have never brought sandwiches with us. We usually do breakfast in the room and 1 table service a day. In b/w we will get something if we want. We are not the "need to eat 3 big meals a day" kind of people so our plan works for us. Security sometimes makes me open the little cooler all the way and take out whats in it.

[pixiesmimi]

Just use common sense when bringing in foods and liquids to the park and respect the rules.

Technically. no foods that are not a requirement are allowed on property, however Disney is pretty relaxed about this rule. Here is a letter officially stating their policy:
-----
Thank you for contacting WALT DISNEY WORLD!

With the exception of food items for guests with specific dietary restrictions, we do not permit guests to bring food and beverage items into our theme parks.

Generally, however, plastic bottles for water, juice, etc. are allowed.

We hope this information is helpful, and we look forward to future opportunities to entertain you.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if applicable on all correspondence, and allow up to 80 hours for response to E-Mail.

Thank you - and have a DISNEY day!

Sincerely,

William Ferguson

On Line Guest Service
WALT DISNEY WORLD Reservations
P O Box 10,100
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0100
---
Again, use common sense. If you need to save some $$ then yes bringing a meal into the parks is understandable, but don't be the one who stands there arguing with the security guard if he tells you that you can not bring that whole rotisserie chicken with sides in, despite what you did last time you where there.

D

I have to beg to differ with the official statement (not that it isn't a rule, just that we have had contrary advice given us). We were told by a CM that yes, you can bring your own food into the parks, i.e. coolers are allowed if they fit in a locker or in your stroller, etc., and that you also can use the outside eating areas to eat. No one is going to walk around inspecting what everyone is eating to make sure it was bought in the parks. Of course, you have to use discretion and common sense about it. Breakable bottles and alcohol are the only things we heard you couldn't bring in. I can't see a problem with cans as long as you use the recycle bins or trash cans.

We always take our own water bottles and usually drink mixes for the water. When we have children with us, we carry what they will eat, especially if they don't eat the kinds of foods offered in the restaurants and CS. Breakfast bars, bags of cereal or snacks, candy that doesn't melt, fruit, etc. If you aren't on the DDP, it can save you some money. Sometimes it is just nice to have a snack while waiting in a long line and calm an irritable child. We don't ever take any more than we can carry or put in the bottom of the stroller. We have never rented a locker because I couldn't see running back and forth across the park to retrieve something. But if you have children, snacks are a good choice. I don't see anything wrong with taking sandwiches, etc. either.

[disneyjoe]

We always have breakfast in the morning in the room since its not only cost effective but I can eat the things I enjoy that I can normally not find in the resorts/parks.

For lunch, we take food into the parks with us. I am always carrying a camelbak (2litre water backpack) that has a dry area that I always fill with snack foods. Everything from snack bars, trail mix, almonds, and goldfish crackers. This will normally ties us over until supper that we normally make our cost meal of the day.

We save enough money only eating one meal a day to pay for our flights the next year...lol

[tnpoohbear]

I too have done this - when my kids were little (they are no teenagers) I would take crackers, gold fish, fruit snacks, things like that because sometime they would not eat big meals. It was not so much a money safer - although it was. It was convenient because I could have something that I know they would eat with me and like others have said I just need to sit down on a bench and feed them. But now since they are older - unless someone was just not feeling well (this happened before and we took crackers and water) it just is not worth the trouble anymore.

[megustamex]

I learned after the last time to bring sandwiches for the kids EVERY TIME. My toddlers are so picky and would only eat peanut butter or turkey sandwiches because they didn't like any of the food offerings at the parks. I also figured out that it was actually cheaper to buy overpriced bread and lunchmeat in the gift shop than to buy them meals at the park that I ended up throwing away anyway.

[Randypandy]

We are planning on going to disney on new years but i was wondering can we bring our cups with us? We have sea world cups that we take with us to sea world and aquatica alot . Would they allow those?

[CleveRocks]

Disney doesn't prohibit competitors' memorabilia in the parks. The only place you'd be able to fill them would be water fountains, of course.

If you are adults carrying in full cups, they might want to sniff to make sure there's no alcohol in there.

[Randypandy]

I'm an adult. I don't drink and they would be filled with soda or tea or water. Why doesn't disney do their own souvenir cups? I have the popcorn bucket but not a souvenir cup. We've been to sea world and aquatica more then disney and those are the only cups we have.