Is it true? _ Packed lunches not allowed in parks?

[maggie b]

Hi is it true your not allowed to take your own packed lunch into the parks with you? i'm sure i read some where that you can take a coolbag with sandwiches & drinks in & you can put them in a locker till you were ready to use it.Just thought i would ask as a friend said it's a NO NO as your bags get searched.

[loopy linda]

Took a cooler bag in Epcot last year and had sandwiches and crisp in it.Had no problems ,put it in a locker and had a mini picnic in the grass near Test Track

[princessjilly]

your bags do get searched but they wont stop u bringing in ur own drinks and snacks!

[loopy linda]

Will look out for you Jilly when i go in April

[zdickens]

We saw lots of people with cooler bags full of food, security just check them before they enter the park. We took ours to Universal with no probs.

[TiggerD]

we have taken some food and drink in with us and they are fine :thumbs-up

[vaunlou]

we seen lots of people taking there own food in,and drinks....you shouldnt have a problem:grin:

[ORLANDOPAUL]

You Can Take Food In Dont No Y You Would Food Good In There

[edie_w]

You aren't allowed to, according to the rules, but I've never seen anyone stopped. I guess they'd draw the line at a picnic basket, but one of the smaller cool packs will be fine.

[loadsapixiedust]

Your bags do get searched, but the worst thing that might happen is the security guard asking for a share of your lunch! They don't stop you bringing food in. We have even seen people with the huge coolers on wheels in the parks.
One thing to remember is the temperature in Florida, not really safe for keeping perishable food for any length of time even in a coolbag.

[jfk]

We're not big fast food eaters at all (yet we love America - go figure... :confused2 ) so every night we'd make up some sandwiches etc and pack the cool bag with fruit and other snackie stuff. Never had a problem once in Disney but got a stern telling off at Universal :nonono:

They still let us in but we were like naughty school children being barked at by a scary teacher :grin:

Saved a bomb as well which proved to be great news for the Florida Mall and the Premium Outlets :thumbs-up

[mickeymouse97]

i had a cooler bag got searched let me in fine

[brody-maddison]

I've never taken a cooler with food in only drinks and they were fine. I think they don't let you take in glass bottles though.

[bigchloe]

we take a cooler bag always and they lokk in it but u will have no probs x x x x x x
:tinkani:

[BONZO]

You can take your own food and drink in as long as it's not excessive but no glass bottles or alcohol allowed.

[freedomathome]

We have a seperate cooler bag which attatches to the bottom of our rucksack (same colour) we always put our snacks and drinks in there. From past experience Disney staff have no probs with people eating their packed lunches discreetly. I think they would have problems with people spreading out a picnic rug and having a 'full on' picnic though!

[ticky15]

we always have a bag full of nibbles with us never had a problem :smile:

[essexmick]

weve always taken all sorts of food in a cool bag, sandwhiches etc drinks and crisps no problem

[Disneybunny]

We've never been stopped taking food in, DH hardly ever gets searched even when we offer.

[twinkletoes]

We always carry gluten free snacks for DH and carry a bottle of water each into the parks, and have never had a problem.

[maggie b]

Thankyou for all your repiles. We are going to take our cool bag with us it's not huge but big enough for some sandwiches & some plastic bottles of juice or water. If we do get it taken from us then it's no big deal as the bag was only £1.00.

[silvermane]

Hello, :wave:
I see it all the time where ever we go parents taking packed lunches everywhere even to the cinema!
I have to admit places can be expensive if you have a large brood, however if you can afford to go to Florida i wouldn't skimp on buying food there. Thats the point of the whole experience of being on holiday, thats my opinion and i am not out to offend anyone! ;)
:pgig:

[Carlmelia]

Remember years ago my father getting stopped at Busch Gardens for carrying a 'Bazooka' on his back. It was really a longish coolbag that held a few cans of drink.

They confiscated it and told him off. The worst part was when the woman on the gate shouted at the top of her voice 'this guy's got a bazooka on his back' :omg: talk about your bottom falling out, the whole area just stopped.

Wouldn't like that to happen there these days. TBH we like to eat in the parks and the cost of drinks etc. isn't a problem for us, but can see why others do it.

[flossycandy]

I hope not. I was hoping to take a bag with drinks and a few nibbles in to save a bit of cash. :confused2

[flossycandy]

Hello, :wave:
I see it all the time where ever we go parents taking packed lunches everywhere even to the cinema!
I have to admit places can be expensive if you have a large brood, however if you can afford to go to Florida i wouldn't skimp on buying food there. Thats the point of the whole experience of being on holiday, thats my opinion and i am not out to offend anyone! ;)
:pgig:


I will stick to camping at Margate then!! :d: :pgig: :spin:

[basas1]

Technically, you are not allowed to bring food or drink into the parks. Enforcement, however, is little to none unless it's alcohol or something.

[motty1969]

We always take our own snacks into the parks, like other people do. They do look in your bags, but don't seem to be bothered about you having food. Anyway the food isn't that badly priced when you get in.

[Mishka]

I have a backpack cooler bag and was hoping to take water in and a few snacks. It gets too expensive DS drinks non stop in the cold so will have to take extra in the heat.

[SimonB]

The worst part was when the woman on the gate shouted at the top of her voice 'this guy's got a bazooka on his back' :omg: talk about your bottom falling out, the whole area just stopped..

that made me laugh, but I bet you didnt find it funny at the time

we take our water bottles and usually buy snacks around the parks which tbh are not too expensive.

[buddicle]

I too will be taking a couple of drinks in with us and a few nibbles for my DD. i think as long as you don't go over the top they will be fine about it.

[WindwardGal]

We got stopped taking drinks into a park before. I agree with silvermane, if you are going to Disney then why skimp on a few sarnies!

[Carlmelia]

that made me laugh, but I bet you didnt find it funny at the time

we take our water bottles and usually buy snacks around the parks which tbh are not too expensive.

At the time it didn't but it's now a family joke.

Taking a packed lunch sounds good, but the hassle of making it all would put me off.

[swampie]

The only thing i have seen confiscated at the gate is alcohol but other than that crack on and take as much as you want. We used to have a rucksack mainly filled with food!

[silvermane]

I will stick to camping at Margate then!! :d: :pgig: :spin:

:D Hee Hee.....

[stardoman]

Hello, :wave:
I see it all the time where ever we go parents taking packed lunches everywhere even to the cinema!
I have to admit places can be expensive if you have a large brood, however if you can afford to go to Florida i wouldn't skimp on buying food there. Thats the point of the whole experience of being on holiday, thats my opinion and i am not out to offend anyone! ;)
:pgig:


But perhaps I can afford to go to Florida because I'm good at budgeting and saving money on the smaller bits, such as food.

And as for the cinema - yes I definitely do that! Two weeks ago we had my son's birthday party at the cinema. Before we went I made two huge panfuls of popcorn and bought 20p mix ups for all the children. If I'd had to pay for popcorn and sweets for 15 children and 5 adults it would have cost a fortune, but this way they all had popcorn and sweets and my purse had a rest. (I'm such a skinflint I took them to the Sat morning show as well which is only £1 per person!!!). Really cheap birthday party and everyone had a fantastic time (which is the main thing). I don't think they would have had a better time if I bought the popcorn at the cinema instead of making it. The money saved by doing it on the cheap means we can do things like go to Florida. We all have a certain amount of money to spend and it can only be spent once. I would rather save where I can so we can also do the things which are important to us. This will mean taking food and snacks into the park some days. We will also eat out, but not everyday.

Each to their own.

Mandy.

[flossycandy]

Well said Mandy and I totally agree with you. ;)

[LizzyBear]

You Can Take Food In Dont No Y You Would Food Good In There

Allergies, fussy eaters, simply just wanting to save money. I think there are many (valid) reasons why people would want to bring their own food.

My mum's friend has been to Florida many times since the early 80s and she used to always bring a cooler to the parks as money was tight when her kids were young. She said she would leave it in a locker then fetch it at lunchtime. As long as you're sure to include plenty of ice packs and/or frozen drinks everything else should stay fresh even in the Florida heat.

[Lady4Tune]

your bags do get searched but wen they searched my bag and i had a subway sw in it the searcher man sed they wud have 2 confiscate it as it smelt so gud!lol obviously they were jokin but they were fine and let me take it in and the kids always took a big bag of crisps and choc bars

[freckles]

But perhaps I can afford to go to Florida because I'm good at budgeting and saving money on the smaller bits, such as food...

...The money saved by doing it on the cheap means we can do things like go to Florida. We all have a certain amount of money to spend and it can only be spent once. I would rather save where I can so we can also do the things which are important to us. This will mean taking food and snacks into the park some days. We will also eat out, but not everyday.

Each to their own.

Mandy.

Totally agree with you , Mandy, this is my philosophy too. We usually take packed lunch & drinks with us on park days, it only takes a few minutes in the morning and is easy if you're in a villa/condo with a kitchen. TBH, we rarely sit down and eat it as lunch, rather graze on it throughout the day, keeps everyone going and we can eat in queues and while waiting for shows to start etc, and not waste time queuing at restaurants. I find eating at the park restaurants a bit frantic anyway.

We do then eat out most evenings and are ready by then to do justice to a big meal!

Yes, Disney holidays should be a treat but by saving on some things, we can spend more on others. For example, I'd buy the kids ice creams in the parks, but on pool days at our apartment I will have stocked the freezer with ice-cream & lollies from the supermarket, rather than pay poolside bar prices!

We are always searched going into Disney, the security guards usually make a joke about sharing some of your lunch, but they have never stopped us or taken anything off us. TBH, I think what we consider lunch, most Americans would consider a light mid-morning snack!!!