Can you bring food into Disney parks?
If you’re looking to shave a few dollars, or in some cases many dollars off the price of your Disney trip, bringing your own food is an option… in some cases. Not all Disney parks actually allow you to bring food. Most parks have the following basic rules:
“Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers and do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.”
This basically means you can brown bag it, like when you were a kid. Bring something that lasts and that’s easy to carry. Remember too that you’ll be getting on and off rides that don’t allow you to carry anything on them, so your lunch might be sitting in the sun baking (in the bad way) while you’re on Soarin’.
Not all Parks have the same rules on snacks
It’s also worth noting that all parks are not equal in this case. At the Tokyo parks “Guests are requested not to have their own meals inside the Park”. They do offer picnic spots outside the parks, but inside both of the parks in Tokyo there’s really no place to eat.
Snacks, like granola bars and other small nibbles are a little more vague. I can only tell you from my own experiences at these parks, that a granola bar is often not a big deal. I would double check this in Tokyo as they seem to be a little stricter than the other parks. You should also declare any food at the park gates and be prepared to throw it out. Don’t take it out on the security people as they’re just following their rules. Also, don’t say you weren’t warned, because I just warned you.
Disney Parks offer some options for people with food allergies
The good news is that Disney parks are often great places to get food. The one exception being the Paris parks in my opinion (I know I was shocked too). Most parks also offer foods for just about any food preference and allergy. Let your server know if you’re allergic to anything and they should be able to help you out. My general findings however are that the parks in the US are the best for catering to food allergies. If you’re allergic to fish, Japan, Hong Kong and China can be problematic in general. While Disney is a little better than most places, it’s not perfect.
Are breakfasts good in Disney parks?
So while you can be a little creative and manage to save a little on food, it’s not a perfect system. My plan is always to bring a few granola bars, and possibly breakfast foods (Disney breakfasts often underachieve). I always ask at my hotel about bringing snacks like granola bars into the parks. Sometimes I’m in line and I just get the munchies, or I’ll be walking down Main Street and I just want to eat everything. A slightly more nutritious granola bar can often deal with hunger, and let you think clearly before buying something to eat in the park. I also always try to eat breakfast in my room (unless it comes with my room), since as I said before, breakfasts are often very disappointing at Disney parks.
Snack Away My Friend!!!