The Disneyland Food Ban

[Upanova]

I think it bothers me too. I hardly see any families eating over at the "hidden" Picnic Area. Most theme parks don't allow outside foods or beverages to be taken in.

There's nothing like the smell of Peanut Butter, and hot Fritos Corn Chips wafting away on the breeze to tell you that there must be kids around!

I once saw some school field trip groups using the area when I was coming around by the lockers and yes, the smell almost blew me away...

Kids and Fritos...dangerous combination!

Mlle Upanova

[Sambo]

If the park can offer all the possible dietary restrictions that guests have (not everyone eats or can eat at McDonalds) then I can see there may be a basis for enforcement. You seem to be forgetting the fundamental reason organizations do not enforce some rules - they are unworkable. I'd be willing to bet the amount of extra time in searches and seizures would be more costly than the increases in food expenditures in the park. If someone is unwilling to pay $7 for a slice of pizza or $4 for a soda, they are probably just as likely to leave the park, cross the street to spend less, and return to the park. By letting them bring food in - they keep them in the park rather than losing them, albeit briefly.

In today's climate, enforcement of a "no outside food" rule does not make good business sense.

[aerinpegadrak]

If the park can offer all the possible dietary restrictions that guests have (not everyone eats or can eat at McDonalds) then I can see there may be a basis for enforcement. You seem to be forgetting the fundamental reason organizations do not enforce some rules - they are unworkable. I'd be willing to bet the amount of extra time in searches and seizures would be more costly than the increases in food expenditures in the park. If someone is unwilling to pay $7 for a slice of pizza or $4 for a soda, they are probably just as likely to leave the park, cross the street to spend less, and return to the park. By letting them bring food in - they keep them in the park rather than losing them, albeit briefly.

In today's climate, enforcement of a "no outside food" rule does not make good business sense.

Dietary restrictions or budgetary concerns don't really enter into it, though. Guests would still be allowed to bring their own food, whether it's because they're allergic to everything but soy or because they just can't afford to buy food for everyone there. They would just have to keep it in an outside locker and eat it in the picnic area.

If they chose to enforce this rule, I don't see them being Nazi-ish about it. They're not going to pat you down to find the pack of Starbursts you stuck in your pocket, but when they open a giant backpack and see the entire contents of a convenience store stuffed inside, they'll ask you to take it back to your car or put it in an outside locker. The only thing that will add to the line at bagcheck will be the inevitable people whining and moaning about all the reasons they should just be allowed to bring in their own three-course meals.

It's not the reasonable amounts of outside food that need to be kept out; it's the massive loads that people try to bring in that are the problem, and that will be really easy to catch and turn away.

[Schda]

I guess I don't really understand the whole bring a meal into the park with you. Granted I've only been to WDW, but there it's always been great fun to try out foods you've never had before.

That said when I go to the parks I'll have an MRE in my hotel room for breakfast, gives you energy to get going for most of the day. I'll keep the breakfast bar or snack from the MRE add a cliff bar and drop it into my camera bag. That way if I need some extra boost in the midmorning/early afternoon I have it. If a Mickey bar or something calls to me I'll have that for Lunch, then for dinner try out something new and different. I always carry my nalgene with me through out the day, with as much water as I drink in a day at the parks (4 or more liters easy) I couldn't afford to pay for the bottle water

I guess I can't understand why someone would want to bring a full meal into the parks with them, it'd be too much trouble to carry around and deal with all day.

[Morrigoon]

Because some people are just that cheap (or that poor, if you care to view it as such). It's fine to save money by bringing a lunch, but respect the park's request that you pay the "price" for it by eating it out at the picnic area. The premium charged for in-park food has as much to do with it being "in-park", in an environment Disney spent a fortune creating, as anything else.

As far as dietary restrictions, with the exception of small snacks for diabetics, I see no reason why folks with dietary limitations can't leave their food in the lockers and eat in the picnic area.