Rumors!

[swarley]

Seriously? When are they considering banning the outside food and drink? We were hoping to bring bottled water and Powerade in so we can stay hydrated.

[Deleted]

Banning outside food and drink is ridiculous. Especially for people like me with kids who can't eat dairy or gluten. I know they have some options available but not many and usually only at sit down places.
(Referring to DL)

But I honestly don't think that will happen

Maybe stricter on coolers. Right now you can bring small coolers in but anything else bigger is supposed to go in a locker by the picnic area outside the park

[Deleted]

Mar 9, 2016 16:30:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 9, 2016 16:28:53 GMT -5 ladybug said:

Banning outside food and drink is ridiculous. Especially for people like me with kids who can't eat dairy or gluten. I know they have some options available but not many and usually only at sit down places.
(Referring to DL)

But I honestly don't think that will happen

Maybe stricter on coolers. Right now you can bring small coolers in but anything else bigger is supposed to go in a locker by the picnic area outside the park

I posted elsewhere that I can understand a crackdown on the coolers. But I'll be ticked if they make me toss my 4 granola bars.

Just hide them inside a diaper or wipes package

[Deleted]

Mar 9, 2016 16:34:52 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mar 9, 2016 16:34:26 GMT -5 ladybug said:

Just hide them inside a diaper or wipes package

Maybe if my kids weren't 10, 14, and 16.

Oh lol oops! Sorry! Ok rolled up in a sweatshirt!

[Deleted]

I hope they don't ban food and drinks. We were hoping to bring in snacks, water and maybe even a few sodas.

[lala]

I'd be pretty ticked about both. Just bump up resorts $10/night and be done with it. Mandatory resort fees are the dumbest thing.

I think almost everyone would be ticked if they took a hardline on snacks & drinks.

[ilikedonuts]

Mar 9, 2016 16:23:38 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Also, the dining plan prices are expected to increase. Which isn't surprising. And I think it's pretty clear that to make the dining plan work for you, you have to be careful about how you plan your meals anyway. It's not generally thought of as a value, and definitely not now.

They increased today.

[ilikedonuts]

I'm curious how the resort fees would affect DVC

[cookietime]

I thought outside food and drink have always been "banned" at Disneyland. But I've only ever seen it enforced for someone trying to bring a huge, rolling cooler through security - they were told they'd have to eat it in the picnic area out front.

[curbsideprophet]

Honestly I was a little surprised the food and drink policy was so friendly. Hopefully it does not change too much. Being able to bring in some drinks and snacks is nice.

[alleinesein]

Mar 9, 2016 18:15:59 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I'm curious how the resort fees would affect DVC

Back when they used to have a resort fee at DLR it was waived for DVC guests staying at the hotels.  The only thing we got charged for was valet parking.  They got rid of the resort fee a few years ago and just rolled the cost into the rooms. 

[alleinesein]

Mar 9, 2016 21:05:38 GMT -5 @mrsbecky said:

Wtf is a resort fee? That's stupid. Lol.

I'm surprised they raised the dining plan price since I thought it was generally acknowledged that most people lost money on a dining plan. Hell we had the QS plan and left with 8 snacks left on our plan and I think two meals. I mean I get that money is money but still ugh.

When they had it out at DLR it covered self parking, internet, local phone calls, daily newspaper and access to the fitness center. Now they include everything in the price of the room except for parking- that's $15 a day

[TBM]

Mar 9, 2016 19:40:02 GMT -5 cookietime said:

I thought outside food and drink have always been "banned" at Disneyland. But I've only ever seen it enforced for someone trying to bring a huge, rolling cooler through security - they were told they'd have to eat it in the picnic area out front.

I'm pretty sure that my parents told me that we weren't allowed to bring food in from the time I was very young (and so was the park-lol).  I remember there being a ban around 10 years ago when I used to take my grandson there every week.  They made kind of a big deal about making sure that people were aware, but didn't really care about the small snacks and whatever was in the diaper bag, and they had no problem with the GF/allergy free food for my younger grandson.  

I think they were going after the people with coolers filled with a days worth of food and drinks for the whole family, since there was an upswing in the number of families doing that.  I remember seeing quite a few people getting sent to the locker area outside the park, being told to store their coolers there and eat their food in the picnic area that was near the lockers.  I actually saw a family with a wagon for their cooler.  I wonder if they had planned to pull that thing around all day.

[curbsideprophet]

Mar 9, 2016 21:05:38 GMT -5 @mrsbecky said:

Wtf is a resort fee? That's stupid. Lol.

I'm surprised they raised the dining plan price since I thought it was generally acknowledged that most people lost money on a dining plan. Hell we had the QS plan and left with 8 snacks left on our plan and I think two meals. I mean I get that money is money but still ugh.

This may be flameful but I would be okay with getting rid of the dining plan. I think it leads to waste and higher prices for everything.

[abs]

DH and I liked the dining plan last time. We did a ton of character meals so we did come out ahead but he a lot of wasted snack credits. It was nice to just indulge DD and let her get whatever she wanted though without thinking of the cost. Popcorn that you will eat 3 bites of? Sure! A mickey bar every day? Go for it! Without the dining plan the answer would have been no.

Resort fees though? No.

[cinderbella]

Banning outside food would be a huge bummer.

We don't bring a cooler - but we do usually bring a backpack with sandwiches/snacks/drinks and an icepack or two to keep it cool. We still buy food/drinks in the park, as well, but it's really nice to have it accessible while waiting in line or on the monorail between parks.

[jeaniebueller]

I have no idea how they would enforce banning outside food and drinks. It hard enough for security to look through bags to find items that are dangerous, now they would have to look out for rogue cheerios? If they start doing that, it really will be the final nail in the coffin that Disney only wants to cater to people who can afford to stay on their properties (e.g., keep out people who aren't upper middle class-rich). That will be really disappointing. I saw a number of people at AK a few weeks ago who were eating sandwiches and other lunch items brought from home. Its not like that kind of thing really hurts disney's bottom line.

[Deleted]

Isn't the picnic area past security but not in the main gate at dl ladybug. So unless its a hug bag of food I don't see how they will enforce that. Although seaworld is very strict and at security made me take back a preschoolers lunch box and not bring it in. From then on I hid it further in the bag or just said dietary needs.

[thedahliharpa]

Mar 10, 2016 16:08:52 GMT -5 @jayhawkali said:

Isn't the picnic area past security but not in the main gate at dl ladybug. So unless its a hug bag of food I don't see how they will enforce that. Although seaworld is very strict and at security made me take back a preschoolers lunch box and not bring it in. From then on I hid it further in the bag or just said dietary needs.

Seaworld really sucks for kids with dietary restrictions.

The only non table service restaurant we can eat at in DL is Pizza Port. It's really hard to find anything quick service at CAD. We don't bring coolers but we bring as much as the kids would take in a lunch box, but separated in containers.

[lala]

The dining plan was fantastic the first year or 2, it's awful now. Too expensive, it's made certain restaurants decline, so much waste.

I don't get how it's any different than charging your room. It's just as easy. If you want it prepaid, buy a bunch of gift cards.

[marie3246]

I really hope they don't do this. I love staying on property but it is becoming so expensive that it isn't worth it. You already pay so much more just because it's a Disney hotel. We used to stay at the values but now the prices have gone up so much already we just rent dvc points for only a bit more. I really hope they don't increase those prices, but I fear that is next.

We are just getting to the point where DD will enjoy Disney and we are excited to go a lot in the next 10 years, but if everything keeps going up and up we won't be able to.

I think banning outside food would suck too. I can understand not allowing wagons of coolers but their food prices are insane. I need so many snacks for DD throughout the day it would cost a fortune there plus be annoying to have to go and find places to buy it and wait in line each time instead of handing her something in the bag.

[curbsideprophet]

Mar 10, 2016 23:36:24 GMT -5 lala said:

The dining plan was fantastic the first year or 2, it's awful now. Too expensive, it's made certain restaurants decline, so much waste.

I don't get how it's any different than charging your room. It's just as easy. If you want it prepaid, buy a bunch of gift cards.

Did the dining plan exist before magic bands?

[lala]

curbsideprophet, Yup. The one and only time we had it was 2006 and it was pretty new then. We paid like $37/adult and like minniemouse said, it was app, entree, dessert & included tax & tips, too. It was a fabulous deal. Food was great, nothing had been dumbed down. And you didn't get accosted by ever wait staff, "ARE YOU ON THE DINING PLAN?!?!?!"

[curbsideprophet]

This gives me a sliver of hope that they will get rid of it. It sounds like it used to be great.

I was just wondering if magic bands would make it easier for all those who like the pre-pay aspect of the plan.

[alleinesein]

Mar 11, 2016 6:57:42 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Mar 10, 2016 23:36:24 GMT -5 lala said:

The dining plan was fantastic the first year or 2, it's awful now. Too expensive, it's made certain restaurants decline, so much waste.

I don't get how it's any different than charging your room. It's just as easy. If you want it prepaid, buy a bunch of gift cards.

Did the dining plan exist before magic bands?

It has been around in its current form for at least 16 years. Back when I worked at EPCOT in QSFB we would get meal vouchers as payment and that was in 1996.