Can you bring outside food into Disneyland? Everything You Need To Know! 2024

Are you heading to Disneyland soon? Hooray! I’m so excited for you! You probably have a lot of questions about what you types of food you can and can’t bring into the Disneyland Resort theme parks. I can help! I’m a Disneyland planning expert. One of the questions I get frequently is “Can you bring outside food into Disneyland?” The answer is, yes!

The Disneyland Park has a really great policy that allows guest to bring in their own food and beverages with a few exceptions. I love that they allow you to bring outside food into Disneyland.

Some theme parks have incredibly strict rules about bringing in outside food. Luckly, Disneyland is not one of them! This is great for people with dietary restrictions, small kids or guests looking to save a little money.

Bringing in your own food is one of the best ways to save a little money. I’m always looking for ways to save money at Disneyland! Every little bit helps. Actually, I have a whole post on saving money at Disneyland if you’re looking for more money saving ideas!

If you’re looking for more Disneyland planning tips and help, I’ve got a full guide to planning your Disneyland vacation. Also, make sure you check out my top 10 tips for Disneyland here.

Make sure you check out my downloadable touring plans if you’d like a step-by-step guide to the parks! 

I’ve got an episode on my podcast about bringing outside food into Disneyland. Make sure you check it out!

Bringing Outside Food Into Disneyland

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Here’s the official Disneyland Food Policy from the Disneyland website:

Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverages into the parks for self consumption, provided they are not in glass containers(excluding small containers like baby food jars), do not require heating, reheating, processing or refrigeration and do not have pungent odors. Inform a security cast member of any food items when you enter the park.

Suitcases, bags, coolers or backpacks, with or without wheels larger than 24 inches long x 15 inches wide x 18 inches high are not allowed. Loose ice or dry ice is not permitted in these containers. Reusable ice packs are recommended.

What Type Of Cooler To Use?

So, you’re not allowed to bring in a larger cooler, but something smaller(as long as it fits within the guidelines above) is great. A small cooler is an option. We’ve brought in a small soft sided cooler and stored it under our stroller many times. Or, you we really love our cooler backpack. A cooler backpack is a great option, especially if you don’t have a stroller to hold your food. We can carry it with us, keep it in the stroller or stash it in one of the lockers on Main Street until we’re ready to eat.

What Kind Of Food Should I Bring?

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When we’re visiting with our family I like to bring in lots of our own snack items like granola bars, carrot sticks, apple slices, fruit snacks and crackers. I also like to throw in some beef jerky for a little extra protein. Dried fruit is a huge hit with my kids. I also bring a little bit of candy like suckers or smarties to keep kids happy in long lines.

A reusable water bottle like hydro flasks are great options to save you from paying for overpriced bottles of water. I love these Disney themed refillable water bottles from Amazon! You can also ask for free ice water at any of the quick service dining locations.

We usually pack a full lunch to eat in the parks on our Disneyland vacation. This is good idea if you have young kids who might be a bit picky with their food. Or, if you you’re looking to save money, there really is no better way!

For lunch, we bring in sandwiches, bags of chips, fruit, apple sauce and cookies. We also bring bottled water, capri suns and of course some Diet Coke for me. The bottles of soda at the Disney parks are crazy expensive!

Where Should We Eat Our Food?

You’ve brought in your own snacks and packed a lunch, now where should you eat it? There’s a few options. When we bring outside food into Disneyland, we try not to take up restaurant table space if it’s busy because there are usually lots of paying customers who need to use those tables.

There are shady benches and corners all over the park. We’ll often find a quiet place out of the way for a quick snack or meal. These little pocket blankets are perfect for an in park picnic.

Or, there’s a picnic area right outside the Main entrance in between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park. There’s also locker rentals there for you to store your lunch if you choose to eat there.

One of my favorite places to eat a picnic lunch is on Tom Sawyer’s Island. There’s a few picnic tables on the Island that are the perfect place for lunch. It’s never crowded over there, so it’s also a great place for a little break!

Other Disneyland Dining Options

Bringing outside food into Disneyland isn’t for everyone. If it’s not a good option for you, there’s so much yummy food to choose from throughout the parks and Downtown Disney!

Even if you do bring in food, you probably can’t pack in as much food as you’d need for an entire day on your Disney vacation. Great news is, Disneyland has a variety of great dining options for you to choose from. You can find a full list of my favorite quick service dining options for Disneyland on this post.. I’ve also got one for California Adventure here.

Make sure your using the Disneyland app to mobile order your food if you’re using a quick service dining option! This will save you so much time waiting in long lines.

Make sure to check out my podcast for lots of Disney planning information! You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search for “Mix In Some Magic” Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for lots of Disney tips and fun and make sure you join my Disney planning Facebook group! It’s a great place to ask all your Disneyland planning questions and get expert help.