You can bring your own food and nonalcoholic drinks into the four Disney World theme parks. Pack them in permitted containers and be ready for security screening. Outside food cannot require heating, refrigeration or temperature control, and it cannot have a pungent odor.
Can you bring your own food?
Yes. Snacks and a packed lunch are allowed for personal consumption at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Choose food that does not need heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control, and leave pungent foods at home.
There is no need to replace every park meal with a packed one. A few snacks can cover the time between breakfast and lunch; a larger meal means more to carry and a place to stop and eat.
What about water, glass and alcohol?
Bring nonalcoholic drinks in a permitted container. Glass containers are prohibited in the parks, apart from small containers such as baby food jars. Outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the parks.
A reusable, non-glass water bottle saves room for a drink without carrying several individual bottles. For a current look at permitted and prohibited items, open the official Walt Disney World property rules.
How big can a cooler be?
Coolers, bags and backpacks entering a theme park or water park must be no larger than 24 inches long by 15 inches wide by 18 inches high. The limit applies whether or not the container has wheels.
Loose ice and dry ice are not allowed in these containers. Reusable ice packs are recommended. An ice pack does not change the food restriction: choose items that do not require refrigeration or temperature control.
Is a cooler the best choice?
For a few shelf-stable snacks, a small bag may be easier to carry. If you bring a cooler, measure it after packing and remember that the park’s entry limit and a locker’s interior dimensions are different.
Security checks and lockers
Bags and other items may be screened. Keep food easy to identify and tell a Security Cast Member about it when you enter.
Each theme park has lockers available for a daily charge, subject to availability. A cooler that meets the park entry limit will not necessarily fit every locker. Check Disney’s locker sizes and prices before choosing one, and do not count on a locker to refrigerate food.
A practical packing plan
- Choose food that needs no heating or temperature control, and carry it in non-glass containers.
- Pack portions in resealable bags or containers to make sharing and cleanup easier.
- Measure a packed cooler against all three dimensions, including any bulging pockets.
- Use reusable ice packs if needed, not loose or dry ice. Leave outside alcohol behind.
- Keep food closed and with you instead of leaving an open snack in a parked stroller.
- Bring napkins and utensils if your meal needs them.
For the wider list of bags and equipment, see our Disney World bag rules guide.