If you’re planning a family trip to Disneyland Paris, food is one of those costs that can quickly add up. Buying everyone breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for several days makes a noticeable difference to the budget, so it’s understandable that people want to know whether they can take their own food into the parks.
We usually do a mixture of both. We take sandwiches and snacks with us, then still buy a meal or something we fancy during the day. It keeps the spending more manageable without feeling as though we’re missing out on eating at Disney.
Yes, you can take everyday food such as sandwiches and snacks into Disneyland Paris, along with non-alcoholic drinks. We’ve done this on multiple visits, and it’s a useful way to keep costs down, particularly when travelling as a family.
The important distinction is between carrying a packed lunch and bringing a full picnic setup. Disney’s rules don’t allow meals requiring equipment such as cool boxes, folding tables or bulky containers inside the parks. Alcohol and glass bottles are also prohibited.
If you’ve seen a sign saying that picnics aren’t allowed, that doesn’t mean you need to throw away the sandwiches in your backpack. Keep your food simple, easy to carry and within the park rules.
For help with the rest of your trip, our Disneyland Paris Travel Guide brings together our advice on tickets, transport, hotels and planning your park days. You can also browse all our Disneyland Paris blogs and guides.
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Sandwiches, fruit, crisps and other everyday snacks are straightforward choices for a park day. We tend to take things that fit easily into our bags and don’t need much preparation when we’re ready to eat.
You can also take water and other non-alcoholic drinks, provided you avoid glass bottles. Having drinks with you saves buying them every time someone gets thirsty, which makes a difference over several days.
Taking your own food can be particularly helpful if someone has allergies, intolerances, ARFID or very specific food preferences. Having familiar food available means you aren’t relying entirely on finding something suitable when everyone is already hungry.
Disney’s rules prohibit alcohol and glass bottles, along with picnic equipment such as cool boxes, stoves, folding tables and bulky containers. Large bags and containers exceeding 55cm × 40cm × 25cm, including handles and pockets, aren’t permitted inside the parks either.
For an ordinary packed lunch, I’d stick to food you can eat as it is. Don’t plan around cooking equipment or assume that a restaurant will be able to heat your food for you. That keeps things much simpler once you’re there.
Your bags can be inspected at security, so pack in a way that makes them easy to check. You can read the current Disneyland Paris park rules before travelling if you’re unsure about a particular item.
The designated picnic area is outside the parks, between the Disney Parks car park and the park entrance. This is where you should head if you want a more substantial picnic rather than carrying a few sandwiches and snacks.
Inside the parks, we keep things simple and find somewhere suitable to sit for a break. Disney’s rules say that outdoor restaurant tables can be used by visitors, with priority given to people who have bought food in the parks, so be considerate if it’s busy.
You also shouldn’t eat or drink in attractions, theatres or their queues. Find somewhere appropriate to stop, enjoy your food and clear up afterwards.
On one trip, we went to the supermarket at Val d’Europe and didn’t have time to return to the hotel before heading back for the parade and fireworks. We ended up arriving with four full carrier bags of shopping, which wasn’t quite the light park bag we’d usually recommend.
Security checked the bags and let us through. We then used the luggage storage service, which was included with the annual pass we held at the time, so we didn’t have to carry everything around all evening.
That was our experience on that visit, rather than a guarantee that large amounts of shopping will always be accepted. The luggage storage arrangements and annual pass benefits have also changed over the years, so I’d still recommend taking a manageable amount of food and checking the current rules.
For our family, it’s worth doing. Even if you only take lunch and a few snacks, that’s several purchases you don’t need to make during the day. It also means you can stop when it suits you rather than joining a food queue every time someone needs something.
We don’t avoid buying food in the parks completely, as that’s part of the trip too. I’d rather save on the everyday sandwiches and drinks, then have room in the budget for a meal or a treat we actually want.
If you’re working out how much to put aside, our Disneyland Paris spending money guide covers food, shopping and other day-to-day costs.
We usually stay in self-catering accommodation in Val d’Europe, often at Adagio Val d’Europe, where having a kitchen makes this much easier. We can eat breakfast before leaving, put together some sandwiches and pack snacks for the day.
During the day, we might buy a main meal in the parks, or we’ll eat in Val d’Europe later on. There are plenty of restaurants there, along with supermarkets and bakeries, and it’s only one stop from Disneyland Paris on the RER.
If you’re deciding where to stay, our guide to staying on-site or off-site at Disneyland Paris looks at the different options and what works best for different trips.
For us, this approach gives us a good balance. We aren’t paying park prices for every meal, but we still enjoy eating out and don’t feel as though the whole holiday revolves around saving money.
If you want to eat in the parks without spending too much, our best budget restaurants at Disneyland Paris guide has some options to consider.
You’ll also find more ideas in our top tips for doing Disneyland Paris on a budget. If you’re keeping luggage costs down as well, we’ve shared how we manage Disneyland Paris with hand luggage only.
Yes, you can take water and other non-alcoholic drinks into the parks. Avoid glass bottles and remember that bringing your own alcohol is prohibited.
Yes, a backpack with sandwiches and snacks is a practical option. Keep it within the permitted bag dimensions and avoid prohibited items or bulky picnic equipment.
Yes, you should expect security checks before entering. Disney can inspect your belongings, so keep your bag easy to open and don’t pack anything that’s prohibited.
No, you don’t have to buy every meal in the parks. You can take your own packed lunch and snacks, buy food there, or do a mixture of both, which is what usually works best for us.
Taking your own food into Disneyland Paris is a useful way to make a family trip more affordable, especially over several days. You don’t need an elaborate plan, just some food everyone will eat and a bag that’s comfortable to carry.
We find that breakfast at the apartment, sandwiches and snacks in our bags, and a bought meal when we fancy one gives us the balance we want. It saves money while still leaving room to enjoy eating out as part of the holiday.
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