No outside food/drink policy

Helani

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:14 pm

Just curious what people do when going to places (like amusement parks, etc.) that have no outside food/drink policy? I tried calling them up and asking if they make exceptions for people with special dietary needs, but the operator kept repeating like a robot "no outside food/drink permitted". She said I can go back to the car to eat-however, the place is huge and my kids are 1, 3, and 5. I can't keep running to the car every time one of them is hungry. I guess I can get bottled water/soda and maybe potato chips with a decent heksher for snacks, but that's about it since we keep cholov/pas yisrael. My other option is to sneak food in the stroller, but I really don't feel right doing that. I am sure I am not the only one who had to deal with this.

Maya

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:16 pm

I've never seen a park which doesn't allow any outside food to be brought in. Some reserve special picnic tables for the food court stores, but you can usually eat on any park bench or on the grass.

Raisin

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:23 pm

Maya wrote:

I've never seen a park which doesn't allow any outside food to be brought in. Some reserve special picnic tables for the food court stores, but you can usually eat on any park bench or on the grass.

I hope they don't have it still, but brooklyn botanic gdns had this policy when I lived there.

Helani

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:41 pm

Raisin wrote:

Maya wrote:

I've never seen a park which doesn't allow any outside food to be brought in. Some reserve special picnic tables for the food court stores, but you can usually eat on any park bench or on the grass.

I hope they don't have it still, but brooklyn botanic gdns had this policy when I lived there.

Googled it out of curiousity, and yep they still have that policy.

Helani

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:46 pm

Six Flags has the same policy. I think they are just trying to make more money by selling food. doesn't help those who can't eat that food in any case.

ShakleeMom

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:49 pm

get a letter from a doctor. I have one that says I must have access to a bathroom at all times (I kid you not).

mummiedearest

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:50 pm

I never listen to those policies. I don't think it applies to baby food. I alwayscarry snacks in the diaper bag. based on the fact that no one enforces these rules, I assume they don't care that much. and considering the potential lawsuits if they did enforce them, I doubt they're interested in trying.

Helani

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 8:56 pm

I was thinking more of how it would look that a frum person is breaking the rules. But then I also realized that I am paying them a lot of money to use their park. If they can't provide what I need then I guess it's their problem, not mine. I wouldn't mind if I could just buy some nice kosher food instead of shlepping everything.

ShakleeMom

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 9:06 pm

in some theme parks they check your bags. then just say they are special diet foods and you will support the park with buying frinks (example). be nice and respectiful, they might let you in with it

yo'ma

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 9:30 pm

We went to Great Adventures and they checked our bags. We ended up eating lunch out of the park and they don't have picnic tables or anything like that. In the park, we bought drinks and chips.

Motek

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 10:01 pm

Helani wrote:

How is it their problem that you are not following the rules?

They can say, if you're not willing to follow our rules, don't come.

That being said, I think you can do as some other posters suggested.

Helani

Tue, Aug 19 2008, 10:25 pm

It's their problem, because if they don't let me bring food in and don't provide me with food I can buy, they will loose my business. They might also loose business of other people from frum community (or even those with nut allergies, since they explicitely state that most of their foodstands either use peanut oil or come in contact with it).

Marion

Wed, Aug 20 2008, 2:50 am

I usually pack a food bag. And if they ask, I politely mention that I'm aware of the policy, but unfortunately we have special dietary requirements (both kashrut and allergies) and we simply cannot take the chance of purchasing something on site. Most places have completely understood that. And as another poster said, they're not interested in the lawsuits they could face if something happened to someone because of the food.

I find that calling ahead doesn't help. The people answering the phones are trained to parrot an answer and don't have the authority necessary to make special allowances anyway.

spinkles

Sat, Aug 23 2008, 11:30 pm

I used to work as a security guard at Six Flags. Don't worry about the "no outside food" policy. It doesn't apply to anyone with special dietary needs, including kashrus. If anyone gives you a hard time, just ask to speak with their supervisor. It could be a new guard who's still learning the ropes, but their supervisor will be aware of the correct policy. At the Six Flags I worked at, we had tons of frum families, camps, etc. coming, and they always brought coolers and bags of food in with them.

soldat

Sat, Aug 23 2008, 11:36 pm

this past pesach they let me in, and they saw the food - they also saw the two strollers....
and this is in the south, so here you can depend on southern hospitality.

Helani

Sun, Aug 24 2008, 8:03 am

It worked out pretty easily. The didn't check the bags, but they did ask if I was bringing in food. When I said yes, they just told me to stop by guest services. I told the girl at guest services we have special dietary needs, she just asked what I was bringing in, wrote it out on a permission slip and gave it to me. End of story. Luckily I had packed more or less enough, because at this park they had absolutely no pre-packaged food. Not even chips or pretzels or bottled soda. The only thing we could buy was a bottle of spring water.