Bringing your own snacks and drinks into Disney theme parks can save you money compared to purchasing food inside the parks. However, Disney does have rules regarding what outside items are allowed. So can you bring juice boxes into Disney parks? The short answer is yes, you can bring shelf-stable juice boxes into Disney theme parks. However, there are some guidelines to follow.
In this article, we’ll discuss Disney’s policy on outside food and beverages, including:
- What drinks and juice boxes are allowed
- How many drinks you can bring in per person
- If there are size restrictions
- Where you can consume outside drinks in the parks
- Tips for keeping juice boxes cold and managing waste
Knowing what you can and can’t bring into Disney can help you plan and budget for snacks and drinks during your visit.
Disney’s Policy on Outside Food and Drinks
Disney parks do allow guests to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages into the parks. This policy was adopted in 2019 as a way to allow families more affordable dining options.
However, there are some rules surrounding what types of outside food and drinks are permitted:
- Items must be shelf-stable and not require heating or refrigeration.
- No glass containers.
- No large coolers or containers – small soft-sided bags and lunch boxes are allowed.
- No loose ice or ice packs.
- No alcoholic beverages.
So within those guidelines, juice boxes, water bottles, and other sealed drinks are generally allowed. The official policy states:
“You can bring food and unopened non-alcoholic beverages into our parks for medical dietary needs or other special concerns. Additional restrictions apply and items may be inspected. When visiting more than one park per day, one meal and snacks may be brought into each park.”
The main thing Disney wants to avoid is guests bringing in large quantities of outside food that could impact in-park dining sales. So the limits per person are reasonable for bringing your own snacks and a few drinks.
What Types of Juice Boxes are Allowed?
When it comes to juice boxes, Disney allows:
- Commercially packaged juice boxes like Capri Sun, Honest Kids, Juicy Juice, etc.
- Pouches of shelf-stable juices or drinks like apple juice, orange juice, fruit punch, etc.
- Boxes or bottles of milk, soy milk, nut milks, etc.
- Bottled water and sports drinks like Gatorade.
Essentially any pre-packaged, shelf-stable juice product that does not require refrigeration is allowed. You cannot bring in:
- Homemade or opened juices or drinks.
- Juices that require refrigeration like fresh fruit or vegetable juices.
- Glass containers.
- Loose juice pouches that have been removed from the original packaging.
Sticking to unopened, commercially packaged juice boxes from the grocery store is your best bet for avoiding issues with Disney’s permitted items policy.
How Many Drinks Can You Bring In?
Disney’s policy does not specify exact limits for how many drinks each person can bring into the parks. However, they do limit it to reasonable quantities that would be consumed by an individual in a day.
As a general guideline, it is recommended to limit yourself to:
- 6 to 8 juice boxes per person for the entire day.
- 1 or 2 re-usable water bottles.
So a family of 4 could reasonably bring in a 24 pack of juice boxes to last the day. Trying to bring in cases of drinks could potentially get flagged during bag inspections. Use your best judgment to avoid going overboard with outside beverages.
If you plan to visit multiple parks in a day, keep in mind you are allowed to bring a small meal and snacks into EACH park, not just a total for the whole day.
Are There Size Restrictions?
Disney does not publish specific size limits for juice boxes and drinks. However, they do state that the items must be able to fit reasonably inside a small lunchbox or soft-sided bag. Giant or novelty sized containers are probably not permitted.
For juice boxes, pouches, and bottled drinks, your standard grocery store multipack sizes should be fine. General guidelines would be:
- Juice boxes around 6 to 8 fluid ounces
- Juice pouches around 8 fluid ounces
- Water bottles around 12 to 20 fluid ounces
Again, use good judgment and don’t try to bring in giant fast food style cups or novelty containers. As long as your drinks are regular sizes that a child or adult would consume for snacks, you should be fine.
Where Can You Drink Outside Beverages?
Disney does have some rules around where you can consume your outside food and beverages within the parks:
- You can only eat or drink while stationary – no walking around with open food or drinks.
- You cannot eat or drink while waiting in attraction lines. Finish before entering lines or save it until after.
- Designated dining areas like restaurants, quick-service dining spots, and snack carts are off-limits for consuming outside food and drinks.
Acceptable places would include table seating areas, benches, quiet corners, etc. Basically look for spots designated for sitting down and relaxing. Keeping your snacks and drinks away from high-traffic areas helps with congestion and cleanliness issues.
Be prepared to chug any open drinks before entering attraction lines. Having reusable bottles can help avoid wasting juice or water in those cases.
Keeping Juice Boxes Cold
One downside to juice boxes is they can warm up quickly, especially on hot Disney park days. There are a few options for keeping your juice chilled:
- Wrap juice boxes in aluminum foil or place in an insulated bag.
- Bring a small soft-sided cooler with ice packs – must comply with Disney’s cooler size restrictions.
- Freeze juice boxes overnight before packing them in your bag.
- Plan to consume juice boxes earlier in the day before they warm up too much.
- Bring a reusable water bottle and use tap water stations in the parks to refill with cold water.
Having at least some juice boxes wrapped in foil or an insulated bag can help maintain cooler temperatures for a few hours. Frozen juice boxes thaw throughout the day, releasing cooling liquid which helps regulate the temperature.
If you don’t have an insulated container, prioritize drinking the juice boxes first before they become too warm. Water is very portable for refilling and stays cool for longer.
Managing Juice Box Waste
One unavoidable result of bringing juice boxes into Disney parks is generating trash that needs to be disposed of properly. Here are some tips for managing empty juice boxes and reducing waste:
- Use recycling bins whenever possible – look for bins marked for plastic and metals.
- Condense empty juice boxes by crushing them before throwing away.
- Bring a few reusable canvas bags – they take up little room when empty and can hold lots of trash.
- Utilize in-park front of line pass benefits to take emptied bags to the nearest trash can.
- Pack a portable trash bag you can attach to your stroller or bag.
Being proactive about disposing of empty juice boxes quickly can help avoid letting trash accumulate excessively. Having reusable bags and trash containers in your park bag is key.
Disney does have strict littering policies, so be sure to utilize trash and recycling bins. Leaving trash sitting out in the parks is subject to fines starting at $50.
Are There Any Other Allowed Drinks?
In addition to juice boxes, Disney parks allow you to bring in other non-alcoholic and shelf-stable beverages such as:
- Reusable water bottles – can be refilled at water fountains.
- Cans or bottles of sparkling water, soda, sports drinks, etc.
- Bottles of milk or plant-based milk alternatives like soy or almond milk.
- Coffee tumblers and refillable cups like Yetis.
- Packets of powdered drink mixes (must add water inside the park).
Again, anything requiring refrigeration or preparations like blending is not permitted. But reusable drink containers and bottled drinks offer nice options in addition to juice.
For especially hot park days, having an insulated water bottle you can refill for ice cold water is highly recommended. Staying hydrated with water and avoiding sugary juice and soda is best for avoiding dehydration. But juice boxes or pouches are a convenient and portable way to supplement hydration too.
Are There Drinks You Cannot Bring Into Disney Parks?
While the list of allowed outside drinks is fairly broad, there are some notable items Disney prohibits:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Glass containers
- Loose ice, ice packs, or unsecured ice
- Drinks requiring blending like smoothies
- Fresh-squeezed fruit or vegetable juices
- Loose drink pouches removed from original packaging
- Beverages over a certain volume like two-liter bottles of soda
- Fountain drink cups from fast food restaurants
- Hot coffee or other hot beverages
Again, Disney is focused on avoiding loose ice and liquid that could spill and avoiding glass containers that could shatter and cause injury.
If you want speciality coffees, smoothies, fresh juices, or alcoholic drinks, plan to purchase those items inside the Disney parks. Outside versions are not allowed.
Stick to factory sealed bottles, cans, juice boxes, pouches and avoid potential issues with prohibited items.
Tips for Packing Juice Boxes
To make the process of bringing juice boxes and other drinks into Disney parks go smoothly, here are some packing tips:
- Wrap juice boxes in foil or small insulated bags to maintain cool temperatures.
- Pack drinks upright in your bag or cooler so they don’t spill or crush.
- Put heavier items like bottles on bottom and lighter juice boxes on top.
- Utilize interior pockets, dividers, or pouches to separate and protect drinks.
- Label juice boxes with names to avoid squabbles between kids.
- Bring a marker to check off each drink as it’s consumed.
- Pack a bottle opener if bringing canned drinks.
- Bring at least one refillable water bottle per person.
Proper packing can help avoid leaking, spilling, and wasting of brought-from-home drinks. It also makes it easier to do bag checks quickly and efficiently if your items are well organized.
Are There Other Theme Parks That Allow Outside Drinks?
Disney is not the only theme park with rules allowing you to bring in outside food and drinks. Many other parks allow drinks under similar guidelines, such as:
- Universal Studios – Allows drinks like juice boxes, water bottles, soda.
- Six Flags – Permits factory sealed drinks that are non-alcoholic.
- SeaWorld – Allows juice boxes and other drinks following Disney’s size guidelines.
- Legoland – Unopened drinks that are non-alcoholic and non-glass containers.
- Cedar Point – One sealed bottle of water per guest is permitted.
Policies can vary by park, so always check individual rules before packing drinks. But having your own drinks can be a big money saver at any theme park.
Juice boxes are a convenient way to hydrate and energize kids at theme parks like Disney while still following the park guidelines. Proper planning and packing makes bringing your own drinks easy and hassle-free.
Conclusion
In summary, you can absolutely bring shelf-stable juice boxes into Disney theme parks to help save money on drinks. Follow their policy on only unopened, non-alcoholic beverages in soft-sided bags. Use foil and insulated containers to keep juice boxes chilled for several hours. Limit yourself to 6 to 8 boxes per person. Manage waste properly by crushing and recycling empty juice boxes. Refillable water bottles are highly recommended as well. Proper planning and packing make bringing your own drinks to Disney easy and worthwhile. So feel free to pack those juice boxes for your Disney trip!