New policy on outside food and drinks

[yulilin3]

Heads up everyone

 

[Joanna71985]

I think it's ridiculous

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Honestly, I think that's fair.

Only in Orlando do theme parks seem to allow outside food - Six Flags doesn't, Cedar Point doesn't, the little amusement parks around here don't. The zoos around here do allow food, but that's really it.

If you can bring a water bottle, that's all you should need going into a venue that sells food. If you feel you need to pack a lunch, you can hike back out to the car to eat it.

 

[MommyinHonduras]

Families travel to Orlando to vacation for often a week or more. That is very different than one day at Six Flags. The cost of buying snacks everyday to keep kids feed will not be in all people's budgets.
This is not good pr long term even if it makes them a few extra bucks IMHO. But that might just be me. I would keep a cooler in the car and leave for snacks like we did at the zoo when we were kids. Not everyone is going to pay $5 a snack times number of kids. Or maybe they will add $1 pieces of fruit or other reasonably priced snacks?[/QUOTE]

 

[yulilin3]

I think they've given so many free or heavily discounted ticket offers to locals they're trying to make money back with this.
Will it backfire? That will take time to find out

 

[bookwormde]

Some kids with disabilities/sensory issues have very limited diets that at times goes all the way to the brand or even the way a food is prepared.

Rather than asking expecting SeaWorld to meet these needs which would be very difficult families have historically just brought the needed food in.

SeaWorld will effectively be preventing these kids from visiting unless they can meet these specific needs. Not sure they thought this through

 

[RF536]

Some kids with disabilities/sensory issues have very limited diets that at times goes all the way to the brand or even the way a food is prepared.

Rather than asking expecting SeaWorld to meet these needs which would be very difficult families have historically just brought the needed food in.

SeaWorld will effectively be preventing these kids from visiting unless they can meet these specific needs. Not sure they thought this through

It says those with special diets will be allowed to bring food.. If they handle similar to Cedar Fair parks, they will allow food for those visitors. We have 1 on the spectrum and regularly visited Cedar Point and a small cooler with food for him was never an issue.

 

[bookwormde]

It says those with special diets will be allowed to bring food.. If they handle similar to Cedar Fair parks, they will allow food for those visitors. We have 1 on the spectrum and regularly visited Cedar Point and a small cooler with food for him was never an issue.

I hope so, the exception may be made language and approved day of are still problematic in my view, hopefully they will provide more clarification. In our families experience (ASD also) SeaWorld was always quite disability friendly

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Honestly, I don't think the new policy is as awful as it's being made out to be. A pain for some families, for sure.....especially those that like to be, or need to be, very thrifty. That said, there is a picnic area outside of the park gates that you can still utilize if you want to avoid having to purchase food at the park. Feed and hydrate your kids well before you arrive, and pack a hearty meal in a cooler in your car. Take a mid-day break and use the picnic area to rest and eat whatever you have packed, then head back into the park for the balance of your day.

SeaWorld is already THE most affordable park family in Orlando. Their annual passes are BY FAR the least expensive option for visiting families and provide huge value. Depending on the tier, you'll get free parking, discounts on any food purchased, discounts on merchandise and tours, and some even offer free park photos, a free animal encounter, and free quick queue. Passholders can access complimentary beverages in the Passholder lounge for most of the park day. There are additional passmember benefits that are extended throughout the year as well....and that's all in addition to park admission for a full 365 days, at a price for Platinum (which has ALL the bells and whistles, including everything mentioned AND admission to 11 parks throughout the country) that's less than the price of 3 days at Disney.

Let's also not forget, they offer a preschool pass which gets the littles in free. They also offer discounted admission to teachers (or at least, they used to) and free park passes to members of the military and their immediate families. They are already doing a ton for people, and during less than ideal times. Covid absolutely HAS to have affected their bottom line, so some of these changes are not at all surprising. Something, at some point, has to give. They are a business, after all, not a charity.

It's also worth mentioning that SeaWorld also offers an all day dining option for a very fair price, which none of the other Orlando parks currently do.

They are making allowances for those with special diets, which is absolutely justified. But aside from that, I don't see it being a huge deal to make use of the picnic area if you can't afford to purchase food inside the park. I'd do that in a heartbeat if it was the difference between taking my family, or not taking my family, for a spectacular day at a most awesome destination.

 

[yulilin3]

I hope so, the exception may be made language and approved day of are still problematic in my view, hopefully they will provide more clarification. In our families experience (ASD also) SeaWorld was always quite disability friendly

SWO is the ONLY Autism accredited park in central Florida, they do make exceptions like the wording says

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

Families travel to Orlando to vacation for often a week or more. That is very different than one day at Six Flags. The cost of buying snacks everyday to keep kids feed will not be in all people's budgets.
This is not good pr long term even if it makes them a few extra bucks IMHO. But that might just be me. I would keep a cooler in the car and leave for snacks like we did at the zoo when we were kids. Not everyone is going to pay $5 a snack times number of kids. Or maybe they will add $1 pieces of fruit or other reasonably priced snacks?

[/QUOTE]
Yeah, agreed about the need for things like single-serving fruit. Will they offer things like pouch applesauce and cereal bars? Single-serving Cheerios boxes? Not exactly baby food, but when a toddler/preschooler needs a snack, sometimes popcorn or ice cream won't cut it. Trying to figure out how to keep my young kids happy on an upcoming trip when we have a nonrefundable SeaWorld hotel stay already booked.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yeah, agreed about the need for things like single-serving fruit. Will they offer things like pouch applesauce and cereal bars? Single-serving Cheerios boxes? Not exactly baby food, but when a toddler/preschooler needs a snack, sometimes popcorn or ice cream won't cut it. Trying to figure out how to keep my young kids happy on an upcoming trip when we have a nonrefundable SeaWorld hotel stay already booked.

Fruit cups (with varying options depending on season.....we have seen strawberries, grapes, oranges, melon, etc.) have long since been a "side" option at the quick service restaurants, so fruit will be easy to source. Cheese strings are showing as available at some of the food trucks in Sesame Street Land, as well as a variety of other toddler-friendly options (yogurt, etc.). Chicken fingers are readily available at multiple restaurants, and a soft pretzel from Mama's Pretzel Kitchen would appeal to many toddlers as well (and be equally enjoyed by mom, who of course would have to make the supreme sacrifice of sharing to ensure there is no waste ;-) ). Grilled cheese sandwiches are offered in Sesame Street, too, which usually appeals to the preschool crowd. They did have individual boxes of cereal available at whatever restaurant is serving breakfast at park opening for the all-day dining people, and I know you could purchase them a la carte as well (it's just been a while since we did the ADD, so I can't speak to what kinds of cereal might be currently offered). I'm sure there's even more toddler friendly snacks within the park, those are just the things I know of personally.

I know it was mentioned by another poster that they might/should offer $1 snack options with the implementation of the new policy, but I don't think that will be the case (and honestly, I can't blame SeaWorld). I don't expect that any theme park/amusement park/movie theater or other attraction that entertains a captive audience will be aiming for cheap &/or affordable foods for their guests. They don't need to, because that captive audience doesn't have other options. That said, I'd like to think they will offer a good variety of foods, but I'm pretty sure those choices will learn more toward a (hopefully) fair "theme park market value" versus consumer-budget-friendly. The same way as a bottle of beer at the park is $7 when you can buy the same beer at the grocery store for under $2. You expect a noticeable mark-up because it costs them to source it, store it, serve it, etc. And, because it's a money maker....it's offered to fill a need, but more so as another avenue to generate profit.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

Fruit cups (with varying options depending on season.....we have seen strawberries, grapes, oranges, melon, etc.) have long since been a "side" option at the quick service restaurants, so fruit will be easy to source. Cheese strings are showing as available at some of the food trucks in Sesame Street Land, as well as a variety of other toddler-friendly options (yogurt, etc.). Chicken fingers are readily available at multiple restaurants, and a soft pretzel from Mama's Pretzel Kitchen would appeal to many toddlers as well (and be equally enjoyed by mom, who of course would have to make the supreme sacrifice of sharing to ensure there is no waste ;-) ). Grilled cheese sandwiches are offered in Sesame Street, too, which usually appeals to the preschool crowd. They did have individual boxes of cereal available at whatever restaurant is serving breakfast at park opening for the all-day dining people, and I know you could purchase them a la carte as well (it's just been a while since we did the ADD, so I can't speak to what kinds of cereal might be currently offered). I'm sure there's even more toddler friendly snacks within the park, those are just the things I know of personally.

I know it was mentioned by another poster that they might/should offer $1 snack options with the implementation of the new policy, but I don't think that will be the case (and honestly, I can't blame SeaWorld). I don't expect that any theme park/amusement park/movie theater or other attraction that entertains a captive audience will be aiming for cheap &/or affordable foods for their guests. They don't need to, because that captive audience doesn't have other options. That said, I'd like to think they will offer a good variety of foods, but I'm pretty sure those choices will learn more toward a (hopefully) fair "theme park market value" versus consumer-budget-friendly. The same way as a bottle of beer at the park is $7 when you can buy the same beer at the grocery store for under $2. You expect a noticeable mark-up because it costs them to source it, store it, serve it, etc. And, because it's a money maker....it's offered to fill a need, but more so as another avenue to generate profit.

Unfortunately, my son won't eat a fruit cup, only bananas, dried fruits, and blueberries. I might be able to convince him to eat grapes. He won't eat carrot sticks, string cheese, chicken fingers, burgers, or hot dogs, only eats certain brands of mac and cheese and only certain types of yogurt. I wish he wasn't so picky, but despite my best efforts, he doesn't like trying new foods. Sure, the new policy might convince us to buy a pretzel we wouldn't have normally gotten, but it might mean we get just a snack and leave early, rather than buy a meal. Last time we were there, we ate lunch before we got there and then gave the kids nutri-grain bars, raisins, and applesauce as snacks to hold them over until we spent nearly $40 on pizza for supper. Anyways, thanks for the info. Good to know about the options for my less-picky other kid.

 

[bearzabout]

We bought a Seaworld mug years ago and they still allow us to refill it as many times as we want with anything including icees for 99 cents less 10% for our annual pass discount. It solves our beverage problem. Our Seaworld mug is accepted at any of their parks. I hope they never change this policy.

I doubt they would have an issue once you explain your child's issues. I doubt they would check pant or coat pockets for food if you wanted to bring some stuff in without the long explanation at the gate.

We typically eat before we arrive and after leaving the park in order to get better quality food.

 

[delmar411]

They also offer a refillable popcorn bucket that fills for .74 after AP discount, I believe it is .85 full price for a refill. That is a reasonable snack option for locals or someone coming for more than just a day.

 

[Joanna71985]

They also offer a refillable popcorn bucket that fills for .74 after AP discount, I believe it is .85 full price for a refill. That is a reasonable snack option for locals or someone coming for more than just a day.

the cheetos popcorn is sooo good!

 

[Disneyfan754321]

This is the only park I dont bring food into..
I love the unlimited food pass thing they have..
We never buy them for the kids just the adults and it works out perfectly.. hopefully it doesnt go away.

 

[Evita_W]

Heads up everyone
View attachment 548896

This has been the case for a few years now (at least in San Diego, but I thought all of their parks) and they enforce it quite strictly, even for special dietary needs you have to have needs that the park cannot accommodate. The good news is their food is generally good and relatively inexpensive, especially with so many deals out there and they are very accommodating to most diets.

 

[yulilin3]

This has been the case for a few years now (at least in San Diego, but I thought all of their parks) and they enforce it quite strictly, even for special dietary needs you have to have needs that the park cannot accommodate. The good news is their food is generally good and relatively inexpensive, especially with so many deals out there and they are very accommodating to most diets.

this is brand new policy at SWO.

 

[Evita_W]

this is brand new policy at SWO.

Interesting, definitely not new in San Diego, their summer night time Sea Lion show even made fun of it when it started.