Can You Bring Your Own Food On A Disney Cruise?

If you're headed on a Disney cruise, maybe you're hoping to save some money by bringing your own snacks or even full meals onboard. Unfortunately, there's a mix of good news and bad news for you. The good news is that you are allowed to bring "snacks" onboard, in the words of Disney's official policy. The bad news is that the rules are somewhat restrictive, so for substantial meals, you'll likely have to brave the cruise buffet.

Here's the lowdown: Only nonperishable food items (that is, foods that won't expire quickly) can be brought onboard, and they must be sealed and in their original packaging. So, these rules alone take a lot of options off the table. Produce like fruit is out ("agricultural items" are specifically mentioned in a list of banned items), as is anything that might need refrigeration, be it cheese, dips, or charcuterie. (That said, Disney cruise rooms do typically have mini fridges, so you could theoretically store perishable items.) Since food needs to be in its original packaging, homemade snacks are out too (even if they're nonperishable). Pre-prepared meals are also a no-go (and this seems to be regardless of whether they're commercially made and sealed), as they're explicitly mentioned as non-allowed. So in effect, you can go wild with snacky items like chips, nuts, store-bought cookies, and so forth, but anything with a short expiry date or that requires preparation would be likely not allowed. Breast milk for babies is one notable exception.

On the upside, Disney is more flexible with drinks. Nonalcoholic beverages are permitted (although they have to fit in your carry-on bag), as are limited amounts of alcohol: two wine bottles or six beers per person. While there are mini fridges in cabins, you can't bring coolers larger than about 12 inches, either. If you want to consume the wine in a dining room, you'll also have to pay a hefty $29 corkage fee. Be warned that if your cruise stops along the way, you can't restock, as this limit is total for the whole cruise.

Maybe you're one of those people who wants to exploit the gray areas in the rules, and you're thinking you can get away with some dried pasta and shelf-stable jarred sauce, and just throw it together in your cabin. Whether or not it's excessive to bring, say, a hotplate and pots or pans on board can be debated, especially considering that you're only allowed two bags per person. But in any case, Disney thought of this kind of situation when it put together its list of banned items. Most appliances can't be brought onboard except for things like electric razors and hairdryers, and items like hot plates, rice cookers, toaster ovens, and coffee makers are all explicitly banned. While there's nothing stopping you from trying to sneak things onboard, Disney reportedly does x-ray luggage before you board, so it may not be worth the risk.