Yesterday, Shanghai Disney made an adjustment to its regulations which saw the inclusion of a new rule stating ‘food and alcoholic / non-alcoholic beverages more than 600 ml can no longer be brought into the park.’
Since there was no official announcement about this new regulation, yesterday many tourists were caught off guard. They had packed snacks to enjoy during the day, however before being granted entry they were told to either consume the food or discard in the rubbish bins.
The park also offers a system to ‘hold’ your items for you, until you exit the park and collect them, however this also comes at a price. “We intended to deposit our food,” complains Huang, who took her daughter to Shanghai Disney yesterday. “But we changed our mind because the cost is 40 yuan. We ate some of the food and had to throw the rest in the trash bin. It’s quite ridiculous.”
The new rule has led to a heated discussion on social media with many netizens complaining about the low-quality dining options available at the park.
“Disney food is really bad. Now we can’t bring our own food? Great...” -@quandoushibitchi
“I can accept the price of the ticket, but I can’t accept the price of the food there.” -@baqundumpyuan
There are also people think the new regulation may have a point.
“Disney food is not that bad. The new rule may be a result of the littering problem at the park.” -@sylviacoco
There is currently a poll on Weibo about this new rule. According to the results, the majority of participants are against it, while only 3.8% show support.
The park has commented this new regulation is due to ‘operational needs,’ which mirrors most of the other amusement parks in China, along with Hong Kong Disneyland, where visitors are also banned from bringing their own food.
Shanghai Disney has also commented it will provide more satisfying dining option for tourists, with different favors and budgets. For visitors who don’t want to eat Disney food, they are able to leave the park for meals, and reenter with their ticket.
To make sure you are prepared next time you visit Shanghai Disney, here is a list of items currently prohibited from entry.
