3. The deal with food

If you’re planning to save money by bringing meals into the park with you, you’ll have an easier time of it at Walt Disney World than at Universal Studios. The list of prohibited items for Universal Studios specifically lists picnic lunches. You may not bring any food item that requires heating or refrigeration. All hard-sided coolers are prohibited and soft-sided coolers must be no larger than 8.5” wide, 6” high, and 6” deep. Universal allows bottled water, small snacks that do not require heating, and baby food or food required for medical purposes and special dietary needs.

Walt Disney World is much more lenient with food. If you’re willing to lug a larger cooler around with you all day, you’re welcome to do so. Size restrictions for coolers are more than double that at Universal. Coolers and backpacks must be no larger than 24” long, 15” wide, and 18” high. Most glass containers are prohibited, but baby food jars are allowed. Both parks prohibit alcoholic beverages.

4. Special considerations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom operates under slightly different guidelines from the other parks at Disney, as well as those at Universal. The abundance of live animals on display necessitates a few special safety measures. Balloons, straws, and drink lids are prohibited in this park. In most cases, this won’t have a big impact on what you bring in.

The one thing you need to think about is juice boxes. If you bring juice boxes or bags like Capri Sun into the park for children, security will ask you to ditch the straws at bag check. If you plan ahead, you can bring a sippee cup with you to pour these drinks into for your child. Paper straws are available inside the park, but they’re too big for a standard juice box.

Keep in mind that all drinks purchased in the park come without lids as well. If your child can’t drink from an unlidded cup without spilling, this is another compelling reason to bring your own lidded cup in with you.

5. Prohibited items

In addition to the items mentioned above, the list of prohibited items at Universal Studios also includes any cooler, suitcase, or bag on wheels. Folding chairs are prohibited in both Disney and Universal Parks. Disney’s list of prohibited items extends to include tripod stands that are too large to fit inside a standard backpack.

While there are helpful lists on both parks’ websites to guide your choice of what to bring into the park, these are not exhaustive. It’s up to the discretion of the security guards to decide what can and cannot come into the parks. In one instance there was a debate between two of the Cast Members at bag check as to whether someone could bring in a crochet hook. They let it in, but cautioned against bringing it again. Use your best sense when packing your bag and try to avoid any item that resembles or may be used as a weapon.

If you don’t have children and a stroller to stash your bag in, keep in mind that you will carry it with you throughout the day. Have the essentials on hand, but don’t overpack, particularly at Universal Studios where your belongings will spend most of the day in a locker. If you can fit your essentials in a pocket, you’ll skip bag check and the locker dance entirely, offering a much smoother option for your day.