Packing snacks for the park/plane

[MissMaryEli]

I’m curious, for those that pack snack to the park or airplane; what’s your favorite way to pack snacks? Reusable containers? Ziploc bags? Something else? I plan on bringing granola and trail mix and can’t decide how I want to pack it for the plane and park.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

Last couple of times I flew, they inspected all food items. I had to take the items out of travel bag and have it scanned separately. Not worth the trouble IMO. At the parks, we take granola bars, grapes (in zipper bags) or Cheeze-Its in individual bags.

 

[nickys]

If I’m flying anywhere, domestic or international, I only take unopened snacks through security. Although I may have a pack of polos or something in my bag I guess.

Coming from the U.K., I make sure anything opened gets left on the plane. And any fruit is binned of course. To be fair, I do both flying anywhere internationally, just in case. Except that packet of mints!

If I take anything to the park it’s usually fruit. I don’t remember taking anything else, although when the boys were young and we stayed offsite I guess we did.

 

[Patcheslee]

My understanding is through security at airport is unopened only. Usually fit in a quart baggie of fruit snacks, roll ups, and the dried fruit snacks in DD9s bag. She's in charge of that bag for screening instead of 3-1-1 bag. It's see through so less handling needed by security. Also pack some snacks in reusable hard sided containers in checked bag. They are less likely to get smashed.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Unopened packages for the plane. In the parks we bring trail mix, nuts, packaged cookies, beef jerky, cheese or peanut butter crackers. They all hold up well with the heat and humidity. We put daily snacks in baggies and carry them in pocket or backpack. Security will look at them and pass them through. Occasionally I'll get a security guard ask me if I'm going to share the snacks with him.

 

[Patcheslee]

Unopened packages for the plane. In the parks we bring trail mix, nuts, packaged cookies, beef jerky, cheese or peanut butter crackers. They all hold up well with the heat and humidity. We put daily snacks in baggies and carry them in pocket or backpack. Security will look at them and pass them through. Occasionally I'll get a security guard ask me if I'm going to share the snacks with him.

Pack Cheerios in a ziploc and label "donut seeds". Mom is a clown so sarcasm runs in the family.

 

[MissMaryEli]

I have packed opened food in the past without problem. I’m just wondering if there’s a better way to do so.

 

[PeakSeason]

I have packed opened food in the past without problem. I’m just wondering if there’s a better way to do so.

You may have done so in the past but TSA has tightened the guidelines concerning food at many airports. Be prepared for the possibility that they will not allow your food through security. We now purchase all food and drinks once we've passed screening to avoid issues and additional scrutiny.

Some specifics:
-The last time we flew with baby food and formula (all sealed) even those items required inspection at a separate security station before anyone in our party could continue on. They also hand inspected every other item that was in the same bag as the food and formula, including pacifiers, teething toys, spoons and bottles. I had to request that the person handling our items put on clean gloves before contaminating the babies items.
-Last year when heading home from Disney after attending the Halloween event, everyone had to give up any candy that they had in their carry on bags.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

You may have done so in the past but TSA has tightened the guidelines concerning food at many airports. Be prepared for the possibility that they will not allow your food through security. We now purchase all food and drinks once we've passed screening to avoid issues and additional scrutiny.

Some specifics:
-The last time we flew with baby food and formula (all sealed) even those items required inspection at a separate security station before anyone in our party could continue on. They also hand inspected every other item that was in the same bag as the food and formula, including pacifiers, teething toys, spoons and bottles. I had to request that the person handling our items put on clean gloves before contaminating the babies items.
-Last year when heading home from Disney after attending the Halloween event, everyone had to give up any candy that they had in their carry on bags.

This and it’s not just MCO. We have had the same thing happen to us at 4 other airports this past year, with unopened food. Not worth the hassle to us.

 

[Hakunamatata]

You may have done so in the past but TSA has tightened the guidelines concerning food at many airports. Be prepared for the possibility that they will not allow your food through security. We now purchase all food and drinks once we've passed screening to avoid issues and additional scrutiny.

Some specifics:
-The last time we flew with baby food and formula (all sealed) even those items required inspection at a separate security station before anyone in our party could continue on. They also hand inspected every other item that was in the same bag as the food and formula, including pacifiers, teething toys, spoons and bottles. I had to request that the person handling our items put on clean gloves before contaminating the babies items.
-Last year when heading home from Disney after attending the Halloween event, everyone had to give up any candy that they had in their carry on bags.

This. TSA has become somewhat quirky. You cant depend on consistency and I think they do that on purpose to try to keep things more secure.

 

[HwdStudio]

I have packed opened food in the past without problem. I’m just wondering if there’s a better way to do so.

Airport security has recently started inspecting all food items. It wastes a lot of time for the traveler but is being implemented nationwide. It’s just not worth it in my opinion unless you purchase after going through security. I have recently seen security make someone toss an open container of food.

 

[DryerLintFan]

As previous posters mentioned, we pack unopened packages of snack and breakfast items and a bunch of ziplock bags. Yes it will cost you a couple extra minutes at TSA, but it will save you a bunch of money while at the parks. For sandwiches, we pack the bread rounds instead of a loaf of bread because that holds up better in both the suitcases and the park bags.

One thing I would REALLY stress to you, though, is that there is nothing you can pack from home that is going to seem more delicious than a Mickey bar or park popcorn. Nothing. Even if you don't normally eat it at home. So try not to over pack food. You'll need to be very stubborn and determined to stick to eating what you brought instead of buying park food most of the time, so be prepared for the internal struggle.

 

[crxbrett]

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/food

There's a detailed list of what is and what is not allowed.

Last year we took ziploc bags with homemade cookies and brownies on the plane with zero issues, so did things change in the last 12 months? I know they are more strict with gel and liquids than solids, too.

 

[bigorangeandy]

I will usually take zip-lock bags with any snacks into the parks and have had no issues. I like zip-locks because after I've eaten the snack I can either toss them in the trash, or return them to my pack for reuse later. I've flown several times in the last two months flying out of Atlanta and Denver and not had any issues with snacks in zip-locks going through security.

 

[SuddenlyDisney]

My experience with airports is they've never given me any problem carrying whatever I wanted in the way of food on as long as any liquids are kept under 3 ounces and placed in my freedom baggie. I've often carried a sandwich, cut fruit, and / or a salad. I've often carried single packages of snack foods, but I have just as often carried chips in a ziploc baggie.

Now treatment of that food on arrival is a different matter if traveling internationally. If I have leftovers from my lunch I just throw them away before getting off the plane. The only time I've had an issue internationally is when I brought tea back from England. It wasn't a huge problem, just the little sniffer doggie highlighted my bag. The inspection guys were really nice. As soon as they saw it was tea from East India Tea Company they went full on Squueee! because they said it was so good. There is nothing quite like a couple of brawny, serious security guys going full on squee! so that was quite amusing.

When I go to visit my family in Ohio I often freeze cheese to bring home because I can't get many of the special cheeses I grew up with where I live now. I usually put the cheese in my checked bag. I freeze it because I read some of the softer cheeses can show up on scans the same as explosives. I'm not really certain at what point a cheese is soft enough for that and it is not a problem to freeze cheese, so I just freeze it all.

The only food I've ever had a problem with in my checked bag was the time I was bringing home a half gallon of maple syrup in my checked bag. Even then they just opened the bag and pulled it out to look at. I know that because although I had packed it in among my clothing to keep it safe on arrival it was on top with a note saying they'd opened my bag on top of it.

 

[Disney4family]

My daughter's backpack was jammed with opened and unopened snacks when we flew out of MCO a few weeks ago. We didn't have to unpack anything and they didn't say anything. This was in the TSA Pre-Check line.