Theme park picnic bans

[meditrina]

This was discussed on today's breakfast news link to BBC website. Bans are already in place at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Zoo and Camelot at Chorley, and others (including Alton Towers and Thorpe Park) are considering it.

I think it's a dreadful idea - these places are expensive enough already, and queuing for (often mediocre) food would just take another chunk out of the day. But if the big players start doing this, then I suppose everyone will follow suit.

What does anyone else think?

[gkys]

are you serious? ffs, we could never afford a day to a theme park if we didn't take a picnic, not only that theme parks are all burgers fries and hotdogs,

mumsnet grans net need to organise a protest:

[TheCrackFox]

They are going to have to seriously improve their standard of catering for this to work. Not everyone wants (or can eat) badly made and cooked burger and chips.

It is time for parents to stop going to these kind of places.

[Pancakeflipper]

Really? I cannot believe this. Well people will just go to the car parks eat in the car and then go back in.

The food in these places is gross, over priced, little variety and don't have enough info for those on specialised diets due to medical conditions.

[Pancakeflipper]

And anyway I really like warm egg and tomato sarnies in my plastic Tupperware.

[Meglet]

It would put me off going to them, aren't they all stupidly expensive these days anyway? DS has allergies so I prefer to take our own food on days out.

I'm lucky mine are still pre-schoolers so they don't actually want to go to these places at the moment!

[GypsyMoth]

no,it says the zoo and camelot ALLOW picnics
where does it say others are considering a ban?

[Bizkit]

I saw the end of this debate but didn't know what theme Park they were talking about, I think it's a terrible idea and hope alton/ Thorpe etc don't follow suit. A protest is defiantly in order

[BeakerTheMuppetMuppet]

Really? They are serious?

So they all cater for ALL dietary requirements/restrictions?

(crosses off certain tourist 'attraction' from the Muppet family 'to visit' list )

[meditrina]

ILT: you're right - I read the last paragraph wrongly.

So discount some of OP: but we are left with a major attraction banning picnics - you'd have to leave the park, go to an adjacent area for the picnic, then re-enter the park (all too much of a faff?)

Is the answer to go to other attractions, so they do see a definite fall in numbers? And to email them to say that you won't be visiting for as long as such a ban is in place?

[BarbarianMum]

They aren't actually saying that you can't eat a packed lunch only that you have to leave the premesis to do it. At Blackpool to the 'specially provided picnic area in the car park just outside the main gate. Of course the idea is to make it awkward and inconvenient for you to do so so you by a burger etc.

I have worked for a couple of theme parks and their financial model always encouraged customers to spend the equivalent of the entrance price again on food/drink/photos/tat from the shop.

[chopchopbusybusy]

Disney parks do not allow picnics and haven't for years. They are very good with their special diet information though.
I asked Alton Towers guest services once which of their restaurants could offer gluten free food. Woman suggested Tesco in the nearest town!
I do agree with the pleasure beach that it's unfair for people to sit in their restaurants with their picnics. That's just bad manners. But they should provide picnic areas.

[gkys]

i would never take my own food into a restaurant that is rude, and who wants to sit in the car to eat on a day out, my four yr old couldn't handle waliking backwards and forwards,

no disney don't allow it but thats a holiday, we are talking a day out, lets be fair a picnic is part of the fun!

fuming, how do i organise a mumsnet petition then, i hate being a techno phobe

[mammabearx4]

So what about us folks with kids with serious food allergies then ! My DS is not keen on fast or high rides anyway but i think this is dreadful.I would still take safe foods for my DS anyway and they woukd have a fight on their hands if they tried to stop me lol !
They will be excluding a lot of people with this ban.

[GypsyMoth]

calm down everyone!!

the article says food allergies etc their are exceptions for

and as for a mumsnet campaign??? how many of us are want ing to actually go to Blackpool pleasure beach anyway???? why a campaign for one little theme park?

[SoupDragon]

I am allergic to overpriced junk food. Does that grant me an exemption?

[thumbwitch]

Oh that would seriously piss me off. I totally understand that they don't want people occupying their restaurant tables with picnic lunches, that's standard - but why not just have other tables around the place for people who bring their own? Or just an open grassy area for picnics?

If we can't bring our own food, we usually end up just eating chips. How is that good for anyone? Grrrr.

[hocuspontas]

So charging for car parking isn't enough?
If families didn't bring picnics the horrendous queues for food at mealtimes would be, well, doubly horrendous.

[Choufleur]

I've just emailed the pleasure beach asking what food they can provide for coeliac vegetarians.

[hocuspontas]

Sorry - didn't read the link

The car park rant was aimed at Merlin.

[GypsyMoth]

its not a big theme park with grassy areas tho,picnic benches take up their valuble space!!

if the others like alton towers,chessington etc did this then i'd have a problem. but its just blackpool. which as its a seaside resort,i'd be buying fish and chips at some point in the day anyway and candyfloss!!

[LynetteScavo]

But theme park food is seriously shit. I always think DH is being a tight when he suggests taking a picnic, and say "Oh no, lets just buy something" Then I end up faced with a pile of crap I don't really want to eat, which has just cost me the same as a new dress. And do I learn?

Theme parks are the most overrated places on the planet.

[GypsyMoth]

just looked on the website and the restaurant choice looks ok......maybe overpriced,but ok. and theres a pizza hut there if all else fails!!

[purepurple]

You can take picnics to Blackpool Zoo and it is a much better day out than the Pleasure Beach. you can even visit Stanley Park across the road for free and have as many picnics as you like.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the other hand, is all about fleecing you of your money. You used to be able to walk around and pay per ride. Not any more, everyone needs a wrist band now.
I have lived just outside Blackpool for 11 years now and have never set foot inside the pleasure beach. I have been to the zoo many times though.

[BooBooGlass]

If I can't take a picnic, I don't go. WE had a fab day out at the zoo recently (not one of the ones mentioned) and saved a fortune. The tickets alone and ice cream cost more than £40 for a family of 4, and ds is still free as he's under 3 (just). If they want to enforce this, drop the admission price. But don't expect people to adhere to it.
I don't for the life of me see hw they can enforce this though. On the royal weddign day, we went to a food festival, on which the terms and conditions stated quite clearly that no food and drink from outside was allowed. We all sat on a massive green in front of the big screen, and everyone there was unpacking scones, cakes, booze, the lot. The organisers still made a killing. (I was sweatign buckets at the thought of being caught with contraband booze though )