Shanghai Disneyland under fire for banning outside food

Shanghai Disneyland's has been under fire over the past week, after a lawsuit against the park's ban on outside food generated widespread public discussion.

Shanghai Disneyland. [File Photo: IC]

The no-outside-food policy is overbearing and its only purpose is to make more money for the park, Qiu Baochang from the China Consumers' Association told the China Consumer Journal.

The legality of the ban has also been questioned: A lawyer named Wei Yilin told journalists with People's Daily that the rule is an unfair restriction on consumer rights. According to China's Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, proprietors should not impose restrictions that limit the legal rights of consumers.

Chen Jian from the consumers association said consumers are free to decide whether or not to buy food or beverages inside the park. And he said that the park is infringing on consumer's right to privacy and dignity by asking them to open their bags and have their personal belongings checked before they can enter the park.

"Searching bags for a security check is normal when it comes to ensuring public safety, but such a search, if it's for the park to profit and to restrict consumers from bringing their own food, that would constitute an infringement of consumers' right to privacy and dignity," Chen told journalists with China National Radio.

Shanghai Disneyland is also being accused of double standards. Three out of the six Disneyland parks around the world allow people to bring in food and drinks; it's only the company's three parks in Asia – in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai – that have a no-outside-food-and-drink policy.