Shanghai Disney Resort allows visitors to enter with outside food after dispute

Shanghai Disney Resort on Wednesday implemented a new policy allowing visitors to bring food and beverage into its theme park after its food ban triggered a dispute.

Tourists take a group photo in front of the Disney castle in Shanghai Disneyland Resort. [File Photo: UPI via IC/Stephen Shaver]

Andrew Bolstein, Shanghai Disney Resort senior vice president of operations, said guests are allowed to bring outside food and beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided that they do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.

He said in order to minimize the impact of the security screening on guests, the resort's team will provide a more guest-friendly security screening process.

The resort introduced the food ban in November 2017 to prohibit any outside food or snacks into the park, only allowing beverages in bottles less than 600 ml.

Visitors complained about the ban and the high dining costs inside the park. In March, a law student sued the resort after being refused entry with snacks.