Here’s Why You’ll Never See Gum at Disney Parks

On a recent trip to Disney World, one of our social media editors was surprised that he couldn’t find gum anywhere. Being the curious humans that we are, we had to find out why there’s no gum in the parks. Is Disney worried about gum being stuck to the pavement? Have there been issues with gum stuck to the character costumes?

Turns out this is a hot topic of conversation among the Disney-obsessed.

Though we’ve reported extensively on Disney’s food secrets in the past, we hadn’t heard about the so-called gum ban until now, so we reached out to Disney for an explanation.

Does Disney sell gum?

Nope! Editors at our sister brand Reader’s Digest previously confirmed with a Disney parks representative that gum is not sold in the parks, but our eight emails and three calls to Disney for an explanation went unanswered, with the exception of one, which included only a link to the Park Rules FAQ.

I read the FAQ, and gum wasn’t mentioned once. In fact, if you search the term “gum” on the Walt Disney website, not one result appears. Disney does not want gum at the House of Mouse.

“I’m not surprised,” says Disney travel specialist Jonathan Alder, who’s studied all things Disney since the age of 10. He tells us that the gum rule makes total sense since the parks are remarkably clean, with no old chewing gum spots on the concrete.

To learn more, we went to Reddit. Over at The Most Magical Subreddit on Earth!, one Redditor shared, “I’ve been on this sub for a few years and haven’t seen this, so here’s an FYI: Disney hates gum! Not only can you not buy it anywhere at WDW — you can’t even buy any at the Orlando airport!”

The most likely explanation for the Disney gum embargo is that it prevents custodial Cast Members from having to deal with sticky situations. It’s one way the parks stay so clean!

Can you take gum into Disney parks?

Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images

Though buying gum at Disney is impossible, gum itself is not banned. You can bring gum from home and still be allowed entry into the parks. Just be prepared for a questionable eyebrow raise from the person searching your bag at the gate.

What items are banned at Disney?

You won’t find gum on the list of banned items at Disney, but there are plenty of other items. You can’t bring in fireworks, selfie sticks or tripods. You’ll never see mosquitos at Disney World, either.

When it comes to food and beverages, outside alcohol is not allowed, but you can bring your own food and nonalcoholic drinks in a cooler. Save the copycat Dole Whip for at home, though, and buy the real deal at Magic Kingdom.