The Mer de Sable, an amusement park located in Ermenonville in the Oise region, allows picnics within its grounds. This feature, absent in many competing parks, radically changes the budget equation for a family day out. Between on-site dining, packed meals, and a few simple choices, the food budget can vary from one to three times depending on the decisions made even before entering the park.
To find all the information on E-woman regarding dining at the park, the details of the meal options, and visitor feedback will be useful in preparing for your visit.
Park Restaurants: Menu, Meal Options, and Portion Sizes
The park features several fast food outlets spread across the site. The Saloon offers a wide selection of burgers with drinks and desserts included. The Farm West focuses on chicken specialties, also available as a complete meal. The Bayou Hideout serves tacos.
In addition to these restaurants, there are kiosks and cafeteria-style outlets scattered along the attraction paths. The Mississipi Pizz’, listed on the official site, adds to the offerings with pizzas.
The layout is that of a medium-sized park: no table service restaurants, no gourmet dining. Meal options generally include drinks and desserts, simplifying the calculations. The service level remains that of themed fast food, with a Wild West decor that is part of the experience for children.
One point to anticipate: the lines at the restaurants get longer between noon and 1:30 PM. Shifting lunch by half an hour, to around 11:30 AM or after 1:30 PM, frees up time for attractions while the majority of visitors are eating.
Picnicking at Mer de Sable: Covered Areas and Family Facilities
The park provides outdoor picnic tables, as well as covered picnic areas. This option protects against the summer sun as well as unexpected rain, making it much more comfortable than a simple bench outdoors.
For families with young children, the park has baby care stations equipped with changing tables and microwaves. Heating a small jar or a bottle is no problem, with no obligation to purchase food at a park restaurant.
What to Pack in Your Bag
Preparing a picnic suitable for a day at the park requires a minimum of organization the day before. Here are some practical tips:
- Foods that can withstand several hours without refrigeration: sandwiches, wraps, whole fruits, pouches of applesauce, granola bars. Avoid unwrapped dairy products and sliced deli meats that spoil quickly in warm weather.
- A rigid cooler bag with ice packs rather than a simple plastic bag. The temperature difference after four hours is significant.
- Enough water, at least one bottle per person for the day. Water fountains are not always easy to locate in the park.
- Reusable utensils and a trash bag. Picnic areas remain pleasant when everyone takes their waste with them.
The budget savings from picnicking are direct: lunch for a family of four costs a fraction of the price of meal options. The difference allows for reallocating the budget towards tickets, parking, or an ice cream in the afternoon without guilt.
Food Budget at the Park: Key Factors That Make a Difference
The food budget during a visit to an amusement park is managed in advance. Three choices weigh more heavily than others on the final bill.
The first concerns the choice between on-site dining and picnicking. Mixing the two also works: picnic at noon, then a snack or drink purchased at the park in the afternoon. This hybrid approach reduces expenses without depriving children of the pleasure of ordering something “like at a restaurant.”
The second lever concerns drinks purchased on-site. A bottle of water or soda bought at a kiosk costs much more than at a supermarket. Bringing your own drinks and reserving on-site purchases for occasional treats (an ice cream, a churros) keeps the budget in check.
Planning the Day Around Meals
The third lever is timing. Arriving early at the park’s opening allows for enjoying attractions and shows before the crowd settles in. Having lunch at a staggered time, as mentioned earlier, also avoids impulsive purchases made while waiting in a restaurant line with hungry children.
For a visit on a tight budget, here’s a sequence that works:
- A hearty breakfast before leaving, in the car or at home, to stave off hunger until late morning.
- Picnic around 11:30 AM in a covered area, before the lunch rush.
- A light snack bought at the park in the mid-afternoon, the only food purchase of the day on-site.
This organization transforms an outing that may seem expensive into a day managed from the first to the last euro. The park itself encourages this flexibility by allowing personal meals, which is significant in the amusement park sector.
Mer de Sable remains one of the few amusement parks in Île-de-France where the question “where to eat” does not boil down to choosing between two captive fast-food options. The possibility of picnicking in covered areas, baby care stations with microwaves, and a themed fast food offering cover all situations, from the tightest budget to a relaxed visit without a cooler.