An aerial view of the Enchanted Storybook Castle in Shanghai Disneyland at Shanghai Disney Resort in Pudong, Shanghai, China on June 4 Photo: IC

Four Chinese university students are suing Shanghai Disney Resort for banning visitors from taking food into the park, local media has reported.

In January, a student and her friends were stopped by Shanghai Disney staff from entering the resort carrying snacks, which the staff said is against resort regulations, the Shanghai Observer reported on Saturday.

The students' request for a refund was rejected and they dumped the food outside. 

The students filed a lawsuit against the resort for the regulation, which they believed was illegal, asking 46.3 yuan ($6.6) for the food and to abolish the ban. 

The case was adopted by a court in Shanghai Pudong on April 23 and awaits a final result.

The student told the newspaper Disney only bans food at its Asia branches and although the rule was published on its websites, she did not receive relevant tips while purchasing the ticket and before entering the park. The article did not fully name the student.

Although Shanghai Disney claims the food ban is due to hygiene reasons, that did not stop Chinese net users from speculating that Disney is applying double standards in Asia and forcing tourists to buy their food. 

Some users also complained about the high food prices inside Shanghai Disney. For example, a 500 milliliter Pepsi costs 20 yuan, seven times the normal price.   

"Guests are allowed to bring food items - such as snacks or foods that do not require heating - into Disney theme parks," Walt Disney World said on its official website. 

"Disney has infringed on tourists' right of choice. As a US company, it is improper to apply a double standard on Asian countries," Liu Junhai, a business law professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing told the Global Times on Sunday.