Don’t let dining at Disney break the bank! Here are 10 tips to save on food at Walt Disney World:
Purchase the dining plan. As long as you take a few minutes to do your own research to verify that the dining plan is worth it for your family, you can use it to save a couple hundred dollars on dining if you are staying for 7 nights.
Purchase Tables in Wonderland card. If you are an annual passholder, Florida resident or DVC member, you can purchase the Tables in Wonderland card ($175 for Florida Residents and $150 a year for annual/seasonal passholders or Disney Vacation Club members). This card will allow you to save 20% off food and beverage purchases at most restaurants.
Eat breakfast in your room. Breakfast expenses can quickly add up. Either pack breakfast foods or order them from Garden Grocer. Eating in your room could save you as much as $225 on a 7 night stay.
Bring your own water. It is hot in Florida and you need to stay hydrated. Bottles of water cost $3.00 in the parks. You can get free ice water at any snack stand or counter service restaurants that has fountain beverages, but that isn’t always practical. By bringing your own water, you can save almost $60 (if you purchased 24 bottles of water in the parks). You can even ship water to you resort.
Stay in a room with a kitchenette. If you book a room with a kitchenette, you can prepare lunch or dinner in your room too. On one of our trips, we stayed in a Villa and we went back to the resort for lunch and dinner. It saved us a ton of money and we got to enjoy the perks of a Deluxe Resort. You can book rooms off-site and save even more money.
Bring food to the parks. Disney allows you to bring your own food into the parks in a soft sided cooler. If you don’t want to haul the food around with you, rent a locker at the entrance to the parks.
Share food. You can share entrees at counter service or table service restaurants (excluding buffets). Many of the portions are oversized and in the Florida heat you really don’t want to over eat. By sharing, you save money and you won’t be miserable after the meal.
Have a plan. If you plan where you will eat in advance, it will save you more money than if you wing it. All of the menus for every restaurant are available on the Disney website. It also includes prices and indicates which foods are included on the dining plans.
Skip kids meals. If you have 2 or more kids or your child eats like a bird, skip the kids meal. You can split an adult portion between 2 kids for less than the cost of 2 kids meals (just ask for an extra cup and plate) or you can share your food with your child.
Be strategic with your dining reservations. Skip breakfast reservations and opt for a lunch reservation at 1 pm instead. You can eat breakfast in the room, a snack around 10:30 and then eat a large lunch. This might keep you satisfied until later in the evening too! Plus it will get you in the air conditioning for an hour or two during the hottest part of the day. Lunch is also cheaper than dinner!
Here are the 5 best character breakfasts at Walt Disney World.
Learn more about Walt Disney World Dining and get suggestions for where to eat, how to use the Disney Dining Plan and more.