This is a guest post courtesy of Valerie at Affording the Mou$e.
I started my website, Affording the Mou$e , to help families save money on their Walt Disney World vacations. But keeping a food budget in check during a stay on Disney property can be a challenge. There are, however, simple ways to keep costs down without sacrificing or starving. Here are my top food tips that offer big savings with little work:
- Eat breakfast in your hotel room. This is one of the easiest ways to save up to $10 or more per person. Most resorts have coffee makers in the rooms, so you can easily heat water for instant oatmeal, grits, or other hot cereals. (At Value resorts, you can get a free cup of hot water at the food court.) Granola bars, fresh fruit, and cold cereal also make quick, inexpensive breakfasts. An added bonus: many breakfast items you can prepare in your room are more healthful than the pastries that you might find in the parks.
- Bring your own snacks and beverages. We take at least one bottle of water per person, as well as an assortment of crackers, bars, peanuts, etc. We even packed Uncrustables for my kids when they were going through their “picky eater” stages. Packing snacks saves money, but it also saves time. You can munch while you’re waiting in line for an attraction, rather than waiting in line to purchase food!
- Pack instant drink mix packets. These come in every variety, from teas and lemonades to vitamin/health drinks. One of the biggest price gouges on Disney property is beverages. Ordering tap water seems like a good alternative…until you taste Central Florida’s tap water—ick. But mixing in a packet of your favorite instant beverage covers the offensive taste/smell.
- Make lunch your big meal of the day. This is especially true for buffets. For example: Dinner at the Crystal Palace is $28.99 per adult and $13.99 for a child 3-9. For a family of four, two adults and two kids, it will run a whopping $85.96. Lunch at the same restaurant is $20.99 per adult and $11.99 per child, for a grand total of $65.96 for that same family of four. You save $20 by eating earlier! Lunch prices are good through around 2:30 or 3:00 PM, so you can have a late lunch and get by with a light dinner. (It’s also easier to get a seating at off-peak times.)
- Want to try a character meal but aren’t picky about which one? Try one of the less expensive meals, such as the Crystal Palace (Pooh characters) or the Tusker House (Donald & friends). Cinderella’s Royal Table will set you back nearly 30% more per person!
- Avoid peak season (summer and any major holiday). Disney charges “seasonal pricing” at buffet meals during these times. This means an upcharge of around $4 per person per meal.
- Buy ala carte. If you don’t want the fries that come with the combo meal, order the sandwich only. You can get almost anything as a single item, even if it’s not listed on the menu as such.
- If you’re a big soda or coffee drinker (and your resort doesn’t have a coffee pot), buy one of the reusable mugs sold at food courts in the resorts. They cost less than $15, and you get refills for the length of your stay. (Does not include juice or milk.)
- Where you order matters. That dessert from Chefs de France will be less expensive at the bakery behind the restaurant. A cup of Kona coffee will cost you more at Ohana than at the coffee bar just feet away. When you eat at a table service restaurant, you pay for the atmosphere along with the fabulous food.
- If you have a car, eat some meals off-site. My family loves Sweet Tomatoes and Chevy’s, but we don’t have these in our area. Both are just a short car ride from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We get large portions and great food at reasonable prices at both restaurants. Even better, sign up for their email list and receive coupons before you go.
Finally, here are what I consider to be the top 5 food “bargains” at Walt Disney World:
5. Sunshine Seasons in Epcot. While not everything in this counter service restaurant is cheap, there are definitely some bargains. Many of the fruits and veggies sold here are grown nearby in The Land attraction. Side salads, tuna pitas, and dozens of grab-n-go items are under $5. And this is THE place for healthful eating!
4. Condiment bars. Many of the counter service feature exceptional “dress your own” condiment bars. By adding enough toppings, you can turn a burger or potato into a meal. I’m especially fond of the taco bar at El Pirata y el Perico in the Magic Kingdom. For $5.99 you get two beef tacos, or for $7.29 you can have taco salad. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa as high as you can pile it!
3. Fresh produce. You can complement a less nutritious offering, such as a hot dog, with a healthy side, such as a banana, for as low as $1. Fruit cups are around $3, and many restaurants offer grapes or carrots as side dishes. Every park has at least one restaurant or cart with fresh produce choices.
2. The half rotisserie chicken with two sides. Most parks have some variation of this meal, large enough for two light eaters to share (certainly enough for a parent to share with a child). Sunshine Seasons (Epcot), Cosmic Ray’s (MK), and Flame Tree BBQ (AK) all have a similar meal for around $10.
1. I hesitate to divulge this best kept secret in WDW, tucked away in Epcot’s World Showcase, in the country known for its food: France. If you don’t care to indulge in the extravagance (and expense) that is Chefs de France, but still want to experience the taste sensations, try Boulangeri Patisserie. This cozy spot is in the rear of the pavilion is so subdued, you’d never realize that they serve some of the same foods as the other French restaurants–but at a fraction of the cost. Some items are as low as $1.95! My favorite value is the ham & cheese croissant. At just $3.25, it’s a perfect light lunch. But don’t stop there–you must try the chocolate mousse! And maybe the quiche. It’s OK…you can indulge…nothing on the menu is over $6!!! It’s a little out of the way, but definitely worth finding.
Valerie Gibbs is first and foremost a Disney enthusiast. She is passionate about helping families plan affordable Walt Disney World vacations. www.affordingthemouse.com
Disney World is the Most Magical Place On Earth. Be sure to learn how to make the most of your trip by reading the Disney World Training series. You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline. And if you are ready to book your trip, be sure to read about the perks of using an authorized Disney vacation planner (plus it’s FREE!).
While I can’t find it here, my favorite tip from you on saving money for dining was to purchase restaurant, com giftcards to use. its like a double savings deal! thanks for the awesome tips! we are saving for a Disney Cruise and i’ve found many of your tips helpful!
One of my #1 best tips, and all time favorite things to do for at least one dinner is to “eat around the world” at Epcot. We usually start in Mexico so we can end near France for sweets! Nearly all the countries have counter service restaurants – some are more varied than others – but it’s a great way to get a wide variety of flavors in one night!
Another great tip that we’ve used for years is to bring a Camelbak back pack. For those of you who may not know what it is, it is a water-filled back pack and well worth the investment. We would fill it up with ice and water before leaving the hotel and then usually fill it up at lunch and whenever else we needed. The dining areas are more than happy to give you ice. It was always refreshing to have cold/cool water with us at all times.
Disneyland – do you have any tips going in March and driving w/2 kids!
One other good thing about those resort cups is you can use them in the parks at certain places. Now ok maybe you arent supposed to, but when we go to epcot we use ours in the electric umbrella all the time and have seen others as well.
A few of my Disney tips…..
1. Don’t eat out at Disney at all. Just a few miles down the road if you have access to your own transportation….go into Kissimmee and dine there, they have tons of great restaurants and at a fraction of the cost. Many are open late so you can still catch the last shows at Disney and have a nice cheap dinner out.
2. Disney gives out free tap water in a cup. We usually bring one water container and fill it with their free ice cold water through out the day (then you can use the packets) LOVE IT. Free ice cold water at Disney is like gold.
3. Free maps. If you haven’t done this, they are totally awesome…..http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/customizedMaps/index?id=CustomizedMapsSampleMapsPage&bhcp=1
4. Biggest and best tip…..Go to the parks in reverse order. Everyone gets off the plane Sat. or Sun. and runs to the Magic Kingdom which leaves the “lesser” parks with lesser people. WOO HOO! Go to those parks first which is in reverse order of when they were made – Hollywood Studios on Monday, Animal Kingdom on Tuesday, Epcot on Wednesday, and Magic Kingdom on Thursday. You’ll notice a drastic change in the crowds the whole time. If you worried about your little prince’s and princess’ not being able to handle this little mess, make sure to beef up other things besides the castle and princesses and pirates….like Mickey Mouse’s club house (Hollywood studio’s) Character greet at Animal Kingdom which is awesome with again a fraction of the wait time….
4. The baby care centers have mini-kitchens – basically a sink and a microwave….you can bring soup and plastic containers and dine……they sky is the limit there. Make yourself familiar with where they are on the map the minute you get your bearings in the park. I no longer have a baby but we go there because it is really just a kid friendly spot!
5. Another great tip…fast passes! It is a little known face that some “managers” or “higher-up’s” have a little pad with blank fast passes. This happened to us once where there was some problem at the gates and we were sent over to the “will call” area. I wasn’t irate but after just braving the crowds and trams and rails, I was MORE than ready to get into the park. I was upset they knew it and when I gently expressed my concern out flew the fast passes!! They gave us three, which were for the entire party we were with. So a tip within a tip….we used those precious little babies at the Princesses and the Fairies. Let me tell you whatever had happened earlier was a distant memory…. The passes were a Gift from God!!!
6. Speaking of passes. Make sure to have someone break away from the pack and walk ahead of rest with all the tickets and get fast passes for the Peter Pan ride. Waits run upwards of an hour so if you go into the park and to the left round about the Bear Jamboree break away and walk ahead for the passes. If you come into the park and go right, round about the speedway is a good time to break away walk ahead and get passes. You won’t regret the minor hassle when you walk right past the hour wait and right onto the ride!!!!
questions email me at [email protected]
Hey Kristin,
Do you order the Orlando Entertainment book for when you go for food off site? I haven’t looked at it to see if it’s a good deal. We just moved to Tampa so I anticipate several disney trips this year with my family. Thanks. Tasha.
Great tips! Adults can order kids meals at counter services as well which saves money!
A great place to eat is right outside Downtown Disney, called Crossroads(about 2 minute car ride away). They have Unos, McDonald, Perkins, TGI Fridays etc. If you decide to go to Fridays, you can sit in the Bar area (which is huge and you don’t even feel like your near the bar) They have half off appetizers from 3pm-7pm and again from 9 til close :) I live 5 minutes from MK, and we NEVER eat in park, too expensive. Great list!
Thanks. This is great information. I am trying to learn all that I can about this years vacation spot for my family of three.
I just got back from WDW and these are great tips. The Boulangeri Patisserie is awesome; we got the chocolate mousse and a cream puff for around $7. I would also recommend ordering off the kid’s menu at counter service places; I would get a table while my boyfriend ordered his meal and my kid’s meal. We never had any problem with this and it saved money, plus it was the right sized portion for me.