Planning a Walt Disney World vacation on a budget? Here’s some of the best ways to eat cheap at Disney World!
I’m a mom of 4, which means that we are always looking for ways to save on our Disney vacations.
I hope you find some amazing money saving tips on food for your next Disney vacation!
1) Eat Breakfast at the Hotel
I think the best way to save money on food is to eat breakfast at your hotel. You’ll save money every single day of your trip doing this and for my family, it’s the least intrusive way to save but still have a fun vacation.
If you are staying off-site, be sure to check to see if your hotel offers a free breakfast. Disney hotels do not offer free breakfast.
We always make a local grocery store run when we arrive in Orlando to get breakfast bars, trail mix, cereal, milk, fruit, and other cheap items for the week. We tend to find the best prices at Walmart or Target.
If you don’t have a car, you can use Instacart or the Kroger delivery service to grab some cheap breakfast items for the week!
My kids usually eat in the hotel room while my husband and I are packing and preparing for a day in the parks. I often bring my breakfast into the parks with me and eat it while we wait in line.
2) Pack Snacks
If you are planning on carrying a bag, even if it’s just a crossbody purse, go ahead and fill it up with a few snacks like crackers, granola bars, apples, etc.
Mid morning snack time can give you a boost and helps you avoid paying for an expensive snack or a really large lunch. So pack food and you can save a ton of money!
3) Entree Only
Did you know that most quick service restaurants will allow you to just order the entree without the side?
If you just want the chicken strips without the fries, you can save a few dollars by simply ordering the entree only instead of the full meal.
4) Kids Meal
Another fun way to save money is that adults can order kids meals at quick service locations.
Sometimes the kids meals aren’t much smaller than the adult size!
5) Dine Off-Site
If you are staying off-site it totally makes sense to eat off-site. When my kids were young, we would head back to our off-site condo for an afternoon nap.
Before we settled in the for afternoon we would drop by a Chic-fil-a or grab a pizza. Everything costs more on Disney property, so if you can go off-site, you will find cheaper options.
6) Share a Meal
Sometimes you might not feel as hungry, due to the heat and other times you might have a child who literally eats 5 fries and calls it a day.
Knowing this before you order, you can save some money by sharing a meal between 2 kids or sharing with your child. Worst case scenario, you need to eat more snacks from your bag later.
7) Free Water
Did you know that you can find free water cups at quick-service establishments? Some places will have a free ice water cooler set out with cups for you to help yourself and at other locations, you’ll need to ask for free water to go along with your meal.
Either way, drinking free water instead of soft drinks is one of the easiest ways to save money on food at Disney!
There’s also water refill stations around the parks for your refillable water bottle.
8) Eat a Big Breakfast
Are you a breakfast person?
As a kid, I remember my parents hitting a breakfast buffet off-site and having us teens fill up for the day. I never could eat enough at one sitting that I didn’t want lunch later….but maybe that’s you!
It won’t work for everyone, but maybe it will work for your situation.
9) Resort Pizza
Save money by grabbing a pizza at your Disney resort.
If you can share a large pizza between 3-4 people, you will definitely save money versus buying individual meals for each person.
10) Disney Gift Cards
Another way to eat cheap at Disney World is to save a percentage off of each purchase. How can you do that? You can buy Disney Gift Cards.
You might see deals at places like Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon, etc. selling these cards for a little less than the card value.
You can spend Disney gift cards at any of the Disney owned restaurants at the theme parks.
11) Disney Dining Plan
If you are able to score a free Disney Dining Plan offer when you buy your vacation package, this can be an excellent way to save money on food.
To find out how it works and the best ways to use it, you can learn more about the Disney Dining plan here.
12) Quick Service Restaurants
You can make the most of your money by sticking to quick service meals versus getting a table service meal. You’ll find the cheap eats at a reasonable price at most quick service restaurants.
13) Use the My Disney Experience App
Curious about the prices of food in the parks? You can use the My Disney Experience App as well as the Disney website to check out prices on the menus.
Simply choose a restaurant you are interested in and then click view Menu.
You can find the current prices and see what each restaurant offers.
It’s an easy way to find out which restaurants have the best budget-friendly options that your family will enjoy.
14) Breakfast vs. Lunch
Some table service restaurants charge cheaper prices at breakfast compared to lunch and dinner.
If you are hoping to enjoy one of the many wonderful table service locations, doing breakfast can be a good option to save a little money.
More Disney Vacation Planning Tips
Learn all about the Best Places to Go at Disney Springs with Kids. So many fun ideas that kids will enjoy.
Find our best tips for saving money at Disney World here. So many ideas to do Disney on a Budget.
Learn about the Best Rides for Toddlers at Magic Kingdom here.
Interested in the Disney Meal Plan? See if the Disney Dining Plan is Worth it here!
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