How do you dine at Disney on a budget? While it’s not easy with all that delicious food swirling around you – like the Be Our Guest scene in Beauty and the Beast – there are ways of managing a food budget and allowing yourself to feel treated at the same time.
Here we suggest five tips to make your money go further. And be sure to read our piece on our favourite budget-friendly dining options at Disney for when you do want to eat out without spending big.
Time your booking
First of all, try to time your booking so you get a free Disney Dining Plan. Disney’s dining offers – which apply if you stay at a Disney-based hotel – tend to kick in around April (if you’re booking for the following year) and if you can grab a free dining plan, you’re basically getting at least one quick service meal and some drinks for free – or you can upgrade and get a daily full service meal for a reduced price. This is one of the biggest savings you can make when booking a Disney holiday – see our piece on free dining at Walt Disney World – and means you won’t have to worry as much about additional food costs when you’re on your magical Disney holiday. Remember – if you plan to travel in the Easter holidays, this deal isn’t available at all hotels, so maybe consider a summer break if this is a concern.
Work with a budget
You tend to have to secure your Disney dining reservations at the most popular restaurants 60 days in advance. The best way of budgeting for food is to study the menus – which are usually available online – and price your food costs around those. It may feel ridiculous to select what you might be eating so far in advance, but your budget will thank you for it. Our advice is to choose a few restaurants, strategically timed during the course of your holiday, and then budget your remaining meals accordingly. Remember, food in the US is very filling and you won’t want to eat big every day – often a big breakfast, snack for lunch and light meal in the evening will be plenty.
Do your shopping
A lot of US guests get a Walmart delivery to their rooms. While hotel fridges tend to be a little on the small side to store a whole weekly shop, you can get a few good value meals, meaning you’re not buying food at the parks every day.
Eat a big breakfast
If you’ve never breakfasted in the US before, you are in for a treat. Crispy bacon, pancakes with maple syrup, Mickey waffles… and that’s just for starters. Most of the Florida hotels offer a buffet style selection, so our advice is to dig in and dine like a king – then eat lighter meals later in the day.
Get take out
As we’ve said, portions in the US are pretty massive, so make the most of that. Doggy bags are part and parcel of American dining, so rather than eating until you burst, why not request some of your meal gets parcelled up so you can take it back to your room? Provided you store it correctly, there’s no reason why it can’t make you a reasonable meal the following day too. Likewise, Disney breakfasts are enormous, so pack up any leftover fruit for a snack later in the day – far less wasteful than binning it and better for your budget too.
Pack your lunch
You are allowed to bring any food or snacks that don’t need reheating into the Disney Parks – so do it! Provided they’re not packed in glass containers, sandwiches, crisps, sweets and fruit are all welcome – and will give you a healthier (and cheaper) alternative to some of the food on sale. If you’re seeking somewhere quiet to eat, see our pick of Disney’s quiet locations. And remember to bring a drinks bottle too (again, not glass) – many of Disney’s food outlets will fill them with water for free, saving you on drinks too.
