Bringing Your Own Food to Disney ANd Other Hacks

In a recent blog post we talked about the Disney Dining Plans. If those plans didn't sound right for you, no problem! There are a lot of other options that might suit you better. 

Part of the fun of a vacation for us is eating out, and trying new foods and restaurants, but you can still do that and not pay a fortune with a few of these tips. 

Bring Your Own Drinks

We have an entire blog post about that. Just bringing in your own drinks can save hundreds! Click here to read that, or keep on reading to find out just about the food!


In room breakfast

While breakfast isn't the only meal of the day that you could eat in your room, it really is the most logical to do, because it's a time of day where most people don't eat a lot, they eat it quickly and it's a pretty simple meal. Things like fresh fruit, oatmeal packets, cold cereal, bagels, granola bars or yogurt are all things that are not only easy to bring with you at the park, or get from a store nearby, but also store nicely. Most rooms have mini fridges, and some even have microwaves. Not only will your wallet save big by eating an in room breakfast, you'll save a lot of time too. 



Pack your snacks

If you carry a bag into the parks with you, why not toss in a bottle of water and a snack or two? Again, you'll save quite a bit of money bringing a snack versus buying one, and you could also eat while you are waiting in line for a ride, saving even more time and then pick out something special later when you have more time to enjoy it, or are hungrier.  



Picnic in the park

Disney has a generous policy that allows you to bring a soft sided cooler (like this one here, for example) into the park with drinks and food. Frequent visitors or families with kids, especially those with special dietary needs, or those who just don't want what's on the menu can pack their own food (with plenty of cold packs or ice so no one gets sick) and then find a shady spot to break out the lunch when everyone is ready. If you aren't wanting to lug around more than you have to, freeze your waters and juice the night before and by lunchtime, not only will your food still be a safe temperature, but you will also have cold drinks. 



Think small! 

Adults are allowed to order off of the kids menus at Quick Service, and a lot of those meals are perfect for a smaller appetite, or one reduced by the heat of summer. It's not all just peanut butter and jelly, at Backlot Express in Hollywood Studios, you can get the Darkside Chicken and Waffles, with chicken nuggets, a waffle, small drink and your choice of size between fries, carrot sticks, grapes or a cookie. 



Split a meal

Another option is to split a meal. Some of the sandwiches are pretty big, pairs with fries you definitely could share with a friend. 



Snack your way through
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A popular thing to do in Epcot and Magic Kingdom is to snack your way around the world. Epcot has a ton of international treats both savory and sweet and you can get everything from sushi to french baguettes or eclairs pretty reasonably. With all those snacks right there, who really wants to stop for meals?  



While the Disney Dining Plan is great, if you need more flexibility in your schedule, one of these options might be just right for you! Do you have a strategy for eating at Disney?