While the country seems to finally be nosing it’s way out of the recession, many families are are starting to look at taking that much needed vacation, but of course, looking to take that vacation with a much more cautious budget. With my much needed love to visit Walt Disney World as much as possible, I have even had to look at different ways that will allow my money to stretch as far as possible to help me get back there as much as I like!
For those that are like me and are downgrading the Disney Dining Plans, deciding to pay out of pocket for food and are looking to cut some corners, take a look at some of my tips for Disney food on a budget.
Budget Disney Food Tip 1 Split an entree – The entrees at Walt Disney World are a very generous size. Let’s use the example of ordering food from Cosmic Rays at Magic Kingdom. You and your partner decide that you would like to share a 8pc of Chicken Nuggets served with apple slices and a side order of French Fries. The total for the food, without drink is under $11, split between two people is a really great deal and some very full belly’s!
Budget Disney Food Tip 2 Drink Water – Walt Disney World, definitely takes advantage of the heat and humidity in Florida, with bottles of water and soda costing almost $3.00. What many people don’t realize, is that you are able to get a glass of tap water at any counter service restaurant for free. There are even Water Fountains throughout the parks for people to use. Some other ideas for water, is to have water delivered to your resort either by one of the online grocers (more later) or through costco.com.
Budget Disney Food Tip 3 Order Appetizers – A great way to save money on food and still get your fill is to order appetizers instead of full meals from the table service restaurants. This works particularly well in large groups, where everyone orders something different and the table has more of a tapas dinner, rather than your traditional full plate of food meal. An example of a great place to try this would be at Planet Hollywood, located at Downtown Disney. For a group of four, you could order some great food, Sliders, Buffalo Tenders, Texas Tostadas and Potato Skins for a cost of around $40.00, not including any drinks. When keeping in mind that the average price of meals at Planet Hollywood ate $15-$20, this is a great deal!
What makes Planet Hollywood Tapas an even better deal is that when you purchase a Magic Your Way vacation package for Walt Disney World, you receive a $15 voucher for food and non-alcoholic beverages and a souvenir merchandise keepsake at the Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney (one voucher per room). Take advantage where you can!
Budget Disney Food Tip 5 Order Food Online – For people that are staying in Disney resorts that have a small fridge in the rooms, a great option to cut down on costs is to order some groceries and food online. There are two very popular sources online that will deliver to Walt Disney World resorts, one being Garden Grocers and the other WeGoShop. Garden Grocers has a list of food online, and will drop off the groceries at Bell Services for you or at your room if you are already at the Disney Resort. WeGoShop is the largest grocery delivery service throughout United States and Canada. You simply give them your shopping list, tell them what store you would like them to shop at and what time you want the food delivered, and the rest is done for you. WeGoShop will only deliver to you, so you will need to be in the room when the food is being delivered. We use Garden Grocers on each of our vacations and have never been disappointed!
Budget Disney Food Tip 6 Eat at a Buffet – Buffets are more or less All-You-Can-Eat food, and therefore are a great source for saving money. While the food may not be gourmet, Walt Disney World does offer many different varieties of food, and there is usually something for even the pickiest of eaters. A good example is Epcot’s World Showcase. You are able to indulge on great German food at Biergarten or have an all-you-can-eat Princess meal at Akershus. To make the buffets even more cost-efficient, breakfast and lunch are much cheaper than Dinner and many people make ADR’s for late breakfast to have more of a Brunch effect, filling them till dinner time.
Budget Disney Food Tip 7 Eat Breakfast in Your Room – This is a great option for those who are on the Dining Plan, and those who aren’t. While I am a huge fan of Mickey Mouse Waffles, I can live with having the waffles on my trip to Chef Mickey’s for breakfast (a must-do on each vacation for us). Pretty much everyone should be able to eat breakfast in their room, whether you pack some small breakfast food in your bag, or order through the online grocery services, this method is great for any Disney Budget and can easily save you $10 per person per day on food.
Budget Disney Food Tip 8 Book your Walt Disney World vacation package with an Authorized Disney Planner that provides incentives for their clients to book with them. Contrary to what many believe, many Authorized Disney Planners offer the same prices if not slightly lower than the official Walt Disney World website and some will even provide Disney Gift Cards for you to use throughout your vacation. Take advantage of these incentives and use those Disney Gift Cards to help pay for your meals throughout the Walt Disney World Resorts.
While all of the Disney Dining Plans are incredibly convenient, every guest should do the math on what food they will be eating, where they will be eating the food, do they have time for all the meals (even Counter Service meals can take a lengthy amount of time depending on line size), etc, etc, etc. Guests who are staying at a Walt Disney World resort have the luxury of charging food to their charge card, so the convenience is there for simply getting food with the cash out of your pockets rather than the Disney Dining Plan.
Looking at book a Walt Disney World Vacation? Be sure to visit Magical Dream Tours or call 1-800-272-7739 ext 702. and receive a free no-obligation quote from our Disney Experts!
