If you are like most people, you are looking to save money on your Disney vacation. While your trip may be expensive, it doesn’t have to be just a once in a life time trip. With some planning, you can save both money and time. Every little bit helps!
Food especially can be an area where you may want to try to save, and eating in the room is one way that can be both a money and time-saver. And this can work well, whether you are driving or flying to Disney.
Driving to Walt Disney World
When we drove to Walt Disney World, we would always pack a Kuerig or small coffee pot. This made mornings much easier. In addition to the coffee, we also brought disposable cups with lids, as well as sugar. This way we could have our coffee on the way to the bus and then throw away the cups without carrying them around all day or putting them in the park bag. While it may seem to be a waste, disposable cups and lids can be much cheaper than buying a refillable mug just for your time at Disney (unless of course, you get it as part of your dining plan).
Since all rooms now have a mini-frig, it is super easy to bring milk, cereal, yogurt or other items for breakfast each morning. Eating breakfast in the room while everyone gets ready is not only a money saver but also a time saver!
If you are driving, you could also bring sandwich items like bread, peanut butter and jelly. You are able to carry a small soft sided cooler into the parks each day. Sandwiches along with some chips would make a nice lunch during the day without the expense of a counter meal. Don’t forget things for snacks like granola bars, trail mix, gold-fish, fruit drops or roll-ups. Just don’t bring anything that can melt, since the Florida sun can be hot and brutal on chocolate or similar foods.
Flying to Walt Disney World
What you bring here will depend mostly on if you check your luggage or will just bring a carry on. With TSA regulations, only food items and nothing liquid over 3 oz. can be carried on the plane. Buying drinks or water after going thru security definitely will not save you any money. But you can certainly bring an empty refillable water bottle to refill after security. I did this last year and felt so much better having water available rather than waiting on the flight attendants to bring around refreshments. Bringing an empty water bottle is especially nice to stay hydrated in the Florida sun. All restaurants do have glasses of water available at no charge, but you do have to wait in line for them. I like bringing a bottle and some of the drink packets to add to water.
Simple breakfast or snack items like bagels, pop tarts, granola bars, fruit drops or roll-ups can easily be packed in your checked bag or carried on the plane. I put mine in the checked bag and they arrived just fine. I had put them in zip bags and then cushioned them in between soft clothes. Doing this will also free up some space in your luggage for the return trip – enough room for some souvenirs!
If you are flying, anything liquid or anything that needs to be kept cold will need to be purchased once in Walt Disney World. Alternatively, you can ship items from home or Amazon, or purchase some simple groceries online from a local grocery delivery service. Just be sure to check shipping/delivery costs to make sure it will be a savings over paying for your items at Disney. (And if shipping items from home or Amazon, know that Disney does charge a small fee to accept packages on your behalf.)
So there are a few simple ideas for saving money on breakfast and lunches. As for dinner, I have found that enjoying at least 1 counter or sit down meal a day can make the vacation much more enjoyable, even if it is nothing more than grabbing chicken tenders and fries at the food court. By the way, most of the food courts do have a pretty good deal with a pizza and salad that is enough for a family of 4-5!
How do you handle your meals when in Walt Disney World? Do you have any other ideas to save money on your meals?
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Debbie and her husband live in Collegedale, TN where her youngest son is going to college. She is a huge Disney fan who dreams of someday retiring and working as a tour guide at Walt Disney World. She has enjoyed many trips to WDW with children, grandchildren and sometimes adults only. It is her ultimate goal to make sure everyone who visits WDW has the same magical time that she enjoys every time she visits.
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