How to save money on food during your next Disney Vacation!

The best sign there is!

We love to go to Disney, because of this I try to make each trip as frugal as possible while still having an amazing time! 

One of the biggest savings is on food.  We eat one meal in the parks or at the resort a day, in case you haven't heard; the serving sizes at Disney are quite generous so even with that one meal sometimes we split those meals between the kids purchasing 2 different kids meals and having them split them 3 ways. 

Since we drive I am able to do some grocery shopping beforehand and bring most of our food with us.  You may also choose to use a grocery delivery service through amazon or a local store!

Breakfast at The Garden Grill in Epcot Land Pavillion, You simply have to have a Mickey Waffle!

For breakfast we keep it light since we are all too excited to get into the parks for the day! Here is what we have done in the past.  Keep in mind most rooms will only have a fridge. Just realizing a beer is in this photo!!! HAHA! Noone drinks beer for breakfast, Promise! 

-Bagels with cream cheese.

-Fresh fruit.

-Granola bars.

-Smoothie drinks.

-Kefir or yogurt and granola.

-Hearty dry cereal like Quaker Oatmeal Squares. 

-Juice. 

Typically we will pack lunch which is super simple because my family doesn't need to sit down and have hot food for every meal.

-Beef jerky.

-Single serve containers of peanut butter with graham crackers.

-Baby carrots and/or snap peas. You can also bring single serve hummus cups. 

-Cut up apple slices, grapes or clementines.

-Granola bars like Cliff bars or Larabars.

-Dried fruit and nuts.

If eating a meal in our room we will have Hawaiian rolls with lunch meat and cheese along with some chips, fruit and a veggie.

For either lunch or dinner we will eat at a quick service meal, grab food at the food court of our resort or a couple of times a table service meal. 

I also keep these Suckers in my park bag for any meltdowns! I don't have to feel guilty giving them a bit of sugar because they are organic and contain Vitamin C! My kids love every flavor!

Now you may be wondering about the Dining plan...

For our family the dining plan is something we don't do.  We like to keep moving and sitting down to more than 1 meal a day just isn't something we place high priority on. Now if we were there for a week or more I can see us using a dining plan to experience more restaurants!  The dining plan is perfect for those who don't want to carry around money/cards to pay for their meals all day long. It's a super care free way of using the plan. It will also allow you experience a bigger variety of choices without worry of cost!

My Lunch at Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom. YUM!

I totally understand that this frugal way of eating isn't for everyone! No problem if it's not for you! I just want to share what we do to save money and keep eating as normally as possible while on vacation. 

Let's talk snacks!  Snacks are something we really enjoy! The first thing I highly recommend getting is a popcorn bucket!  They are super cute buckets that you can pay a small fee to refill again and again.  We keep all of our buckets and use them in the summer when we go berry picking!

You simply HAVE to try Mr. Kamals seasoned fries with all the delicious dipping sauces! These are found in Animal Kingdom.  They make for a great snack. 

You simply have to have a Mickey Ice Cream bar and a Mickey Pretzel and maybe one or two or 3 other special treats while in Disney! We will get 2 pretzels and split them, but everyone will get their own ice cream when we do those of course! 

Now understand that I can be a bit extra and making a minimal impact on the environment is important to me even while on vacation.  Here is what I pack in order to do so.  A small bottle of dish soap, a small dishcloth (these are what I love), a few Norwex Enviro mini cloths and a bottle of hand soap. (The hand soap is simply because I like it better than the "facial bars" all hotels supply. We use the dish supplies to clean our reusable water bottles and the plastic ware. (Although this year I spent a bit more to get compostable flatware so I don't have to mess with washing it.) 

I also pack paper plates, bowls and small cups with some plastic silverware.  I bring a sharp knife with a cover on it as well for preparing fruits in room. 

What are your favorite snacks to pack or ways to do Disney on a budget? 

***This post contains affiliate links which may provide me a small credit at no cost to you.