Visiting Walt Disney World is far from cheap, especially when it comes to eating and drinking around the theme parks.
Food is one of the biggest expenses at the most magical place on earth. So, let’s talk about how you can cut costs when dining at Walt Disney World.
Here are 14 ways to save money on food and drinks at Disney World.
In this article
Ask for cups of water
Bottled beverages cost a lot at Disney World. This is an expense that adds up quickly. Be sure to ask for cups of water, which are FREE.
You can typically find free cups of water at Quick Service locations that serve fountain drinks.
Bring a reusable water bottle
Packing your own reusable water bottle is another great way to save yourself from spending way too much money on bottled beverages.
There are complimentary water refill stations around parks for guests to use. You can also pour free cups of water into your reusable water bottle.
Make a budget
To ensure you don’t overspend on food at Disney World, I recommend making a budget prior to your trip.
This will require some research and math, but it will be worth it in the end, especially if you want to save money.
During this process, you should also look into which restaurants at Disney World are worth it, so you’re not wasting money at a location that’s mediocre.
Be sure to go through menus and add up prices of Table Service and Quick Service restaurants (including character dining), figure out which snacks make the most sense for you, and so on. You can even make a spreadsheet.
Buy a refillable mug
Each Disney World Resort hotel sells 16 oz. plastic refillable mugs available for purchase. These cost a flat rate of $22.99 per person.
They are good for the length of your stay (up to 14 days) and with them you get unlimited refills — but only at the self-serve stations at Disney Resort hotels. They don’t work at the parks.
Two other things to keep in mind about the refillable mugs:
- There is a time limit with how many refills you can do in a specific amount of time. The monitor on the beverage station will let you know when you can use your mug again. Typically, you have to wait 2 minutes between each refill.
- The mugs are powered by an RFID bar code, which is deactivated once your stay at the hotel is over, meaning you cannot use it during future visits.
If you (and your family) drink a lot of coffee, tea, juice, or Coca-Cola products, this might end up being a great deal.
Utilize discounts
Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, and Disney Visa Cardholders can receive a small discount (about 10%) at select Table Service restaurants.
If you’re server doesn’t say anything about discounts, be sure to ask! If you’re paying with your Disney Visa, you’ll only get a discount if you spend $50 or more.
Passholders also get a 20% discount at Joffrey’s on the regular price of food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Pack your own food
Did you know you can bring outside food and non-alcoholic beverages into the theme parks?
But there are a few rules…
- Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages cannot be in glass containers.
- Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages can’t require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration, temperature control, or have “pungent odors”.
- Disney also asks you to please inform security at the park entrances of any food items you have with you.
- Suitcases, bags, coolers, or backpacks, with or without wheels, larger than 24″ long x 15″ wide x 18″ high (61 cm x 38 cm x 46 cm) are not allowed in any theme park or water park.
- Re-usable ice packs are recommended, since loose or dry ice is not permitted.
A lot of guests bring in their own food so they can save money on snacks and at least one meal.
Limit Table Service restaurants
Since Table Service restaurants are more expensive than Quick Service, narrow down your choices.
You don’t need to book Table Service dining for each day of your vacation. You also don’t need to do more than one character dining experience.
There are plenty of quality Quick Service restaurants across Disney World, where you can get a good meal for an affordable price.
If I’m going to Disney World for a week, I usually only book 2 or 3 Table Service spots. Sometimes I don’t book any! It really just depends on what you’re looking for meal-wise during your visit.
Dine at Disney Springs
Compared to in-park and hotel restaurants, some of the time you’ll get more bang for your buck at Disney Springs.
Disney Springs restaurants can be a bit cheaper versus what you spend at Disney World theme parks and hotels.
And Disney Springs’ has some high-quality restaurants serving unforgettable food and beverages. You really can’t go wrong here, even at the Quick Service locations.
Some of my favorites include eet by Maneet Chauhan, Raglan Road, The Boathouse, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, and Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, to name a few.
Order groceries
Think about having groceries delivered your hotel to cut costs on bottled beverages, alcohol, snacks, and other items.
Groceries might not make sense for a shorter trip, but they could help you save some money if you’re staying for a week. Better yet, if your hotel room has a kitchen with a stove, you could even cook some meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Some of the grocery delivery options include: Walmart, Publix, Amazon Fresh, Garden Grocer, and Instacart.
Keep in mind that there is usually a delivery fee when having groceries delivered. If you have Bell Services at your hotel bring your groceries to your room, you will be charged about a $6.00 fee. To avoid that fee, you can go to Bell Services and pick up your groceries yourself.
Have breakfast in your room
This goes hand-in-hand with ordering groceries. While not everyone is a breakfast person, if you like to have something to eat before heading to the parks, add it to a grocery order to save you money!
Keep in mind that not every hotel room has a stove or microwave, so you might have to stick with a cold breakfast versus a hot one.
If you’re a rope dropper, know that your hotel’s Quick Service location(s) may not be open when you’re getting ready to head to the parks. Having some type of breakfast option in your room is also a good way to hold you over until you can grab something more sustainable.
Share snacks and meals
I’m a big of fan of sharing meals and snacks at Disney World. This way, I can eat more and try different things without wasting food, all while saving money.
Some meals and snacks are quite large, making them perfect for sharing. I typically do this during the daytime as I’m snacking around the park and for lunch. Then, I usually get a full meal for dinner.
But, of course, if you want to save room for dessert and a late-night snack, you might also want to share dinner.
Try a kid’s meal
Not only are kid’s meals cheaper, but there are some quality kid’s meals at the theme parks and hotels.
Yes, there’s a lot of pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders to sort through, but you can find some more unique options.
One of my favorites is the Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl from Satu’li Canteen in Pandora at Animal Kingdom.
The kid’s offering comes with Crispy Fried Tofu seasoned with Chili-Spice topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and served with your choice of Base and a small bottle of water or low-fat milk — all for $8.79. There is also an adult-sized version of this for $13.49.
I also recommend the Grilled Cheese on the kids’ menu at Woody’s Lunch Box in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. For $6.99, you get a Half-Sandwich with Melted Provolone, Cheddar, and American on Grilled Sourdough Bread served with a Cuties Mandarin, Potato Barrels (aka tater tots), and your choice of beverage.
Buy a refillable popcorn bucket
Popcorn at Disney World isn’t your standard popcorn. It is magical popcorn. I don’t know what it is, but it is truly the best popcorn I’ve ever had.
Oh, and it’s also vegan.
If you end up falling in love with popcorn at Disney World and want to buy it multiple times during your trip, you need to know this one tip:
- Purchase a standard souvenir popcorn bucket for $14.25 (specialty popcorn buckets range in price), so you can get popcorn refills for $2.25. Refills are typically valid for the length of your stay.
If you don’t get popcorn in a souvenir bucket, one serving costs $6.00.
Research before booking the Disney Dining Plan
While the Disney Dining Plan might sound like a good deal or a great idea — it is not meant for everyone.
The Disney Dining Plan is completely optional for those staying at an on-site Disney World Resort hotel. For an additional price, you can add on a Disney Dining Plan. When you do this, you are essentially pre-paying for the food you will eat during that particular trip.
When it comes time for your trip, you will have an allotted number of credits to use for your meals.
Please do research before purchasing one of the dining plans. Many like to use the Disney Dining Plan because they don’t have to worry about what they’re spending on food. It feels more all-inclusive that way.
However, you really need to do some calculations before hitting that purchase button to make sure a Dining Plan is worth it for you and your group. Try to figure out where you want to eat (make sure the restaurant offers the Dining Plan), estimate what you would spend on average for food each day (and for the entirety of a trip), and then compare those numbers to the price of the Dining Plan.
To make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, you basically have to try and beat the Dining Plan. The more expensive items you buy, the better.
If you have any questions or other tips on how to save money on food and drinks at Disney World, let me know!
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