Average Food Budget at Disney: How to Save Money on Food at Disney World and Disneyland
What should your average food budget be for Disney?
As a frequent Disney-goer, a question I answer all the time is “What is the average food budget at Disney?” The answer here totally depends on your family and eating preferences, but here are some basic numbers to give you an idea.
Cost of Disney Food
Generally speaking, you can hit a snack cart for less than $10 per person. Quick service meals will be roughly $10-15pp. Table service or sit-down style meals will offer entrees around $20-30pp while character meals tend to be $35 per person and up. I bet you’re starting to add up how many people are in your family and crunch those numbers. If you’re like me you might be thinking YIKES! Feeding a family at Disney can get expensive really quickly but it doesn’t have to. I’m going to share some of my best tips for eating at Disney without breaking the bank.
Can I take food into Disney to keep my budget down?
You can bring in just about any food/drink items (except alcohol and glass containers) and even a small cooler with ice packs. This is a huge money saver for my crew! I order grocery delivery to the hotel via Instacart or Shipt. If you use a referral code you can save some money off your order, too! (Here’s one for Instacart to save up to $20 on your first order: S671D4913C). I order breakfast items like muffins and fruit so we can eat in the room before we hit the parks. I always include a case of bottled water and some juices/gatorade for the kids. Those drinks are $4ish each in the parks so the savings really add up! We also love to have snacks in our bag for when the inevitable hangry moments arrive.
Average Food Budget at Disney: How can I keep it low?
Just because we sometimes eat breakfast in the room and bring in our own snacks doesn’t mean we aren’t going to enjoy some delicious meals as well! They have some amazing restaurants and really cool experiences around Walt Disney World. The average food budget for Disney will vary based on family size and restaurant choices. So, let’s talk about how you can still give those a try without emptying your wallet.
Quick Service Meals
You will find staples like sandwiches, salads, chicken strips, and pizza at quick-service restaurants. I have found over the years that these kids’ meals just are smaller but the price tag doesn’t always reflect it. An easy fix is to order one adult meal and have kids split it. For example, a kid’s chicken strip meal comes with 2 strips, small fries, small serving of fruit, and a child-sized beverage for $8.50. I’ve got two kids so I would need to order two of these bringing my total to $17. Instead, I order the adult chicken strip meal that comes with 4 strips and a larger serving of fries for $10.50. They get the same amount of chicken and fries and I give them a drink and piece of fruit from the cooler. They get full bellies and we’ve saved $6.50 to spend on Mickey bars later!
Table Service Meals
Table service meals can be a little more difficult to keep your costs down but not impossible. Guests at Disney restaurants may share entrees at restaurants that are not family style, buffet, or fixed price. Be sure you know which type of restaurant you are dining at if you are wanting to share. Portions can be quite large so sharing might work well for some.
Character Meals
What if you are wanting to dine with Mickey and his pals?? How can you save some money on that? Character meals are already pricier because of the characters and typically do not allow sharing. Go for breakfast! It is often less expensive than any other meal at these restaurants. For example, Chef Mickey’s dinner is $38/child and $59/adult plus tax and gratuity while breakfast is $29/child and $45/adult plus tax and gratuity. That’s an instant saving! If you want to learn more about booking your dining reservations check out this post.
Cheap Eats at Disney
Maybe you’re the type of family who has decided to do a combination of meals and just wants to try a few different things to keep your budget in check. You’ll definitely want to pick up a refillable popcorn bucket at the beginning of your trip. The buckets cost roughly $15 (unless you get a specialty one) and then you qualify for reduced-price refills for your entire vacation! Another way to save money on food at Disney is to hit the festival carts at EPCOT. During festivals, additional snack-sized portions of food items are offered at a lower cost. For example, during Food and Wine Festival you can purchase a small filet mignon for about $9.50. This will allow you to try some of those delicious items but keep your spending low. Pro-tip: purchase discounted gift cards before leaving home to help you stick to your budget.
Disney Dining Plan
Disney-goers everywhere are anxiously awaiting the return of the dining plan! While this method may not be the best way to keep your food costs super low at Disney, it does allow you to prepay for the majority of your food. Many families enjoy this add-on to their vacation package so they can relax and enjoy meals without fretting about the cost. In the pre-Covid era, Disney offered a variety of plans to meet the needs of almost anyone. We will have more details about how the plan will look once 2024 packages open for booking later this month. Be sure to check back for details!
Conclusion: Average Food Budget at Disney
The average food budget for Disney will depend on your family size and traveling style but the savings ideas are endless. Do you have any other ways you save on food costs for your family on vacation? I’d love to hear them if you do! To talk about planning a trip, or more ways to save on your Disney vacation you can use this form to connect with me and check out this other budgeting blog post.