Disney World Planning Tips – More Snacks, Less Money!

My husband and I are DVC members so our family travels to Disney World at least once a year.  We try to save money whenever and wherever we can without cutting back on the full Disney experience.  Snacks and drinks in Disney World can be quite expensive and kids get hungry OFTEN so our solution is to pack a smaller suitcase loaded with snacks and drinks to bring with us on our trip.  We then throw a few snacks and drinks in our park backpack each day.

Some items we include are…

• Bottled water- we like to have bottled water in our hotel room and we bring a bottle or two with us to the park each day.  Quick service counters will give you water for free so it is not necessary to load your suitcase down with too many bottles of water.  We usually bring a 12 pack of bottled water and that works well for us.
• Juice boxes- we pack one juice box per child per day, as well as a refillable water bottle for each child.  The kids get milk at meals and this helps to cut down on the cost of milk in the hotel store and the hassle of buying it and taking it to the room.  Be sure to pack your juice boxes in a storage bag just in case one breaks on the plane.  You do not want juice leaking all over your stuff or anyone else’s stuff!
• Energy bars or granola bars- this is a heartier snack that will help tide the kids over for a late breakfast.
• Fruit leathers, fruit ropes, fruit snacks- My kids are HUGE fans of any processed fruit snack.  We bring Disney fruit snacks with us as a special treat.  We also stock up on fruit leathers and fruit ropes before we head to Disney.  These are snacks that I know my kids will eat so I always try to have them on hand.  You never know when you will need a favorite snack to help calm a fussy child!
• Homemade trail mix including dried fruit, pretzels, Goldfish, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies or Honey Grahams, nuts, Cheerios, etc.- We bring plastic baggies or reusable snack dispensers and each day we make a trail mix for the kids.  This is something they can enjoy while waiting in line for a ride or watching one of the awesome parades.  We are sure to include some of their favorites in the mix and maybe even something new!
• Cheese sticks- we put a package of 12 in an insulated cooler bag with a small ice pack.  This is a healthier snack option for the kids and my husband and I even enjoy a cheese stick once in a while.  You also have the insulated cooler bag and ice pack now that you can take items to the park in each day.
• Instant coffee/iced tea packets- I LOVE my Starbucks coffee and since you cannot get Starbucks at Disney, I prefer to bring Starbucks Via packets with me.  I bring an insulated travel mug with me and I make my coffee in the hotel room before we leave for the park each day.  This helps me keep my sanity which is good for my entire family!

This list works well for my family.  You may have a different list for your family as it should be snacks and drinks that your family enjoys.  I know some people bring their own Pepsi products to Disney since Disney serves Coke products.  I highly recommend bringing as much as you can without going overboard so you can cut down on food costs.  We still get the Disney Dining Plan(DDP) each trip but we save our DDP snacks for our favorite Disney treats.  We don’t want to waste a DDP snack on a bottle of water.  Chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick or a Mickey Mouse ice cream sounds way better than a bottle of water to me!  I suggest saving your money on the basics so you can fully enjoy all that Disney has to offer!!

Guest blogger Jennifer P.

Related articles

• 5 Snacks to Pack in a Cooler at Walt Disney World (chipandco.com)
• 5 Quick Tips for Saving Money on Food at Disney World (chipandco.com)

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