Planning a Disney trip? In this article you will find the best Disney food tips for your visit so you can tackle the foodie world of Walt Disney World like a pro!
Food. That word usually brings back the best memories from our trips to anywhere in the world. Or don’t you remember a city you visited for THAT mouth-watering pasta, or THOSE awesome potatoes? Read on and save this post for the future as you are about to read beginner-level Disney food tips that will make you feel like a pro during your day at the parks.
General Information – Disney Meals
Before planning a strategy and going forward with food tips, we need to know what meals will suit our needs. For that, let me tell you a bit about meal styles so you know what to do depending on your travel group and budget.
- SNACK: The options are endless, from pretzels to waffles with fruits and even hot meals like mac and cheese.
- QUICK SERVICE: this is basically fast food. You stand in front of a counter, choose your meal, pay it and take your tray to the table. You eat quickly and get on your way.
- TABLE SERVICE: this is a restaurant service as we know it, with waiters, main course, refills, dessert. There are two menu types: classic or pre-fix.
- BUFFET: all-you-care-to-enjoy and self service. It has waiters for drinks and any other extras you may need.
- FAMILY STYLE: My personal favorite. Perhaps the most comfortable option. All-you-care-to-enjoy food that comes to your table, and keeps coming again and again, on a large dish as if it were your home table.
The last three options have meet and greet opportunities in certain locations. During this pandemic era there are no hugs, but they are a nice way to meet them without lines.
Tips and Tricks
- This is one of my favorite Disney Food Tips: in fast food places you can eat from the children’s menu no matter your age. This is great for people who prefer smaller portions. The price is way lower than a regular size meal.
- Don’t pay for water, it is free in the parks. Any Quick Service restaurant has ice water available with no purchase obligation. I recommend bringing a good water bottle in your backpack, some ice, and recharging it in drinking fountains.
- Children under 3 do not pay in table service locations. They can eat from an adult’s plate or from the buffet at no extra charge. Sometimes they even give them coloring pages or activity sheets while they wait.
- You are allowed to bring your own food to the parks. This may be useful if you have a limited budget, you have dietary restrictions, or you simply want to bring your own meals. You can bring a backpack-style coolers as long as they are not rigid to keep your food refrigerated.
- Check for specific character meals according to your favorites, so you may splurge in that meal and avoid a long line to meet them. Examples: at Cinderella’s Royal Table, the Castle restaurant in Magic Kingdom, you can greet Cinderella and at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House you will find several of the classic characters (Donald, Mickey).
- If you’re staying in Walt Disney World Resort, Garden Grocer is your to-go option. You can buy groceries online and they will be delivered to your hotel room. I suggest ordering 30-60 days in advance so you can have that expense covered before arriving. I usually buy packs of water to fill the water bottles, puddings as a late night snack, raspberries, cookies, potato chips, and string cheese to bring to the parks. If you don’t have the refillable mug, some sodas will be useful for you to buy too. You can order from here:
Honorable mention: Mobile Order
Many do not know that mobile order exists in several quick service locations. In order to use it, you should download My Disney Experience app that includes Disney Genie. Mobile order is a way of saving time, and time is money in WDW. You will place the order, pay the total amount and choose a time range. When you arrive at the restaurant or stand, you let the app know you’re ready and they start preparing your order.
Bonus: here are some Disney recipe books recommendations!
Do you know any hack to share with us? Let us know in the comment section below!
