Budgeting for Food at Walt Disney World
Whether you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World soon or just doing research for the future you've come to the right place!
It's always good to have an idea of your overall vacation budget but budgeting for food is not always easy! The cost of meals and snacks can add up quickly but if you have a plan it doesn't have to break the bank and you can still enjoy tons of great snacks that Disney has to offer.
The first step in setting a food budget is to determine your food preferences and needs.
Are you someone who prefers quick service meals, or do you prefer sit-down restaurants? Quick-service meals will get you in and out quickly at a budget-friendly price of $12-20 per person while sit-down meals are a good way to take a break from a busy day at the parks with the whole family and can cost $30-$65 per person on average.
Will you be bringing your own snacks or drinks or buying them at the parks? Snacks can range from $5-$10 on average and I always plan 2 snacks per day personally. My best advice if you're looking to save money on food is to always carry a double insulated water bottle and get free ice water. Sodas and waters cost $3.50-$5.00 each and on hot days you can easily go through +$20 in drinks alone. I also like to order from a groccery delivery service that delivers a case of water, soda, some fruit, donuts, and other breakfast basics to my hotel on arrival day. This usually costs my family of 4 under $100 and saves us the cost of breakfasts each day along with drinking the free coffee in the hotel room.
The second step to establishing a food budget is to research the actual price of food ahead of time.
If you have specific places that you want to eat (particularly sit-down restaurants) it's a good idea to look at their menus online ahead of time to know what to expect for the price of food at that location. Popular Disney snacks can range from $5-$10 on average each which can add up if you are eating around the world at festival booths at one of EPCOT's four festivals per year.
To help give you an idea of what a real day at Walt Disney World looks like I've broken down my own basic budget estimates that I follow when I'm trying to plan out my spending before my Disney vacations. I typically try to average spending $60 per adult and $40 per child per day on food. This does not include the initial $100 that I spend on a groccery delivery that covers our breakfasts and drinks. I am not the type to eat at a sit-down every meal or even every day because I prefer to maximize my park time and save money but I typically still do two to three sit-down meals per 7 day vacation and the costs balance out over the course of the trip.
My $60 per adult target is based on $20 each for lunch and dinner quick service meals and two $10 snacks per day. We eat breakfast in the hotel room or on the go from our groccery order and bring bottled water/soda with us or get our water bottled refilled with free ice water in the parks throughout the day. Quick service meals usually don't cost the full $20 if you skip the soda so that money saved goes towards the days when I have more expensive meals planned like reservations for a sit-down meal.
If you are big into specialty coffee drinks you'll be thrilled to know that there is a Starbucks in each park but this will of course increase your total costs!
Everyone's food preferences and budgets are different. Whether you want sit down reservations for every meal or want to pack all your own meals and snacks I can help find you the perfect vacation for any budget!
Follow my videos on TikTok for real world examples of how much money I spend on food if you're curious to learn more!
