Staying on a budget at Disney and other theme parks CAN be done. I know, because we’ve done it. When you go to Disney as often as we do, you try to save some money each time. One of the last times we went, we splurged on our hotel and stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I did get a great Florida resident rate so we didn’t pay the normal price, and we got a free room upgrade. The big money pit at Disney however isn’t your room - it’s the food. Snacks, meals, drinks - they all add up quickly at theme park prices. We typically bring some food to keep in the room, like doughnuts and cereal for breakfast each morning, soda, milk, (deluxe hotels have an in room fridge, at the value resorts you can add one for $10 a day) bread, PB&J fixins, lunch meat, mayo, and snacks. We also bring water bottles, and I carry a backpack in the park with snacks and water bottles.

My dining choice at Epcot is usually Sunshine Seasons in The Land, and it’s one of the best places for value - food wise. We can usually feed our family of 5 plus my mom for $60, which includes drinks for everyone and 2 beers for my husband. The kids meals are a steal - $4 each and the kids get a main dish (mac n cheese, chicken, or a mini sub) plus a side of fruit or veggies, and a bread and a drink. For $4! In addition to the hot stations with stir fry, chicken, fish, and soups, there are coolers filled with salads and sides.

The next day, we went to Disney/MGM Studios and the only food we bought in the park were some french fries as a snack. We went back to our hotel in the early afternoon and had a late lunch there with the things we brought from home. For dinner we went to Pizzeria Uno which is a chain, and there’s a location close to Downtown Disney. They have huge pizzas that are very filling - one pie was enough for the family.

Sunday was the day we went to Magic Kingdom - again, we left the park early and had lunch in our room, but we did spend some cash on dinner that night. Since we were celebrating a birthday, we decided to eat at Liberty Tree Tavern, which is a character meal. The kids were $13 each and the adults were $28 each. Disney says anyone over the age of 9 is an adult, so we had my oldest be a year younger for the purpose of paying half price for her. The food was fantastic - salad, pork, beef, turkey, veggies, mashed taters, stuffing…and apple cobbler with ice cream for dessert. Not to mention we got to meet tons of characters right at our table.

Monday was our last day of vacation, and we went to Animal Kingdom. We didn’t eat anything here but the snacks we brought on our own.

Food costs can quickly add up, but if you plan in advance, you can save a bit, which means more money to buy mouse ears and Disney t-shirts!

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