Food is probably the most difficult thing to plan for when going on vacation. Something as small as an impulse snack or dinner out can completely blow your budget. The amount in your budget is going to differ significantly based on the choices you make. The trouble with Disney is they make every meal an experience at their parks!
How Much Should I Budget For Food at Disney Parks?
Here are some things to consider:
Cooking “at home”
If you’re staying at a resort or hotel with a kitchen or renting a house this is by far the cheapest option. By taking advantage of a grocery store trip or delivery service you can pack your lunches and snacks for the park and cook bigger meals in your room. Although this is cheaper, definitely consider how this dinning option will affect things.
To figure out how much you might spend in this area look up local grocery store flyers or, if you just want to estimate, look at your family’s weekly grocery budget and maybe add a 25% buffer to that cost.
Pros:
Way cheaper, and usually healthier, than park food
Best choice if you have special dietary needs
Flexibility when travelling with children or large groups
Cons:
Having to carry food with you in the parks
Might feel like you’re “missing out” on popular park food choices
Extra work while you’re on holidays
Disneyland does not allow large amounts of food inside the park (there is a picnic area)
Inexpensive or “fast” park food
These meal options are a great choice for lunch or no-fuss dinners. Averaging less than $15 per person you can get a decent sized meal for a lot less than the restaurants. Something to note is there are different dining options around the park so make sure you plan your day around that if you want a specific thing to eat.
Pros:
Mid-tier pricing while still being convenient
Lots of different food options that accommodate kids
You get to sample some of the fantastic Disney specific cuisine
Cons:
Can get pretty expensive and is often unhealthy
Line ups can be quite long especially at peak times
Seating is sometimes limited
Sit-down restaurants
If you’re planning a sit down meal you can expect to pay anywhere from $15 to over $60 per person depending on where you choose. These are the only places where character dining is available, though, so that’s a great reason to try out a Disney restaurant. Just make sure you book early because most places are impossible to get in without a reservation.
Pros:
All-inclusive experience so you can have a nice, relaxing meal
Character dining and some unique themes you can’t get anywhere else
Really good quality food
Cons:
For certain places reservations must be made weeks in advance
Very costly especially for a big family
Dining out with small kids isn’t always the best choice
Don’t forget the snacks
Snacks in the park can run you up to $15 but expect to pay around $5 on average. There are snack stands everywhere and plenty of temptation. If you’re trying to save money make sure you pack some tasty treats to fight off the temptation of a Mickey ice cream cone or churro at every booth.
A mix of everything
This is probably the best, and most reasonable, choice for food on your Disney vacation. Even if you don’t have a kitchen in your hotel room you can still make things like sandwiches and pack snacks to take into the park with you. Try and pick one or two sit down meals you really want to experience and plan for a couple lunches out at the kiosks. It’s almost impossible to completely avoid the overpriced snacks so make sure you work those into your budget too.
The thing about food is it’s sometimes hard to anticipate what everyone will want at each restaurant. In those cases use the highest number possible and (hopefully) come under budget rather than spending more than you anticipated.
A mixed dining plan for 2 adults and 2 kids might break down like this:
Day 1, 3, and 5
Breakfast: Fruit and yogurt for 4 people ($5) Lunch: Packed sandwiches for 4 people ($7) Dinner: Fast food at the park $15 per person ($60) Snacks and drinks: Fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, cookies, granola bars, bottled water ($8)
Day 2 and 4
Breakfast: Fruit and yogurt for 4 people ($5) Lunch: Packed sandwiches for 4 people ($7) Dinner: Fancy character dinner $60 per adult, $30 per kid ($180) Snacks and drinks: Fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, cookies, granola bars, bottled water ($8)
Total: $620
Of course when you have 5 kids like we do you would probably opt for just one character dining experience and only a couple fast food meals out, but you get the idea. Don’t forget to include any meals you might eat while travelling in your food budget too!
If you just want to ballpark your budget
It’s probably safe to budget $30 per day for each child and $40 per day per adult that you’ll be feeding during your trip if you’re mixing take out and store bought.
When you’re working on your Disney vacation budget don’t forget that you’d already be spending some money on groceries if you were at home. The number can seem staggering at first but try deducting your weekly grocery spending from that number (if not on the actual budget then in your own head) and see if that’s a little more reasonable.
When thinking about food choices really focus on the actual experience rather than the food itself. You’ll get many opportunities to eat great (or cheap) food in your lifetime but your Disney vacation will only last a short while.
Right now I’m in the middle of planning a trip to Disneyland with my Cars obsessed toddler twins (I know, I am insane). Last time we travelled the (now) middle child had just turned two and we made so many toddler travel mistakes. So here you go, learn from my failures and master taking your toddler (or toddlers) on a successful Disney vacation.
Bring your stroller
This is one area I actually didn’t mess up, but it could have been disastrous. I flip flopped on the idea of actually bringing the stroller at all since we typically wore our toddler at the time. She was tiny and effortless to carry in the Ergo so it seemed like a great way to avoid the burden of a stroller. In the end we did end up wearing the toddler in the airport, but not necessarily out of choice. A family member that travelled with us didn’t bring her stroller (opting instead to rent in the park) and found there was no easy way to contain her heavy 18 month old. The stroller was a huge lifesaver not just as a way to contain the toddler and lighten the physical load of carrying her, but it was also super useful to carry all the toddler crap. Win-win. Click here for more reasons why you should bring your stroller.
Pack snacks
With the exception of candy and ice cream, my toddler didn’t much care for the food options in the Disney park. In fact, all of my kids struggled to find something that was a decent balance of healthy and tastey while we were there. Plus snacks at the parks are ridiciously, budget blowingly expensive.
Toddlers need to eat more often than adults do and when they they’re hungry, watch out. Ward off a few meltdowns by packing toddler-friendly snacks each morning. You should aim to bring about double what you think you’ll need for to recover from an inevitable spill or you needing a snack too. Don’t forget to stay hydrated too.
Dress for the weather
Toddlers are especially prone to temperatures and sunlight so make sure to keep them in mind when you’re spending all day in the park. Something we weren’t prepared for was how chilly it got in the evenings when the sun went down since we travelled in the winter time. We ended up needing to pick up a fleece oneise from the gift shop for the littlest one to stay warm. Make sure you bring everything you need for the varied weather when you head to the park or be ready to return to your hotel to retrieve needed items. Some lightweight and verstile ideas for toddlers are legwarmers and small blankets for cool weather and a portable fan when it’s warm. If you’re using a stroller take special consideration of how it’s being affected by the weather. In the heat use a light weight sun shade but never drape a heavier blanket over top because it can get dangerously warm. Be careful not to park it in direct sunlight when you’re taking a break and stick to shady areas during the hotter parts of the day. When it’s cool don’t forget that the toddler’s going to be cooler than you in the stroller because they’re not moving around.
Cater to the toddler’s nap schedule
This one is going to vary a lot depending on your toddler’s personality. My kids adapted well to being dragged around during naps and past bedtime because they were so excited to be at the park. The toddler napped well in the stroller and it worked out great. Not all toddlers are going to be that way, though! If you think your toddler’s going to need some extra quiet time to nap (and will be a monster if they skip) seriously consider either staying on site or at a place that’s only a very short distance away. Walking distance or somewhere with free transportation is ideal or else you’ll need to budget for those extra travel costs. Also consider how long you’re willing to wait going back and forth and how much time will be lost due to naps. When booking airfare, consider how your toddler naps. If you think they’ll sleep on the plane try and schedule a flight during naptime but if they won’t aim for first thing in the morning.
Go with the flow
Toddlers are unpredicatable and no amount of forward planning can possible prepare you for all the things these tots can throw your way. At some points during your Disney trip you’re going to need to just go with the flow and follow your toddler’s lead. That might mean adapting your schedule a bit to suit their needs or spending a bit of time at the pool instead of in the park. Something to keep in mind when you’re toddler is doing one of those classic toddler meltdowns is that even if you feel judged no one at the park is going to see you again. You and your toddler are part of the everyone that’s welcome at the Disney parks and it’s just as much the toddler’s vacation as it is someone else’s. Do what you can but don’t let a few bad moments ruin your day or trip.
Some bonus tips:
Pack a few treats alongside snacks to help pacify a toddler who saw something they want or needs a small bribe
Bring small toys or activities to play with while waiting in line
Let your toddler have periods of unstructured time to recharge
Make sure if you’re using a stroller that your toddler gets time to run around too
Avoid gift shops when possible
From personal experience adorable toddlers, especially in costume, get special treatment from the cast
The park is loud and overwhelming, keep that in mind and manage your expectations
If your toddler is a runner a baby carrier, stroller, or even backpack harness is a great option
Just like any other part of life with multiples, taking twins to Disneyland is a huge undertaking and a different experience than taking one child or multiple children of different ages. There’s something unique about having two children at exactly the same developmental levels that makes it challenging.
Taking twins to Disneyland
So how do you make your Disneyland vacation magical with your twins? What advice can twins parents use on their next Disney trip to make things go smoothly? Here’s everything I learned during our recent trip with 4 (they turned for during the trip) year old twins.
Packing for the park
You’ll have to bring twice as much of everything you normally would with one young child. That means double the extra snacks, clothes, blankets, etc. If you were travelling with two kids of different ages you’d still have to bring a lot but generally it’s less than twins because you typically have a child that’s a bit older that needs less. (Trust me, I travelled with a 7, 5, and 2 year old at Walt Disney World and my twins still needed more.)
Something else to take into consideration when packing is that their needs are going to need to be met at about the same time. Make sure you have snacks that require minimal waiting to server and pack their own special water bottles!
Waiting in line
Keeping one small child busy in line is hard enough, it’s even worse when you have a pair of them who have the exact same developmental needs and naturally want to play (fight) with each other. It’s a good idea to plan ahead and bring activities for both kids to do and make sure you have enough of everything for everyone.
The twin stroller
If your twins are still in a stroller it’s important to know that certain double strollers may not meet Disneyland’s size regulations. We took the Contours Options LT with us and that was find, but if you have a wide double stroller you might want to measure it. Double strollers are available for rent at the gate as well.
Twin problems we ran into
When we couldn’t bring our stroller it was sometimes challenging to manage two toddlers.
Bathroom trips were a challenge when we took them alone because they’re too young to use the bathroom on their own and fought about who went first every time. (Hand washing was also a pain when sinks were too short.)
One twin is taller than the other which meant the smaller twin had to sit out of a 42″ ride. We had fun shopping but the smaller twin prefers rides (he went on Space Mountain when his brother refused!) and was upset. If one parent has to stay with one or both twins you can take advantage of Rider Switch though.
Double strollers suck to maneuver at Disneyland. We ended up parking it quite a few times and mostly used it to travel across the park to other areas and to hold our stuff.
Giving attention to the twins was hard because they often want mommy but I couldn’t always do everything. This was especially a problem waiting in line and on the plane because it was hard to keep the two of them busy.
If your twins are older you’re probably not going to run into the same problems as we did. I can’t imagine travelling with twins ages 5+ is much different than having two kids at different ages because they won’t have the same issues. Still, it’s hard to divide your attention between multiple children no matter the ages.
ne of the worst parts about travelling somewhere like Disneyland or Disney World with young kids is that you can’t do all the rides that they’re too small for! This is especially challenging when you have an older kid and a younger one. Disney has the answer: Rider Switch. (Sometimes it’s also called Child Swap or Rider Swap.)
What is Rider Switch?
Basically, Ride Switch is something unique to Disneyland. If for whatever reason one person in your party has to be supervised, like a young child or special needs person, and someone who would be riding has to stay and supervise that person, you can switch out who is riding and who is supervising so everyone gets a turn.
It’s different than just waiting in line a second time because Rider Switch lets you jump back into the FastPass line.
How it works
Let’s say you’re like us and travelling with 2 adults and 3 kids, like we did on our recent Disneyland trip. The twins, though, were less than 44″ so they couldn’t ride Indiana Jones. Now, us adults and the 9 year old did want to ride Indie. What do you do?
Rider Switch.
So one adult stays with the kids who can’t ride, the other one goes on with the kid. Before you go on you ask a Cast Member for a Rider Switch pass. Then when the adult and the kid come off the ride, give the other adult the Rider Swap card, and they can ride again with the older kid. That way everyone gets to ride!
Facts:
Cast members near the Rider Switch rides have them in their pockets so you’ll have to ask!
Passes are good for up to 3 people to ride the second time.
They’re a great way for older kids to ride multiple times if they want, just as long as you have a legitimate reason for asking for one.
There’s no limit to the amount of Rider Switch passes you can use in a day but each pass is only good once.
What Disneyland rides support Rider Switch?
Disneyland, California
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40″)
Indiana Jones Adventure (44″)
Matterhorn Bobsleds (42″)
Space Mountain (40″)
Splash Mountain (40″)
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (40″)
Disney’s California Adventure
California Screamin’
Grizzly River Run
Radiator Springs Racers
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
Incredicoaster
Some of our best moments were spent waiting for “big kids” to ride.
Which Walt Disney World rides support Rider Switch?
Magic Kingdom Park
The Barnstormer (35″)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40″)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38″)
Space Mountain (44″)
Splash Mountain (40″)
Stitch’s Great Escape (40″)
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway (32″/54″)
Epcot
Frozen Ever After
Mission: SPACE (40″/44″)
Soarin’ (40″)
Test Track (40″)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Alien Swirling Saucers (32″)
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring (48″)
Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash (38″)
Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue (40″)
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (40″)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
Avatar Flight of Passage
DINOSAUR (40″)
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain® (44″)
Kali River Rapids (38″)
Primeval Whirl (48″)
You can also take advantage of Rider Switch on certain WDW Waterpark attractions.
If you’re visiting Disneyland or Disney World with young kids it’s definitely a good idea to take advantage of the Rider Switch (Rider Swap) program!
If you’re thinking about purchasing Photopass for your Disneyland vacation here’s everything you need to know about saving those magical memories. We purchased MaxPass, which included Photopass, during our most recent Disneyland vacation and definitely took advantage of the perks.
Should you get Photopass at Disneyland?
Whether or not your get Photopass is going to depend on your budget, whether you want to take advantage of MaxPass, what type of camera you already have, and how much you want ride photos.
What is it?
Photopass is an optional paid extra that allows you to take advantage of the professional Photopass Photographers and download unlimited ride photos.
How Photopass works at Disneyland
Throughout the park there are Photopass photographers that can take your family’s photo. After they snap a pic (or a few) they’ll give you a card that can be reused and scanned at later photo spots or you can scan the app.
For the ride photos you just have to enter the code from your ride photo into the app or your account.
Where can I find professional photographers at Disneyland?
There are a few places you usually can find a photopass photographer. At the Disneyland parks there are certain locations that are designated photo spots. One of those is at the Mickey and Walt Disney statue so you can get a great family photo with the castle (which was under construction when we went) in the background. Another spot is in front of the main gates.
Sometimes photographers hang around ineresting spots like the sword in the stone in Fantasyland or the Incredibles logo near the Incredicoaster.
You’ll also find Disney’s photographers at most character meetings, especially the ones at Mickey and Minnie’s houses.
It’s not guaranteed that they’ll be somewhere when you’re there but you area allowed to flag them down to take a photo if they’re not busy.
Photo a Photopass photographer snapped at Disney’s California Adventure while we were waiting for the “big kids” to ride the Incredicoaster.
Do I have to buy Photopass to get the pictures?
Yes and no. If you want to buy the pictures captured by professional photographers or ride photos then you’ll have to pay for Photopass or Maxpass.
Photopass photographers will also take pictures with your own camera. Generally, since they’re professional photographers, they won’t have any issues operating most cameras including DSLRs. So if you’re thinking of buying Photopass just to make sure you get pictures together you can take advantage of this option.
How to buy Disneyland Photopass
You have two options here. If you choose to buy MaxPass, which is the Disneyland Fastpass system, you automatically get access to Photopass for no extra cost.
The other option is to buy Photopass for each day. What’s great about this method is that if you’re not using MaxPass you can put all the Photopass photos on one account and only pay once. (Although I kept them on one account anyway). This is great if you only want photos from a certain day.
Our Photopass Experience
Like I said before, we had MaxPass for our most recent trip. We loved it! I happen to have a nice camera but it sure was annoying sometimes lugging it around. For the sword in the stone picture (above) I was actually taking pictures of the kids trying to pull it out when a photographer came up to us and asked if we wanted a photo together.
I also want to point out that even though I have a nice camera, it wasn’t as nice as theirs. It was also nice not having the hassle of pulling it out for photos and handing it over to the photographer.
We also took advantage of the ride photos! You can buy them separately, but for us it was nice to get everything together.
Whether or not you decide on getting Photopass is really going to depend on your budget and what kind of experience you want. In my opinion it’s worth it, especially if you get a lot of ride photos, don’t have a great camera, or want convenience.
