We get it. Disney is EXPENSIVE! For some families, this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip that they put a lot of time and energy into saving up for. So what if we told you you could save anywhere from $500-$1,000 with this simple change?
$62 per person?? Too rich for my blood!
Besides accommodation and park tickets, the next most expensive part of any vacation is food. If you’re planning on eating out for every meal while visiting Disney World, that can add up quickly! A family of four could easily rack up charges adding up to over $1,000 just for a five day trip (and that’s only counting lunch and dinner!).
The easiest way to cut down on spending when it comes to meals is by cooking your own. While the average Disney meal will cost you $26 per person, buying groceries and cooking averages out to around $4 per meal per person! Read below for our tips and how you can save even MORE on your groceries.
A full kitchen at the Grand Floridian
If you’re staying in a villa, house, apartment, or anywhere else with a kitchen, you’re in luck! Create a meal plan ahead of time so you aren’t just buying items willy-nilly. Then, do one shopping trip at the start of your vacation and you are good to go. Make sure you bring food storage containers for leftovers as well as any meals you want to bring with you into the parks. You are welcome to bring your own food into any Disney World park, but keep in mind there are no options for cooking or reheating your food, so we suggest sticking to cold food and using insulated food containers.
Even if you’re staying in a hotel and don’t have access to a kitchen you can still prepare your own meals! Microwaves and mini-fridges are standard in most hotels, and if you don’t see them in your room there’s no hurt in inquiring at the front desk for one. Stick to dishes you can prepare without a stove or oven. Yogurt, granola, and fruit make an easy breakfast, and you can bring sandwiches and salads into the parks for lunch!
Baloray Lunch Bag
Click here to buy the Baloray Lunch Bag!
Click here to buy the Bentgo Bowl – Insulated!
At the start of your trip when you’re ready to buy groceries, we suggest using a shopping service like Instacart. If you’re flying in to Orlando and aren’t planning on renting a car, grocery shopping can be difficult (excuse me Mr. Lyft driver, don’t mind all my bags!). Also, you might be visiting from an area with different stores and it can take you time to figure out where everything is in an unfamiliar shop.
After a long day of traveling, who really wants to spend an hour or more going grocery shopping? Not us! You can easily pick all of the items you need on your phone or other device, submit your order, and let Instacart do all the work while you kick off your shoes and get a start on your vacation!
Gorgeous fruit and veg!
Instacart partners with tons of stores in the Orlando area, so you’re sure to find all of the items you need. If there ever is an item that is out of stock, your shopper will work with you to find something similar, or you can just skip it and you won’t be charged. We’ve had great experiences with them; the shoppers are helpful and keep in contact with us to ensure we get everything we need. There was a time we had ordered an item that ended up being out of stock, and our shopper texted us with pictures of the other types available around that one so we could pick the exact replacement we wanted! They also deliver to tons of places, INCLUDING Disney resorts and hotels! Is there really any reason NOT to use them?
Have a picnic in the parks like Chip and Dale!
Right now Instacart is running a few deals, which means you could end up saving even MORE! The first offer gives first-time users free delivery on orders $10 and up. The second deal is a back to school special, so no matter if you have ordered before you can still use it! Orders from Staples have delivery fees waived on orders over $10. You may wonder what you could possibly need from Staples, but if your charger dies or you’re in need of other electronics accessories you’ll be thankful to be able to get what you need without having to leave your room. These discounts are running until September 30, 2022, so you have plenty of time to take advantage!
Click here to order with Instacart!
Now, does this mean you should skip Disney restaurants all together? By no means! But by supplementing with some home cooked meals, you can cut down the cost of your trip or put that money towards something else (like upgrading your room)!
Check out these posts for more information about using grocery delivery during your Disney World vacation!
- Step-by-Step Guide to Ordering Instacart Grocery Delivery to Disney World
- Everything You Need to Know About Having Food Delivered to Your Disney World Hotel
- How to Have the CHEAPEST Trip to Disney World
- Our BEST Tips to NOT Break the Bank On Food at Disney World
When you’re choosing your restaurants, make sure you do your research ahead of time. Check out all the advice below before you go!
Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know
The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!
See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide
The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants
The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants
The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants
The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants
The Best Disney Springs Restaurants
Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools
Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants
How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World
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Do you think Disney World’s food is overpriced? Are there any restaurants you think are worth the money? Sound off in the comments below!
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Food, room and ticket prices are sky high and keep going up. We just stopped visiting as often as we use to and only go every 3 years, only in slower seasons. might have to move it to every 4 or 5 years if necessary. We love going to Walt Disney World but its just getting too expensive.
We stayed for 10 days in June at Disney and we took advantage of the Walmart online services for groceries. They did an amazing job of getting us other things and making substitutions. They even let me add on stuff up to an hour before hand. They kept me updated on their arrival times. Also, they were able to deliver beer and wine to the resorts which proved to be very helpful after a long day at the parks.
We just used Instacart for a Publix shopping trip while staying at Canana Bay at Universal. Agree—it was helpful and saved money, but not as much as I had hoped—beware, the prices for things are waaay higher than normal—the website even warns you that Instacart prices are higher than the in store prices.