With the the absence of the Disney Dining Plan since Walt Disney World reopened following its COVID closure, one of the biggest questions I’ve heard from clients (besides “do you know when the dining plan is coming back?”) is how they can save money on dining without the dining plan. My best recommendations are as follows…
1) Wanting to book character dining? When you have options of times of day, breakfast is always going to be the most cost effective way to go as it’s always going to be the least expensive meal of the day. This will also be easiest for you if you have pickier eaters – while the chefs at Disney are amazing at making some modifications for some pickier eaters and for food allergies, breakfast is generally going to be a meal where everyone can find something they will enjoy, even if they’re picky. So save your money while you dine with the characters at breakfast.
2) While it’s not as prominent as it was pre-COVID, some restaurants do still offer a different lunch menu (at a less-expensive price) than dinner. One of the biggest price variances today I’m seeing at Disney with a cheaper lunch than dinner since it’s offering some different options – Space 220 at Epcot. The pre-fixe price at the time this article was written for lunch is $55 per adult, where dinner is $79 per adult. Wanting to dine here without the hefty price tag? They DO have the option to book tables in the lounge area – it is still family friendly, you just won’t have quite as many options to pick from and everything you order will be charged a la carte.
3) Unless you’re staying in the parks all day or starting later in the day to stay for fireworks, I highly recommend opting for more restaurants at the resorts. While not all of the resort restaurants are going to be less expensive (avoid the Signature Dining if you’re looking to save some money), oftentimes you’ll find the table service restaurants at the resorts are going to cost you less than the park restaurants. My family actually prefers the food at the resorts in most cases over the food in the parks too.
4) If you plan to explore Disney Springs at all while on vacation for shopping, dining and entertainment, you’ll also find some less expensive dining options at Disney Springs. While some of them will still be pretty comparable to Disney Restaurant prices (think The Boathouse, STK and Paddlefish), you’ll also find some less expensive options here (some options at restaurants like Raglan Road, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, The Edison and Paradiso 37 are in the lower price range while they do also have some selections with a heftier price tag). Bonus tip: many of the Disney Springs restaurants can be booked before your 60-day dining through OpenTable. If you make a reservation this way, just don’t forget about the timing as it won’t show up in your My Disney Experience account to remind you of the reservation.
5) Finally, I always suggest to my families in particular that they either order some groceries for delivery OR book one of the private transfers from the airport that offer a complimentary grocery stop. Sure, you’ll find plenty of snacks for your family at Disney World – the food courts offer not just meals, but plenty of packaged snacks. But why buy a small bag of Goldfish at Disney World for a couple of dollars when you can buy a bigger bag OR a case of the individual snack bags to take into the parks with you – you’ll get more for less! I highly recommend buying a case of bottled water. Central Florida tap water doesn’t taste too good, and bottled water is up to almost $5 at some locations around the resort. You’ll save a ton of money if you get a case of water to keep in your room so that you can take a bottle for each person in the morning. If your family doesn’t necessarily need a big breakfast every morning, be sure to get some foods that are quick and easy for breakfast – this will save you some money for sure. If you’re someone that enjoys ending the night with a beer or glass of wine, Instacart will deliver alcohol with your groceries if you’re ordering through them. You can buy a half-sized bottle of wine at the food court for $15-20, or you can buy a full sized bottle of wine with your grocery order for less than that in some instances. Just know that they do require you to be present upon delivery to show proof of age.
What other money saving tips do you have in regards to dining at Walt Disney World?
Aly Hirst
Lead Travel Planner & Certified Autism Travel Professional™
Aly Hirst is a Lead Travel Planner & Certified Autism Travel Professional™ from Gilbertsville, PA.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Disney-obsessed gal. Even though I didn’t take many Disney vacations growing up, I can remember requesting the old vacation planning videos that Disney use to send in the mail; I would watch them over and over again to learn every nook and cranny of the Walt Disney World Resort as well as the Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Lines. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity in college to participate in the Disney College Program for a semester – who didn’t want to spend a semester of college living and working at the Walt Disney World Resort? (Bonus for me – I moved down to Orlando in January that year so it was the best winter escape for me from snowy New England!)”
