The Best Food Deals At Disney World To Save You Money

Disney World contains many time-honored, family-friendly, and awe-inspiring wonders within its parks. Too bad it feels like you need to be royalty to be able to afford to visit it. A week-long Disney World trip for an out-of-town family of four can run anywhere from $7,000 to upwards of $15,000. Even if family vacation planners are able to score cheaper off-site accommodations to bring the overall spend down, there is still one vital line item the can't really be cut from the budget: food.

A family of four can expect a baseline food spend of around $200-300 dollars per day in Disney World. However, depending on where families dine and what they eat, that spend can be a bit lower — or much, much higher. These price points might even inspire you to sell your old and valuable Disney VHS tapes to fund your vacation.

Any way you slice it, a trip to the House of Mouse costs a considerable chunk of cheese. However, with a little creativity and a lot of die-hard logistical commitment, the most frugal family travelers can save a bit of cheddar using some Disney World food deals — and possibly by bringing some of their own.

Chances are, if you're taking the time to travel to "The Attraction that Ate Florida," you want to eat at the attraction. There are a wide variety of dining options available at Disney World, from humble food trucks to a Michelin Star restaurant. There are also plenty of table service restaurants with meal options between $35 and $60 per person. For less painful price points, order from "quick service" restaurants: kiosks, trucks, counter service, or cafeteria-style spots. Some examples: Animal Kingdom's Dino Diner offers a "corn chip" chili pie for only $8.49. Fantasyland's The Friar's Nook has a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich with a side of tots for $8.99.

Casey's Corner is a baseball-themed cafe on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, and has views of Cinderella's Castle, as well as entrees between $10.99 and $14.99 per person. Most hot dogs (of the meat and meatless variety) also come with a side of fruit or fries. Almost every fast-food restaurant outside of Disney makes customers use apps to tap into maximum savings. Using the Mobile Order option through the official My Disney Experience app saves diners hungering for Disney magic (and chicken strips) both time and money by allowing them to order cheaper kids' meals, even if the orderer is only a kid at heart.

While "kids" are technically 9 and under, Mobile Order knows no age. For example, The Grand Floridian's Gasparilla Island Grill offers a variety of kids' meal options, each with sides and a drink, all for under $10.

A little creativity and a lot of commitment can go a very long way when it comes to saving big at Disney World. You can always pack money-saving items when going to Disney World, and you can also bring in your own water and food (as long as they're not in glass containers). While bringing your own refillable water bottle is a no-brainer when it comes to saving money and staying cool, frugal shoppers can level up even more self-made savings by ordering grocery delivery to their hotels.

Shoppers using local grocery delivery services or apps can set a lobby or parking lot delivery time to for far cheaper snacks and drinks than what's sold in the park. Bonus points if you have a room with a powerful cooler or a mini-fridge to create your own wet bar or room service options. Even if you only order shelf-stable options, you and your family can enjoy a meal for pennies on the park dollar.

Plenty of park meals can be further saved on by splitting with another family member. Pack zip-top bags to pack up leftovers purchased in the park, or to prep strolling snacks from a grocery order. Price points at Disney World can get scarier than The Haunted Mansion, so it may help to set a budget of one or two park-purchased street treats or meals per day. That way, your group can still look forward to some Disney magic — even if one or two meals per day is an affordable, pre-packed protein bar and piece of fruit on the go.