Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Brittany!
I certainly understand your concern about staying in budget while you visit the Disneyland Resort! You'll be glad to know that you can absolutely bring food and drinks with you when you visit. You can store food items in a backpack, or if you happen to bring a cooler along, make sure that it is smaller than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high. If you are thinking of perhaps having a picnic lunch, you can store your cooler in a
locker and have a nice, peaceful lunch at the
picnic tables located right outside of Disneyland Park. Also, you should know that free cups of ice water are available at quick service dining locations throughout the park.
If you find that you are running low on snacks one day, I recommend purchasing a Kids Power Pack at a quick service restaurant. This handy pack comes with a yogurt smoothie, apple slices, carrots, banana, crackers, and a choice of milk or water all for a low price. This could satisfy a few kids at once, or since everything is individually packaged, you could store some of these items in your backpack for snack time later in the day.
Finally, check out the restaurants located in the
Downtown Disney District. Some restaurants, like
Earl of Sandwich for example, have loyalty programs where you might able to obtain coupons by signing up.
Please stop by again with any other questions you may have. I hope your trip to the Disneyland Resort is marvelous!
-Linda M.