Dear Virginia,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your great question about the
Disney Dining Plan.
I totally understand being on a tight budget while at the Walt Disney World Resort, and my family has traveled there on a wide variety of budgets and we have made it work at many different price points.
If you would like to save money, the Disney Dining Plan may not be the right choice for your family. Some of my money-saving recommendations for meals while at Walt Disney World are:
1) Free tap water is available at all Quick-Service and Table-Service restaurants, saving you money buying sodas and juices.
2) There are many Quick-Service restaurants that have large portion sizes, such as Flame Tree Barbeque in Disney's Animal Kingdom, where two people can eat well on one serving of the ribs and chicken, for example. There are many other restaurants that have options like that as well. Alternatively, adults can also buy child meals at Quick-Service restaurants.
3) Bring your own snacks into the parks.
4) Bring peanut butter, jelly, and bread (or whatever your family prefers), and eat that for breakfast in your room before leaving in the morning.
These are just a few of the ways that my family saves a huge amount of money while at Walt Disney World. This frees up some of our
budget for a souvenir or another splurge that we would prefer.
Hope that helps with your magical planning!
- Jan K.