Hi Connie!
The best perks besides admission to the Walt Disney World theme parks are the
discounts for Annual Passholders! The short answer to your questions is yes, the 20% off merchandise discount does apply to snacks and drinks sold in gift shops in Disney Resort hotels or in the parks. There are very few exclusions to this and one of them is alcohol. My kids like to pick treats like the lollipops, cookies or even ice cream if the shop has a freezer section and the discount applies to all of that. If you're buying bottled soda in the parks, pop into a shop that sells them in the sliding door refrigerators. You'll find bottled soda, Powerade and water in there and it'll save you a little money rather than buying them from a cart vendor. My daughter only drinks Powerade when we are at Walt Disney World, so we always purchase them from shops, plus these shop refrigerators have more flavor options of Powerade than the carts do.
Other great places the Passholder merchandise discount is good for on snacks is
Goofy's Candy Company in
Disney Springs and
Main Street Confectionary in
Magic Kingdom Park which both are all snacks and treats stores.
If you're unsure if a location participates in a Passholder discount, always ask! I've been surprised a few times when some random vendors have said yes.
Please stop back by and visit if you have any additional vacation planning questions.
Have a magical day!
Leslie