If you’ve planned a Disney vacation, you know that there are meal options. Scattered throughout the parks and resorts are what are referred to as either “quick service” restaurants or restaurants that require reservations (character dining, buffets, fine dining, etc.). Pre-pandemic, you could either pay for these meals individually.. or you could buy a dining plan (which is not currently offered as all restaurants are not back open).
We have eaten at a variety of both QS and character meals but have never sprung for a dining plan. There are different “tiers” of dining plans. But seeing as they aren’t available right now, we wont go into those today.
So after many Disney trips (and many many meals), here are my thoughts. Restaurants at Disney are not cheap. Especially if they include character experiences or are themed meals. I’ll give you an example- Chef Mickeys. It’s a character meal that’s a buffet. On a normal year, the characters would walk to each table, visit, and sign autograph books. Currently, they are only walking around the restaurant (at a safe distance) and waving to patrons. For this specific restaurant, breakfast is $42/adult and $27/kid (and it appears that breakfast is the only meal being offered at this time).
Another example is Garden Grill at Epcot. It’s a character meal that features Chip n’ Dale and cost $55/adult and $36/ per kid for either lunch or dinner. So if you are a family of 4 like us, you’re spending anywhere from $150-200 for one of these meals. (It should be noted that if your child is under 3, they eat free at these “family style” restaurants)
There is something to be said about these experiences.. and I am thankful for the photos that we have from them! But dang.. that’s a lot of money for a meal, amirite?!
When we have done character meals in the past, we’ve opted to do a breakfast. They are typically cheaper.. and offer more food options that both of our children will eat. One of our favorites EVER was Crystal Palace. Pooh and Friends are not currently there.. but it was a magical experience and I would do it again in the future!
That being said, I personally would not plan for more than ONE character meal per trip. If your budget is unlimited, then by all means.. plan 15! But no one needs to go into credit card debt trying to eat character meals. It’s just not worth it.
Depending on whether we are driving or flying, we either pick up groceries on our way in.. or arrange for an Instacart order to be delivered to our resort. Not all resorts have a kitchen area.. but they do all have at least a mini fridge and coffee area. I recommend watching YouTube videos of resort rooms to figure out exactly what set up you’ll have!
Since we’ve arranged to have these food items on hand, we almost always plan for breakfast in the room. It’s a cheap and easy option for everyone as we’re running out the door to get to the parks. For snacks, we always always bring our own into the park (fruit, granola bars, Chomps, cheese sticks, squeezies, fruit snacks, etc.). And for lunch and dinner, we typically do a combination of Quick Service (or Food Stand) items and the snacks we have on hand. Merritt is a very picky eater.. so we always pack his staple items. Our daughter is NOT a picky eater.. but is small and doesn’t require an entire meal. So we typically split food with her while just packing him an entire picnic.
I am fully aware that this approach is not for everyone. Some families only go to Disney once every few years and like to go ALL OUT. And they save so that they are able to do this! For me personally, I like going multiple times a year.. so I am ALWAYS thinking about budget friendly options (for resorts AND food). Additionally, sit down meal experiences may be easier for some. For us, it’s just unwanted stress. There may be a time when its NOT stressful.. but for now, QS is where it’s at.
As of now, all QS meals have to be ordered from your mobile device. This limits the amount of traffic within the restaurant. You will open up the Disney App and select “order food”. You’ll then be prompted to select an arrival window time. After you decide on your food and submit your order, which can be done from anywhere, you will walk to the restaurant and tap the button “I’m here” when you are outside of the restaurant. When your order is ready, you will receive a text message with a Line number. You’ll walk inside and proceed to that number to get your food. You can then choose to sit down inside the restaurant.. or take your food elsewhere. Typically, we choose to eat outside if we can.. as that feels like the safest option right now when mask are removed. Our favorite QS restaurant is Pecos Bill! If you arrive early enough to grab an outside seat, you are guaranteed to have great views of the cavalcades!
My advice for you would be to research your options, figure out what works within your budget (and decide what your top picks are), plan for several QS meals, and bring in some of your own food and drinks! We have saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars operating this way.. and I would only hope that you are able to do the same!
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