The Disney Frontier Blog

I’ve come to the realization that eating in the park isn’t “that” expensive. When we sit down to eat in the park and buy two adult meals and two kids meals, the price is consistently around $30. I’ve been paying attention here in Phoenix to our recent eating-out expenses. Most places we eat at the bill is between $20 and $30 for basically the same thing - two adult meals and two kids meals. I’m talking about casual dining like Red Robin, Macaroni Grill, and even Chuck E Cheese which I would say is comparable to the quality food you get at places like the French Market, Rancho del Zocalo, and Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port.Â

The biggest difference are beverages. This is where the bill will creep up on you if you’re not careful. The kids meals come with drinks, but due to price, we usually only purchase one adult drink to share. Typically, this is a bottle of water that is easy to take with us and we don’t have to worry about it spilling in the stroller. Also, we avoid buying snacks with our meals. Almost all the cashiers have cookies, rice krispy treats or some sugary snack at their station. Heath concerns aside, these are expensive. Plus, don’t go for the souvenir cups if trying to save on cash.

We also avoid the temptation of the snack stands throughout the park. Buying a snack for everyone can easily be half the price of a full meal. Plus the crash after the sugar wears off is hard to deal with.

When we go in a few weeks, we are going to see exactly much we can avoid eating in the park. I think this is more experimental than necessity. How do you deal with eating in the parks?Â