Disney Snack Ideas: Bringing Food to Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Disney is an experience for all of your senses, including your sense of taste. However, for many people that visit Disney, they need to also prioritize how they spend their money and need Disney snack ideas. One way to cut down on costs and make sure you have something to eat if you have an allergy is to bring your own snacks to the Disney parks.
Not only will bringing in your own snacks to Disney save your family money, but it can take some of the stress out of your trip. Don’t get me wrong, Disney snacks are amazing! However, it can be nice to have something a little healthier or familiar between all of the new items that you are trying.
So, if you have never brought your own snacks to Disney, what do you need to know?
Disney Snack Ideas: Can You Bring Food to Disney?
Disney has a policy that you are able to bring a soft-sided bag into the park (as long as it is under 24″ long x 15″ wide x 18″ high), which means your favorite soft-sided coolers are probably already a great option you have in your house. However, it is important to note that Disney Parks does not allow loose ice inside of your bags, so if you are bringing in snacks that need to stay cool, make sure to use an ice pack or put ice in a gallon-size resealable bag. You can see our quick explainer on the Disney bag policy for everything you can and can't bring to the parks.
If you are staying on property, also be aware that Disney has beverage coolers in many of the hotel rooms now instead of small refrigerators, so you may be limited on the cooling ability for your Disney snacks or ice packs.
Every Disney resort does have an ice machine though, so if you bring gallon resealable bags, you will have access to keep your items cool throughout the day that way.
In the morning, before your park day begins, load up your favorite snacks and drinks into a bag or cooler, and off to the park you go ready for the day!
Disney Snack Ideas to Pack
When thinking about snacks to take with you to Disney, you want to make sure they are something light, easy to carry, provide energy, and are comforting to the people in your travel party. Since Disney parks allow coolers, you can bring in Disney snacks that need to stay cool and pantry snacks as well. It is important to note that there is no place to heat food, so only bring items you are okay with eating at room temperature or cooled in your cooler.
Here are some of my favorite Disney snacks to bring to the park with me and my family. I don’t bring all of these items every single time, but we like to mix them up with each trip we go on.
Cool/ Refrigerated Snacks
- String Cheese
- Pepperoni or other cured meats
- Baby Carrots & Dip
- Yogurt tubes
- Hummus packs & Veggie Sticks
Pantry Snacks
- Pretzels (Peanut butter to dip in is great too!)
- Chips and Cheetos
- Popcorn (already popped, please!)
- Fruit snacks or Fruit Leather
- Pop-Tarts
- Muffins or pastry (great for a later breakfast if you don’t have early eaters)
- Crackers
- Fruit: Clementines/ Oranges, Bananas, Apples, Pears, Grapes
- Nuts (Peanuts, Cashews, Pistachios) & Trail Mix
- Fruit sauce packets (applesauce)
- Granola bars or Protein Bars
- Raisins
- Dried Fruit
- Goldfish or Cheez-It type crackers
- Nilla Wafers/Graham Crackers/Cookie Packs
- Beef jerky
- Rice Cakes
- Dry Cereal
- Rice Krispy Treats
Disney Snack Ideas Small Kids
- Baby food pouches (Our kids LOVE these, and having something comforting and normal is so important when they are in a new place)
- Puffs
- Yogurt Drops
- Teething Biscuits
- Teeny Snacks Gummies
As you are doing your shopping, make sure you are buying things in individual containers so they are easily passed out to others in your party or you can buy in bulk and pack the snacks in containers/ snack bags in the morning as you are getting ready to leave for the park. Disney does not allow glass containers, so make sure if you choose the container route, you opt for plastic.
Disney Snack Ideas: Drinks
Disney drinks are not the cheapest when you go through a ton of them a day (see our full guide to Disney World food costs for everything you need to know). Luckily, with few restrictions on food items, you can bring your own drinks into the parks as well.
Our family always packs a few reusable water bottles to refill throughout the park. I particularly like the ones with a filter because Disney fountain water isn’t my favorite taste. To fill your water bottle, there are some refill stations in areas, water fountains typically by the bathrooms, and counter-service locations will give you a free cup of water if you ask, but it may require some waiting. You could also purchase a case of water to leave in your hotel and just bring a few bottles a day that you can refill that way as well.
If you are not a huge fan of plain water, packing Liquid IV packs, MIO water infusers, other water flavor packets, or a Cirkul bottle are all great options as well. Everyone in our party usually drinks at least one Liquid IV a day just so that we can make sure we are staying hydrated in the Florida heat.
If you want some options other than water, you can always have tea, soda, coffee, or energy drinks delivered or packed for the trip. Bottles are a great option if you are looking for something other than water because it is easy to reseal throughout the park without having to worry about spilling.
Where to Buy Your Snacks for Disney
When and where you buy your snacks for Disney is going to depend on what your plans are for travel. Most of the time, you can go ahead and buy any non-perishable food ahead of time at your favorite stores. Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJs usually have great deals on boxes of chips, granola bars, beef jerky, nuts, and other single-serve snack items. You can also purchase your snacks slowly in your normal grocery shopping just by buying an extra box or two of your or your kid’s favorite items and putting them to the side for your trip.
If you are driving to Disney, it is pretty easy to purchase your snacks ahead of time and pack them with all of your other bags. The even better news is if you eat your snacks, then you will have more room for souvenirs when you go back home! I know we always need the extra room.
Flying on the other hand can be super tricky to make sure you are following all of the requirements of packing food in your bag, not to mention the weight in your checked bags will cost you on many airlines as well. If you fly with Southwest, you may have an easier time packing snacks due to their two free checked bags per person policy. On other airlines, you have to pay for every single bag, so it may not make the most financial sense to purchase your food ahead of time.
If you are choosing not to purchase your snacks ahead of time or need to buy some perishable items, there are many places where you can have food delivered to your Disney resort now. You can order your groceries (typically with a small delivery fee) and have them delivered to bell services at your resort. Bell services will hold your items (and keep them refrigerated) until your room is ready or you get back from the park.
Popular Grocery Delivery Options to the Resorts
- Amazon Prime Delivery
- Garden Grocer
- Walmart Grocery
- Instacart
Our family always has milk and coffee creamer delivered when we arrive. When we fly down, we also have other food delivered, but when we drive, we just order the perishable items.
You also have the ability on your arrival day to drive, take an Uber/ Lyft, or a Taxi to one of the nearby stores to pick up your own groceries and bring them back to the resort with you. This may be a cheaper option if you don’t want to pay the delivery fees of the other companies. There are many stores in the area within just a few miles of Disney World property to grab your groceries at.
Final Tips for Bringing Snacks Into Disney
If you are worried about bringing snacks into Disney, know that most families bring food in every single time. Security is required to check your bags, but they won’t confiscate your food unless it is in a glass container, is an alcoholic beverage, or they deem it inappropriate to walk around the park. We have never been told we couldn’t take a snack that we brought in.
If you don’t have super young kids using a stroller, Disney does have lockers for rent in each of the parks where you can store your cooler or food, that way you don’t have to worry about carrying it throughout the park. Read our guide to renting lockers at Disneyland here.
While you can’t take a table at an indoor dining location to eat the food you brought into the park, there are many quick service locations that have tables outside free to use. There are many grassy places, especially at Magic Kingdom to sit and have a picnic with your family. Every park has benches or walls that offer a great place to sit for a break and a snack. If you are lucky, you may even get to dine on the famous EPCOT trash cans.
Disney Snack Ideas
Bringing your own snacks to Disney can have many advantages for your family. If you have small kids, there is no telling when they are going to become hangry (angry because they are hungry), and having a snack on hand that you know they will eat and is comforting to them is invaluable.
Sometimes as adults, we need a quick energy boost to deal with the heat, the crowds, and our own family, so having a good snack that we know will give us that little boost is important.
Being able to just sit and eat your snack instead of having to wait in line to get something to eat will save your sanity and allow you more time to rest before jumping right back into the hustle and bustle of the park.
Staying hydrated in the hot Florida heat is important, so having your own water bottle that you can refill at any time will save you from getting dehydrated.
Bringing your own snacks to the parks can be tedious to plan out ahead of time, but the best part about bringing many of your own snacks is that you can save money when you are super hungry. Instead, save those dollars for the special, one-of-a-kind snack that Disney offers (Dole Whips and Churros for everyone!). See our guide to all the Dole Whips you can get at Disney World ranked!
Plan your Disneyland Vacation
If you want to try to bring your snacks to your Disney vacation, start planning today with our FREE Deals Newsletter! Be one of the first to know about exclusive Disney deals, access to the lowest-priced Disney tickets anywhere, and other great planning tips for your trip. You can find more information on planning your vacation here:
Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.
