Snack Time!

One of the amazing things about travelling to WDW is the vast number of ways that you can do it! Whether you are completely budget conscious and don't won't to spend any extra money or you are planning on blowing things out completely, you can do it at WDW. One of the big divergences in opinion regards snack time in the parks. If you want to really save money on your trip, you have the opportunity to bring your own snacks into the parks. You have the option of bringing a book bag or small cooler into the parks, so long as they do not contain glass bottles or alcoholic beverages. As such, you can feel free to bring in your own drinks and snacks. Depending on the size and ages of your party, this option can save you quite a bit of money. If you are reading this and have a toddler or preschooler, a ready supply of goldfish crackers can be a life saver! Other popular options include cereal bars, chips, or fresh fruit.

For others of us, buying snacks in the park is the preferred option. This may be true for a number of reasons. Maybe you don't want to be encumbered by an extra bag or cooler. As the parent of three preschoolers, I fall into this camp. We have enough to carry on our own. We generally only carry snacks for the kids. The adults get their snacks in the parks.

A second reason, beyond the convenience of not having to carry food is that there are just so many great snack options available in the parks. Yes, you will pay more for them than you probably want to, but they are definitely worth it! In each of the parks, I have a few personal favorite snacks that I look forward to eating on each trip. If you plan wisely and share, they don't even have to be that expensive. So, here are a few tips for snacking around the world.

1) Drink the water. OK, I admit I have a pet peeve about bottled water. I can't imagine for the life of me why anyone would waste perfectly good money for something they are giving away for free. You can march right up to the counter at any counter service location and receive a free cup of ice water. If you will drink water all day you will probably feel better, and save enough money on the cost of three soft drinks to afford two snacks each day.

2) Package snacks to make a meal. One of our favorite meals in World Showcase is no meal at all. If we find ourselves near France near lunch time, we will stop in at the Boulangerie Patisserie where we craft our own meal out of the delicious offerings available there. Delicious ham and cheese croissants are availabe for $3.25 and a variety of pastries are available from $1.95-$4.00. If you take the free water, you can have a great lunch for less than $8.00 per person. You can find many examples of this phenomenon around WDW. Also, this can help you save time by allowing you to eat without fighting some of the crowds that accumulate in the more popular counter service locations during peak meal times.

3) Share! One of the best things about snacks is that, due to their relatively low cost, you can try new and different things without too much fear of wasting your money. If you are travelling with a larger group, go to one of the snack locations and order a number of different items. Come together and give everyone the chance to try something that they probably wouldn't have attempted otherwise. A great example of this phenomenon is the rice cream at the Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in Norway. In an every man for himself situation, very few members of your group will be willing to risk their snack on this unique treat. If they know, however, that they are only obligated to a few bites, they will probably give it a chance. After years of avoiding rice cream, I discovered how much I like it in a similar scenario. Also, the large number of small tastes makes the experience last a bit longer. Finally, don't forget that, even if you don't have a large group, sharing is a great option. Many of the snacks in WDW are quite large, and a couple can easily share them.

So, what are your thoughts on snacking around the World? Do you have any particular favorite snacks? Do you bring your snacks in, or buy them on the inside? Let us know about your snacking habits in the comments section below!