Best Tips to Save on Food Costs During Your Theme Park Vacation
As you create your theme park vacation budget, it’s important to plan for food costs. Eating at a theme park can be expensive. Fortunately, there are strategies to save. Here are my best tips to save on food costs during your theme park vacation.
Know Before You Go
One of the best ways to save on food costs during your theme park vacation is to arm yourself with knowledge. Research the park’s food options before your trip. What types of foods do they offer? How much is a typical meal? Are there low-priced options like food courts? How much are snacks and beverages? What options exist for kids or people with dietary restrictions, and how much do they cost? You should be able to find menus, prices, and reviews online. This will give you an idea of what to expect and help you set a realistic estimate. It can be helpful to allocate a certain amount per meal or per day to keep spending in line with your total budget for food.
Bring It With You
Theme parks are notorious for overpriced food and beverages. Bringing your own snacks and drinks into the parks can save you a lot of money. Stock up at home and bring snacks for your entire trip or visit a local grocery store when you arrive. Store delivery to your hotel is another good option. Before heading to the parks, pack foods like protein bars, fruit, and trail mix in your park bag, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. Be sure to check the park’s rules on outside food and drinks before you go.
Limit Full-Service Restaurants
Many theme parks offer quick-service and full-service restaurants. If saving money is the focus, avoid full-service or limit these types of meals during your trip. Besides being expensive, these meals can be time consuming. You may not want to take time out of your park day for an extended meal. With the variety of tasty lower priced quick food options available in most theme parks these days, with a little research, you should be able to find something you like without overspending.
Rethink Meals
If you bring snacks with you and are snacking throughout the day, you may not need a full-sized meal. You can save money by ordering a kid’s meal at a quick-service restaurant, or some inexpensive appetizers, instead of an adult entrée when you’re getting hungry.
Share Food
Sometimes, theme park food portions are large. Sharing food can be a great way to save money. Look for options that are big enough to share. Also, if you bring some plastic food storage bags in your park bag, you can save leftovers for snacking later.
Skip Character Meals
Character meals are nice for photos, but not so nice for your budget. Instead, consider doing a character meet and greet which allows you to take the photos without the expense or time commitment of a meal. If your heart is set on character dining, explore all available options and compare prices. For instance, a character breakfast may cost less than a character dinner.
Use Gift Cards and Rewards
Some well-known restaurant brands like Starbucks and Landry’s have locations inside some theme parks or close by. Purchase discounted gift cards for these brands before your trip. If you’re not already a member of their rewards programs, consider becoming one before your trip and take advantage of any rewards and discounts they offer.
Eat Outside The Park
If you’ve packed food for your trip, or had it delivered, eating in your hotel room instead of at the theme park can provide savings. Or, you can eat at an inexpensive chain restaurant if there’s one nearby. If your hotel offers free breakfast, fill up before heading to the park.
Consider Meal Plans
Some theme parks offer meal or beverage plans that allow you to prepay a set fee for a certain number of meals or drink refills throughout your stay. This may or may not save you money. Think about what you typically eat and drink during vacation. Prepaying for a plan that includes full-service meals when you prefer to eat quick-service makes little sense. Estimate your total food and drink costs and compare that estimate to the price of the plan. It may “feel better” to pre-purchase a meal or beverage plan, but it might actually cost more than just paying for your food and drinks
In conclusion, there are many ways to save on food costs during your theme park vacation. By following the tips above, you’ll be well on your way to eating for less.
About the Author
Written by H. Kinney, author of How to Plan a Free Theme Park Vacation. She writes about using points, miles, and cash-back rewards to reduce the cost of theme park travel.
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