Is it Possible to Only Spend $40 on Food & Drink During an All Day Disneyland Resort Visit?

Enjoying a full day at the Disneyland Resort is a fun experience. Those that are brave enough to stay from park opening to park closing will know that making magical memories will most definitely happen. With all that time in the parks, there are many things to do and enjoy. From attractions, to shows, character meet & greets and so much more, the resort has much to offer.

One thing to also keep in mind is food. Yes, food at times is a little pricey at the resort, so spending all day could take a bit out of your wallet. One way to save some money during your stay is to bring your own snacks and a refillable water bottle. There is also a picnic area outside the Esplanade, near the Mickey and Friends tram pick-up and drop-off area, in which you can enjoy your homemade meals.

Another way to save is by ordering cups of water instead of soda. Certain locations will offer free cups of water.

Taking a page from Food Network’s Rachel Ray’s “$40 a Day” television show, my friend Nicole and I put ourselves to the challenge of only spending $40 during our trip to the resort. One day and only $40 for food and drink. Could it be done?

Just a quick side note, Nicole and I both have premium Disneyland Annual Passes. The passes provided us with a 10%-15% discount on select dining locations. There were only two of us in the party in total. In addition, we also surveyed this challenge on both sides; vegetarian and non-vegetarian. For the sake of the challenge as well, we did not share food or snack from that day’s in-park purchases. Also, we did not have outside food or drink with us from home. Our trip to the resort started around 9 a.m. and ended about 8:30 p.m.

Let’s take a look to see what the outcome was.

Nicole (Non-vegetarian):

  • Breakfast – Fiddler, Fifer And Practical Café, Disney California Adventure Park

Chocolate Croissant, Grande Iced White Mocha $8.34

  • Lunch – SmokeJumpers Grill, Disney California Adventure Park

Bacon Cheddar Burger, Cup of Water $10.09

  • Snack – Popcorn Cart, Main Street, Disneyland Park

Popcorn $4.25

  • Dinner – Pizza Port, Disneyland Park

Slice of Pepperoni Pizza, Regular Soda $9.89

  • Dessert – Starbucks, Downtown Disney

Chocolate Chip Cookie, Tall Milk $5.20

(Did not receive a receipt)
(Did not receive a receipt)

Spent: $37.77   Left over money: $2.23

$40_Disneyland (3)

Amanda (Vegetarian):

  • Breakfast – Fiddler, Fifer And Practical Café, Disney California Adventure Park

Spinach Egg White Wrap, Tall Iced Coffee $7.42

  • Lunch – SmokeJumpers Grill, Disney California Adventure Park

Grilled Chicken & Feta Salad (ORDERED W/ NO CHICKEN), Cup of Water $9.17

  • Dinner – Pizza Port, Disneyland Park

Terra Nova Tomato Basil Pasta, Regular Soda $11.55

  • Snack – Churro Cart, Main Street, Disneyland Park

Churro $4.25

$40_Disneyland (12)

Spent: $32.39   Left over money: $7.61

$40_Disneyland (13)

If you happen to dine only on Disneyland Resort food alone, it is very much possible to spend less than $40 dollars for a day at the resort. If you do like planning things ahead, the Disneyland website offers a full list of menus for various park dining locations, along with the prices of meal options. If you would like more information of Disneyland Resort dining, please click here.

Overall, this was a fun little challenge to do. There could have been many outcomes to this fun little experiment. It just so happens that we did hit under $40. Hurray!

On a typical full day at the Disneyland Resort, how do you save money on food and drink? Do you eat all your meals in-park or do you bring packed food from home?

**Special thanks to my friend Nicole on teaming up with me to do this fun challenge**


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