As many families might already know, the food at Walt Disney World can get a little too pricey for some who may not have already experienced a $10 cheeseburger. Don’t panic! Take a few minutes to breathe: not all of your meals at the parks have to be $100 to be enjoyable and filling, even though Mickey himself may not be serving your french fries direct to your table from the magical fryers underneath Cinderella’s Castle. Here are a few tips on how you can save a few pennies (or dollars) at one of the parks inside the most magical place on Earth.
(the infamous beignets pronounced BEN-YAYs)
I am a firm believer in not over-paying for breakfast. That being said, I also believe in what you pay for is what you get. If you want to spend $50-$70 (or more) per person to have numerous princesses take photos with you and pretend for a few minutes that they don’t see the syrup and crumbs all over your shirt from the Mickey shaped waffles you just devoured, by all means go for it. But for me and my Minnie, we both were desperately seeking something light, sweet, filling, and most of all cheap. Our best option was to hit up our local food court in the wee hours of the morning before treading our way in the blistering hot African sun inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Since we were staying at Port Orleans – French Quarter, we thought we would check out the mini dining area that is being used in place of the regular eating zone that is currently under refurbishment. After stumbling our way past the bar and getting confused looks from onlookers we came across a small side hall leading to two cash registers and a small menu. We knew exactly what we wanted… The beignets! How can you come to French Quarter and NOT try these? The memories of walking down Bourbon Street and all the sights and smells that come with it came quickly circling back to my mind as I ate these delicious pieces of heaven. Although they are only served in a basket of 3 at just under $5 per basket, I probably could have eaten 10 if I wasn’t thinking about how much powdered sugar was on top of these things. But alas, the dough was slightly cripsy on the outside, it was firm but not too firm, and the center was soft and perfect with a neutral but semi-sweet bread flavor. Covering the top was a blanket of sugary goodness that could bring the ghosts from Haunted Mansion back to life with one lick.
We drank a Simply Orange Juice and also got two sodas to take on-the-go. There were a few problems with the new installed Coke Freestyle machine, but after a few minutes, 1 of the 2 machines was fixed and we could wash down all that shameful sugar with… more sugar. #dontjudgeme
(Mickey-head shaped ice cream sandwich, frozen banana with nuts on a stick, bottled water)
After a few hours of riding Expedition Everest, laughing at my Minnie’s soaked skirt during Kali River Rapids, and hoping birds don’t poop over my head in Flights of Wonder, it was time to feed my gurgling monster of a stomach as we both were getting a bit ‘hangry’ some might say. We shuffled our way down to Harambe Market to split a meal: the chicken skewer/green papaya slaw/black eyed peas and corn and we found it to be very tasty on a few levels. The marinade that has been soaked into the chicken was zesty but not too powerful, the blend of spices was just right and gave it that extra little kick that kept you guessing what it was. The green papaya slaw was nice but you get the point after a few bites and it is quite bitter but I enjoyed it. I think the real winner in this tray was the black eyes peas, corn, tomato, and hint of cilantro. All of this food was plenty to feed two people for around $10 per order.
A few more rides later and we couldn’t quite help but to stop off for ice cream and frozen deliciousness on sticks to try and forget about the heat. I recommend the frozen banana and Minnie recommends the Mickey-head ice cream sandwich. Both are right under $5 and add-in the obligatory cold bottle of water and you are looking at a $13 snack for two. The ice cream inside the sandwich is Oreo flavored sandwiched by two chocolate Mickey-head shaped soft cookies. The chocolate-covered banana is topped with nuts and served on a stick perfect for not getting your hands covered in brown chocolate. #stickandmove
(left to right : Angry Orchard served with a cold pouring glass. Brazilian Freeze with coconut, pineapple, raspberry puree, and banana blended with ice)
After dodging a confrontation with a rude customer at the line to be seated at Rainforest Cafe, we were greeted by an older lady who took us to our table. She couldn’t have been more sweet and kind; she really made up for what almost was a bad memory. But she stepped in and gave us her favorite table in the cafe and told us a few hints on why it was so perfect.
Minnie ordered a non-alcoholic Brazilian Breeze smoothie which consisted of blended ice with raspberry puree, bananas, coconut, and pineapple. Absolutely delicious and nutritious. I ordered an Angry Orchard hard cider because big poppa earned it after using my restraint in the waiting line 🙂 A few chugs later and out came our food. Chicken parmesan with two heaping chicken breasts, pasta with tomato sauce, and a triangular shaped piece of rock hard garlic bread. Although the chicken was fabulous, I should have split the Rasta Pasta with Minnie as we both could not finish half of our entrees. The Rasta Pasta consisted of spiral pasta in a creamy alfredo sauce with grilled chicken on top, again with the same rock hard triangle of garlic bread that only Wreck-It-Ralph could possibly destroy.
The bill with tip was around $70 but I am guessing if we had split 1 entree you would be looking at roughly $50 instead with drinks and tips included. Try to let off some steam at the end of your night and stop off at Rainforest Cafe for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Don’t let rude moms in line try to ruin your night, take a deep breath and pick your battles, because at the end of the day you only spent around $110 for 3 meals and a few snacks between two people. #thanksshanghai
Smooth-talking goofball from Charlotte, NC.
