As a parent with a young family, I always swore by bringing a few snacks with me from the room. Not only are they convenient and easy to pull out at a moment’s notice for that perfectly timed bribery, but they also help to reduce the overall cost of your daily food bill. However, as we all get older, I find there is a downside to this as well. Here in lies our Disney Debate for the week: Is it worth bringing snacks to Disney?
I’m about to say something I don’t usually say. Most of you know me as someone with a distinct opinion, for better or for worse, though I’m somewhat on the fence as I find myself in the middle of this transition experience. On the one hand, the ease of bringing items from home serves many purposes. Disney snacks aren’t always the easiest if you have a child who likes to graze throughout the day. Much of the food at Disney isn’t conducive to packing away in a bag and eating in little bits over a few hours. Even though I do find that my trusty (never leave home without it) spare Ziploc bag can help stash away that left-over churro or second half of a cookie, there is always something to be said for pulling out the bag of lollipops to keep tempers in check when in a long, frustrating line.
On the other hand, what you save in cost and frustration might be lost when it comes to having to cart your snack selection around the park all day. Bringing snacks can change your Disney lifestyle from a hands-free delight to a heavy, hot backpack slog. It can be rough. I’m used to cutting corners and making our vacation as affordable as possible, but at what point does the added work take away from the benefits enough not to be worth it?
I’m looking forward to your opinions on this one. For all of you seasoned Disney professionals out there, let me know how you feel about taking snacks to the park and if your take has changed over time as your family has evolved.
Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
Join Zoë as she lets you in on all the tips, tricks, anecdotes, and embarrassments that arise from her family adventures.
