Pixie Dust Tip #1: Snacks can Save You Time and Money!

Don't spoil your dinner?

Nope! You're on vacation! Go ahead and spoil that dinner! That is, unless you have a dining reservation. Then that can be a costly mistake! Disney offers so many wonderful restaurants that you can make a reservation for a dining experience. If food is your focus then make those reservations! However, some of the more budget minded folks may want a different plan and that plan is all about the snacks!

Time is money!

Those dining reservations come with multiple costs. One is of course is how much they cost. Though they can be incredible dining experiences, they are pricey. Some are more pricey than others for sure, but all of them have a price tag that may make them out of your budget!

The other cost you may not have realized is that dining reservations are a time thief. That's time to enjoy a special attraction, shop in that cute store, or even take those awesome Disney Vacation Photos that you might not have time for if you opt into a sit-down dining experience! I am not against dining experiences. My family has been on trips where the dining was a major focus and we've had a wonderful time! But, we've also had trips that we decided counter service plus snacks was the way to go because we wanted more time for other things!

Snacks instead of meals?

I'm not suggesting a box of popcorn or a Mickey Ice-cream in place of a meal. However, it's your vacation! If you want to do that have at it! What I'm suggesting is substituting some scrumptious snacks in place of another counter service meal, which frankly might be exactly the same offerings as your last counter service meal depending on what you're looking at! Not all counter service restaurants offer the same food, but for better or worse, there is a great deal of repetition!

So which snacks am I talking about? The special ones! The Cheeseburger Spring Rolls at Magic Kingdom, the Pulled Pork Jelly Donut Sandwich at Animal Kingdom, all of the Star Wars food offerings at Hollywood Studios, and of course all of the snacks around the world at Epcot! I mean, do you even need that dining reservation at Epcot? These are hearty snacks that can combine or sometimes even go solo as a meal replacement! And bonus: They are delicious and they are usually things you can't find at home!

The bottom line

Sit-down dining experiences can be great, but if your budget doesn't allow for it, you can still eat some great food for a cheaper price. Also, if Disney is a new experience for anyone in your party, eating a combination of counter service and special snacks can leave time available to make some extra magic!

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