You can definitely bring in snacks to Walt Disney World theme parks. Not only will you save money, but you can save a lot of time as well by not waiting to order food when you are hungry.
However, not all foods are great for theme parks. Our ultimate list of the best snacks for Disney World will help you choose the perfect foods for the theme parks!
Can You Bring Snacks Into Disney World?
Yes, you can bring food and drink into Disney World with a few exceptions.
Our guide to bringing food into Disney World explains that you can bring almost anything except for pungent foods, items in glass (other than baby food), alcohol or loose ice.
Benefits of Bringing Your Own Snacks
There are many reasons why you might want to bring your own food or drink into Walt Disney World. We never travel to a theme parks without bringing at least a few items with us. Here’s why:
Save Money
You will save a ton of money by bringing in food and drink that you buy at a grocery store compared to the high markup of food and beverages in theme parks.
Check out our guide to Free Food at Disney World, too, for some more ideas!
Save Time
You don’t need to wait in line to order snacks or drinks when you bring your own. Every minute should be fun in theme parks. Don’t waste time waiting in long lines.
Dietary Restrictions / Allergies
If you have specific needs for medical reasons, you don’t want the stress of having to find snacks or beverages that won’t make you sick. Bring your own and you will know that you always have something available to eat.
Related Post: Where to Find Dole Whip at Hollywood Studios (vegan and dairy free)
Best Snacks to Bring to Walt Disney World
Keeping the official snack policy in mind, we have come up with a big list of snacks that are great to bring into Walt Disney World. Here are some brilliant ideas:
- Chips
- Pretzels
- Granola bars
- Squeeze pouches of fruit
- Crackers
- Pringles
- Nuts
- Trail Mix
- Beef Jerky
- Pepperoni slices
- Rice Cakes
- Popped popcorn
- Protein bars
- Pop Tarts
- Fruit Roll-Ups or Fruit Snacks
- String Cheese
- BabyBell Cheese wedges
- Cheese and Cracker Dippers
- Cheese crackers, such as Cheez-Its
- Goldfish crackers
- Raisins
- Cookies
- Vanilla Wafers
- Graham Crackers
- Yogurt sticks or squeeze packs(such as Go-Gurts)
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Any type of sandwich
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Peanut butter squeeze packs
- Honey sticks
- Baby Carrots
- Celery
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Banana
- Pear
- Clementines
- Gummy bears
- M&Ms
- Apple
- Peach
- Plum
- Dried fruits
- Applesauce packs
- Muffins
- Mini Doughnuts
- Brownies
- Hummus snack packs
- Pickle packs
- Olives
- Freeze dried ice cream
- Boxed cereal
- Cheerios
- Fruit Loops
- Golden Grahams
- Uncrustables
- Lunchables
- Hard candies, such as butterscotch or peppermints (not chocolate)
- Lollipops
- Jelly Beans
- Candy canes
- Taffy
All of these snack ideas are not only perfect for Disney World and Disneyland, but also for any amusement parks, including Universal Studios.
How to Pack Snacks for Bringing Into Walt Disney World
Packing foods for a day in the theme parks is a little different than other travel days. Here are some important tips to keep in mind.
Florida Heat Can Ruin Food
The heat and humidity of Florida can make foods spoil quickly at any time of the year. Keep this in mind when choosing snack foods to bring or buy.
For instance, packing a chocolate bar to eat as a snack would be a nightmare! It would be melted by the time you walked from the parking lot.
However, chocolate wafer cookies would be fine and will indulge your chocolate craving.
Shelf-stable foods are great for carrying in the heat. Check out our list of 269 Non-Perishable Road Trip Foods for some great ideas.
If you bring foods that don’t hold up to heat well, such as cheese, yogurts or fruits, you can pack them with a small ice pack in a small cooler.
Ice packs are great to put on your forehead, wrists or neck to help cool down after you don’t need them to chill your food.
Also, be sure to check out our DIY magical cooling spray.
A collapsible cooler bag, like this one, is great for keeping foods cold with an ice pack because you can roll it to be smaller after you are done eating the foods. It also doubles as a tote bag and purse.
A thermos is another great way to keep foods cold. Consider putting frozen grapes or string cheese slices in an insulated water bottle to keep items cold without the need of an ice pack. You can later fill it with ice water after you’ve eaten your snacks.
Or you can fill an insulated bottle with warm chicken nuggets, hot dogs or other foods that need to be kept warm, too.
Freeze Foods When Possible
Freezing some types of foods is a good idea when packing snacks for the theme parks. Your foods will stay chilled and fresh even if it’s hot.
Plus, the frozen foods can act as a small ice pack to keep other foods cold, too!
During the day, your foods will naturally defrost so they won’t be frozen by the time you eat them, just cold.
Some good examples of snack foods that you can freeze are:
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Cookies
- Brownies
- Muffins
Use Zip Top Bags
Zip-top bags, such as Ziploc bags or reusable Stasher bags, are perfect for portioning food and keeping it tidy.
These Stasher snack bags are absolutely incredible if you want to be eco-friendly and have reusable bags that can be washed.
This way you can buy a large bag or box of food in bulk and put it into small containers to save money.
You might also want to see our Zero Waste Disney Kit for more ideas of what to bring for enjoying your own foods in the parks.
It’s a smart idea to keep all of your snacks in a bag, just in case they open. You don’t want a messy backpack or purse filled with cookie crumbs or applesauce.
Buy Individually Wrapped Items
Sometimes it just makes sense to buy individually wrapped items, such as lunchbox-sized bags of chips and pretzels. Or wrapped brownies and pastries.
Perhaps you are packing food for a school group and parents don’t want you touching their kid’s food.
Or maybe you find a deal where snack packs are cheaper than buying the same amount of food in big bags.
One of the biggest reasons for buying individually wrapped items is that they can help you not to use your hands while snacking. You will be touching a lot of surfaces in the theme park and your hands can have lots of germs.
Foods such as squeeze pouches, cheeses and wrapped brownies can be eaten out of the package without needing to hold the food in your hand.
Pack the Night Before
No one wants to be packing small bags of chips first thing in the morning when everyone is anxious to get on the attractions.
Save yourself hassle by packing foods the night before. This includes figuring out who is going to be carrying what foods and in what bag.
Pack Snacks That You Like
This is not the time to start eating healthy if you don’t already eat that way. For instance, don’t pack your kids celery sticks and hummus to eat if they enjoy brownies as their snack at home.
Buy the foods and the brands that you already know and love.
However, add in some special treats for your vacation, too. That might mean sweets if your kids don’t eat a lot of sweets. Or a food item that you wouldn’t eat at home because it costs too much. This way you and your family will feel like you’re not missing out on not buying snacks in the theme park.
Bring Hand Sanitizer or Cleaning Wipes
Your hands will be dirty and germ-y after time in the theme parks. If you can’t easily get to a restroom to wash your hands, you will need to have some germ-killing hand sanitizer or antibacterial wipes with you to clean hands before eating, especially if you are snacking while in lines.
You could also make your own hand sanitizer.
Where to Buy Food for Walt Disney World
Here are some great places to purchase the best snacks for Disney World if you cannot bring the food from home. Many of these locations offer delivery, either for free or an additional charge.
- Walgreens or CVS
- Walmart
- Target
- Publix
- Dollar Tree
- InstaCart or Food Delivery
- Amazon Delivery