Where To Find The Cheapest Food At Disney World: 13 Spots To Put On Your List

When you think about Walt Disney World, the concept of cheap simply doesn't compute. Between admission tickets, hotels, flights, and souvenirs, there are many pricey aspects to your trip. However, food is one place you could save a little on your next Disney World trip. To help you in this endeavor, I've selected some places where you can find the cheapest food at Walt Disney World.

You'll find some choices that are ultra-inexpensive (like popcorn) and others that are great for value. It's hard to enjoy Disney food from a truly cheap perspective, but there are ways to be creative by taking advantage of deals when Disney offers them and sharing food across orders to get the most bang for your buck. With these places to get the cheapest eats around Walt Disney World, you may be able to save just enough on your trip to pick up a few extra fancy mementos at one of many gift shops.

One of the absolute earliest purchases you should make during your time at Walt Disney World is a popcorn bucket. At the time of writing, the initial purchase of the popcorn bucket, provided you don't purchase a specialty popcorn bucket, is $14.25. The real payoff for this popcorn bucket comes into play with your refills. Each time you get a refill of your popcorn bucket, it will only cost you $2.25. You'll find popcorn carts throughout every single one of the theme parks, so there are plenty of places to get one of the very best snacks at Disney World. If you're shopping at Disney Springs, you can even pick up a popcorn refill there.

The real savings for this popcorn bucket snack become clearer when you start looking at the breakdown of prices. If you were to order a box of popcorn without the bucket or refill price, it's $7. Therefore, if you plan on having at least three boxes of popcorn, you would have to pay $7 each time, totaling $21. But, if you spend $14.25 for the initial purchase of the popcorn bucket and $2.25 for each refill, the cost after two refills would only be $18.75.

The best part is that your popcorn bucket is good for the length of your stay. Whether that's a couple of days or a few weeks, you're covered the whole time. With so many uniquely designed popcorn buckets throughout the year, it also is a great souvenir.

One of the best meals at Magic Kingdom doesn't come from a restaurant; instead, you'll find it in a cart just before the entrance to Adventureland. Right before you pass the bridge separating the Main Street area and Adventureland, look to the right. If it's lunchtime, you'll no doubt see a line of people waiting at a rather unassuming cart. Here, you can purchase spring rolls. Trust me when I say that these aren't just your typical spring rolls. They come in flavors like pepperoni pizza and cheeseburger.

You can order one of each flavor, or you can order two rolls of the same flavor. The first time you visit, I recommend trying one of each flavor so you can decide on a favorite. My go-to order is two cheeseburger rolls. It's like everything you love about a fast food burger wrapped up in a crunchy spring roll. You'll even get some Big Mac-style dipping sauce to enjoy with it.

For two spring rolls, you'll pay $9.50. I find it substantial enough to serve as a quick lunch, especially if I have a larger meal planned for later in the day. Since they're spring rolls and everything is very contained, you can even eat them on your way to your next ride. It's the most ideal on-the-go meal. In fact, you'll probably be able to finish both rolls before you even hit the Pirates of the Caribbean queue in Adventureland.

For more traditional theme park food, head to Casey's Corner, a quick service restaurant at the end of Main Street that is, well, on the corner. Its menu is stacked with fries, hot dogs, and little corn dog bites. The offerings here make for a more solid lunch or dinner at the Magic Kingdom, and it's often exceptionally busy around lunch, dinner, and fireworks time. Although seating is always very difficult to secure around the restaurant, my family enjoys sitting in the nearby hub grass instead for a picnic-style meal.

I've been known to get a hot dog here from time to time, but the corn dog bites are top-notch, and they're pretty reasonably priced, too. For $10.99, you'll get a generous helping of mini corn dogs and a hefty helping of french fries. I like to add the cheese dipping sauce for both the fries and bites. Of course, there is also mustard and ketchup on hand for you if that's more your condiment style.

If you're getting the food right before the fireworks, I have the best hack for you: Empty your corn dog bites and fries into an empty popcorn bucket and eat right from the bucket. That way, you can hold your fireworks viewing spot and enjoy dinner. You'll need sustenance for those late-night-post-firework rides, after all.

No one may be as slick or quick as Gaston, but you can surely snag a deal at Gaston's Tavern in the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland. After crossing through the castle and passing the carousel, to the left of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you'll find a little courtyard area in the shadow of Be Our Guest Restaurant inside the Beast's castle. Complete with Gaston's Tavern, bathrooms, a fountain, and a gift shop, I love this hidden area for a bit of peace on an otherwise busy park day. Pop into Gaston's Tavern for one of the greatest fast breakfasts at Disney World: a cinnamon roll — it's also one of the sweeter breakfast deals you'll find.

Though I find this pastry is best in the morning, you aren't restricted by time for ordering since it is on the snack menu. Bonus: It's massive and is great for sharing with at least another person. At $6.99, this cinnamon roll may go from not just a favorite breakfast but a new must-get sweet treat. I find that Gaston's Tavern, though decorated perfectly on theme, is lacking in seating, but the tables outside make a wonderful place to eat, if necessary.

When I worked at Starbucks, I discovered just how many tasty treats the pastry case offers, and Starbucks locations within Walt Disney World take it to a whole new level. You'll find one Starbucks location within each of the theme parks, and (as you might expect) they are all super on-theme for their home park. At Hollywood Studios, the Starbucks location is very close to the park entrance, and it's called The Trolley Car Cafe. It is one of the best spots for coffee at Disney World, and it's also home to one of my favorite pastry items at Disney World: the carrot cake whoopie pie.

As you wait in line, you can pick one up from the pastry case in the middle of the coffee shop. For only $5.70, you'll get a very shareable helping of the perfect sweet breakfast before tackling the Tower of Terror. It's two generous circles of carrot cake with a cream cheese-type filling in the middle. If you try to enjoy one of these yourself, you may find that it's simply too much. Grab a buddy and a few forks, pick up your coffee fix, and dive into the carrot cake whoopie pie together for one tasty start to your park day.

The Trolley Car Cafe isn't the only location with great deals at Hollywood Studios. For a satisfying quick-service lunch and my pick for the best grilled cheese in the U.S., make your way to the ABC Commissary. This lunch and dinner location has some more unique foods, but my favorite option is the buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich for $12.79. For that price, it's a rather large sandwich with gooey buffalo chicken filling.

What makes this meal great is that it comes with a side, too. You, of course, can go for the french fries, but on days that are overly warm and sunny (it is Florida, after all), I like the side salad. While you might roll your eyes a little at the choice of a salad when there are french fries to choose from, this salad is no sad iceberg and ranch salad. Instead, it's an arugula-farro salad with apples, cranberries, and a Dijon vinaigrette. On warm days, it's completely refreshing.

If more inventive foods are your style, move toward the back of the park over to Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios. This land is designed to look like an outpost on the planet of Batuu. All of the food in Batuu is interstellar sounding and stands out from typical theme park snacks. For a hearty snack or light lunch, seek out Ronto Roasters in the bazaar area of Batuu.

Ronto Roasts offers a few different items, but the Ronto wraps are the best. Between the offerings, my favorite is the breakfast Ronto morning wrap that comes with egg, cheese, peppercorn sauce, and pork sausage — all rolled up in a warm, soft pita. At $12.79, it's a little less than the lunch and dinner wrap, which is $13.99 with a pork sausage, roasted pork, the same peppercorn sauce, and a slaw with a pita wrap. The sausage here is huge, and it's great to fill up on if you're not going to be snacking or just need to tide yourself over until your next meal. I've even shared it with someone else for a light lunch when I know I'll be snacking the rest of the day.

For some years, Epcot has been through some massive renovations. When the walls finally came down, we were introduced to Connections Eatery. It offers items that feel like a step up from what you might expect to find at a theme park, though still very agreeable. The meals have a bistro style to them that makes them feel just a little more elevated. I like to order the chicken sandwich here, but for a real deal, check out the pizza.

For only $11.79, you can get two massive slices of either Margherita or pepperoni pizza, and it's even a little less for the cheese option. Even better, you can watch the cast members make the pizzas through the large windows surrounding the various prepping stations.

This is one spot that doesn't skimp on the kid's meal. For $7.79, the kid's cheese pizza meal includes a huge slice of pizza with two sides. We typically get the french fries and mandarin. It's a good-sized meal for an adult, let alone a hungry Disney kid.

One of the best parts about Epcot is walking around the World Showcase and sampling international cuisine. Thankfully, even though food remains pretty expensive at Epcot, there are a few places where your dollar stretches just a little further. For a filling meal, head on over to the German pavilion. In the back, you'll find Sommerfest, a walk-up window with very simple options.

While you're shaded from the hot Florida sun, you could pick up a pint of beer and for $12.19, a big bratwurst on a nice-sized pretzel roll. On the side, you'll enjoy house-made chips that have a sprinkling of paprika. It's a go-to for our family for an easy, well-loved meal. My husband, son, and dad all love this option and often don't finish the whole thing, so you can consider sharing it with someone else. The only downfall of Sommerfest is that the seating is very minimal. You'll definitely want to ask part of your party to scout out tables while the rest order food.

If fish is more your bag, continue making your way around the World Showcase, and stop in the U.K. There, on the other side of the walkway from the alleyway holding the shopping and garden in the U.K., you can visit the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. This is another walk-up window, but unlike in the Germany section, the seating is more plentiful. When it's your turn, ask for beer-battered fish and chips and fork over the $13.49, which doesn't seem pricey for what you actually get.

You'll receive a hefty heaping of fish and fresh, robust fries. They'll also be super hot, so give them some time to rest. Since there's no indoor seating here, but rather tables by the water, I recommend showing as much patience as possible. On more than one occasion, I've burnt my mouth from not waiting long enough and sweating in the heat holding the hot fish. This one may be better enjoyed in the cooler months. Don't forget the tartar sauce for your fish and malt vinegar for your chips to enjoy the full experience.

If you're looking for a great place to watch fireworks at the end of the evening, grabbing a late-night meal and sitting at one of the tables by the water will give you excellent viewing. You'll need to ride that line between getting to the fish shop long enough before the fireworks so that you can comfortably find a seat and not too soon that you're fighting for a table.

After walking around Animal Kingdom for a few hours, you're going to be hungry. For a great snack that doesn't break your vacation budget and packs more flavors than you'd expect, head to Mr. Kamal's Fries — right by the Feathered Friends in Flight attraction.

The menu here is simple: seasoned fries with sriracha mayonnaise or chicken dumplings with ponzu. For a full meal, get one of each, but for a snack, I love getting the french fries. They are heavily flavored but not overwhelmingly so. Plus, at $6.49, this is a filling, hefty snack. There are also plenty of places to sit nearby, but you'll still probably want to send someone in your party to scout a seat first. Since the fries come out hot and fresh, you'll be given a tray, but that tray can get heavy if you're carrying it everywhere looking for a table.

At the Animal Kingdom, not far from Mr. Kamal's Fries, you'll find Yak and Yeti. There are many great dishes here with food portions that make them shareable, but for an impressively sized meal, make reservations at Yak and Yeti and order some ahi tuna nachos, which is noted as meant for two on the menu. The two times that I've ordered this for myself, I had more than enough leftovers to make an entire meal for someone else.

Initially, the dish looks expensive at $21.99 but when split two ways, you've got two meals for just about $11 per person. Looking at this impressive pile of wontons, tuna, slaw, glaze, and all kinds of veggies, it won't be long before you'll be asking to go back. Plus, with all the money you saved at dinner, you can get a fancy drink.

Be aware that Animal Kingdom closes pretty early compared to the other three theme parks, so if you're dining at Yak and Yeti, that dinner reservation should be as late as you can get it. That way, you can enjoy the park all day and then have a great meal. Attractions will likely be closed after you're done, so be sure to get as much done as possible before you sit down.

While many of the moderate and value resorts across the Disney World property have similar offerings in their respective dining halls, moderate resorts often have additional restaurants where you can grab some special tasty treats. Perhaps most enjoyable of these are the beignets over at the Scat Cat's Club Cafe at Port Orleans French Quarter. If you happen to be enjoying some time at Disney Springs, take the short boat ride over to the French Quarter for a delightful dessert without the need to hop in a car or bus.

These fried and powder-sugared, messy treats come in servings of three or six and with a dipping sauce. For the sauces, strawberry is my favorite, but you might prefer salted caramel or chocolate more. Getting six means it costs less per serving because it's $7.99 for three, but if you get six, you only need to pay $12.99.  These super powdery sweets are a delight for your whole group, including kids. They'll surely send the powdered sugar flying, so be ready.