🍔 The Cheapest Way to Eat at Disneyland Paris (10 Tips to Save Money!)

Disneyland Paris is a dream come true for people across the world, but the high cost of food is a serious concern for a lot of us. And while it’s convenient to have a Disneyland Paris meal plan, it is not usually cost-effective, especially if you are on a budget. Here are my 10 tips for the cheapest way to eat at Disneyland Paris, so your trip is both magical and budget-friendly.

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How to Do Disneyland Paris on the Cheap for Food & Drink 

1. Have Breakfast in Your Hotel Room

Making a simple breakfast in your hotel room is a great way to save money. While some hotels like Hotel Santa Fe (pictured below left) don’t have a table, it’s fairly easy to make a bed picnic with ready-made foods. Other hotels like Residhome Val d’Europe (pictured below right) have refrigerators, hot plates, drinks facilities and tabletops to make a more elaborate breakfast.

You could bring wrapped pastries, Pop-Tarts, and breakfast bars for a quick bite. Or make sandwiches with peanut butter, jam or Nutella and sliced bread. Mini juice boxes are convenient to drink in the morning.

If you like milk to go with your breakfast, consider bringing a thermal flask which keeps it cold through the night (I’ve used my Chilly’s flask for years; it keeps coffee piping hot, too!). You can buy milk from one of the stores inside the Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy train station next to the park entrance.

2. Take Your Own Food Inside the Parks

Disneyland Paris will allow you to bring your own food into the parks, as long as you are not planning a big group picnic. So take advantage and pack snacks, sandwiches and drinks to enjoy in one of the picnic areas or a discreet corner of the park.

Bringing snacks and drinks for kids is great for cutting costs, and is one of the cheapest ways to eat at Disneyland Paris. I have some great snack ideas, too.

❌ What You’re Not Allowed to Bring

Note that there are a few rules about what you cannot bring in the Disney parks. These are:
– No cool boxes
– No food that needs to be cooked or reheated
– No glassware or glass bottles
– No alcohol
– No tables or chairs or obvious picnic equipment

🤔 Where Can I Eat My Own Food in Disneyland Paris?

There are several options if you want to eat the food you brought with you in Disneyland Paris. Just remember the golden rule: throw away all your rubbish and keep the areas clean for everyone to use.

These are the 4 best places to eat your own food in Disneyland Paris.

1. Picnic Areas

There is an official picnic area just off the walkway as you travel between the car park and the main entrance.

Another of my favourite areas to have a picnic is outside the entrance area of the main park. Coming down the main stairs towards the fountains, you will see a pretty gazebo on the far right. There are also picnic benches (pictured above left) scattered throughout and a drinking fountain.

2. Quiet Corners

If you’d like to eat a picnic in peace and quiet, I recommend going to the back of Frontierland beyond Cowboy Cookout. There are leafy trees and hardly any people in this area, so you can find a quiet corner to eat on a nice day.

3. Children’s Playgrounds

If you have kids, try eating in the children’s play park near the Frontierland train depot (pictured above) or the pirate’s playground (La Plage de Pirates) in Adventureland.

That way your kids can have a quick bite and then play, while you have a more relaxed lunch.

4. Outdoor Tables

Outside tables can be found near virtually every quick service restaurant including Hyperion, Toad Hall, Bella Notte, Casa de Coco, Cowboy Cookout, Colonel Hathis and PYM Kitchen. You can also find them on Main Street.

🤓 GOOD TO KNOW Disney will allow you to eat your own food on the outside eating tables of the restaurants, but priority is given to paying customers.

5. indoor and Covered Areas

Visiting on a rainy or cold day? It is popular for families to eat their packed lunches inside the left Liberty Arcade, at the far end closest to the hub. Under the cover by Casey’s Corner, you will find several tables and chairs to relax. This area is usually not crowded, except during peak meal times.

There are also covered outdoor tables near Chatelet de Marionette between Fantasyland and Adventureland.

3. Find Cheap Food in the Train Station

Food inside the Disney parks is expensive. But the next-door train station, Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, has plenty of shops with cheaper food for Disneyland Paris.

One of my favourite shops is Monop’daily for drinks (pictured above).

I also love Pret a Manger for freshly prepared fruit, salads, and sandwiches. Krispy Kremes has a selection of doughnuts to satisfy your sweet tooth. And Starbucks has a variety of sandwiches, muffins, coffee and drinks.

4. Do A Full Shop at Val d’Europe

One stop on the metro will take you to the shopping mall at Val d’Europe. You could also drive your car there.

Auchan is a giant supermarket in Val d’Europe. It’s great for fresh milk, bread, produce, ready meals, cereal, sweets – anything you want to eat and more! This is a great way to save money on meals at Disneyland Paris.

5. Order from UBER Eats

You could also try Uber Eats and get food delivered to your hotel.

It’s not as easy as it is in America, though. You will need to do it in a special way because many hotels (especially Disney hotels) do now allow Uber drivers past the security barriers.

So, first, let reception know you would like to order from Uber Eats and check their policy. You can sometimes get them to open the security barrier for your driver. Better yet, walk to the security barrier and meet your driver there to collect your food.

🤓 GOOD TO KNOW Your Uber driver might only speak French. But, if you have a straightforward transaction, you should be able to pick up your food and enjoy it back in your hotel room without too much hassle.

6. Bring Your Water Bottle

You don’t need to pay €4 for a drink inside the parks.

Take your water bottle and refill it with the water fountains or in the restrooms.

✏️ PRO TIP A mini squeezy squash is handy for kids who don’t like water.  

My kids love these Sistema bottles (I prefer the ones without a straw).

7. Try the Cheap Restaurants in Disney Village

Get the fast-food experience without the heavy price tag.

Mcdonald’s and Earl of Sandwich are the cheapest restaurants in Disney Village, especially for kid’s meals. 

🤓 GOOD TO KNOW Mcdonald’s in Disney Village is extremely busy after the park closes. It took us about an hour to order and receive our food. So pack plenty of patience! It was helpful to send my husband to the tills while I entertained the kids in a booth. The food was cheap and tasted nice so I would still recommend a visit.

8. Enjoy the Cheapest Restaurants in Disneyland Paris

Hungry and don’t want to leave the park? Belle Notte and Colonel Hathis in Disneyland Park do Mickey-shaped pizzas you can easily share for €17.

Toad Hall in Fantasyland offers a good-sized fish and chip portion for €12. Two orders should be enough for a family of four. Travelling solo? The small fish and chips meal is only €6 and plenty for one person.

Another cheap eat at Disneyland Paris is Casey’s Corner hotdogs. Large enough for two people to share, hotdogs and veggie dogs are priced €10-11.

A kid’s meal from Colonel Hathis or Bella Notte includes pasta or a Mickey pizza, a drink and a Mini Magnum ice cream bar for €9. They didn’t mind when I ordered one as an adult.

9. Buy the Cheapest Snacks in Disneyland Paris

March Hare Refreshments (near Alice’s Labyrinth in Fantasyland) do amazing Wonderland-themed ice creams (pictured below left) that you can share for €7. 

One of the cheapest snacks in Disneyland Paris is in Frontierland, where you can buy a delicious Lion King Paw Print Ice Cream Sandwich for €3.50.

Another good value treat is to buy a snack and drink combination. The Churros Sundae (pictured below) at the Overland Trail Cafe near Case de Coco is €5.50. But combined with a hot or cold drink (valued up to €4), it is only €7.

10. Skip the Disney Meal Plan

The Disney meal plan can be a money-saver for Disney hotel guests, but not the cheapest way to eat at Disneyland Paris for most people.

If you visit at least one table service meal every day of your trip, it can present good value to buy a Disney meal plan. Also, you enjoy the convenience of paying for your meals before your holiday.

However, having table reservations every day can eat up your park time. And if you miss a table meal in favour of a quick service restaurant, then your meal plan will cost you more than paying out of pocket.

Additionally, meal plans are priced by the level of hotel you booked. So if you want the cheapest meal plan at Disneyland Paris, book Hotel Santa Fe or Cheyenne, the two value hotels.

The Cheapest Way to Eat at Disneyland Paris

Overall, remember that the Disney meal plan will always cost considerably more than using all the budget tips we have talked about so far.

So if you want to save the most money on food at Disneyland Paris, take food with you, eat breakfast in your hotel, enjoy the quick service establishments and treat yourself to all the cheap snacks.

Over to You…

Did you pick up any new tips for saving money on food at Disneyland Paris? Do you have a favourite budget-friendly restaurant or snack? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below 👇

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