One of the most enjoyable things about a day at Disneyland is all of the treats there are to try. There are many options, from tiny snacks to full-on meals, and if you’re on a budget and looking to eat a few things, it can get pricey. Enter Perfecting the Magic with our guide to Disneyland’s best food on a budget! We’re not talking turkey legs, pineapple Dole Whip, Mickey pretzels, and churro carts, friends; we’re talking about less obvious eats that might just become your future faves.
Let’s dig in!
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café
The Mary Poppins-themed Jolly Holiday Bakery Café starts our list as one of our top recommendations. The Jolly Holiday Combo ($12.49) is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a satisfying meal. White and yellow cheddar cheeses are perfectly melted between two slices of buttery sourdough, grilled to sumptuous perfection, and served alongside a creamy bisque-like tomato basil soup. It’s classic and it’s comforting. You can even order a half sandwich and soup combo!
If you’re looking for a (slightly) smaller treat, we highly recommend the Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron ($5.99). You may need to get to the café early to score one, as they’re incredibly popular, but they’re more than worth the effort. They’re aesthetically stunning, and a day spent eating these raspberry-topped rose almond cream cookies is a good one.
Our final recommendation from the café is the most affordable option on our list, not that you’d know it from the taste. The Matterhorn Macaroon ($3.49) is full of sweet coconut and almond flavor and topped with a frosted ‘snow’ cap so delicious you might want to buy two and take one home with you. The classic treat shouldn’t be missed, as it’s the ideal Disneyland food on a budget!
Bengal Barbecue
Bengal Barbecue is home to skewers of various kinds. From vegetarian to meat to vegetables wrapped in meat, this is the place to go if you like to eat food off of sticks. All of their offerings are affordable, and grabbing a couple can make for a substantial snack. Our top picks include the Pork Belly Skewer ($7.49) with grilled crispy pork belly, hoisin sauce, pickled carrots, and daikon topped with cilantro, and the Banyan Beef Skewer ($6.49), which features spicy beef in a delicious sauce. Full disclosure? The meat is a little chewy, but the sauce is excellent, and it’s still worth picking up.
Looking to add some veggies to your day? The Safari Skewer ($5.99) features smoky bacon wrapped around grilled asparagus, and the Outback Vegetable Skewer ($5.49) includes various veggies (zucchini, peppers, onions) grilled to perfection. We recommend mixing it up and grabbing a meat and veggie skewer, as we find the combo to be the most fulfilling. However, vegetarians fear not; that veggie skewer is seriously delicious!
Breakfast (and Lunch) Chimichangas
The Breakfast Chimichanga ($6.49) is something of (greasy) lore. You can find it at Ship to Shore right near Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland until 11 am daily, and if you eat it, you’ll likely be full well into the afternoon. It includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and cheese deep fried into a flour tortilla, and the breakfast chimichanga packs a heavy (yet delicious) punch. If you’re entering the parks starving or looking to fill up early and don’t mind a little oil, this might be your best morning bet. If you miss the morning offering and would like to try a lunch chimichanga with ground beef and beans, you can pick one up at Edelweiss Snacks for $6.99.
Split the Plaza Inn’s Fried Chicken
The Plaza Inn’s fried chicken ($18.99) is simply unmatched. At just under $20 for three pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and a biscuit, it’s an affordable and filling option that’s a solid budget choice when split. A couple of tips? You can request all white or dark meat and even switch out your beans for double mashed potatoes, which we love to do when splitting the meal, as it’s indulgent and satisfying. The Plaza Inn is classic Disneyland and makes for a wonderful meal any day.
Beignets from the Mint Julep Bar
The beignets from Disneyland’s Mint Julep Bar are the perfect pick-me-up during a long day in the park. They’re not only delicious, but Mickey-shaped and sharable. A pack of three will run you $4.99, while a six-pack is only $8.49. They sell seasonal flavors, too! At the time of publishing, a limited-edition banana flavor was available. While these flavors rotate and swap out, they’re only marginally more expensive at $5.49 for a pack of three. If you’d like to try a mix of everything, you can get an assorted pack of six traditional and seasonal beignets for $8.99. They’re a treat we love returning to, especially on days we don’t care about getting covered in plumes of powdered sugar.
Ronto Wraps at Ronto Roasters
Ronto Wraps from Ronto Roasters are Disneyland park favorites. The standard issue Ronto Wrap ($12.99) includes roasted pork, grilled pork sausage, tangy slaw, and a peppercorn sauce wrapped in pita bread, while the Ronto-less Garden Wrap ($12.99) is vegan. The Ronto-less wrap has serious fans, with many non-vegans calling it the best Ronto offering in Disneyland. It’s easy to see why, as the offering is packed with flavor. It features plant-based sausage, spicy kimchi slaw, and Gochujang spread wrapped in a pita. Whether vegan or meat-eater, Ronto Wraps are the perfect budget food at Disneyland and will fill you up much more than a snack.
Lumpia at The Tropical Hideaway
We know we said we weren’t going to talk about Dole Whip, and we aren’t, not in the traditional sense, anyway. Today we’re talking lumpia, and if The Tropical Hideaway that sells it also happens to sell interesting Dole Whip concoctions, who are we to stop them?
The Traditional Pork Lumpia ($6.99) is filled with veggies and pork, and deep fried into a spring roll wrapper. They come two in an order and are served with a sweet chili sauce on the side. If you’d prefer something sweeter, the Sweet Lumpia ($6.99) is filled with banana and jackfruit and is topped with a caramel drizzle. Both are good options for budget Disneyland snacks and are best served with a Mango Dole Whip Float ($6.79) on the side.
Chicken Pasta at Alien Pizza Planet
While the pizza at Alien Pizza Planet leaves much to be desired, the Count Down Chicken Fusilli ($11.99) is a solid option if you’re craving pasta. With grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and a creamy parmesan pesto sauce over fusilli, it’s as rich as it is filling, and has major fans—including Magic Journeys!
Popcorn from Kat Saka’s Kettle
If you’re looking for a crunchy sweet and salty snack, look no further than the Outpost Mix ($6.69) from Kat Saka’s Kettle. This colorful popcorn is a blend of chocolate and caramel, and strikes the perfect balance of flavors, making it an ideal munchable treat for any time of day.
Churro Gears from Maurice’s Treats
The Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist ($5.29) receives a lot of love, but we found it to be a bit one-note and boring—it’s a bit like a grocery store bagel. However, the Churro Gears ($5.79) are a different story! These little fried donut ‘gears’ are tossed in cinnamon sugar and are consistently delicious. If you like donuts, it’s the perfect snack for late morning into the afternoon.
Funnel Cake and Vegan Burgers at Hungry Bear Restaurant
The Cookies and Cream Funnel Cake ($8.99) is an outrageously delicious treat, and some of the best budget Disneyland food in the park. It’s made up of a freshly fried funnel cake and topped with cookies and cream ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sandwich cookie crumble. We highly recommend sharing this with a friend.
If you’re looking for a reliable vegan burger and fries at Disneyland, we recommend the Classic Impossible Cheeseburger ($12.79) at Hungry Bear. While simple, sometimes simple is good, and this plant-based dairy-free cheese-topped patty is satisfying and budget friendly for a whole meal.
What Are Your Favorite Budget Disneyland Foods?
While finding budget food at Disneyland isn’t always easy, it’s possible to enjoy your day at Disneyland without breaking the bank. We carefully selected our recommendations to include standout food options at reasonable prices for meals and snacks and hope we’ve inspired you to add a few to your list!
What did you think of our recommendations? Do you have a go-to Disneyland treat or meal you turn to when you’re being budget conscious? Should we make a guide to DCA next? We’d love to hear about your favorites. Connect with PTM on socials and tag us in your faves. We can’t wait to see what you share! You can find us on TikTok and Instagram.
