Talk to me about food prices in Anaheim

Yes!! Isn't the exchange right now absolutely killer???

We are staying at the Staybridge Suits, we were planning on taking the ART transit between the park and hotel. Still not super sure about that decision, it seems hard to imagine doing a week without a vehicle. Maybe someone can speak to that as well?

Great tips and recommendations, thanks everyone!!

DLR parking is now US$25/day -- not such a bargain, especially if you don't actually need your car during the day. Which Staybridge are you using: Manchester or Ball? As previous posters have noted, you have other more budget friendly options for getting to the parks from either property.
 
When we go to WDW (I'm planning our first trip to Disneyland. Yay! We are so excited!), I sometimes eat a kids meal because I'm not a big eater. We also shared meals, shared snacks, and bring water and other snacks into the parks. It saved us a lot of money and we weren't lumbering around the parks on an overly full stomach from eating so much food.
 
One big money saver is not to buy bottled water in the parks. Cups of ice water are free at most CS locations -- just ask! Also, there are filtered taps in both parks where you can fill a refillable water bottle. This can save so much money over several days! If you don't like the taste of the water, bring the small packets of Crystal Light or other flavored drink mix to add to the water. Also, certain CS locations in the parks have generous portions and are totally easy to share. Plaza Inn's fried chicken meal is easily shared -- and additional chicken pieces can be added for a small price. Certain meals at Rancho del Zocalo are large enough to share, too.
Don't eat at Captain Kidd's across from the parks on Harbor -- unless you want to get sick. The low price may tempt you, but posters here will tell you that it isn't worth the risk.

Where are the filtered taps in the park? I was considering taking a refillable water bottle but I didn't know if the water is drinkable.
 
Where are the filtered taps in the park? I was considering taking a refillable water bottle but I didn't know if the water is drinkable.
In DL: filtered water taps can be found at Galactic Grill, Rancho del Zocalo, Mint Julep Bar/French Market, and inside Pizza Port (at the soda machines). In DL and DCA: First Aid has clean (reliably clean!) water fountains with filtered, cold water where you can refill a water bottle.
Another easy option is to go to almost any CS location in either park to ask for free cups of ice water. You can ask for as many cups as you need to fill your water bottle. The water is from the soda machines, so it is filtered.
If you don't like the taste of the water (we don't have a problem with the filtered water -- but we never drink from the regular drinking fountains outside in the parks), just bring individual powdered drink packets to mix in.
 


In DL: filtered water taps can be found at Galactic Grill, Rancho del Zocalo, Mint Julep Bar/French Market, and inside Pizza Port (at the soda machines). In DL and DCA: First Aid has clean (reliably clean!) water fountains with filtered, cold water where you can refill a water bottle.
Another easy option is to go to almost any CS location in either park to ask for free cups of ice water. You can ask for as many cups as you need to fill your water bottle. The water is from the soda machines, so it is filtered.
If you don't like the taste of the water (we don't have a problem with the filtered water -- but we never drink from the regular drinking fountains outside in the parks), just bring individual powdered drink packets to mix in.

Great! Thank you! We usually ask for free ice water at CS restaurants but I also usually buy a case of bottled water so we have some water in the park and don't have to stop at a CS location. This time I don't think we will have easy access to buying a case of water so I was thinking a refillable bottle would work and save a little money.
 
... This time I don't think we will have easy access to buying a case of water so I was thinking a refillable bottle would work and save a little money.
Where are you staying? You can use Vons.com or Amazon Prime/Pantry/Fresh to deliver to your hotel. Lots of posters here do that for their DLR trips. Also, there are convenience stores on Harbor (A Mart, 7-11, 24/7 CVS, Walgreens) that carry lots of things that you might need during your stay, like cases of water (cases of water are one of the top sellers at the 7-11!). There is a Target about a mile south of the parks on Harbor, too.
 
Where are you staying? You can use Vons.com or Amazon Prime/Pantry/Fresh to deliver to your hotel. Lots of posters here do that for their DLR trips. Also, there are convenience stores on Harbor (A Mart, 7-11, 24/7 CVS, Walgreens) that carry lots of things that you might need during your stay, like cases of water (cases of water are one of the top sellers at the 7-11!). There is a Target about a mile south of the parks on Harbor, too.

The plan (haven't booked yet) is to stay at Best Western Park Place Inn. We will not have a car and will probably take Lyft from John Wayne airport to hotel. I knew there are convenience stores on Harbor but thought they were a long walk to be carrying a case of bottle water? We won't need to buy much more than that since we should have breakfast at the motel and can bring small snacks (granola bars, etc.) with us in our suitcases. How long would the walk be to the convenience stores?
 


The plan (haven't booked yet) is to stay at Best Western Park Place Inn. We will not have a car and will probably take Lyft from John Wayne airport to hotel. I knew there are convenience stores on Harbor but thought they were a long walk to be carrying a case of bottle water? We won't need to buy much more than that since we should have breakfast at the motel and can bring small snacks (granola bars, etc.) with us in our suitcases. How long would the walk be to the convenience stores?
From BWPPI, 7-11 is about a 10 minutes walk on Harbor. With a case of water, the walk back might be up to 20 minutes. One option would be to have Lansky's Car Service (a favorite on this board) pick you up at the airport. Lansky's includes a short stop for groceries, so you could get a case of water and some snacks. Lansky's also has car seats if you need them.
 
From BWPPI, 7-11 is about a 10 minutes walk on Harbor. With a case of water, the walk back might be up to 20 minutes. One option would be to have Lansky's Car Service (a favorite on this board) pick you up at the airport. Lansky's includes a short stop for groceries, so you could get a case of water and some snacks. Lansky's also has car seats if you need them.

Good to know. We don't need car seats because it will be just me and my 20 year old daughter. I will definitely check out Lansky's. Thank you so much for your help!
 
In DL: filtered water taps can be found at Galactic Grill, Rancho del Zocalo, Mint Julep Bar/French Market, and inside Pizza Port (at the soda machines). In DL and DCA: First Aid has clean (reliably clean!) water fountains with filtered, cold water where you can refill a water bottle.
Another easy option is to go to almost any CS location in either park to ask for free cups of ice water. You can ask for as many cups as you need to fill your water bottle. The water is from the soda machines, so it is filtered.
If you don't like the taste of the water (we don't have a problem with the filtered water -- but we never drink from the regular drinking fountains outside in the parks), just bring individual powdered drink packets to mix in.
We've been refilling bottles all week from water fountains. It's not the best tasting water, but it's potable!
 
We've been refilling bottles all week from water fountains. It's not the best tasting water, but it's potable!
Our problem with the outdoor water fountains isn't so much with the taste of the water (although we definitely prefer the taste of filtered water). The problem (which is known among park regulars) is what other guests do in the drinking fountains -- namely, things which have nothing to do with taking a drink of water and could cause (serious) health risks for other guests. So now, for health and safety reasons, we stick with water that we know we can trust. We've discussed this with the nurses in First Aid who agree that it's better to avoid the outdoor fountains if there are alternatives available. I'm glad to know that you and your family have had a safe and healthy park visit thus far!
 
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The plan (haven't booked yet) is to stay at Best Western Park Place Inn. We will not have a car and will probably take Lyft from John Wayne airport to hotel. I knew there are convenience stores on Harbor but thought they were a long walk to be carrying a case of bottle water? We won't need to buy much more than that since we should have breakfast at the motel and can bring small snacks (granola bars, etc.) with us in our suitcases. How long would the walk be to the convenience stores?

Another option is the convenience store attached to the Tropicana. It's definitely a little more pricey than CVS/Walgreens/7-11, but you wouldn't have to lug water nearly as far. We grabbed one of the 1 gallon Crystal Geyser water jugs for about $5 from there and used it to refill our water bottle before heading to the parks.
 

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