Do you bring snacks for kids?

[MickeyWaffles]

I bring snacks for our toddlers.

I probably would not for 9 & 13 year old just because I hope I’m not still lugging snacks around for them then!

When I was that age we did not bring snacks but my parents did let us purchase a snack (popcorn, ice cream, pretzel, etc) sometime in the afternoon each day.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I bring snacks for our toddlers.

I probably would not for 9 & 13 year old just because I hope I’m not still lugging snacks around for them then!

When I was that age we did not bring snacks but my parents did let us purchase a snack (popcorn, ice cream, pretzel, etc) sometime in the afternoon each day.

I bring snacks when possible since I'm very conscious of what we, as adults, eat and want to pass that mindset on to my grand and other members of her generation. My children already lived it so what they do with the knowledge is their own business.

When DGD was younger, it was all Mickey D's, Doritos, fruit punch, soda, and various sweetened breakfast cereals as snacks and meals courtesy of the other side of her family. Now that many Americans are becoming more aware of the health disadvantages of excess sugar and salt there is less need for me to bring snacks but force of habit remains. As the kids age I find they are less apt to go for what others eat and are more thoughtful about what they actually need. Plus it's cheaper, a word, I do not necessarily view as a negative.

 

[jo-jo]

Does Disney still have the popcorn bucket deal? Let the kids eat popcorn all day.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I bring snacks when possible since I'm very conscious of what we, as adults, eat and want to pass that mindset on to my grand and other members of her generation. My children already lived it so what they do with the knowledge is their own business.

When DGD was younger, it was all Mickey D's, Doritos, fruit punch, soda, and various sweetened breakfast cereals as snacks and meals courtesy of the other side of her family. Now that many Americans are becoming more aware of the health disadvantages of excess sugar and salt there is less need for me to bring snacks but force of habit remains. As the kids age I find they are less apt to go for what others eat and are more thoughtful about what they actually need. Plus it's cheaper, a word, I do not necessarily view as a negative.

Oh, I totally get it. We eat very healthy at home, sweets are a special treat, we watch our sodium intake, not a lot of processed food at all. But, at WDW, we do eat differently and do things we wouldn’t do at home. Then when we’re home, it’s back to normal.

Everyone needs to do what works for them!

 

[Moliphino]

I bring snacks for myself (granola bars and the like) when I'm not on the dining plan. On the dining plan there's way too much food to eat anyway, so no additional snacks are needed.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We bring snacks everywhere we go LOL. My 7 year old is a grazer and doesn't have a lot of patience to sit down and eat a big meal. She's also really picky. We bring JIF to go peanut butter packs, cheese crackers, cereal bars and I find that the Pringles small cans work great and don't get crushed.

 

[LoriWV]

Sounds like a variety of great suggestions here. It also sounds like you know the needs of the kids you are traveling with and will be able to adapt them to meet the needs of those kids while staying within what your party is willing to carry. If you have them and don't need them, awesome. If you get stuck somewhere with a kid who needs that food and doesn't have it...not so much fun. Hope it is a great trip!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We don't bring snacks for the parks because nobody would want to eat them. If you want a Mickey bar, a bag of cookies isn't going to hit the spot. We do bring snacks and things to make sandwiches with for the room.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I bring snacks when possible since I'm very conscious of what we, as adults, eat and want to pass that mindset on to my grand and other members of her generation. My children already lived it so what they do with the knowledge is their own business.

When DGD was younger, it was all Mickey D's, Doritos, fruit punch, soda, and various sweetened breakfast cereals as snacks and meals courtesy of the other side of her family. Now that many Americans are becoming more aware of the health disadvantages of excess sugar and salt there is less need for me to bring snacks but force of habit remains. As the kids age I find they are less apt to go for what others eat and are more thoughtful about what they actually need. Plus it's cheaper, a word, I do not necessarily view as a negative.

This is exactly how I feel, but I do buy when I can because I just want the convenience. We've been taking DS10 to WDW since he was 1 and the change in the make-up of the snack offerings is quite substantial, IMHO. I remember the days of stopping at a coffee kiosk in EP and only finding doughnuts the size of my head. We were really not interested in eating that! I remember the day about a year or so ago when I found raw, unsalted almonds in the gift shop across from the safari in AK. My mind was blown! I paired some of those with some fruit from the food cart outside and I had my snack! I was so happy I didn't have to lug snacks around any more!

 

[CrazyHare]

Does Disney still have the popcorn bucket deal? Let the kids eat popcorn all day.

Yes, buy the filled bucket for $10 and then get $1.50 refills the rest of your stay. It’s a little pain to carry the bucket. But it has come in handy our trips.

 

[Elmo888]

For the kids? Yes, even at 17 and 13. For the adults? Also, yes. It just keeps everyone from getting cranky, you can eat it in line, and it saves a little money, esp. if you aren't ready for a big snack or it is close to your dining reservation.

Trail mix (make my own with Chex, M n Ms, raisins and peanuts). I pack it in individual containers.

 

[JFox]

When my parents took us kids to WDW I hated that they carried snacks for us. Those cheese cracker sandwiches, cheddar, peanut butter and cream cheese. I can’t eat them to this day. I feel like WDW is the one place I can let my kids have their choice of snacks from the park.

 

[Meriweather]

We always bring snacks....2 adults, nuts, granola bars....and chocolate!

 

[sanapp]

When my daughter was little I would even pack a peanut butter sandwich in a Tupperware container. There were times when she wouldn't want anything on the menu, so I would pull out the sandwich. It kept her happy which kept us happy. I always had containers with small snacks in them. My daughter was always a grazer and a slightly picky eater especially when tired, so it was just easier. Luckily she is now 14 and has grown out of the picky eating phase!

 

[KenHutch]

When my daughter wants snacks she only knows 4 words, Mickey Bar and Dole Whip.

 

[ZoZo]

For the kids? Yes, even at 17 and 13. For the adults? Also, yes. It just keeps everyone from getting cranky, you can eat it in line, and it saves a little money, esp. if you aren't ready for a big snack or it is close to your dining reservation.

Trail mix (make my own with Chex, M n Ms, raisins and peanuts). I pack it in individual containers.

I also like to make my own trail mix. Mine is raisins, nuts, M&Ms, and Goldfish pretzels. It's a nice mix of sweet, salty, protein, and carbs. I make individual baggies using snack-size ziplocs.

 

[deuceswild10]

On our last trip we did not bring snacks. But we did the dining plan and were up to our eyeballs in snack credits.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Should I pack snacks and bring them in a backpack?

ONLY if you do not want to go broke buying snicks & snacks at the parks.

 

[brooke789]

My kids favorites are enntennans muffins and cheese its. So, those are what we pack for our trip!

 

[DISbot]

A third for trail mix. I mix some up at home and fly it in a tupperware (cheerios, nuts, m&ms, raisins, etc) and fill a sandwich bag each morning. I also throw in a granola bar or box of raisins. In park snacks are also purchased in limited suply on an “I want to try this” basis, not an “I am hungry”. The snacks are generally used for “why did we book lunch at 2pm on a rope drop day” hangry moments.