Packing for Disneyland Part 1 - Bring your own food!

Packing for Disneyland Part I – Bringing your own Food.

Getting out with kids is not only as complicated as kickboxing with a crocodile but it’s also expensive as heck! Now I know community parks are free but sometimes a little magic is needed in order to get through the day. And by magic, I mean DISNEYLAND!!!

Whether you’re traveling afar for your chance in a life time visit or maybe you’re a pass holder tired of paying $4 for a churro, we would like to share some tips and tricks on how you can save a little dough while visiting the Magic Kingdom.

It’s surprising how many “kid friendly” places don’t let you bring any type of meltdown preventative supplies. Ya, I’m talk’n about food! I feel Disneyland is super generous by not only letting you bring in any type of food you want, but they will even let you use a microwave to heat up food for your toddler! The Mouse may charge $3 for bottled water but he’s got your kids covered!

In the video above, I’ve laid out some tips and trick on how to save money (and the planet) by bringing your own food. And not just for your kiddos but for you too! It may seem self-explanatory but I’ve had a lot of trial and error on trying to find ways to provide healthy fresh snacks and meals on the go for my toddler.

In the video I go over:

1. What kind of food I bring and
2. How I pack it (The containers I use)


What Kind of Food to Bring:

Now I’m not telling you what food to bring or eat, I just want to give you some ideas of ways to pack healthier snacks and meals for you and your kiddos. It really is hard to pack on the go these days without packing a bunch of processed junk food. Thankfully, more and more healthier ready-to-go snacks are becoming more mainstream and easier to find at the market. I’ve found some GMO-Free/Organic ready to-go snacks that we (as in my son) depend upon on a regular basis. If your local market doesn’t carry these products yet, see the links below to purchase online.

How I Pack it:

Let’s talk snacks! We tend to do more snacks at Disneyland because it’s easy and convenient. And have you ever tried getting a toddler to sit down and eat when they are overwhelmed with excitement?? Yeah, that’s another good reason to have lots of small snacks. I pack both fresh and packaged snacks to have some variety. Snacks are easy because you can bust them out while they sit in the stroller on the way to the next ride or they can graze on them in line. I keep our snacks in an easily accessible snack bag in the stroller basket. That way if my toddler is hungry he just goes for it himself.

Finding a cooler that doesn’t take up major real estate in your stroller (or your locker) is no easy feat. Trust me, I’ve gone through a few! I really like Igloo duo 9 can mini cooler bag. It’s pretty roomy and has a little give that I need in order to shove it in my stroller basket. I keep our Sili Squeezes, PlanetBox and LunchBots in there with a couple cooler bricks and it stays cold all day. In the dry compartment of our cooler bag I pack us a set of utensils. Bringing your own utensils not only eliminates waste but you may want to eat your lunch while waiting for a parade or shady spot that isn’t near food area. I really like this Lego set because they all stick together when not in use. I wonder if they have it for adults??

H2O

It’s hard to consume enough water when you’re running around after a toddler going from one exciting place to another. It’s even harder when a bottle of water is almost $4 and a soda that’s twice as big is the same price! Decisions. Decisions. So why not bring your own water bottle! Disneyland and DCA have a few self-serve beverage stations that you are more than welcome to go fill up at with ice and water. At Disneyland you can fill up at the Plaza Inn on Main Street, the Pizza Port in Tomorrow Land and at Rancho Del Zocalo in Frontier Land. At DCA you can fill up at the Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. If I know it’s going to be a long and active day, I will bring an extra big bottle of water and keep it in the stroller basket for backup. I’m an iced cold-water fanatic so I have to have ice-cold water or I don’t drink as much. I am in LOVE with this Contigo Autospout stainless steel water bottle! It keeps my ice icy for hours!

I hope you green mama’s found this post informative. If you have any questions please feel free to comment below! I wish you a Magical experience on your upcoming visit to the Magic Kingdom!


Snacks:
Cheddar Bunnies:
http://amzn.to/1uhuY1X

Organic Fruit Snacks:
http://amzn.to/1vuN6fs

Snack Bag:
http://amzn.to/1Ar1abB

Igloo Cooler:
http://amzn.to/11ATRiq

Sili Squeeze:
http://amzn.to/1xIB5DT

PlanetBox:
http://amzn.to/11kVOiZ

LunchBots:
http://amzn.to/1t9si79

Lego Utensils:
http://amzn.to/1BSTLmU

Contigo Water Bottle:
http://amzn.to/1qEoMXe

Camelbak for Kids Water Bottle:
http://amzn.to/11JamtA