For parents and children alike, becoming “hangry,” especially on vacation, is never a good idea. Hangry happens when a people become so hungry it effects their moods and they get angry, hence, hangry. Sometimes families easily lose track of time with all the fun of a Disney Parks vacation, but snacking along the way helps make sure no one becomes too hungry and turns a happy moment sour. This week we asked our Parenting Panel: What do you to to keep your family fueled in the parks? What are some of your favorite snacking tips and tricks?
Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and loves to help others plan their trips, as well sharing his experiences. Chris writes:
There is a commercial going around for a popular candy bar that describes me very well when I start getting hungry. I tend to get a little jumpy, tired, and very un-magical. Keep in mind, when you are walking around the parks for hours on end, you are using a lot of energy and sometimes you simply need something to eat without taking up a lot of time or extra money. Because, let's face it, there is no shortage of food choices around the parks, but some might be better than others.
Like many guests, we tend to bring certain snacks from home or buy some during our drive down. We do, however, have certain criteria for our snacks to make sure that we don't simply carry around items that will just go bad or go uneaten. Here is how we plan for wise snacking:
- Snacks need to be compact. Generally speaking, a day's worth of snacks need to fit nicely into my wife's backpack or the outer pocket of my camera bag. We keep snacks in single-serving zipper bags for ease of distribution. (Just remember to dispose of the bags when done or reuse them if possible.)
- Durability is something to consider. Snacks like trail mix, nuts, and sunflower seeds travel real well. They pack a lot of energy in small amounts and you can eat them pretty much anywhere. Items such as granola bars are also good as long as you don't put them in a place where they are going to get crushed. Considering the temperature at Walt Disney World, items subject to melting are pretty much on the excluded list.
- Bring what you think you will eat on one day. There is no need to bring much more than what is necessary if you bring your own snacks. If you are planning an extended day, consider a bit more. Maybe consider leaving them in the room if you are only going to be at the parks for a few hours.
- Treat yourself to something in the parks. While I know up to this point I talk about bringing your own snacks from the room, there is nothing like the selection of tasty items in the parks. For our family we may split several different items throughout the day in order to not all fill up and to keep costs low. Items such as Dole Whips are great to share as well as popcorn and even my family favorite: the Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar! (We have to fight over the ears at times.)
- Snack before someone gets crabby. We take advantage of downtime, such as waiting in lines, to break open a bag of snacks. This sort of multitasking helps keep the hunger away while making the time go by faster as well.
- Keep hydrated. While this may not seem like a snack tip, if you stay hydrated, it will help you digest any snacks you do consume. Keeping a bottle of water handy is always a good idea even if you are not snacking.
Personally, I think snacking while at the parks is a great pre-trip conversation to have with your family. Get some input from everyone and stock up before you go. At the same time, make time for the special treats around the parks as well. After all, eating around Disney can really be an event in of itself, even if it is a hand held treat.
MousePlanet columnist Chris Barry, his wife, Diane, Samantha (15), and twins Casey and Alex (12), live on Long Island and are all major Disney and Walt Disney World fans. Chris writes:
I have to say, we have rarely, if ever, packed our own snacks when heading to the Walt Disney World Resort. I am a backpack kind of guy. I’ve had my trusty yellow North Face backpack on every family Disney trip we’ve ever taken. I always carry things like Mickey ponchos, hats, autograph books, etc. But honestly, I’ve never carried snacks. There’s always a bottle of water sitting in the little net bottle holder of the backpack, and there’s usually a box of Tic-Tacs in one of the front zippered pockets, but that’s it. I’ve always left the snacking up to the parks. Now, on the surface, that may seem like an unhealthy disaster, but that would be up to us as parents to maintain, wouldn’t it.
I’ve always said in this column that child behavior in the Disney Parks needs to simply be an extension of what you would allow at home. There are certain stretches allowed on vacation, of course, but nothing too drastic. Ice cream on a hot Orlando day is practically a necessity and you probably wouldn’t let your kids go in the pool at home at 10:30 p.m. You do tend to look the other way for certain things when you’re wrapped up in the magic. That doesn’t mean they should be eating Mickey bars at midnight though.
Our children don’t snack on too much junk when they’re home, so logic dictates that we don’t allow it when we’re on vacation. They’re not used to walking into a candy store and getting whatever they want or whatever looks shiny, colorful and disgustingly sweet. The same goes for walking into the Main Street Confectionary at the Magic Kingdom.
We’ve made it a habit instead to walk into a place like the Liberty Square Market. Here, you can find plenty of apples, grapes, bananas, carrots, watermelon, trail mix, chips, baked potatoes and my favorite… the cold pickles. I’d rather give in to them on a bag of chips here because I can tack on a package of grapes or apple slices. They’re used to eating that way at home, and therefore eat that way when we’re down there.
Disney has done a great job of providing healthy snacks in their parks. You don’t have to buy cotton candy, when you can just as easily buy a bag of grapes or a tub of watermelon. Because of places like Liberty Square Market or the Harambe Fruit Market in Animal Kingdom, I’ve never had the need to cart our own snacks around. Yes, we’ll give in to the occasional popcorn and ice cream, but considering that we’re in four different theme parks in the course of a Disney vacation that’s not too bad. The kids have never complained and have never cried out for anything else, so it must be working.
It's your turn—keep the discussion flowing!
Visit the Parenting in the Parks forum on our MousePad discussion board, and share your opinions about this topic or many others, or send your suggestions via e-mail. Reader-submitted tips might be used in a future article, and you might be selected to participate in an upcoming panel discussion!
