We recently came back from an amazing trip to Disneyland Resort Paris. The kids adored everything about it and despite the heavy rain we all had a great time. The only (but major) downside to it was the terrible food. Not only were the choices limited, it was very expensive and tasted pretty bad. I am not a food critic and although we are a vegetarian family we are fairly easy to please. So when I heard the food at Disney was pretty bad and expensive I didn’t realise that it was that bad and that expensive. So here is the low down on our family’s food experience and some tips on what you can do to make sure that you are better prepared.

Breakfast
We stayed at the New York hotel and to be fair breakfast here was fine. Essentially it’s a continental spread with scrambled eggs, bacon, garlic potatoes, breads, pastries, fruit, yogurts and a selection of cheeses and cold meat. We also booked breakfast with the Characters for one of the mornings and the food selection is pretty much the same (although it cost us an additional £35 for the pleasure of Mickey’s company).

Lunch
We ate in the parks on both days and it doesn’t matter where you eat as the affair is the same. Various fast food outlets offer adult and child set menus with some fresh fruit and salad options. For vegetarians the choice is very limited and you should expect to shell out at least 30 Euros for a family of 4. For those who can’t resist a McDonalds, you’ll be pleased to know that there is one in the Disney Village.

Dinner
We took our friends advice and ate at the Rainforest Cafe situated in the Disney Village and it was clearly the best food we ate whilst at the resort. The Rainforest cafe offers a varied menu and the food we ate here was delicious and tasted fresh. I enjoyed the veggie burger and the kids loved the garlic bread. Still, our bill came to 65 euros (no wine), so it’s not cheap.

We also ate at Cafe Mickey for one night and to be honest the food here was pretty poor. Kid’s meals cost 16 Euros and for that our 2 little vegetarian kids got a bowl of plain boiled pasta with some cheese, a drink and a chocolate pudding out of a carton. The adult menu costs 30 Euros and the creamy pasta I ate was good, but not outstanding, which is what I would expect when spending that kind of money. Speaking to another family on the Eurostar train back home, the steak they ate was in their words ‘inedible’. I think the best plan is to book breakfast with at Mickey’s Cafe so that the kids have a chance to meet their favourite characters and perhaps then to give dinner here a miss.

Helpful tips
-DO take lots of snacks with you such as raisins, health bars, crisps etc with you before you go as it is really hard to find anything like that at the Park. Our kids got pretty hungry by 11 am so having a stock of snacks was really helpful.
-Do make the most of breakfast. Take your time and get your fill to get you through the morning. The Disney experience is great fun but hard work, especially with the little ones, so take advantage of the breakfast so you’re set to go!
-Don’t feel obliged to take the set menus. Mix and match what your family likes to eat from the menu which should save you some Euros when eating dinner in the Village.

Despite our disappointment with the food, the kids totally had the time of their lives so we’re planning a trip to the Disneyland Florida Resort in the next couple of years. I’d love to know if anyone has been to the ‘Big One’ and what they thought of the food there. Please share your views below as we’d love to hear from you.

Wishing you lots of happy holidays,

Awla Sanghrajka
(HWB Founder)