The Best Places to Eat on a Budget Near Disneyland (2024)

Grab a bite on a budget with our list of the best places to eat affordably near Disneyland Resort –many are just steps away from the theme parks!

Disneyland Resort is home to plenty of incredible restaurants, from unique dining experiences at table service restaurants like Blue Bayou to quick-service restaurants that serve viral faves like those Beef Birria Tacos at Cocina Cucamonga. But it’s no secret that dining at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure isn’t cheap. Finding places to eat on a budget can be a challenge when you’re in the theme parks and at Downtown Disney.

Our solution? Head outside of the parks! There are plenty of places to eat on a budget near Disneyland, with options located near Anaheim’s numerous hotels and even right across the street from the theme parks.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly meal that doesn’t require a theme park ticket or an advance dining reservation, we’re sharing our favorites spots below. We’ve tried countless restaurants around Disneyland Resort over the last few decades, and these options are affordable in addition to being absolutely delicious!

Luscious Dumplings

Located at the corner of Harbor and Katella, Luscious Dumplings is a great option if you’re looking for satisfying meals with some variety. This Chinese restaurant serves primarily dumplings, as its name suggests, but there’s far more on the menu to choose from, including udon, ramen, rice bowls, salad bowls, and even dessert.

You’ll get plenty of dumplings for your money here, too! A plate of eight dumplings will range from $15 to $17, depending on the filling you choose, while soup dumplings can run up to $18. Noodle and rice dishes stay around $15, but nothing on the menu totals more than $20, ensuring everything is reasonably priced across the board.

But Luscious Dumplings isn’t just a great place to eat on a budget. It’s one of the Anaheim’s best Chinese restaurants around. Thanks to its balance of delicious food and value-forward pricing, this restaurant has been named one of the best places for dumplings in Southern California (it even received the Michelin Bib Gourmand back in 2011). So, you can dine confidently knowing you’re getting great food for the price you pay!

Our Story Begins In San Gabriel, California When Alan Lam & Grace Li founded Luscious Dumpling in 2001. The latter of which was born & raised in Shenyang, a northern province known for their dumplings.

Sabrosada Fresh Mexican Food

No matter where you are in Southern California, Mexican food is usually a fantastic budget-friendly option, especially if you’re opting for street food or a small family-owned restaurant. If you’re at Disneyland, you can find some delicious and affordable Mexican food just a short walk from the park at Sabrosada Fresh Mexican Food.

Located in the small shopping center at the corner of Harbor and Katella, across Harbor Boulevard from the corner 7-Eleven, Sabrosada Fresh Mexican Food offers an extensive menu of delicious dishes. Whether you love burritos, carne asada fries, tacos, or even tortas, it’s all on the menu ––and the portion sizes are a great value for the prices.

On the high end, large combination plates like carne asada (which includes sides) will cost between $20 and $25. However, you can also order items a la carte, like tacos, quesadillas, and sope, which can offer satisfying portion sizes without going overboard or over budget.

The Pizza Press

If you’re craving pizza, The Pizza Press is where you’ll want to head. This budget-friendly Anaheim staple is located just a brief walk from Disneyland Resort, at The Anaheim Hotel directly across from the Disneyland bus entrance. You can enjoy a whole pizza at a reasonable price ––and yes, you can even order pizza for breakfast here!

There’s a surprisingly large menu at The Pizza Press, featuring made-to-order pizza as well as salads, wings, baked goods, parfaits, and even made-to-order hot breakfasts. An Original 12-inch pizza maxes out at $14, offering some solid bang for your buck. Looking to share? XL 16-inch pizzas cost $25 or less, allowing you and the family to dine at a reasonable price.

The Pizza Press is a particularly great place to eat when you’re on a budget and working with picky eaters. There’s something to please everyone, whether that’s a basic cheese pizza, salad, or even craft beer, and its proximity to the park makes it extra convenient no matter where you might be staying in Anaheim.

Anytime Hawaiian BBQ & Local Food

If you’re looking for bang for your buck, Anytime Hawaiian BBQ & Local Food is a must-try. Here, large portions make for at least one meal (if not two!) for $20 or less.

While the affordable prices of this restaurant make it a standout place to eat on a budget, the delicious food is what makes it a staple near Disneyland. Anytime BBQ offers a menu of Hawaiian staples, like kalua pork and chicken katsu plate lunches as well as musubi and saimin. The portions offer plenty of food, and prices range from under $4 for musubi to $25 for a combo plate featuring three different meats and two sides.

Anytime Hawaiian BBQ is an especially great place to dine on a budget if you’re with kids ––you can opt for a combo meal and share it. Dividing any of the combo plates or meals in two still makes for a very satisfying meal! Adults can also easily split most dishes, since you’ll get at least one main, two scoops of rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad.

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Don’t Forget: Convenience Stores Sell Food Too!

In addition to looking for restaurants outside of Disneyland’s theme parks and the larger resort, you don’t want to overlook another option: the convenience stores on Harbor Boulevard. As you walk from the resort to any of the nearby hotels, you’ll pass plenty of small shops that sell essentials as well as drugstores.

While convenience stores and drug stores might not seem like a great place to grab a nourishing meal, these shops are actually filled with more food than you might expect! Because they’re located near Disneyland and numerous hotels, their shelves are well-stocked with grab-and-go snacks and food items that can easily be heated up or prepared in a hotel room.

For example, the 7-Eleven on the corner of Harbor and Katella offers coffee and those classic Slurpees, but you can also grab prepackaged snacks, drinks, and bites ––in the cold cases, you can even find some fruit and sandwiches. Boxed essentials, like macaroni and cheese; bread and condiments; and canned goods like soups and beans

The two nearby drug stores, CVS and Walgreens, are surprisingly large and have a lot to choose from. You can find freezer meals (which are great for hotel microwaves!), cases of sparkling water and regular bottled water, soups, and even boxes of macaroni and cheese and half gallons of milk that are great if you have a larger kitchen where you’re staying. However, you’ll also find aisles and aisles of snacks and options you can toss in your park bag and bring along with you for quick bites or meals.

Plus, if you happen to forget anything in your luggage or park bag, convenience stores and drug stores are great places to pick up everything from sunscreen to ibuprofen to sandals for the pool!

Dining at Disneyland Park: A Complete Food Guide

Dining at California Adventure: A Complete Food Guide

The Best Places to Eat on a Budget Near Disneyland (2024)

FAQs

How much is a day of food at Disneyland? ›

Even if you decide not to bring in your own snacks or sandwiches, you can still keep your food budget around $100 per day for a family of four in the Disneyland Resort! With these menus, it's nice to see how far your dollar can go, and how helpful it is to start the day with a complimentary hotel breakfast.

Why is Disneyland food expensive? ›

Higher labor costs, fuel price hikes and inflation in general, along with supply chain problems, have pushed food prices up at theme parks across the country, according to industry experts.

Can you bring your own food into Disneyland? ›

A: Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverages into the parks for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers, do not require heating, reheating, processing or refrigeration and do not have pungent odors. Inform a Security Cast Member of any food items when you enter the park.

How much money should you bring to Disneyland? ›

My best recommendation would be to budget about $100.00 per day for expenditures (not including dining experiences). We've gone with less than this amount and more than this amount, and find that its a pretty good figure. We usually allocate this for drinks, souvenirs, ice cream/snacks in the parks and window shopping.

How much is a soda at Disneyland? ›

Your visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth is just a few short days away. I'm sure that you and your travel party are getting excited as you finalize all the last-minute details. Assorted fountain beverages are currently listed as $3.99 for a regular size and $4.49 for a large in most Quick-Service dining locations.

How much does the average person spend on food in Disneyland? ›

Usually you can count on about $15 per person for a Counter service basic type of meal inside both Park for adults,and around $11 for children, and around $20-25 usd per person for adults and around $15 for children if you want a sit down meal with service.

How much should I spend on food per day at Disney? ›

When you consider all of the various ways you can eat at Disney World, a family of four should expect to spend roughly $200 – $300 per day on dining. This estimate is based on one Quick Service meal, one Table Service meal, and one purchase of snacks and drinks for all four people.

How much is a bottle of water at Disneyland? ›

How To Refill Water At Disney. While bottled water can cost $3.50 a pop, Crystal adds that you can get a free cup of ice water at quick-service restaurants throughout the park when you place your order. Either use this cold water to fill up your reusable bottle or gulp down with your meal.

How much is Disney dining per day? ›

The cost of the Disney Dining Plan is $94.28 per adult or $29.69 per child (ages 3 – 9) per day. Or if you're a Disney+ subscriber, check out the current Free Dining Plan offer. Included in the Disney Dining Plan per person per day: 1 Quick Service Meal.

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