Favorite Snack Options? (non-sweets preferred!)

[Dylan Ann]

I'm finally about 10 days out from Disney! We have the free dining plan, and I'd love some recommendations of your favorite snack foods. Last time I went we used them on boring breakfast items (oatmeal, toast, etc. - efficient but not fun) because we're not really huge chocolate or sweets eaters.

Does anyone have recommendations for the best non-dessert uses for treats? Savory items, breads, drinks, etc.? I enjoy things like fruit danish or donuts as well, just basically nothing dripping in chocolate.

And are there any counter service options that will let you swap your dessert for like a salad, soup, or side? And has anyone had any luck swapping a dessert with a soup or salad with table service? I know you can't just pick an appetizer, but I thought I had read where some places will let you swap a soup or salad instead.

Thanks everyone! I am getting super excited

 

[mouse_luv]

Pretzels esp the cream cheese ones, egg rolls, Chinese pork pockets(or whatever theyre called in China pavilion), nevermind I just discovered the pockets are gone.

If you want sweet but no chocolate--cronut in ws-EP, baklava in Morocco, sweet almond pretzel in Norway, waffle sandwich(fruit and nutella) in MK at sleepy hollow, pretty much anything at Les Halles in France, and beinets at Port Orleans Resort.

And yes, for the most part they will let you sub a salad for dessert.

 

[belledream]

QS desserts can be swapped for a snack item on that QS menu with the dining plan.
Example: When we were at Pizzafari, we opted out of the 2 dessert options and chose Garlic Knots and the Tomato Basil Soup instead.

 

[Dylan Ann]

These sound perfect! I can do a cronut For quick services especially it would be great to swap out a dessert for one of the snack items.
We're just not big dessert eaters, and I'd love even a simple salad at the start of the meal rather than dessert after.
Well, except for our Mama Melrose Fantasmic package - we don't have to choose on that one!

 

[belledream]

These sound perfect! I can do a cronut For quick services especially it would be great to swap out a dessert for one of the snack items.
We're just not big dessert eaters, and I'd love even a simple salad at the start of the meal rather than dessert after.
Well, except for our Mama Melrose Fantasmic package - we don't have to choose on that one!

Cronuts...one of my most favorite things on that planet!

The F! desserts weren't anything special to us, but we sure took advantage of those delicious appetizers!

Happy eating!

 

[LeighM]

My favorite snacks are the cronut at EPCOT, the glazed almonds and pecans we had at Animal Kingdom, the beignets at French Quarter resort (without any of the dipping sauces). I'm not a big snack eater even on the dining plan so I use the credits during the Food and Wine Festival. Not sure how we will use them when we go back during a different time of year

And the only time I ever tried to substitute a dessert for something else was at Be Our Guest dinner. I'm not a fan of their dessert so I asked to replace it with another side. They didn't offer a salad or soup but they did bring me a salad trio sampler (if I remember right, one was with beets, another with cucumbers, and I forgot the third). It was really good and I enjoyed it more than any of their dessert options.

 

[Dylan Ann]

We have a lunch QS at Be Our Guest - this menu includes French Onion and Potato Leek soups on their dessert menu. Those are my types of dessert, lol! Hopefully they'll let us swap for one of those. We're those weirdos that would still have soup on a 90 degree day.

 

[Otterhead]

Does anyone have recommendations for the best non-dessert uses for treats? Savory items, breads, drinks, etc.?

Check out the options around World Showcase; places like the snack stands near Japan, the Kringla Bakeri in Norway, and spots in Germany have nice savory items. Soft pretzel stands around WDW are also good snack options.

And are there any counter service options that will let you swap your dessert for like a salad, soup, or side? And has anyone had any luck swapping a dessert with a soup or salad with table service?

Almost every counter service place will let you swap your dessert for a drink, salad, or soup. I sometimes swapped it for a bottle of water or a fancy non-alcoholic drink like the Odwalla slushes. And yes, you can definitely swap a dessert for a soup or salad at almost every table service restaurant. On my recent trip, most places also had a section of appetizers you could swap it for. Just ask to see what their options are!

 

[Dylan Ann]

I am really so excited about the soup/salad option, lol! When I first booked about 8 months ago, everything I read was talking about how you can't swap your dessert for an appetizer, but just being able to swap it for something will make me not feel like I'm wasting it on a dessert I don't want.

I'd forgotten about some of the yummy drink options! I used to love getting an Orange Julius by the Tiki Birds when I was a kid. They've been replaced with Dole Whips, right? That would make a nice snack, if I'm allowed.

 

[Matt_Black]

Chili cheese fries count as a snack credit, if I remember correctly....

 

[Dylan Ann]

You're speaking my language! Do you know where I can find chili cheese fries?

 

[Otterhead]

I'd forgotten about some of the yummy drink options! I used to love getting an Orange Julius by the Tiki Birds when I was a kid. They've been replaced with Dole Whips, right? That would make a nice snack, if I'm allowed.

This is interesting -- I didn't go to WDW in the 70s, so I never saw the original Sunshine Tree Terrace, but I don't think they had actual Orange Julius drinks there. It was always Dole, so I think they just had some sort of 'citrus punch' sort of thing. These days you can get Dole Whips or Dole Orange Twists, or my favorite, the Dole Whip Float (Dole Whip in pineapple juice). And yes, it's a snack!

 

[Matt_Black]

Skimming this list of what counts as a snack credit, you'll want to head to Pecos Bill's or Cosmic Ray's.

 

[Dylan Ann]

Skimming this list of what counts as a snack credit, you'll want to head to Pecos Bill's or Cosmic Ray's.

That list is super helpful - thank you!

And yes, I'm pretty sure it was Orange Julius when I went as a kid in the 80s. Or maybe my mom just always referred to them as Orange Julius, lol! But I think they were because we didn't have them in New York, and then when they started popping up in malls a few years ago it immediately reminded me of Disney.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

Samosas with mango salsa. I get them at Mr. Kamal's at AK.

 

[Dylan Ann]

Samosas with mango salsa. I get them at Mr. Kamal's at AK.

This looks awesome! This one is definitely going on my list.

 

[Baldy]

At Columbia Harbour house we had vegetarian chili and clam chowder instead of our desserts. The chowder was delicious and very filling. Actually all of the quick service locations we visited during our stay last week allowed us to do this with no problem.