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Adults love theme parks, but so do kids. The thing is that it can be a challenge to find theme park food for kids that don’t only consist of the traditional chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza, and hot dogs. Sure, they are tried and true and kids will go out of their way to eat them, but is that really all there is for them?
I have a picky eater of a nephew and I mean picky. The kid loves chicken and rice but it has to be a specific kind of chicken and rice or he’ll pick around everything on his plate; it’s infuriating to the point of wondering if he’s ever going to be okay as an adult. And when we’re out at a theme park he tends to get his way, much to the detriment of others, and that in-and-of-itself makes the situation even worse.
The key, I realized, to finding kid-friendly options is not limiting to the idea of the kids menu and looking in unlikely places aside from the cart stands/kiosks and popular food items. There’s truly a plethora of items at theme parks that kids will be happy to try if they’re given the chance.
This guide will run through criteria you can use to finding great food for your kids, some classic crowd pleasers, and the top kid-friendly foods among others. Here’s to having a successful day! 🥨
Criteria for Kid-Friendly Theme Park Foods
If you’re struggling to figure out how to find options, I’ve put together some criteria I think could be beneficial. The biggest issues I feel will be the first two bullet points below as parks hide a lot of that information, however more parks are well aware that allergens are a liability and have specific departments set aside to help customers maneuver through their options.
When it comes to looking for kid-friendly foods it’s important to take a few things into mind –
- Nutritional value
- Allergen and dietary restrictions
- Taste and visual appeal, and
- Convenience and portability
You don’t have to hit on every single point, however these are common things that should be taken into consideration when making a decision for or with your child.
Nutritionally you ideally want the meals to be balanced and healthy, but on the flip side it’s okay if they have something indulgent as well that makes a park day extra special. Chicken nuggets and french fries don’t typically hit the nutritional points, but a bowl of rice, vegetables, and a protein will.
But of course, there are allergies and dietary restrictions to contend with as well. The major allergies are peanuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, and wheat. And not barring dietary restrictions: gluten-free, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, etc, there’s a lot to think about to ensure that a child is able to enjoy what they eat.
Even if you were to hit all of those, what about what it tastes and looks like? Children will turn down a perfectly acceptable meal if it looks at them wrong. And if your little one doesn’t like the taste of something there’s very little you can do to convince them to try it again. Finding them something that they love is half of the battle (I mean, it is for me and I’m an adult!).
And what if you want to eat your meal in line? Finding easy-to-eat options that not only hit on all of those points is important, but also finding convenient can be a hassle. But it’s definitely doable.
Sometimes you have to compromise. It’s like how the phrase goes, “You can only have it two ways: done well, fast, or cheap. But not all three.”
Classic Crowd-Pleasers
Now that we’ve gone over criteria, let’s start off with some safe bets at theme parks:
There’s typical Americana carnival fare food such as: chicken tenders (nuggets, fries, and other variations) and french fries, but there’s also corn dogs which are a nostalgic and portable option.
And for multiple kiddos needing a snack: pizza that can be cut up and shared (or even better mini pizzas if the park offers it for individual portions) and pretzels which are the perfect classic salty snack. 🥨
Then of course there are the sweet treats of ice cream variants – cones, sundaes, Dippin’ Dots, or novelty ice cream (like Mickey Bars and Klondike Bars to name a couple) – popcorn, churros, and of course, the fluffy, colorful masterpiece known as cotton candy.
And while these are the stereotypical crowd pleasers there are so many other food items that kids will love, too, that a lot of amusement/theme parks may not carry. Let’s take a look at some top options at major theme parks.
Top Kid-Friendly Foods at Major Theme Parks
In the United States there are three major theme park operators – The Walt Disney Company, Universal Destinations and Experiences, and Six Flags (merged with Cedar Fair in July 2024). This list will include popular items from each of their divisions, but be warned: these won’t hit all of the criteria, just want to give you an idea of options you have.
I do want to point out one thing, the turkey leg is a popular item regardless of age, but they are ginormous legs and can be extremely wasteful and they cost a literal (arm and) leg to purchase. Unless it’s going to be a full meal for two children or shared among the family this isn’t worth it. But it’s a great novelty purchase.
The Walt Disney Company
More commonly known as either Disneyland (California) or Walt Disney World (Florida), there are a lot of delicious options for kids to try here that either won’t break the bank or give kids the opportunity to try something new and/or exciting.
For starters: Mickey-shaped snacks! It’s Disney after all. They come in popular forms of pretzels, waffles, and ice cream bars and while these are still typical theme park foods, they’re fun, and that’s what’s important.
There are of course whole fruit, fruit cups, and veggie sticks at kiosks around the park and in the hotels, too, but they tend to be hidden. I’d go out of my way to ask where to find the nearest booth for a mandarin, or you can check out where to find fruit around Disney World property, too.
But probably the most kid-friendly options are the instagrammable food items like the ginormous cinnamon rolls at Gaston’s Tavern, any of the themed cupcakes that rotate through their menus, beignets at Port Orleans Resort, ice cream floats, and of course the famous Dole Whip.
There are also options at restaurants (getting a reservation at many of them is tantamount or else you’re not getting in) like Walt’s Chili at Carnation Café or even the fan-favorite Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters.
Of course if your kid is a fan of salads, there are a ton of options everywhere, too. And if they’re into things that look a little weird try Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and Satu’li Canteen in Animal Kingdom where they’ll find options with boba, colored rices, and generally visually appealing foods that are out of this world.
Universal Studios
With two current theme parks on both the East and West coasts, Universal Hollywood (California) and Universal Orlando (Florida) are serious contenders for kid-friendly food options.
One of my favorite snacks at Universal Orlando, that hold serious appeal for children, are their Minion ice pops that come in various flavors like Orange Creamsicle, Cookies ‘n Cream, Coconut, Mango, Blueberry Lemonade, Cotton Candy, Lemon Mint, and Cheesecake.
Also in the Minion area is specialty popcorn in Banana flavor and over at Illuminations Minion Cafe, themed cupcakes, one of which is dedicated to that oh-so fluffy unicorn Agnes loves.
There’s also fun snacks at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (give a high-five to any Gryffindor and Slytherins in your family 😌) like everything Butterbeer – fudge, ice cream, hot, frozen, and cold drinks, and potted cream – and fun flavored ice creams such as Strawberry & Peanut Butter, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Huckleberry at Florean Fortescue’s.
And don’t forget fresh deli sandwiches that can be made at Blondie’s that come with a pile of chips of their choice!
Also, dare I say the milkshakes at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium? 😬 These bad boys can feed two kids easily, they’re HUGE.
Of course, the parks also carry healthier options like yogurt parfaits, fruit salads, vegetable salads, and other options that your child may find more palatable. Universal has gone above and beyond to ensure that there are more options than you’ll know what to do with, but it’s all worth it I think when your kid doesn’t feel bogged down to eating the same thing over and over again.
Six Flags
Cedar Fair and Six Flags recently merged in July 2024 and their menus have expanded because of this (not necessarily at the parks, but generally).
Depending on which park you choose to go to there’s a lot of options to choose from, but the general gist is that you’ll find funnel cakes, cotton candy, chicken dishes, pizza, and the like, but thankfully that’s not all that there is. At Knott’s Berry Farm (California) there are boysenberry options galore, and if they’re not up for that there are so many options to choose from even still.
Over at Prop Shop Pizzeria there’s a pasta bar for them to make their own pasta, at Wilderness Dogs and Drinks there are outrageously fun hot dog options, and there’s mac & cheese over at Miner’s Mac & Spuds.
Then there’s Six Flags – if they’re into gyro’s they can have some at Yamas!, or if they’re craving chicken wraps there are options at Captain Rivi’s Riverboat Café both at Six Flags New England.
And if your family happens to be Kosher there’s a Chickies available at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Oh, and lots of Dippin’ Dots, too. Those little nitrogen-blasted ice cream balls are so delicious and refreshing little kids go crazy for them because they’re unique and interesting (expensive, too).
Tips for Parents
Alright mom and dad (or auntie, uncle, grandma, and grandpa), this is for you. I wanted to run through tips that I feel will make your life a little easier when you’re out and about with your kids and struggling to make food work. Just so you know, you don’t have to buy food inside of the park, it is merely a rite of passage when out but not a necessity and you shouldn’t feel bad if you can’t (or won’t) do it either.
1 – Plan ahead for meals and snacks. Check out menus ahead of time either on our site, on the theme park’s site, or their apps (sometimes their menus aren’t available until you’re inside of the park). You can run through their offerings with your kids ahead of time to get an idea of what they potentially may be in the mood for and also so you can budget!
2 – Bring your own snacks. Some parks let you bring in your own food! Disney is one of those places, Universal is not. If you’re curious about food policies, I gotchu though, so don’t worry about it.
When you bring your own snacks it means you’ll spend less money inside of the park because you have a way to fill in the lull when not eating a meal. Those small snacks can really add up, especially water. As I have gone around to parks I have seen water to be an average of $4.00 per bottle. And water is a crucial part of a day out.
Recommended: Perfect Snacks to Bring Into Theme Parks
3 – Beware of food allergies. I’m sure you’re aware of your kids’ allergies, but if you happen to be taking their friends make sure to have an updated list of their allergies and keep them involved in the decision process.
If in doubt, Google the theme parks allergy information and email them ahead of time with questions and concerns. You’d rather be ahead of the curve than be met with issues that you can’t get out of unless you leave.
Recommended: How to Navigate Theme Parks with Allergies Safely
4 – Budget, budget, budget. A lot of us don’t have a war chest of funds, we have to budget our way through everything and going to an amusement park isn’t any different. Plus, they’re expensive. 😩
With a little bit of budgeting, and lots of reading up, you can end up saving a lot of money and heartache before entering the park with your family.
Recommended: How to Eat on a Budget at Theme Parks
Fun Food Experiences for Kids
Theme parks are making a bigger effort to have fun food experiences for children through special events like food festivals, character breakfasts, and even through the way they’re presented.
Here are some interesting ways I’ve seen them being done so far –
1 – Interactive dining experiences. From character breakfasts to themed restaurants, the experience isn’t solely about the food, it’s about what’s happening around them that gets them to enjoy their meal. During character breakfasts they get to meet their favorite characters and in those themed restaurants they may have access to food that they normally wouldn’t wouldn’t.
2 – DIY food stations. I’ve seen these popping up a little bit more. From sundaes to pizza and pasta bars, these are great ways to get kids involved in how their food is being prepared and they have all the say in the world as to what goes into it. Imagine the power they feel with such a small gesture!
Also, sometimes the stations are brought to them in the form of colorful skewers, paint-on cookies, or generally fun shapes for food.
3 – Special events. From food festivals that offer themed snacks, some with cooking classes, there are opportunities for kids to experience foods that they never thought existed, or they’ve seen trending on Tik Tok, or any number of reasons. These events also happen to have events within the events that they can be part of or watch to learn more on any topic.
Recommended: Theme Park Events and Festivals
Fun Noms Never End
Even though this post is coming to an end, there are so many food experiences within theme parks just waiting to happen for kids! It’s the perfect foray for them to experience something new, exciting, and interesting. Amusement parks are not created equal, but no matter what your child will have fun with or without the food – your memories are what make the day special.
But the food certainly doesn’t hurt. 😁
And if you haven’t as of yet, please follow us on our other social media channels (YouTube, Instagram & Tik Tok – @themeparkbites) to stay up to date on food reviews. Thank you for allowing us to be your tasty theme park companion!