Disney Dining Hack: Kids Meals versus Sides at Pecos Bill’s

Recently, we shared with you a money-saving tip to get two kids meals by splitting an adult meal at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. Now we’re back with a tip you can use at Pecos Bill’s to save some money. First, we weighed the empty containers that the food comes in for a kids’ meal and for side dishes.

We’re comparing the quantities of three items on the Pecos Bill’s menu:

• Yellow Rice side ($4.49)
• Black Beans side ($4.49)
• Veggie Rice Kids’ Bowl with drink and 2 sides ($6.99)

Instinctually, if you are ordering a meal and you want a side of beans and rice, you’d order the side of rice and the side of beans. But, spoiler alert, if you order the kids’ meal, you’re not only saving money, but you’re getting more for less money, too.

Excluding the weight of the container, the yellow rice side came in at 3 ounces.

Excluding the weight of the container, the black beans side came in at 3.6 oz.

Taking the kids’ meal, and removing the peppers and onions, and then excluding the weight of the container, the rice and beans came in at 5.8 oz.

In other words, ordering the rice and beans as side dishes, you’re getting 6.6 oz. of sides for $8.98. If you order the kids’ meal, you’re getting 5.8 oz. of rice and beans, plus peppers and onions, plus two kids’ sides (in this case applesauce and a mandarin orange), AND a drink for $6.99! That’s a savings of $1.99 for basically the same amount of rice and beans and then you’re getting all the rest of that for free!

Is this a trick that you plan to use on your next trip to Pecos Bill’s? Got anything else you’d like us to test in the parks with our food scale? Let us know in the comments.