Disney World Serves a Snack that Money Cannot Buy

You read that right. Walt Disney World is currently offering a snack that actual money cannot buy. There is only one way to get it unless something changes.

Yak n Yeti

Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe is a quick-service dining location in Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. This should not be confused with Yak & Yeti™ Restaurant, which is a sit-down restaurant where advanced dining reservations are strongly recommended.

Like many dining spots in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe is a great place to grab a quick bite to eat. It serves Asian fare such as sesame chicken, egg rolls, fried rice, and more. Kids’ meals, desserts, and beverages are also available.

I happen to like several of the dishes. So I (Kate) stopped there to grab lunch on a little jaunt to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But an unusual occurrence happened that day.

The Snack Money Can’t Buy

It was a chilly day when I (Kate) visited. Yak & Yeti’s chicken fried rice seemed like JUST the right comfort food to hit the spot.

The meal portion of the Chicken Fried Rice is priced at $7.99, and it is a pretty big portion, big enough to share depending on your appetite. I was delighted to find that there was a snack-sized option on the menu priced at $6.49.

I asked the Cast Member at the register how the snack portion compared in size to the regular portion. He happily showed me a comparison of the two portion sizes using prop boxes that are currently at every register. (I suppose this must be a common question at present.) The $7.99 option is definitely the better value, but the snack size seemed like the perfect amount for just one person.

No Sale

I ordered the snack-sized portion of rice, and the Cast Member said it would be $6.49. Then he asked if I had the Disney Dining Plan. I did not.

Since I did not have the Dining Plan, the Cast Member regrettably informed me that I would not be able to purchase the snack portion of rice. It is only available for those using the dining plan to redeem snack credits.

I wondered why there is a price listed on the menu instead of a disclaimer stating that it is exclusive to the Dining Plan. It would certainly save both customers and employees a little time. And, the cashier said he wishes it were different as many people have asked to purchase it.

Perhaps the pricing for the item is on the menu so that people using the Disney Dining Plan can keep up with the value of the snacks they purchase. Perhaps having a price listed helps the restaurant to be reimbursed for food guests obtain by redeeming dining plan credits. Regardless, it seems odd that customers cannot pay for the portion. After all, Disney doesn’t usually refuse to take our money.

Disney is listing snacks on the menu that are exclusive to the Disney Dining Plan and cannot be purchased any other way.

Of course, this is only a minor inconvenience, and the strange pricing practice is no fault of the employees working the registers. It didn’t ruin the day or spoil the magic.

However, unless something changes, you will need to manage your expectations when attempting to order snack-sized portions at Yak & Yeti. Also, be prepared just in case other dining locations are following this same trend of putting items on the menu and then limiting them to just those using the Disney Dining Plan.

Have you encountered any other items that cannot be purchased and can only be redeemed using snack credits? Let us know. And, be sure to pass the info along to people you know planning a visit so they can manage expectations.