Breakfast is the one meal I rarely buy at Disney World. Here's why you should skip it too.

• I visited Disney World for a week in mid-August, and only ordered breakfast twice.

• In my opinion, the theme park's options are expensive, time consuming, and not worth buying.

• Instead, I recommend stocking up on to-go snacks, or visiting nearby McDonald's.

One of my favorite things about Walt Disney World is its delicious food. That being said, you'll almost never catch me eating breakfast there.

I've been traveling to the Orlando, Florida, theme park since I was a child, and I've learned over the years that there are a few perks to skipping Disney World's Mickey Waffles and morning meals with princesses.

Instead, I'd recommend stocking up on cereal for your hotel room, or even visiting a nearby McDonald's instead. Here's why.

Disney World breakfasts are pretty pricey no matter where you go

During past Disney World vacations, I loved waking up early, heading to my resort's food court, and picking out a freshly-cooked breakfast. But when I returned in mid-August, I found that most of the All-Star Movies food court was roped off - as part of pandemic safety precautions - with guests only being able to place mobile orders.

That also meant that there were limited food options available, and you couldn't see your meals being made.

Still, I ate two breakfasts at my resort, and I didn't think they were worth their high price tags. First I ordered what I thought would be a chocolate-chip muffin for $3.49. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a double-chocolate pastry that was dry, stale, and way too sweet at 7:30 in the morning.

The next day, I paid $9.99 for an order of three Mickey Mouse waffles that came with four pieces of meat: two bacon strips and two mini sausages. Not only was the entire meal cold, but the waffles tasted so dry that they reminded me of cardboard.

Of course, there are plenty of other breakfast spots on Disney property. You can enjoy a formal meal at one of Disney World's moderate or luxury resorts, or at restaurants located in the theme parks.

But be prepared to spend a good chunk of change to do so. Seats for character breakfasts at Cinderella Castle, for example, cost $42 per adult and $27 per child.

Ordering breakfast can take valuable time out of your vacation

During my trip, I was happy to find that mobile ordering was quick and efficient before 8 a.m. I could place my order from my room, walk a short distance to the food court, and pick up my meal all in under five minutes.

Afterwards, however, the dining area became crowded, and just finding a seat took time. That could seriously interfere with your vacation plans if you're hoping to get to the parks as they open.

And that's not to mention eating at sit-down restaurants early in the morning, where you could easily spend over an hour of your day.

It's easy to fill up on breakfast, but there's so much delicious food at the parks

When I ordered the Mickey waffles during my trip, I was preparing to visit Hollywood Studios and had no intentions of eating again until lunch time. But when I arrived and immediately started smelling everything from popcorn to grilled cheese, I'd regretted my breakfast.

Personally, I wish I would've eaten something light, and then snacked on Disney World treats the rest of the day.

I recommend stocking up on breakfast snacks for your hotel, or visiting the nearby McDonald's

Rather than visiting a restaurant or your resort's food court each morning, I'd recommend doing a small grocery trip to get cereal, granola bars, bananas, or other simple breakfast foods that you can eat on the go.

And if you have a car or are willing to Uber, you can find food stores and fast-food joints like McDonald's only a short drive from the hotels. There are also some delivery services like Instacart that will bring groceries directly to you.

Whatever you decide, you're sure to save both time and money - two things that are invaluable during any Disney World vacation.

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