Mum’s ‘genius’ theme park food hack saves her family £36 on meal | Personal Finance | Finance

Theme parks can quickly rack up a hefty bill with entrance fees, meals, and souvenirs combining to make a sizeable hole in your wallet.

But a savvy mother has taken to social media to share a simple yet effective technique that reportedly cut her family’s costs by £36 during their adventure at Alton Towers. Becky, a thrifty mum-of-two, posted on TikTok, “Did you know that most theme parks allow you to bring your own food in, including Walt Disney World in Florida and Alton Towers?”

With a jar of hot dogs in hand, she went on to say: “We used it there [Alton Towers] but I would strongly advise that whatever theme park you’re going to in whatever country you’re going to, you check their packed lunch or picnic policy first because there can be restrictions.”

Not one for paying over the odds for park food, Becky opted for a £2 jar of supermarket hot dogs and an 80p pack of buns as a workaround. She demonstrated her nifty hack, packing four hot dogs into each flask with boiling water before tightly screwing on the lid.

“I took thermal flasks and filled them up – we got into the park at lunchtime and made ourselves our own hotdogs,” explained Becky. “It wasn’t a hassle to carry around, it wasn’t hard to make, and the kids enjoyed it. We enjoyed it too and I saved myself a cracking £36!”

Becky’s theme park trick soon caught the attention of her followers, many of whom were quick to praise the idea. One commented: “The food you buy at theme parks is probably the same as this stuff. I don’t know why people are saying spend for the experience. Rather save money on other things.”

Another user applauded her: “That’s genius! Great hack, that.” A third offered a helpful suggestion: “A tip for next time is bring little sachets of ketchup/mustard for extra taste.”

Meanwhile, a fourth shared their own experience: “My kids love doing this. Get some crispy onions, wee bit of sauce.” It prompted Becky to respond: “It’s the way to go! I usually do pack sauce, just forgot to stick some in this time, kids didn’t seem too bothered without it which was a relief.”

However, not everyone was convinced, as one sceptical commenter told Becky: “Carrying around all that water just to save yourself £36 and eat a substandard hotdog- nah, just budget. It’s worth the £36 just to not have to carry that.”

Alton Towers offers a variety of food options at its range of restaurants and kiosks within the park. Visitors can expect to pay between £7 and £8 at it’s Courtyard Hot Dogs, Wraps and Waffles stand.