Does anyone have good ideas for in room meals?

[dutton]

My food budget was getting astronomical!! So, I decided to take the emphasis off eating in sit down rest. and go cheaper by doing some in room meals. Any suggestions other than PB&J? We will have 3 adults and 4 children(9&under) We will have a fridge, but no microwave. Thanks for the help!!

[susy]

for breakfast you could have- cereal bars, juice boxes, cereal and milk (bring parmalat), fruit
for lunch you could have -cold cuts, mayo or mustard, bread,chip or cookies, sodas. Bring things like pretzels, nuts and seeds, fruit roll ups, raisins... Veggies like carrot chipsw/dip
For dinner I would do a nice counter service rest. Don't forget bottled water. If you have a coffeemaker to heat water you could bring -hot chocolate (don't forget the mini marshmallows), envelopes of soups, oatmeal, etc. You could also bring some adult goodies like caviar, pate, crackers, fruit, cheese, wine (don't forget the candles). Remember to bring cutllery and paper products.

[susy]

If your fridge is small , I would also bring along a cooler. You can give the kids little treats for their fanny packs, so they won't be constantly hungry in the parks.

[susy]

If you will be in the parks at lunch I would do the counter service lunch and the sandwiches and soups for dinner in the room. Don't forget to split meals if they look big to you...

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi there

We take a microwave with us and fix several meals in the rooms. There is a microwave and a toaster at the food court and I have read about people using them. I have bought corned beef hash, bagels, microwave oatmeal in a bowl etc for breakfast and several Dinty Moore microwave dinners, fruit cups etc for dinners along with beer and wine coolers, snacks and such. Saves time and makes for a relaxing meal in the room rather than fighting the hoards in the food courts. With shorter hours it is gonna either be a mad house down there or people with cars will be going off site to eat and spend their dollars.

Slightly Goofy

[tink2dw]

the SUPER WALMART in Kissimee has aDelithat sellsfresh made 4 foot sandwichs for $4.99. They have two kinds 1 with typical lunchion meatand cheese that kids would like and 2 has 3 meats including roast beef and cheese it was very yummy!! We cut them into 3 inch pieces added mayo and mustard from packets from food court. It was one of the best meals we had!!

[mkandk]

I was just about to post asking the same question! I want to keep it flexible, so that if we decide to eat at a restaurant we can, and so there won't be a lot to throw away when we fly back home.

I'm trying to think of stuff we can take with us or eat in the room. Lunchables are good, trail mix, pasta salad is good cold. Maybe a bag of cut vegetables with those individual containers of ranch dip. Cold fried chicken can be tasty. Yogurt.

We'll have a microwave, which will help a lot. I think I will make at least one meal of canned or frozen chili, with cheese, crackers, and maybe hot dogs to keep the kids happy. You could prepare the same meal with one of those tea pot thingies with the electric cord we used to use in the dorms.

Mary

[smarro]

We plan to bring our small George foreman grill (whether we fly or drive). It makes great grilled sandwhiches (cheese or ham and cheese). We figure if we feel like it we can also make hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken breast, porkchops, steaks, cheesestakes etc. with it. If we have a microwave we can make baked potatoes, hot veggies, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, or a variety of store bought, prepared side dishes. If we don't have a microwave, we can always buy the side dishes already prepared (french fries, mashed potatoes, etc. and places like KFC and Boston Market have a wide variety or even just salads) at a fast food place or store and still save a ton of money and avoid eating too much fast food. We won't do well eating fast food for 10 days. My kids would rather eat their normal stuff for breakfast in the room. We plan to eat in the parks during the day on most days and have the other meal at the room later on even if it is PB&J or sandwhiches. The grill also will cook frozen waffles or pancakes, pizza pouches, English muffins, French toast, etc. You can buy the small one on sale sometimes for $15.00. It is well worth the money if you will also use it other times. You could probably get the grill in your suitcase if you are flying. My kids are really good, but I don't think I would enjoy having to take them out to eat all the time. I would rather they have something in the room and sleep a little later and take an afternoon nap. Good luck and have a great time.

[Jordan's MOM]

We are taking an eletric frying pan. We are doing breakfast in the room and want something that will hold us for a while. We are aslo taking a cooler and will make a grocery store stop when we arrive. I can do ANYTHING with my fry pan. Breakfast ideas are hot ham& Cheese sandwiches, brown& serve sausage with scrambled eggs, or even pancakes from a add water only mix. We will eat most of the other two meals in the parks but might do a supper or two of grilled cheese & Tomato soup or heat up some canned pasta.I love the idea for the foot long subs. We love subs! Will try to make wal-mart our grocery stop.
Jordan's Mom

[josierac]

If you like tuna fish how about the lunch packs of tuna that have everything in them like crackers and pkgs of mayo. They don't have to be refrigerated until opening and they are single serving sizes also.

[MKFan]

We take a $6 pop up toaster from walmart. Will do bagels, pop tarts toast. etc. ind. packets of jelly pb, etc worked great.

[dutton]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas!! I was so bummed out about cancelling my sit down dinner plans, but now that I think about it, it would be torcher for our children and would cut into some great park time. I love these boards for the good advice. My MIL is going with us and has a George Forman grill and I think I have an electric skillet. My family loves breakfast for dinner, so that is a great idea. Well, thanks everyone!!

[dutton]

Oh! I forgot to say that we decided to try to stay at the parks till closing(AK,MK,MGM) since the hours are shorter and just come back to room to eat. These ideas make it more enticing than just sandwiches!

[dutton]

My husband says there is no way that our hotel (marriott at DD) will let you bring a skillet or small grill. He wants me to call and ask them, b/c he does think it sounds like a good idea. What are your experiences?Thanks you guys!

[robinb]

I think that some hotels might be worried about fires. Sometimes I think it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission :).

[smarro]

Honestly, I never would have thought about it if your husband didn't mention it. I got the ideas from reading the boards, and we are used to camping, so it wouldn't be hassle for us. We don't know where we are staying yet, so I don't know if it will be a dilema or not. I have even read somewhere of people leaving crock pots on in their room while they were out; although, I didn't care much for that idea. On one hand you have a point, but on the other hand, a hair dryer, baby bottle warmer, microwave, and numerous other items could be considered a fire hazard too. Hmmmmm, tell your husband I said thanks a lot :) (just kidding). I really don't know what to tell you. I wonder what others think. I am not sure whether to give your husband credit or smack him one for being one of the most ethical people I know of, that thought honestly would not have crossed my mind. I am surprised my husband did not beat yours to that question. That would definitely be something he would say. LOL.

[bumcat]

I agree with robin. Dont ask, Dont tell!! We stay on property and always
bring an electric 2 burner that we found at Walmart. Just make sure
you unplug whatever you take.

[MissingMickey]

Don't forget that restaurants off-property may offer take-out if you want a lil nicer meal than sandwiches and don't have a fridge or don't want to cook. Saves you money except for tip and delivery fee -- which saved you time and gas getting there. You could be taking a shower or washing up while your food is prepared and on its way. Eat in your room and relax without fighting traffic, then back to the parks.

We haven't braved this yet because we actually drove to Papa John's for our pickup. But, they will deliver and do have a Kissimmee site. I am sure there are other places that will deliver to the resorts or hotels (other pizza places or Chinese restaurants, etc.). Cheaper than ordering room service.

Just a thought . . .

[SlightlyGoofy]

I think I read somewhere that you could order pizza delivered to your resort but had to pick it up at the main bldg. Not sure if this would work now with the new security tho and not sure that I would want it to. Would be very easy to sneak in that way IMHO.

Slightly Goofy

[Lewisc]

There are so many suite hotels, condos and private homes with kitchens and mini-kitchens I don't understand why people who want to cook some of their meals don't just stay at a place with cooking facilities that are appropriate for their plans. I think some of the appliances people bring are a fire hazard not to mention the possibility of blowing circuit breakers.

[Coll0610]

You didn't say where you staying, but most of the food courts in the onsite hotels have microwaves that you could use. We stayed at VWL and the store there had a freezer case with frozen pizzas and frozen dinners. They were more expensive than at the regular store, but cheaper than eating out. Also, don't forget about cup-a-soup and the other soups and pasta dishes that come in their own containers that you can heat them in.

[leebee]

If you are thinking about doing restaurant take out , what about getting take-out menus from the chains at home? Do a "yellow pages" search (yahoo's works well) to see what chains are in Kiss/Orlando, near your hotel, etc. If you already have their menu, you could phone in your order before leaving the park, then pick up your food on the way home. we did take out from Olive Garden several times, and it takes 30-45 mins for an order, so calling just before you leave from the park would mean your food would be ready when you got there. Olive Garden gives you a huge container of salad for every entree ordered, plus tons of breadsticks. We discovered that one order of spaghetti (approx. $9) fed 2-3 kids, and there was plenty of salad and breadstix left for other meals, snacks etc. Also, because we had access to a microwave, we purchased ready made meals at the grocery store and just warmed them up at the hotel. Goodings can get pricy, but at $4-$6 for an adult meal (roast pork w/veggies and potato, fettucini alfredo w/broccoli, veggie/shrimp stir fry w/rice, etc, real food, not chix nuggets) it was far more affordable than a restaurant, and the kids could watch tv while eating, we could relax, unwind from the park, etc. Restaurant dinners after a day in the parks with kids truly can be torture!

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. .................I am sorry that I skipped all the previous posts, so everyone has probably already said this, but here are a couple tips. Bring a hot pot, it's really a hot electrical coil, with a plastic built pot, that you can use to heat up soup, chili, Dinty Moore Beef Stew, and if you just heat water, it's great for Cup o Noodles, or Top Ramen if you have bowls. WE are bringing a really old toaster for muffins and toast, and will dump it to make room for WDW stuff when we leave! Minute Rice is great in a hot pot! Grab a package of hot dogs, they boil great in a hot pot! Never tried it, but I bet you could scramble eggs in a hot pot, you just need to stir a lot so the uncooked eggs get a chance to hit the hot coils. And if you have a car, you can always send out the sacraficial lamb for dinner, to bring back a bucket of chicken, or a large pizza, or a bunch of burgers, all cheap when you compare it to on site prices.

[dutton]

Do you know exactly where Olive Garden is in relation to DD? We plan to arrive a day early to drive around and become familiar w/that area--thanks for your help. I live in a small town w/no chain rest. but I will be going to Savannah in early Nov. and they have an Olive Garden which I love!!So I could get a menu there!

[SNOWBOARDER]

Please be careful, with cooking in the room. With all of the excitement that goes on with a vacation, it can be very easy to forget to turn something off, knock something over,etc. Any savings that you realize by cooking in the room would be quickly negated by the damages that would have to be paid to the hotel, if something were to happen, not to mention the safety issues, so please be careful, but, most of all........ Have fun!!!

[LiLPrincess]

I was thinking about a styrofoam ice chest to keep the soda cold. But after reading all these responses I'm starting to think about other uses for the ice chest.

Do you think it stays cold enough for lunch meat or yogurt?

[robinb]

Oh yes, a styrofoam cooler stays really cold. We kept cheese, milk, OJ and beer in ours. Just fill it with ice in the morning before you leave and at night when you come back. Drain the water before filling with my ice. It's kind of a pain because you have to take a bunch of stuff out. I usually use a couple of plastic bags from my grocery stop to haul ice with. It's much easier than dragging the cooler to the ice machine and they can be a bit fragile.

[tp_magill]

Originally posted by LiLPrincess
I was thinking about a styrofoam ice chest to keep the soda cold. But after reading all these responses I'm starting to think about other uses for the ice chest.

Do you think it stays cold enough for lunch meat or yogurt?

This is a little complicated, but I've used it successfully for a couple of years now:

I measured the inside of my cooler, then went to Wally-World and bought a brand-new, bathroom sized, white, plastic trash can. (I measured first to make sure it would fit and the lid would close.)

This gives me a dry compartment down in the ice (not high, like a tray). The ice in the cooler surrounds it, and the inside stays just as cold as the rest of the cooler. Butter even stays hard! That way your meat, salad, etc stay dry and the bottles and cans can float around outside.

You have to make sure no stray ice gets in, and you have to drain the water from the cooler or the can will float, then tip. But except for that, I love my dry-well!

:bounce: :bounce: 8 and a wake-up! :bounce: :bounce:

[robinb]

Wow! You're "dry-well" sounds great. I just use ziplock bags :).

[tp_magill]

Originally posted by robinb
I just use ziplock bags :).

Yah, I'm a great lover of zippies, too, but I've had too much food ruined by a leak. And I hate having stuff like salad, meat, etc all sloshing around in a soup. Not exactly hygenic!

[leebee]

Dutton-

Sorry it took so long for me to reply- we've been gallivanting! Let's see, I believe there is an Olive Garden at CrossRoads SHopping Center, which I think (could be wrong) is sort-of "across the street" from Downtown Disney. Also, there is one on Irlo Bronson, east of WDW. Since you'll have a spare day, check out the restaurants at Crossroads, and pick up some take out menus. We'll be travelling w/an 8 yo, 3.5 yo and a 1 yo in Dec; I forsee many in-room meals!

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi all

We just returned and thought I would tell of some of our experiences. I took our trusty little microwave (set it up on t he luggage rack). I put the box of food on a shelf and since we get a handicap room there was a tiny refrigerator included.

Some of our in room meals included

Breakfast Corned Beef Hash
Bagels and Cream Cheese
Fruit
Juice
Oatmeal
Vienna Sausages
Sweet Rolls
Cold Cereal

Dinners Very good quality hotdogs and buns
Dinty Moore microwave meals
Rolls and butter
Ham and Cheese sandwiches
Microwave Mac and Cheese
Chow Mein/Noodles
Ravioli and breadsticks

Snacks Fruit
Chips
Oreos


I am sure I am missing somethings but it went well. We did not have to fight the crowds in the food courts in the morning or evening and were able to have some quiet down time instead. You can pack the paper plates, napkins, silverware and such inside the microwave to save on space and if you are staying for more than a couple of nights it is not too cumbersome. We ended up staying 12 nights after adding 2 more days to our 10 day ressie. We had seen on tv while down there that they were desperate to fill rooms early in the week and we wanted to do our part to help out. LOL

The restaurants across from the Marketplace entrance included Taco Bell, Perkins (highly reccommend), Olive Gardens, Chevy's. another Italian place next to the grocery, McDonald's and a few others that I cannot think of yet. Jungle Jim's did not impress much. Once was ok but we did not repeat. If you have a car getting there is easy. You just turn on the street across from the entrance (Hotel Blvd?) and stay in the left lane to go across the main road at Crossroads. You can also go left or right on that road to find lots of other places also. If you do not have a car you could take a bus to Marketplace and take a cab from there to save money or even walk if you are able.

Any questions? I might be able to help after I catch up on my sleep. zzzzzzzzz

Slightly Goofy

[Halle]

Betty Crocker makes pasta Bowls, Rice and MAshed potato bowls.. Add water and microwave they're excellent!

[wmears13]

Here's an idea we used last summer for a quick, easy but out-of-the-everyday menu world.

When you stop by the store, pick up a package of the pre-cooked (grilled) sliced chicken breast or deli-roast chicken, a package of flour tortillas and a bag of ceasar salad mix (w/ dressing & lettuce). Put the lettuce on the tortillas, add the chicken and the dressing and.... wala! You have Chicken Ceasar Salad Wraps!

[PCgal]

I am planning on takeing my george foreman grill and eating cereal and stuff.