What the cheapest most fun meal option...

[nuttymomma]

For each of the main parks, Dwntwn and BW? Can't afford to eat out each day, and with 5 kids and 2 adults, we can't afford even one high priced meal a day.

Looking for cheap, fun options that will still have a special feeling to them. Something we can enjoy and not have the kids (14, 14, 11, 6 & 6) feel like they are missing out on anything by not going to the higher priced places.

We will be staying at FW...next week :cool1: arriving late Sunday and leaving first thing Saturday.

Thanks!

[ckoncurat]

I like the flame tree barbacue (counter service) in the animal kingdom- They have toms of beautiful, waterside seating with lots of birds flying around.

[Madi100]

I'm not for sure on the name, I think it is Peco's Bills. It is in Magic Kingdom by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This was a favorite of my dad's. He's el cheapo. It's burgers and counter service. But, you get to go to the fixin's bar. You can put all sorts of stuff on your burgers. That would be the one I recommend.

[WDWorBUST]

I'll 2nd the Flame Tree Barbecue.....they also have a "meal deal" there that gets you a full meal and a snack later - depending on how big of an eater you are you come out ahead with it. (Is there something else with it guys - I feel like I'm leaving something out)

Another option - just do dessert - I love the Sci Fi Drive-In Diner - but it can be expensive.....but you could always just do milkshakes (I've never tried one of theirs but I here they're great!!) or if you are ready for a little snack share an appetizer or two!! You'll still get the fun of it without spending an arm and a let!

[Madi100]

Another one if you want the character interaction without paying for a big meal you can do the ice-cream social at Epcot. It's a per person price of around $7. You get a neat ice cream treat with yummy cookies. It's expensive for ice cream, but it was a great break in our day, and we got to meet the characters at Garden Grill in Epcot. Mickey and friends are dressed up as farmers. Since most character meals run about $20 or more, this is a cheap way to get the character meal in.

[fanofpan]

Our kids loved the Ice Cream Social, and the Characters were great with the kids. My ds had a great time playing tic tac toe with chip. And the ice cream was so huge that we couldn't eat the whole thing. :cheer2:

[Carol Ann]

I've heard great things about the Ice Cream social too...but since you are going next week, I am pretty sure that isn't an option right now due to the Land renovations for Soarin'.

[LoveToDisney]

We enjoy the delicious hotdogs at Casey's in MK. They are huge, so if you not a big eater you may want to split one. There's also a condiment bar that you can use to add all sorts of things.

We also drink water rather than ordering sodas/juice...that saves $$.

Also, go to Beaches and Cream (at Beach Club) during the off hours -- not during meal time -- and just order desert. They are reasonably priced and the atmosphere is so cool.

Have a great trip!

[Princess Glenda]

Flame Tree BBQ is a great suggestion. Be sure to do the Meal Deal there and get the coupon for a drink and ice cream later in the day. I would also second the Beaches and Cream idea and suggest that you get the KITCHEN SINK. Check out www.allearsnet.com for the menus on the restaurants suggested by everyone.

[DannyDisneyFreak]

I've never done this, but heard this could be a fun thing to do. Go to Beaches and Cream and order the kitchen sink. It is a huge sundae with every flavor ice cream they have with all the toppings on it. It is enough for your whole family :grouphug: .


:banana:

[SuzyQue]

We did mostly counter service in the parks on our last trip, and my 22 year old daughter and I ended up sharing a lot of the meals. At the Cosmic Cafe in MK they have a turkey bacon wrap that comes in two pretty good sized sections along with a little side of pasta salad. Chicken strips, which are offered pretty much at all the parks was another one we split. Those 2 examples ran about $6-$7 each. They also offer really nice kid meals for between $3-$4. I think the one at the Flame Tree BBQ was a hot dog, corn on the cob and applesauce. The same holds true for the food courts, the adult serving of spaghetti or mac & cheese at POR could easily feed 2 people. ~:)~

[Colinsmom]

For DTD, stop at the sandwich place - The Earl of Sandwich. The sandwiches are only 4.95 and definitely a meal; your youngest kids can probably split one. You can sit outside and have a lovely view of DTD, so it definitely doesn't feel like you are missing anything (and the food is GOOD!!).

[Candace]

I second the Earl of Sandwich at the Marketplace. Those sandwiches are huge and really delicious! Probably the best $deal in WDW.

[kccmommy]

This is not a dinner, but something that sounds really neat for the 6 year olds.
(copied from another thread)
Nestle Junior Chef Program - (copied from allearsnet.com) at The Land pavilion in Epcot. The Junior Chefs (aka any child between about ages 3 and 10) help two grown-up chefs make a delicious and magical batch of chocolate chip cookies. The children also each get a personalized paper chef's hat and at the end, a little container of Nestle chips and two cookies.
There is no sign-up or prior registration. Just head downstairs to the Sunshine Season Food and look for the bright yellow bakery storefront to the far left (from the vantage point of the stairs) of the food offerings. At the time of our visit, Junior Chef was offered every hour on the half-hour.
We arrived about 5 minutes before the program was to begin, and they were already distributing the chef's hats, so I'd suggest arriving earlier at busy times. I have read they sometimes limit the number of children participating, on this day there were at least 15.
After donning their hats, the children wash their hands (with wipes) and line up around a work table. Each child is assigned a "job" - of pouring in the ingredients or stirring the dough - and each child got to place a cookie or two on the baking sheet.
The work table is inside a gated, picket fence area and the kids are always in full view of their parents. There are some seats around the outside of the fence and the photo opportunities are wonderful.
After the baking sheets are full, one grown-up baker whisks the sheets off to an out-of-view oven while the other helps the children invoke some Disney magic. In the blink of an eye - the cookies are ready!
Junior Chef requires just a small amount of time out of your touring day, in fact it is a great way to spend the time waiting for your Fast Pass window for Living With the Land.

[swilphil]

I love the Junior Chef idea, but I think the Land might be closed right now.

We like Cosmic Ray's in MK. In Epcot, the counter service in the different countries of World Showcase is a fun way to try different ethnic dishes. We like to get ours to go, and then sit on the benches in Germany. The kids love the train village there. For dessert we go to the French bakery. I LOVE the Marvellous.

[adamandallie]

Pizza Planet in MGM is a fun surrounding.

[welovedis]

I would go to:
50's Prime Time in MgM-here is their lunch menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_ptc.htm
We usually go there and order 2 meals-then split our food with our DS, plenty of food for everyone and the atmosphere is a riot. With a bigger family like yours you'll have a ball with the servers!

Flame Tree Barbecue at AK-here is their lunch menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_ftb.htm
Again, we split the meals, there are lots of different things to choose from and you can't beat the scenery!

Trail's End at Fort Wilderness ( I know it isn't a park) but the buffets there are cheap (for Disney) and I hear the food is great. Here is their menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_teb.htm

Lots of people have mentioned Beaches & Cream at the BC resort, very close to BW-you can walk there or take the boat if you are feeling drained! Here's their menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_bc.htm

We also like the ESPN club because the portions are pretty good sized (DS splits our meal again) and they have always gone out of their way to accomodate my food allergies. Great place if your gang likes sports!
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_espn.htm

At MK there are lots of great choices:
Pecos Bill
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_pec.htm
Cosmic Rays
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_cr.htm
Casey's Corner
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_cas.htm
Columbia Harbor House I like because it feels a little less like the other "counter service" place, just my opinion, and the prices are decent-good sized portions.

Epcot-there are many choices, just check out all the Epcot menus here:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm#mk

As others have mentioned your younger children could split meals and pretty much anyone can order a kid's meal, they are a good amount of food.

Have a great time on your trip!

[Boo Mc]

When we eat at Earl of Sandwich, I usually send DH down to McDonalds for the kids' food while I wait in line for our food. EOS line is a bit slow so by the time he gets back with the Happy Meals, we are ready to eat together. The kitchen sink at Beaches is huge and I think about $20. We never finish but there's only 4 of us. The highlight of our trip is to skip dinner one night and just eat ice cream. The kids LOVE it and I wouldn't be able to eat dinner and then eat all that ice cream anyway. Definitely get the meal certificates at AK. Also, I know some may disagree, but we find that eating lunch at Liberty Tree is not that much more than eating counter service. Plus, you get free drink refiills, excellent rolls (if you request them), and air conditioning all at no charge. Just a nice break during a long day and good food IMO! Get a fast pass for Splash or Big Thunder while you're eating to maximize any time you may have lost by eating in a restaurant. The same theory holds true for Le Cellier in Epcot. Another favorite of ours and great breadsticks and cheese soup. Kids meals are quite filling, too. Can you tell we're not exactly on the Atkins diet? Same plan here - get a fast pass for Test Track (or Mission Space if you're brave enough to go on after lunch). We've found that if you eat a big enough lunch, you can sometimes skip dinner or just get a snack. Good luck!

[Muffy]

I think your kids would love Earl of Sandwhich. We just got back and ate there twice. Our DD is 14 and loved Earl's.

[ttfn3]

Share meals! Even the counter meals servings can be big.

We like Pecos Bills at the MK and their fixings bar. In AK, I highly recommend Tusker House.

Don't forget the "free drinks" at Ice Station Cool in Epcot. A great place to quench your thirst for no cost.

Also in Downtown Disney at Ghiradelli's they give out a free wafer of chocolate (usually the chocolate covered carmel). Yum.

Oh - we also like to take a backpack that includes some snack items and we bring our own bottle of water into the park (and you can fill it up at the drinking fountains). Add some packets of Crystal Light to flavor the icky fountain water at MK.

[Mic]

At MK, we always eat lunch at Tony's. It is not counter service, and it's about the same price as most counter service meals. Kids meals are $5 and include a drink, and at least 3 of your kids can order from the kids menu. The 14-year-olds can either share a pasta dish or pizza, and add a salad for a few $$. My kids love salads; my youngest sometimes gets only a salad for lunch at Tony's. And 2 of my 4 kids drink only water, so that saves money, too. My husband never concerns himself with the cost of anything, so we don't really try to save money here, but I am always pleasantly surprised when I get the bill. We tried Cosmic Ray's for the first time for dinner on our last trip, and found the prices to be quite good. Ordering here can be a little tricky if you are a single parent with young kids because there are several "stations" that sell different things. With the ages of your kids, though, you could easily put 2 other kids in a different line. At AK, the meal deal certificates are a good deal, and you can use them at several restaurants. At Epcot, we used to eat lunch at Teppanyaki every trip, but the prices have gone up recently,and it is now well over $100 for the 6 of us. I would suggest counter service at any of the countries: our favorites are Mexico and Morrocco. We found Liberty Inn(in America) to be reasonably priced, but we rarely eat there because we can get a hamburger anytime at home. Not everyone will agree with me on this one, but we like going to the Rainforest cafe on every trip, and it doesn't always cost a fortune to eat there. I think they have the most extensive menu on property, so you're sure to find something for everyone. And the portions are huge, so we always share. Kids meals are a little pricey($6-8),but the rest of the menu is not outrageous. The lunch and dinner menu is the same, so you could have a special dinner here one night. My 16 and 14-year-old daughters always share an adult entree,and my son orders a pizza. My youngest will sometimes get a kids meal, but usually orders the quesadillas(appetizer) as her meal. Most of their appetizers are big enough to be a meal.

[mum of two pirates]

Somewhere here, on these boards is spot about Ghiradelli's. If you go to there web sight you can sign up and they will send you a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free coupon. but it is only good for 30 days someone said. but You could sign up 4 people and all have ice cream for 1/2 the price.

[frannn]

for decent prices. I would suggest checking the menus from the links one of the above posters supplied, to see what you might like. I would stay away from most of the counter service in MGM, though, unless you were going for just basic burgers and fries. You could always make that your Beaches and Cream day. What I am planning on doing for 2 adults & DD11 & DD2 in Oct is ordering 2 double burgers and fries, to be shared between the 4 of us. Then I will order two large sundaes to share. I think the double burgers & fries are about 8-9/each, and the sundaes (huge) are about 7-8/each. You can ask them to split it in the kitchen, or order an extra bun or two to split into regular sandwiches. Definetly enough to split!

[calypso*a*go-go]

You can also get a huge sundae in the ice cream parlor at the Dolphin that is very similar to the Kitchen Sink @ Beaches but about 1/2 of the cost. It could easily serve at least six people.

Another thing that has been pointed out several times on this board is that any restaurant that serves burgers will sell you a bun ala-carte for just a few cents. You can order the doube cheeseburger with an extra bun and two eat for the price of one! This is an especially good deal @ Pecos Bills due to the condiment bar.

[Soupermom]

Just wanted to add a little...we DH, DD10, DS7 and myself went to WDW last summer and ate on about $50/day--for the WHOLE family (breakfast in hotel, brought granola bars, "fruities" in for snacks while waiting in lines). No problem. We did the Ice Cream Social and loved it, not sure if it's open now though. :sad2:
Also had great luck at Peco's Bills and the Tusker House. The meal deals at the AK are awesome! You get your meal and a drink, plus a coupon for another drink AND popcorn tub or Mickey bar later. Turkey Legs can be found at MGM and Epcot, maybe other places. I easily shared one of these with my two kids. Mmmmm. (This thread has gotten me SO hungry!!!) I really found if we shared meals we had no problems and were always full!

Good luck and have lots of fun!

[mickeyluv'r]

:earseek: SHARE meals and snacks!!! This is one of the easiest ways to save big! Often the portions are very big (Especially for the little ones) The less food you throw away, the less money you waste. Plus, this gives you the chance to sample more things. More often than not, even as adults, we find that while we really want item X (popcorn for example) when we see it, we really only want a taste it. Disney has great food options in the quick service price range. Plus, if you share a meal, and it isn't quite enough, and you don't want to wait in the same line again, food is everywhere - walk about 100 feet in any direction, and you are sure to find another place to buy food.

Instead of drinks, any drink vender will give you free ice/water if you request it. It is wise to drink plain water frequently anyhow while you are at WDW. With all the walking, you can dehydrate quickly, even in the winter months. Florida tap water isn't the best, but chilled, it isn't too bad. We like having bottled water on hand at all times though, so we get a case of bottles and bring a few with us each day. When the bottle gets empty, you can refill it with water fountain water or ice water. OR, if you order a large soda, you can put the remainder in one of the empty bottles.

Another option that many people like are the smoked turkey legs. For teenage boys, especially, they are a great deal. They are huge, and inexpensive. They are available at various places (MK comes to mind)

For AKL - we like the Tusker House. Two people can easily share the meal deal. Also, though meals are priced as full meals, you can order items al a carte. For two people, you could order one complete meal and one sandwich, and share the side orders. They have a veggie roll-up that is very good. Outside, you can order adult beverages, if you so desire (though not esp. inexpensive).

For Epcot - we like to sample around the world - we share items from various places around the World Showcase. Morrocco, if i recall, has a mezze type sampler platter. Japan has great chicken terriaki. I also like Japan's edamame (steamed soy beans -very nutritious - and delicious).

For MK - The burger toppings bars are great. You buy one burger and you can load it with all sorts of things - lettuce, fried mushrooms, tomato. I think they even had chili! So two people could easily share a loaded burger.

All the parks also have fresh fruit stands, so you can have more than just burgers and fries. Disney pizza isn't bad, either. Not the best pizza, but edible.

Last, most of the resorts also have inexpensive places to eat, too. Some of the food courts are really neat. Better than what you'd find in a mall (quality-wise), and each person can get exactly what they want.

[dvcmomdeh]

We have liked Cosmic Rays in the MK. It's your typical burgers and fries with it's own fix-it bar.

It is also a nice air conditions place to sit with a 5 yo or younger to take a little cat nap. Only bad thing is they don't give refills on you drinks. Many a day did I sit here with a child in a stroller taking a nap while dad and the others when out and about the world.

[TDERadulski]

I have never tried it myslef, but my sister and her family did on their last trip. They loved Trails End buffet at Fort Wilderness for both a big breakfast and a dinner. They said the food was great and the price was right. Both breakfast and lunch are only $10.99 per adult and $6.99 for kids....much cheaper than the other buffets on property!

[Madi100]

The meal deals at the AK are awesome! You get your meal and a drink, plus a coupon for another drink AND popcorn tub or Mickey bar later. Turkey Legs can be found at MGM and Epcot, maybe other places. I easily shared one of these with my two kids. Mmmmm. (This thread has gotten me SO hungry!!!) I really found if we shared meals we had no problems and were always full!

Good luck and have lots of fun!


What are the meal deals?

[mickeyluv'r]

I know Tusker House in AK offers the meal deal. They are advertised at the quick service restaurants that offer them. I think the meal deal was also offered elsewhere in AK, but I'm not sure about other locations.

[SuzyQue]

"Meal Plus" Program

The Animal Kingdom "Meal Plus" Program allows you to purchase a special voucher at any Animal Kingdom counter service restaurant (Restaurantosaurus, Flame Tree Barbecue, Pizzafari, or Tusker House) that entitles you to the following:

counter service meal with small drink (non-alcoholic)
coupon for a box of popcorn or an ice cream
coupon for a bottle of water

The cost is $11.99 for adults and $5.99 for kids, which is quite a good deal considering that the higher-priced counter service meals alone can set you back that much, once you add the drink. The vouchers are only good the day you purchase them.

[KristiKelly]

I've never done this, but heard this could be a fun thing to do. Go to Beaches and Cream and order the kitchen sink. It is a huge sundae with every flavor ice cream they have with all the toppings on it. It is enough for your whole family :grouphug: . :banana:

I was going to suggest the same thing. I think it is around $20 maybe a little more but from what I've seen, it's really big. Beaches n'cream is at Beach Club outside of Epcot afterward you could walk around the Boardwalk. Also, I think they have a campfire & make s'mores somewhere at Fort Wilderness.

At DTD, there is Wolfgang Puck Express. Our last trip, I ordered a Lg. Pepperoni pizza & 2 different types of bread and it was $22. We are a family of 4, kids were 4 & 7, I thought this was very reasonable.

ETA: The 2 6 y/o could probably split some meals.

[pjlla]

Just wanted to comment.... sometimes the most casual, easiest meals are the best. We have had some excellent meals at Cosmic Rays, Tusker House, Peco's Bills. And we didn't stress about the bill! And it didn't take tons of time out of our day! But we have also had good meals at Rainforest Cafe and Planet Hollywood at DTD...BUT... we stressed about the bills and it took way too much time out of our days, IMHO.

Our lunch at RFC during value season (mid-January, right after 9/11) took well over an hour... service was incredibly slow. I'm sure that things could have improved since then, but since AK is a "short day" park any how (close at 5pm) I am not willing to forfit that kind of time again to try it. And the food was CERTAINLY no better than the counter services I mentioned.

Similar opinion about PH at DTD..... good food but the bill was HIGH and the atmosphere was completely lost on my kids! Plus even though we literally walked in (mid-afternoon, mid-week in January) the service was still SLOW, SLOW, SLOW! Again, well over an hour just for a few sandwiches. We would have been better off at EOS or elsewhere off site! JMHO, of course, but don't assume you are cheating yourself and your family by not having lots of fancy/expensive sit-down meals planned.... ...P

[Liz]

BUT... we stressed about the bills

You sound exactly like me! I try not to sit there mentally adding up in my head how much the bill is going to be but I can't help it!!! :earseek:

[pjlla]

In all fairness to DH, it probably should have read "I stress about the bill"... he doesn't tend to even think of things like that!...........P

[SnowWitch]

Lunch at Tusker House in the AK. They very often have performers music and dancing throughout the day and even my 15 yr old enjoys this. Its very fun and I highly recommend the food at the Tusker house, the sandwiches are more than enough for 2 adults to share so its an average of about $3.50 per sperson if you share a plate. We always bring in our own water, forget paying $2.50 a bottle.

I also recommend Sci_FI Drive In at MGM for dessert only. I can't remember the name oft he dessert but its maybe $7 and it also takes 2 people to finish. The Sci-Fi is very cool and the kids would really enjoy it.

At Epcot just taste test around the various countries fast food options. With the exception of Le Cellier which my kids insist eating at each trip they always request to eat their way around the world.

And if you haven't already go to www.allears.net, deb willis has a fabulous list of menus and prices that should help.

[Liz]

This is a great thread! I never even considered the Earl of Sandwich at DTD but its on my list now!

[Chereya]

My husband loves to eat at buffets and this is the cheapest available at Disney. The food is decent and plentiful though the selections are more "down home" fare: mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, chicken & dumplings, pot roast & turkey carving station, etc. We enjoyed ourselves and the restaurant theming is appropriate.

I think we took the ferry from MK over so it was also a nice little boat ride before dinner as well.

Chereya

[CheapMom]

But this was our "most fun meal"- and it was cheap.
We got burgers at the POFQ food court and ate outside at the tables and our baby sat in his stroller and we would hand him french fries or peices of sandwich... Well this crazy white bird with long legs kept coming up and stealing french fries right out of the baby's hand- but the funny thing was- the bird would always wait until the baby looked away. If the baby was looking at the bird or the french fry- the bird would just stand there still as a statue. As soon as baby would look away- SNAG. We laughed so hard. Dinner and a show- about $15 for the whole family.

[MinnieM3]

Trail's End Buffet. Great food at reasonable prices!

Sharing meals is a great idea, too.

We also usually have just one "big" meal per day and two smaller meals or snacks.

[S. C.]

My husband loves to eat at buffets and this is the cheapest available at Disney. The food is decent and plentiful though the selections are more "down home" fare: mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, chicken & dumplings, pot roast & turkey carving station, etc. We enjoyed ourselves and the restaurant theming is appropriate.

I think we took the ferry from MK over so it was also a nice little boat ride before dinner as well.

Chereya
::yes:: We also enjoy eating at Trail's End Buffet.

[momto2]

Last time we were at WDW was about 1 1/2 years ago. Everyone was doing the meal vouchers. We tried them and liked them. :cheer2:
Are they still around? Are people still using those? :wave:

[momto2]

I found the answer to my question about meal vouchers with a alot of great info in this link http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=435889 :grouphug:

[mum of two pirates]

they are no longer around, unless you have some that arn't ex. yet. They went out with the old and in with the new dining package. some say they might be back but no word yet.

[TinkOhio]

We havn't tried this one yet, but plan to in a couple of weeks. After dining at the Trail's End, we're going to check out the trails and then go to the campfire at Fort Wilderness. Bring your own marshmellows for roasting, mingle with Chip and Dale, and watch a free Disney movie with the kids. You can really make an evening of :sunny: it!