Packing kids food

Cinbride · Feb 8, 2016

Anyone bring kids food into park? If so, what kind?

The thought of paying 8$ for a hot dog they won't eat, drives me crazy. I'm thinking pb&j, some sort of lunchable-like pizza. And we can always get fries. I'd like to have some special things because if we get meals I don't want them to feel left out. If I could find that goldfish bread but not sure they still make it.

We will be making breakfast at our cabin and then dinner out.
What does everyone do for lunch/snacks?

pigletgirl · Feb 8, 2016

We pack a lunch box with snacks. Goldfish, grapes, etc. On our trip back in September, DD often grazed off of our plates and she did great. She eats like a bird some days and others like a ravenous beast so it's hard to predict what she will and won't eat, so its easiest if she just eats off of our plates.

Cinbride · Feb 9, 2016

Yeah, with all the excitement I know they won't be eating a lot.

DznyPrnces · Feb 9, 2016

Sometimes my kids share a meal. Sometimes I buy a meal for my 6 year old and a power pack for my 3 year old (he's the one less likely to eat).

halfpintpeggy · Feb 9, 2016

Some of the things we bring: cut up veggies & dip, hummus & crackers, fruit, pb&j, tuna salad kits, rice krispie treats, cut up cheeses, rice cakes, granola bars, trail mix, etc. There are so many options to pack & bring with you and it will save you a bundle!

squirrel · Feb 9, 2016

I only packed snack items, but we always went during Free Dining so we usually had lots of food. Snacks helped if my niece was hungry in line or it was a short time until the next meal.

Applesauce pouches, granola/cereal bars, fruit bars are what I mostly packed.

monorailsilver · Feb 9, 2016

We do breakfast in our room too and I only bring snacks to the park, and not a ton of snacks, I have 3 kids so 3 snacks for the am and if they eat them then 3 snacks for the pm hours. I do ship down mac and cheese cups that are microwaveable for my girls (my ds is dairy allergic) but they have those on pool days when a microwave is available.

As far as lunch (and dinner), there are so many options-we do burgers, hot dogs, wraps, salads, turkey legs, sushi, pizza, etc... We don't do the meal plan as it isn't economical for us and paying OOP is much cheaper for us so we rely on counter service.

When my older 2 were younger they didn't eat a lot (my 3rd eats more then both of them) so I would always have my small cooler in the stroller with an ice pack and zip lock bags and I would put the leftovers in there-chicken legs, pizza, etc... and I would heat if up if they desired and they would have the other have for dinner that night or lunch the next day.

I am thinking if you buy lunchables which are not cheap and then add fries to that you will be spending close to $8 and you will have to carry that lunchable around with you in the heat in a cooler. Have you checked out the menus on all ears to show your kids so they can look at options?

Momof3WDW · Feb 9, 2016

We did the lunchable thing a few years ago, DD1 eats like a bird. The problem was that when we would sit down to eat she didn't want the lunchable. She wanted something off the menu. So many times I had to throw out the lunchable cause I didn't have a way of holding it for later, no extra baggie or anything. This past year I did PB&Js, this is her go to right now. And that worked well and they don't have to be cold. Only suggestion is to keep them in a hard container because they get really smashed otherwise. This is what we will be doing again this year. We also keep a bunch of snacks, fruit pouches, animal crackers, fruit bars, pringles, etc. This way the kids can graze if they won't eat at a meal.

Cinbride · Feb 9, 2016

Thanks I didn't want to buy the lunchables just thinking of something like them. Ex/English muffins/sauce/pep. Idk. I may just do sandwiches and cut them in Mickey shapes. My oldest would be the one who wants more food. I'll have the supplies for pb/j anyways so if it doesn't work the first day. We just won't mess with it. I will def take snacks and try to get ones I don't always buy. Probably get plum pkgs for 1 year old.

Thanks

Legendteri · Feb 9, 2016

When we went, we also brought our own food for the kids. Some of their food was normal stuff like pbj sandwiches and chips but we also added special foods too, well at least special to them. We gave them Capri Suns because they don't get Capri Suns very often. We also packed those animal crackers with pink and white frosting and sprinkles. Can't recall their actual name at the moment, but again, they are special treats for the kids they they only get so often.

Betty Rohrer · Feb 9, 2016

again my usual reminder, anything you pack can not be warmed up other than baby centers inside the parks. say you decide to eat at a counter serve for your meal mac and cheese cup could not be done there for your kids

keepswimming76 · Feb 9, 2016

We do granola bars, string cheese, maybe some crackers and sometimes PB&J. I make them the night before and freeze them and the kids love them the next day.
If we are able, sometimes we bring apples or a couple of bananas.

We also bring some juice boxes and each child has their own water bottle we refill.

Stacymarie1216 · Feb 10, 2016

I am totally with you on this! Our kids are SO picky it's insane. So the thought of wasting money on food they won't eat is maddening. We actually brought lunches in for all of us and loved it. The one day we did quick service for lunch, it was so frustrating because the lines were outrageous and it took so much time away from fun stuff.
We packed pb&j because we didn't feel good about lunch meat in the heat - even in a cooler. We brought some bagged chips with us and easy to travel fruit + the powder you mix with water to make juice (so we didn't have to worry about juice boxes spilling anywhere) and were good to go!

Add in a big yummy snack from somewhere at the park and you're good to go! Saved so much money AND time!

DisneyOma · Feb 10, 2016

Stacymarie1216 said:
I am totally with you on this! Our kids are SO picky it's insane. So the thought of wasting money on food they won't eat is maddening. We actually brought lunches in for all of us and loved it. The one day we did quick service for lunch, it was so frustrating because the lines were outrageous and it took so much time away from fun stuff.
We packed pb&j because we didn't feel good about lunch meat in the heat - even in a cooler. We brought some bagged chips with us and easy to travel fruit + the powder you mix with water to make juice (so we didn't have to worry about juice boxes spilling anywhere) and were good to go!

Add in a big yummy snack from somewhere at the park and you're good to go! Saved so much money AND time!

The only problem with bringing in lunches is that there are few benches to sit at to eat. Most of them, we found, were right outside the bathrooms. During the busy seasons, CMs keep nonbuying guests from sitting inside at the tables at quick service restaurants. They won't let you near a table unless you are carrying your tray of food.

epsmith921 · Feb 10, 2016

My 2 year old ate ice chips and pretzels her first trip. Thank goodness we had a few buffets and she was free there.

I will say just keep small ziploc bags on you. This was helpful for me so often since some things can travel and tossing them into a ziploc really made it easy. Cereal was a favorite snack, and I pretty much refused to order her a real meal. I think total for 5 days we spent $30 on her food. Kid just wouldn't eat.

Stacymarie1216 · Feb 10, 2016

DisneyOma said:
The only problem with bringing in lunches is that there are few benches to sit at to eat. Most of them, we found, were right outside the bathrooms. During the busy seasons, CMs keep nonbuying guests from sitting inside at the tables at quick service restaurants. They won't let you near a table unless you are carrying your tray of food.

We must have been lucky. We always sat at the outskirts of quick service places and never had a problem - frequently next to other lunch packers :/.

DisneyOma · Feb 11, 2016

Stacymarie1216 said:
We must have been lucky. We always sat at the outskirts of quick service places and never had a problem - frequently next to other lunch packers :/.

Outside sitting, as long as you don't mind the birds (and their droppings) seems to be allowed for nonbuyers, but we like to have the AC break, as we go in August. We've watched the CMs block people from entering the inside dining table area without food. There's one place where they showed you to a table.

Stacymarie1216 · Feb 11, 2016

DisneyOma said:
Outside sitting, as long as you don't mind the birds (and their droppings) seems to be allowed for nonbuyers, but we like to have the AC break, as we go in August. We've watched the CMs block people from entering the inside dining table area without food. There's one place where they showed you to a table.

That makes sense! Yep, never had a problem. If it was August though, you're right - AC would be a must

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DisGin · Feb 11, 2016

We packed things that the kids don't usually get at home. Uncrustables and the things they get in the power packs at disney. You can stock up on lunchables buy one get one free. They have a pretty long shelf life. We always got quick service for my husband and myself, so we had no problem using those tables. They usually got 1 disney snack or treat/day so they didn't really complain about not choosing quick service options. It helps that I never asked their preference.

Packing kids food

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