Favorite Homespun Meals in Rooms?

[JanieMc]

Hey there, we'll be at the CR 8/28-9/1, and have a fair amount of high-dollar dining planned. CRT, BOG, California Grill, etc. We have a teen son and 5-year-old twins. We want to balance the high-end dining with not only some counter service, but pinch hitting with some easy sandwich meals etc. in our room. We'll be going back to the resort for lunch every day and most breakfasts. We plan to stock our fridge with pb & j and other stuff everyone likes, chips and fruit and carrot sticks and things to munch on in between so we don't blow our budget at the pool bar. (Not that the pool bar is not worth patronizing...

Anyone else do this, or have some clever ideas for in-room meals, ways to pep up the in-between meals on the cheap, or even blending a couple of counter service meals with some things from our own fridge to make them go a little further?

Thank you!!

 

[Lisann]

Will you be in a villa? I don't know if the fridge will be big enough in a regular room.

 

[JanieMc]

Will you be in a villa? I don't know if the fridge will be big enough in a regular room.

Great question. Agreed it's tough in a room only! We're in a standard Garden View CR room. We're going to try to have stuff on hand that doesn't need to be refrigerated as well. Then in the fridge, sandwich fixings (modest of course). We'll have fruit that can stay out, and if we have to replenish our *tiny* stock then we will.... Just wondered if anyone tries this much, and any ingenuity anyone can share!

 

[hsmamato2]

Easy lunch stuff... Snacks...your own drinks can save a bundle,and relaxing by the pool,it's so nice to just hang out and not have to buy stuff...never had any complaints,just relaxing was a nice break. And an ice cream or candy from the resort gift shop makes even a simple lunch fun for the kids!

 

[aristocatz]

I am a big fan of packing Laughing Cow cheese and crackers. The cheese does not need to be refrigerated until you open it, so its easy to travel with. Packaged pepperoni also does not need to be refrigerated until you open it.

 

[minnie mum]

It was a sad day when they did away with the old coffee makers. How fondly I remember the good old days of heating soup, chili, spaghettios or even beans and Weiner's in that oh so versatile carafe. Sigh.








PS : that was written with tongue firmly in cheek.


We only do breakfast in our room, so aside from anytime snacks we will have a box of cereal, milk (you can fit 2 half gallon jugs in the fridge), bagels and cream cheese, yogurt, fruit, instant oatmeal, and sometimes a half gallon of OJ. We also bring a case of water, another of soda, and a couple of bags of chips and pretzel sticks. Plus wine for me and a bottle of something stronger for DH. We are almost never at our resort for lunch, but when we are we just grab a bite in the food court or from the grab and go. Its my vacation, too.

 

[HopperFan]

In order to fund our 5-6 weeks there we do a lot of creative eating. 12 days on the QSDP by day 5 all I wanted was my yummy sandwich. When onsite with small mini-fridge -

Breakfast is always in the room, I just won't spend that. Yogurt cups, Bagels with Creme Cheese, Muffins, Bananas. Water or box juices (no fridge room needed)

Lunch (or dinner, depending on our ADR) sometimes in room and sometimes we carry in park or to pool. Sandwiches (meat/cheese) on firm rolls. Pringles. String Cheese. We get rolls because in a flat tupperware the don't get soggy or squished and Pringles have their own container, again no breakage. PBJ good option, but not my thing.

Other. Case of water, canned soda - a few in fridge but mostly use with ice to save the space. Perfect time for individual packages of cheeze-its, cookies, gold fish, peanuts, trail mix. The packaging is worth the extra cost on these trips. We can even toss in backpack for park munching.

We often get by with one meal per day eating out. (offsite I do same but book hotels with free breakfast).

 

[wendybeth75]

Most resorts have a microwave and toaster in the food court area if you want to get fancy We only ever eat breakfast in the room and keep granola bars, Rice Krispy treats and Pop tarts. We swing by the food court fill our mugs and eat our breakfast at the bus stop. We try to choose things that won't melt so we can carry into the park for later as well.

 

[JanieMc]

You guys are great! You've given me so many great ideas. Definitely we'll have breakfast in-room all days except CRT--and pinch hit lunch. I love all of your ideas--the hard rolls, the Laughing Cow, the list of stuff to bring, water, wine, etc.

Thank you so much for responding. I also like the idea of just going out to the pool and not having to buy stuff. That is exactly what I had in mind. Most of us are perfectly content to pinch hit with a good sandwich, some chips, some healthy stuff, etc. Especially when we have some really great restaurant meals to look forward to.

I asked the CR about microwaves, and they said there were so few, there's no guarantee. But still, I'll ask.

And there are always leftovers!!

Oh, and the coffee maker: classic!! LOL! I know it's tongue in cheek--it did set the brain cogs swirling for a couple of seconds... haha!!

Janie

 

[JanieMc]

Also love the idea of an ice cream from the gift shop for lunch! It's vacay!

 

[bookgirl]

Instant oatmeal for breakfast. Use the coffee pot to heat the water.

Actually any of those cup o soups/Ramen/hot cereals/pasta things you can buy now will be okay with water from the coffee maker. I have found you just need to let them sit a little longer.

EasyMac not so much. It really does need a microwave.

At Disney I've only done breakfast foods and cold or snack type things in the room, so I've never actually tried to 'cook' in the room but I'm a big fan of smaller meals in the room to offset those big TS meals or the QS meals.

 

[Trip planner]

They are really filling. (And I am a breakfast eater!) I have brought them on my last two wdw trips. Despite my love for chocolate and coffee, I prefer the flavors that don't have chocolate and/or coffee.

 

[Trip planner]

On our last trip hubby and I shared qs meals (kids shared too). We said if we were still hungry when we finished eating, we'd indulge in a treat. Often we were full. On the DP, we subbed yogurt and fruit for the dessert and put it in the fridge for later.

 

[misskerri]

Has anyone packed breakfast foods in their suitcases when flying to Disney? I am thinking of getting a few things that we can easily eat in-room in the mornings. Maybe a box of cereal (and buy milk at the gift shop), muffins, scones, etc...Food is allowed in checked baggage, right?

 

[v.t.]

Has anyone packed breakfast foods in their suitcases when flying to Disney? I am thinking of getting a few things that we can easily eat in-room in the mornings. Maybe a box of cereal (and buy milk at the gift shop), muffins, scones, etc...Food is allowed in checked baggage, right?

We were able to pack food in our checked luggage. We took instant oatmeal, cereal, beef jerky (I have boys ), carnation instant breakfast for milk, belvita crackers, peanut butter and even sandwich thins (round bread that travels well).

 

[TravelMommy]

Bagels (travel well, much cheaper brought from home), peanut butter, all fruit organic sandwich spread, favorite cereals, favorite snacks like pringles, precooked bacon in the package- (doesn't need to be refrigerated until opened) I brought a few of these, everyone loved this and it is vacation after all! I still did a GardenGrocer order to get cases of water/iced tea etc. but we definitely bring things too.

 

[mickey1968]

Has anyone flown down and brought a small toaster? I don't like untoasted bagels. Or, have you bought a toaster and just left it behind for the Mousekeeping?

 

[maxiesmom]

Has anyone packed breakfast foods in their suitcases when flying to Disney? I am thinking of getting a few things that we can easily eat in-room in the mornings. Maybe a box of cereal (and buy milk at the gift shop), muffins, scones, etc...Food is allowed in checked baggage, right?

You may want to pack a few large paper glasses for that instant breakfast. The glasses in the rooms are all pretty small.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Has anyone flown down and brought a small toaster? I don't like untoasted bagels. Or, have you bought a toaster and just left it behind for the Mousekeeping?

Toasters and toaster ovens are not allowed in regular rooms.

 

[JanieMc]

Hey there, my friend lent me a small Cuisinart egg cooker, cordless and battery operated. She thought we could make a few eggs for breakfast in it. Now, obviously a dozen eggs would take up a huge part of the fridge, but we have chickens and could take a little bowl of eggs to put in, for a nice little hot breakfast one morning, to break things up, as it were. I can't think why it wouldn't be allowed in a regular room, because it's small and doesn't need electricity... But I'm not sure! Anyone know? We're driving, so space isn't an issue in a suitcase. Taking boiled eggs with us is a really good option too, but I just love hot poached eggs...