need advice on where to eat on a budget in WDW

[dutch83]

Myself and DH, and 3 DD are staying at WDW Poly for a week in August, we will not have access to a car but would like to eat without blowing our budget, would love some suggestions Thankyou ahead of time

 

[disneysteve]

Pack snack food from home - candy, cookies, pop-tarts, granola bars, etc.

Share meals in the parks. Most places, even counter service, have large portions. For 5 of you, you can probably do 3 meals and maybe an extra salad or side dish.

Drink water - not the bottled stuff but plain old tap water. Healthier and cheaper. 5 people can spend a lot of money on Cokes in a week.

At counter service restaurants, realize that you can often order things not exactly on the menu. For example, if all they list is a cheeseburger with fries combo, you can get just the cheeseburger, or even a plain burger, for less money. Then 2 or more people can share an order of fries.

If you want to do a character meal, we find lunch to be the best value. We're not big breakfast eaters and we always eat breakfast in our room anyway. Lunch is usually the same meal as dinner at a place like Crystal Palace, but for a lower price.

Steve

 

[bobcat]

Check out www.wdwig.com for her restaurant menus. That lets you know what meals at different WDW eateries costs.

AK has a meal deal that cost $11 for adults, $5 for kids and includes a full meal including drinks and two tear off tickets for a drink and either popcorn or ice cream from one of the carts around the park. It is a great deal.

Pecos Bills had a great toppings bar with sauted onions, mushrooms etc. My daughter and I usually split a double burger and it only costs slightly more than a single. I have a lso heard that you can buy an extra bun but I haven't tried that yet.

 

[disneyqt]

Do you know if an Adult can buy a child's meal? I dont eat much and dont want to waste food or money. Thanks

 

[CarolA]

Yes, I have bought kids meals several times. One of my favs is the fried rice and egg role combo at Lotus Blossum in China.

 

[Poorman]

If you buy the meal package in AK and want to have a pizza, buy the kids meal for $5.95, the only difference is the drink is a small all the rest of the meal is the same.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee dad Says.........................................Columbia Harbor House at MK. Pizza Planet at MGM. Tusker House at AK. Sunshine Season Food Fair at The Land in EPCOT.
AS you have DD's, unless they are french frie hogs, one serveing from most meals will take care of all three of them!

You can never order too little food, you just make it up a couple hours later. On our first trip we ordered three meals for the three of us. And sat and looked at 21,000 french fries!

I swear I am making this up, but even a few birds said ya we get tired of fries too.

 

[Mic]

We usually eat breakfast in the room. If possible, bring cereal,poptarts,etc. from home, and purchase milk and juice in the GIFT shop(not the food court) at the resort. If you are planning on using Mears(Disney transportation)from the airport, consider a Towncar company instead. For 5 people it is cheaper to do a towncar, and they will allow you 1 30-minute stop at a grocery store at no charge. Besides being able to stock up on breakfast foods and snacks, the car takes you straight to your resort without stops. We have found that making lunch our big meal of the day works best for us. We usually get to the parks at opening so we are ready to sit down in a nice, air-conditioned restaurant and have someone wait on us as opposed to waiting in another long line to eat at an outside table(you will melt in August). Afterward, we go back to the room for nap/swim/rest, then make dinner a sandwich-type easy meal in the room or a quick counter service at the food court or back in the park if we decide to go back. All the restaurants in World Showcase in Epcot have reasonably-priced lunches, and Tony's in the Magic Kingdom does, too. At AK, I suggest doing the "meal deal"($12 for adults, $6 for kids...includes meal w/drink, another drink later and an ice cream bar or popcorn). Several of the restaurant choices offer indoor seating, and it's a great deal. We don't have too many favorite restaurants at MGM anymore...they've made too many changes! We liked Hollywood and Vine for lunch, and now it is gone. We thought Mama Melrose's was reasonable, as was 50's Prime Time. We used to like Backlot Express for counter service, but the fixings bar was gone last month, so we won't be going back. When at MGM, we take the boat to either Epcot or the Boardwalk area for lunch. The Boardwalk has ESPN club(they have good nachos) and Beaches and Cream is located nearby at the Beach Club. Both are pretty reasonable. When you do counter service, look for places with a little variety and indoor seating, and share meals. It is true what everyone says about some portions being large(and appetites are smaller in extreme heat). Taking your own water bottles to the park will save lots of $$. Have fun!