Taking in lunches at Disney. What do you take? Need ideas.

[chelebele]

I'm sure we will end up with a lot of sandwiches, sunchips, and granola bars, but I thought I would ask and see what you guys take in for lunch. There are 4 of us - 2 adults, and 2 kids (8 and 11) and we will have a backpack cooler. We will be in Orlando for 8 days, six in parks. All suggestions appreciated!!

Michele

 

[kellydizfan]

We took bagels and cream cheese, sandwiches, chips, etc. Also carried bottled water with us to drink.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

We did a backpack cooler over Labor Day last year. I bought this ice pack at Target.
http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP091213

We also bring Rubbermaid Chug Bottles
http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/...&SubcatId=RefillReuseBottles&Prod_ID=RP091201

Here is what we typically brought.
- Sandwiches
- Baby bell chees
- Apples, bananas and grapes
- Pretzels and chips
- Neutra grain bars
- Let DD pick out a cereal to bring in to the park as a snack (I think she picked Cookie Crisp)
- Yogurt sticks (put in freezer the night before)
- 100 calorie snack packs
- Goldfish
- Crystal light packets for water

Now my parents go to Publix on the way to the park and pick up a large Italian sub at the deli. One is large enough for 2 adults to split.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Cut up cheese, kielbasa sausage, crackers.

My kids like little snack packs w/ almonds, raisins, craisins, pretzels and a few choc. chips thrown in. You could make those up before you leave home and pack them in your suitcase.

Muffins. Cereal for snacks that your kids like and is easy to pick at while you're waiting in line. Mine line frosted mini wheats and corn bran. At home I carry a few little snack bags of these in my purse in case we're somewhere and they start getting hungry and whiny!

We also do the water bottles and crystal lite packages for flavour. Although I have to say, my kids didn't mind the water at Disney. In fact, my son made it his mission I think to drink from every public water fountain there.

 

[leamom2princesses]

We pack things like uncrustables, small packages of apple slices, little debbie snack cakes, various types of chips, fruit by the foot, small carrots, cut up celery, grapes, kelloggs cereal bars, and drinks. My kids enjoy capri suns and the kool-aid coolers on hot days between water bottles. I usually freeze a few and use them to keep the rest of our treats cool. By mid-day (we are rope drop folks) they are just a little slushy and everything is still nice and cool.

 

[KellyWasHere]

We did our own lunchables. Bought cubed ham and cubed cheese, girls loved it. Also packed small fruit tubs and cookies or candy bar.

 

[chelebele]

Great ideas guys! Keep em coming!! I was thinking maybe I could get those little sub rolls they sell at walmart/target in the bakery and make subs and wrap them up tight so they hold with plastic wrap. The frozen pb and j's sound good for when I don't want to make sandwiches the night before. We are staying offsite so we will have a kitchen.

 

[chelebele]

Michelle - thanks for the info on the ice blanket. That's a good idea for the backpack cooler. I was wondering what we would use.

 

[Reese]

We would use a frozen water bottle for our ice. I love packing wraps, just buy a sub mix type pack of lunch meat, bag of salad and I would cut up some tomatoe and cheese. We've also brought the wraps and some peanut butter and bananas. We usually pack a bag of apples and goldfish to keep the kids at bay. We've brought bread too for sandwiches but I don't have to worry about squishing the wraps.

 

[mjmartin01]

I did not know you could bring in food to the parks..good to know for next time

 

[surfgirl]

- string cheese - doesn't get yucky or sticky b/c its individually wrapped.

- Gogurt - freeze them the night before - they'll be about right by lunch - a little soft but not squishy soft.

- bagels. easy to eat as a whole or in pieces.

- pretzel rods - one is worth a few bites, so it is easy to reach in the bag while waiting in line and give everyone one.

- Jolly Ranchers - you never know when a Jolly Rancher solves the problem!

- We don't bring fruit - it is much easier (albeit expensive) to buy it from the fruit stands - and the kids like that it is nice and cold and will devour it.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I had no idea people brought in so much food, and that it is allowed ?? I know they let in water bottles, and juice boxes for kids, maybe crackers.....

Now I know what people have inside those huge backpacks I see around the parks. I honestly always wondered what could be in those. They drive me a little crazy at times, as they smash me in the face and body in crowds.... or send me tripping over their rolling luggage and rolling coolers.

This is an eye-opener for me..... where do you all eat these meals?

 

[crusoe2]

We haven't taken in a full meal but last trip we took a backpack cooler everyday and filled it with snack stuff. I got a couple blocks of cheddar cheese and cut it into snack size slices and packed that with Townhouse Pretzel crackers, Pringles chips, and nice cold grapes and strawberries. We threw in some water bottles, the little pkgs of Country Time lemonade to add to the water, some hand gel and napkins for clean up and we were set. It was so nice to be able to just pull over to a park bench and have a nice refreshing snack without having to stand in line and decide what to order (this is always a hassle w/DD). So not only did it save money, it saved time. We even pulled it out at the car stunt show at the Studios and snacked while we watched the show. It's quite a hike from the entrance around to the actual seats and then we had quite a climb before we found a place to sit. It was a lifesaver to have our drinks and snacks with us.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I had no idea people brought in so much food, and that it is allowed ?? I know they let in water bottles, and juice boxes for kids, maybe crackers.....

Now I know what people have inside those huge backpacks I see around the parks. I honestly always wondered what could be in those. They drive me a little crazy at times, as they smash me in the face and body in crowds.... or send me tripping over their rolling luggage and rolling coolers.

This is an eye-opener for me..... where do you all eat these meals?

I have only done this once, we took chicken salad to make sandwiches, because I don't really care for the CS places in Animal Kingdom. I made a coupld of sandwiches before we left Pop to head to the park and we ate at some picnic tables across from Pizzafarri. There are quite a few placs like that around Animal Kingdom Park. I don't know about the other parks, because we just ate CS meals at the other 3 parks.

There are plenty of benches throughout MK and Epcot where you could do this. In MK there is that area right outside of The Plaza restaurant and over by The Noodle Station where they have the dessert parties.

Suzanne

 

[plutolovr]

Now I know what people have inside those huge backpacks I see around the parks. I honestly always wondered what could be in those. They drive me a little crazy at times, as they smash me in the face and body in crowds.... or send me tripping over their rolling luggage and rolling coolers.

Well, they're not supposed to have these in the parks, but some do tend to make it past security. The tripping over them is the reason they're not supposed to have them.

 

[casjen]

We bring a small lunch everyday. We can usually fit it into a regular size lunchbox. My boys and DH like PB and J or turkey/ham and cheese. I usually bring hummus in a Tupperware (I bring from home) and some crackers. We'll freeze a capri sun or two but I also usually just pack a few unfrozen ice packs the boys use for school and then pop them in the freezer. It's fine for the 4 hours we need it to stay cold in an insulated box.

We also pack in a bag of goldfish and granola bars, some extra ziploc bags and I even bring milk for my boys to drink. It saves us a ton of $ in the end and we thankfully avoid eating all those burgers and fries and nuggets my boys want everyday.

We do eat out for dinner every night and we'll get popcorn or ice cream bars if the mood strikes us.

I like bringing lunch (even if making it can be a pain sometimes). I know we're eating what we like and healthily since we tend to splurge on vacation on ice cream etc.

 

[msfigs]

Cookie bars, Goldfish crackers, carrot sticks, Babybel cheese. I love that stuff.

 

[beansmom]

i'm a snacker so i take hummus and veggie wraps cut into small pieces..fruit..granola thins...cheese...I'm thinking about taking my own hot dogs this time around. I hate the new dogs and new buns in WDW but don't mind cold (well, room temp) hot dogs. I just take my water bottle with me as I am not a soda drinker and the fountain water at DW doesn't bother me.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We always bring in our own water, juice (for kids, only at DL) and soda for us. We also always bring snacks and lunch for the kids. In the past we have brought them uncrustables, they love them and only get them at DL so it's a treat for them.

This next trip we are going to try and save a little money and bring lunches for DH and I at least 3 times. I will do standard sandwiches and cheese/crackers/lite salami.

I may also bring 1 lunchabe each for the kids and they really love those apple dipper things. They are $1 at walmart and come with either carmel, yogurt or pb as a dipper. They love those!

 

[crusoe2]

i'm a snacker so i take hummus and veggie wraps cut into small pieces..fruit..granola thins...cheese...I'm thinking about taking my own hot dogs this time around. I hate the new dogs and new buns in WDW but don't mind cold (well, room temp) hot dogs. I just take my water bottle with me as I am not a soda drinker and the fountain water at DW doesn't bother me.

You mention that you don't like the new buns - what kind are they using now? I'm hoping it isn't whole grain buns cause neither DH nor I can eat those.