Unusual Dining Question

[joech]

We don't cook during our vacation.

 

[MBELSANTI]

We always do the DDP and eat dinner at TS restaurants as DVC Mike said, it is part of the vacation experience. I did this last time, place an order with GG for bagels, creamcheese, butter, juice. We had this for breakfast, plus I made coffee...gotta have my coffee. We then used CS for our lunch and dinner was at TS restaurant. We had some great meals! I am going again over the holidays and will do the same thing by placing a small order with GG. It was worth it to us.

 

[CraftyMouse]

We use the kitchen for coffee and storing cold drinks! I am on vacation, I don't want to cook!

I completely understand this, but for us cooking in the villa allows us to stay twice as often. I'd much rather stay two weeks and do a little bit of cooking, since the other option is to come home a week early and cook every night!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I like to cook some easy meals at my resort. After a while, I get real tired of eating out. I don't know if its the oils, grease, or what it is. After about 3 days, I want my homemade spaghetti, amongst other things. It doesn't take long to cook up boneless chicken breasts, throw together a salad and some rice. It also allows us to go out to the more expensive restaraunts when we cook "at home".

 

[Alisha&Jay]

We like to go as often as possible too. With 3 kids, we have gone 4 times this year (very unusual). So, to save money, we order groceries and eat breakfast in our villa, pack sandwiches/snacks/drinks for lunch, and eat out for dinner sometimes, sometimes we eat a meal in our villa for dinner too. It is always easy to prepare, I don't really cook! As much as I would like to eat out for lunch and dinner, this way allows us to go more often and save money (plus my DH really enjoys his own homemade sandwiches at lunchtime). Also, our kids are 6, 3, and 2, so sometimes a restaurant is difficult. You know, now that I think about it, our next trip in Dec is a Friday til Tuesday and since we have AP's already and our accomodations are "free", we are only paying for our food, which we would have to pay for at home. Our airline tickets were almost free too, since I had unused tickets that I had to use by next April. With 4 unused tickets, the reissue came to $290, and we also got 1 free airline ticket with credit card points, for a total of 5 tickets for the $290. I love a good deal!

 

[Longhairbear]

We started off only cooking breakfast, but have evolved over the years to cooking breakfast, and most dinners in the villa. We save a lot of money, and then can have a few special dinners at the restaurants we like.

 

[CraftyMouse]

Also, our kids are 6, 3, and 2, so sometimes a restaurant is difficult.

Wait until they are 16, 13 and 11 and ordering off an adult menu. It gets pretty pricey! Okay, so I don't have the 11yo that you will, but even with DD16 and DS13 our table-service meals average at least $100 each (granted this is before our TIW discount). That's a LOT of money for one meal. If we do 1/2 eating out and 1/2 eating in then we get to take a second 2-week trip for what the first one would cost if we ate out every night. We have APs, we drive and our accomodatoins are paid for. Give me a little time in the kitchen and more time at WDW anyday! (Besides, DH and the kids cook some of the meals, so it's not all on me!)

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I love to cook! no matter if I'm on vacation or not. If it's a 5 or 6 day stay we will eat breakfast every day in the villa. We generally do a late lunch at the villa 1/2 the time (we get tired of the burger etc.) and make sandwiches and salads.

We'll do dinner out probably 3 nights and we drive in so we often eat outside of Disney, Orlando has some really good restaurants. I also love later dinner ADR's because quite frankly after a very nice sit down dinner, I'm not riding or walking my butt off anymore!

We generally have a two bedroom and always cook but if It's just for a week-end and we're in a studio we eat out.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Wait until they are 16, 13 and 11 and ordering off an adult menu. It gets pretty pricey! Okay, so I don't have the 11yo that you will, but even with DD16 and DS13 our table-service meals average at least $100 each (granted this is before our TIW discount). That's a LOT of money for one meal.

Okay...we are obviously doing something wrong here. What is your secret for $100 TS meals with two teens? That is the most expensive part of the trip for us. We have a DS17 and DD15 and we can't get away from dinner without spending $200-$300 an evening and that is with our TIW discount too. Then again, we are foodies...we do app's, entrees, dessert and sometimes a little wine. That's probably our problem right there.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Over the past 11-12 years we have done all of it! Sometimes we make EVERY meal in the kitchen and shop accordingly. Other trips we might only plan breakfasts and snacks and eat out for our other meal. I guess that is actually the norm for us. When we have the dining plan, we don't even bother to go grocery shopping at all!

I can see us doing all three scenarios in the future as well. When we have guests along who are on a budget, we tend to eat in a lot. If it's just the two of us, we'll have breakfast in and dinner out. If it's the whole family, we will do a combination. Always breakfast in and some meals in as well, but also some dinners out.

 

[hakepb]

For me, it's not so much about about maximizing the kitchen as much as maximizing the use of our private balcony.

What sounds like a better vacation:
Spending time in a busy restaurant?
Spending time relaxing on your private balcony?

No, we do not "cook" just snacks or pizza delivery in room,


The most unexpected added joy of DVC has been enjoying my morning cup of java on my balcony:
In my little sunbeam, watching guests stroll into BWV
At SSR, Overlooking a hole of golf with boats crusising to OKW
Overlooking a Savannah (AKV)

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

We do breakfasts, snacks, and a few simple meals. I find that we don't waste as much time, not to mention money, when I cook some. Of course, there are 6 of us, 4 "adults", so very pricey on food at TS! Also, having a 2yo, it's just easier, as a restaurant is hardly a relaxing experience.

We do spaghetti, chicken caesar salad, sandwiches. Nothing fancy. it makes the restaurant meals all that more special. We also bake cookies (the refrigerated dough kind), and have fruit and snack foods. Dh loves his coffee, and lots of lemonade all around--I make a pitcher every day.

 

[mgriff75]

We don't cook. But we do make a grocery run for sodas and snacks. It seems like we can never eat all the food when we use the meal plan, so we bring some of it back to the room and put it in the fridge. We have lots in the fridge by the end of the week, especially when we have had a couple extra TS meals OOP. We use up those CS credits & put the food in the fridge for breakfast. I'm not into dessert right after my meal but dessert at midnight hits the spot. Obviously this only works well if you are eating at a restaurant near your resort, its ok to bring something up to BWV from one of the restaurants around BWV or BCV, but I wouldn't bring back food from the parks.

Matthew

 

[CraftyMouse]

Okay...we are obviously doing something wrong here. What is your secret for $100 TS meals with two teens? That is the most expensive part of the trip for us. We have a DS17 and DD15 and we can't get away from dinner without spending $200-$300 an evening and that is with our TIW discount too. Then again, we are foodies...we do app's, entrees, dessert and sometimes a little wine. That's probably our problem right there.

Well, I was definitely erring on the low side and I wasn't including tax and tip. I would say that we spend about $150 for most table-service dinners, but some come in much lower (lunches, non-buffet/non-character breakfasts, etc.). We also don't usually get both appetizers and desserts as we can't eat that much. Each of usually gets one or the other. We also don't usually get alcohol with dinner. Instead we keep a few bottles of wine in the villa and have our adult beverages back in the room. This, alone, saves us a ton of money! Occasionally we'll order a glass with dinner, but not often.

I will also add that DS13's teenage appetite hasn't quite kicked in yet. I'm sure our totals will go up in the next few years. Of course then DD will be off to college to that might even things out a bit.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

For me, it's not so much about about maximizing the kitchen as much as maximizing the use of our private balcony.

What sounds like a better vacation:
Spending time in a busy restaurant?
Spending time relaxing on your private balcony?

No, we do not "cook" just snacks or pizza delivery in room,


The most unexpected added joy of DVC has been enjoying my morning cup of java on my balcony:
In my little sunbeam, watching guests stroll into BWV
At SSR, Overlooking a hole of golf with boats crusising to OKW
Overlooking a Savannah (AKV)

I so can't wait to experience this in 9 days. I'm like you. With everything DVC is, I think I'm looking forward to this more than anything else.

I so hope we get a DTD view week after next at SSR. I remember thinking to myself in April, when my wife and I looked at the models, how wonderful it would be to have a cup of coffee on my balcony with my DW and DD (3.5) and just watch the magic of Disney from there.

I wanted to experience this and I didn't care what it cost me. My wife has a whole head full of reasons why we bought in. This was mine.

Sometimes, it's the simple things in life that make us the happiest.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I'm not a member yet, but should be signing the papers in a few weeks but I know that at first I won't be doing much cooking. If we stay at in a studio, that pretty much limits us to light breakfasts and snacks (DH is a foodie who really dislikes convenience foods like frozen pizza and microwave anything). A 1 bdrm would allow for proper cooking, but right now I am in comando-style park touring and I want to experience some of the great TS meals at GF, CR, Epcot, etc. In a few years, when I've slowed down we'll probably cook more meals and spend more time at the resorts during the day, just relaxing.

 

[brandylouwho]

Well, we have 2 picky little wiggly kids and the kitchen is such a helpful aspect of DVC. We eat breakfast in every day, lunch may or may not be in (depending where we are). Dinner is often in too...since the little ones don't sit well through a TS meal and who often fall asleep early.

But we don't eat like we do at home. We aren't cooking great meals. Heck, they aren't usually even healthy. On vacation we eat pizza, spaghetti w/ sauce from a jar, sandwiches and stuff like that. So no real cooking for this mama on vacation.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Well, I was definitely erring on the low side and I wasn't including tax and tip. I would say that we spend about $150 for most table-service dinners, but some come in much lower (lunches, non-buffet/non-character breakfasts, etc.). We also don't usually get both appetizers and desserts as we can't eat that much. Each of usually gets one or the other. We also don't usually get alcohol with dinner. Instead we keep a few bottles of wine in the villa and have our adult beverages back in the room. This, alone, saves us a ton of money! Occasionally we'll order a glass with dinner, but not often.

I will also add that DS13's teenage appetite hasn't quite kicked in yet. I'm sure our totals will go up in the next few years. Of course then DD will be off to college to that might even things out a bit.

Gotcha! Yeah, we can throw down pretty well at the dinner table. On vacations we seem to grow an extra stomach to accomodate all the goodies! I'm sure if we didn't go all out our bill would probably be a little more palatable.

 

[OlderMan]

We do all breakfasts and most dinners in the villa.It's much cheaper than paying for a meal that our DD's (10 & 11) just pick at.We also take advantage of the grills at our resort.* Usually chicken, burgers, steaks etc. and all the sides for whatever we cook.Like I said, it's MUCH cheaper than TS.

 

[ruddydvc]

We always have breakfast (cereal, toast, etc) and sometimes lunch and snacks in the room. We will usually eat dinner out though sometimes we have ordered or picked up take-out to eat in the room.