All you can eat meal deal????

[SpideyHulk24]

Do they still offer this at the parks?

Thanks!

 

[melanie18]

Just got back today and, yes they do offer the meal deal. $20 per adult & $10 per child. We used it yesterday. Not sure if it's really worth it or not. My thoughts:

1. There are only 3 food courts in IOA and 4 in USF where you can use it. However, you can't hop from one park to another. If you buy it in IOA, you have to use it in IOA.

2. Drinks are not included. If you want the drink deal, it's $8.99. Oh yeah, you can't buy just the drink deal. You have to buy the meal deal to be able to get the drink deal. Ridiculous. They do have another drink option where it's a little under $6 for the mug and then you spend $1.50 or so every time you refill it.

3. You get an entree & a dessert with the meal deal. The desserts at all the places are the same. A chocolate chip cookie, red white & blue jello or chocolate cake.


I don't think I would do the meal deal again, simply because we like to start off in one park & end the day in the other. You can't do that unless you buy the 2-park meal deal which is about $5 more person & they throw in a dinner @ Citywalk (only good at select restaurants -- reservations must be made by 4pm & you must eat between 5 & 10pm). Well, if you waste your time eating at the sit-down restaurant in Citywalk, you miss out on park time (which at Universal is important since the parks are only open until 9pm).

Any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[MrDroopy]

Personally, the meal deal was great for my family. What the woman said above is somewhat true. You can only go to 3 restaurants in IOA and 5 at Universal (and you can not switch... it's one park or the other). However, there is a lot of variety found at Universal (where my family and I did it). The restaurants for Universal include...

Monster Cafe:
Rotissarie Chicken w/ Corn on the Cob and Seasoned Potatoes
Personal Pan Pizzas
Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Fruit Bowls

Mel's Diner:
(All served with French Fries)
Hamburger
Cheeseburger
Bacon Cheeseburger
Double Cheeseburger
Chicken Fingers

Ricter Burger:
(All Served with French Fries)
Hamburger
Cheeseburger
Bacon Cheeseburger
Chicken Sandwich
Salad

Luigi's Italian Restaurant:
Fettuchini Alfredo
Slice of Pizza
Spagetti w/ Marinara Sauce
Meatball Hero (?)

International Food and Film Festival (The Best Place To Go When You're Really Hungry!):
American Section: Hamburgers and Hot Dogs served with French Fries
Chinese Section: Sweet and Sour Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, Orange Chicken (and some others than I didn't have the opportunity to try out)
Italian Section: Personal Pan Pizzas, Chicken Parm, Spaggettie with Marinara Sauce.

All in all, my family worked out this plan. We'd stay all day at one park. Once the rides got overly crowded, we'd relax in the air conditioned restaurants and eat until our heart's content. (For a family that is realitively thin, you'd be surprised at how much we can eat, at Luigi's alone, I went up 4 times in one sitting and I was never happier!) This meal plan is not for those who eat like birds. If you're like me, who loves to eat, this meal plan is for you my friend!!!

 

[kdkbrebel]

Do you have to purchase the drink deal for every meal deal you purchase? I ask because my 9 year old never drinks an entire drink and usually shares with me.

 

[MrDroopy]

Do you have to purchase the drink deal for every meal deal you purchase? I ask because my 9 year old never drinks an entire drink and usually shares with me.

Nope.... my family and I bought 2 (for a faimly of five) and got two seperate drinks. We then all shared or asked for seperate cups from the cashier.

 

[WDW Princess]

...For a family that is realitively thin, you'd be surprised at how much we can eat...

Well, not sure what exactly you mean by "relatively thin" , but there is a lot more to health then being "relatively thin". Anyway. SpideyHulk24, I guess it depends on what kind of culinary experience one is looking for. DH and I tried the meal deal and it did not work for us - most food offerings were not only unhealthy, but quite a bit of it was more about quantity than quality. If you are looking for a quick bite or ability to have as much food as one can eat, than it'll do. But if you are looking for delectable dishes or something special (which is what we like when on vacation or weekend getaways), then you may want to think about it. I always say it's difficult to rely on opinions of other patrons - everyone has his/her idea of what good food is. You can always try it once and decide for yourself whether it works for your family or not.

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Thank you to all for the great info!

 

[damo]

Well, not sure what exactly you mean by "relatively thin" , but there is a lot more to health then being "relatively thin". Anyway. SpideyHulk24, I guess it depends on what kind of culinary experience one is looking for. DH and I tried the meal deal and it did not work for us - most food offerings were not only unhealthy, but quite a bit of it was more about quantity than quality. If you are looking for a quick bite or ability to have as much food as one can eat, than it'll do. But if you are looking for delectable dishes or something special (which is what we like when on vacation or weekend getaways), then you may want to think about it. I always say it's difficult to rely on opinions of other patrons - everyone has his/her idea of what good food is. You can always try it once and decide for yourself whether it works for your family or not.

The meal plan is definitely not fine dining or even healthy dining.

 

[MrDroopy]

Well, not sure what exactly you mean by "relatively thin"

Well, I'll let you decide...

Me and the Family Enjoying our Meal Plan at Mel's Diner!

 

[justprettynpink]

I just got back and used the meal deal each day we were there. We stayed off site.
I bought 3 adult meal deals and one childs meal deal. At first I was not going to buy the cup for 9.00 but we got free refills each day we got the meal deal. I bought the cup on day one for 9.00 and did not have to buy drinks the whole time we had wrist bands on. With teenagers, this was a great deal for me.

We got to the parks early (thanks to reading this board) and by lunch time when the lines were long we ate and ate. We then went to our room to nap and returned to the park to eat some more. We bought the one park meal deal and still bounced to the other park sometimes.

Word of caution....the child's meal deal is good for ONLY kids meal menu items which vary from each place. So if your child wants pizza you need to make sure that pizza is on the kids menu. Do not assume that if they serve pizza it is on the kids menu. Same with burgers just because it is served there does not mean that it is on the kids menu.

Read these boards they have good advice and tips!

 

[SpideyHulk24]

I will definitely be doing this... at least one day.

Thanks for all the great info!

 

[palavra]

We just got back and did the meal deal on Friday. It would probably be a good deal if you have a large family and will be at the park from opening to closing. As for my family (mom, dad and 4 year old), it wasn't really a great deal. Also, some of the restaurants at Universal and IOA are among the best at any theme park. We really enjoyed our meals at Mythos, Finnegan's and the Enchanted Oak. We would have missed out on some great food/dining experiences if we had done the meal deal each day in the park.

 

[JenLynn]

We just got back today ..... I didn't see anyone mention this yet (so I apologize if I am repeating info), but you can buy the "2 Park" Meal Deal which allows you to eat at either park. That option is about $5 more than the regular meal deal. As with everything, the meal deal is good for some people and not a good value for others. My family enjoys "snacking" throughout the day (popcorn, churros, dippin dots) which I do not believe are included in the plan. DH and I decided against the meal deal because we figured about $8.00 for lunch and about the same for dinner. We wouldn't go back through lines more than that so it wasn't really worth it for us.

 

[cookiemonstermommy]

I have to disagree with those who said the meal deal isn't healthy.

It certainly can be, if you set out to make it healthy. Here's a sample of the foods I ate on my "healthy days" (lol, I wasn't gonna waste a whole vacation being good!):

~Grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo from Mels Diner. lean protein

~Caesar salad from many places (monsters cafe, etc)--now, I know what you're thinking, but I got my dressing on the side, and used no more than 2 teaspoons total. Also, caesar salad with grilled chicken--dsg. on side--from I think Comic Strip Cafe lean protein, fiber, anti-oxidants

~Fresh fruit bowl from International Food and Film Fest (pineapples, melons, oranges, grapes, strawberries, Mmmm) fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, high water content, fat free

~Chef salad with lowfat dressing (didn't eat the cheese or ham, just veggies and turkey) from Int'l F&FF fiber, lean protein

~Chicken noodle soup from Monsters Cafe. Filling and low fat

~Rotisserie chicken (skin removed, ate mostly white meat) from Monsters Cafe lean protein

~Grilled veggies from Int'l F&FF (just asked for double the veggies, no chicken in the Chinese part) fiber, vitamins, fat free


They also have cold fresh grapes as a side instead of fries in many places-not sure why this isn't advertized? Also, the jello parfaits, minus that icky pseudo-whipped cream, aren't too bad as far as calories go. And they will give you iced tap water for free if you ask.

I'll be the 1st to admit, the kids selections really bite as far as nutrition goes. It's ALL burgers, fried mac&cheese (WTH? lol...why not just inject the plaque into my son's arteries?), pizza, etc. Which is a shame....I'll never understand why they--and resaurants everywhere--don't just offer smaller portions of "adult" meals at kids prices.

kelly

 

[tlinus]

I agree with Kelly -

there are healthy alternatives on the menus and the meal deal can be a great benefit for families who like to eat at the parks. We only ever did lunches at the park (too busy riding and walking) so we wouldn't get it unless it was included in a package like we had in October (kids stay play and eat free).

You can try it out one day and if you don't like it, then you know not to get it again for the next day. You aren't locked into eating as you are with the DDP for the length of your stay (kwim?)

 

[danacath]

With the meal deal, can we get our food to go and eat it at a different location (like one of the playgrounds), or are we required to eat the food inside the restaurant? One DD is a slow eater, and the younger DD is a fast eater, so I'm trying to think how to accomodate both without making my slow eater feel rushed at meal time.

 

[muffyn]

With the meal deal, can we get our food to go and eat it at a different location (like one of the playgrounds), or are we required to eat the food inside the restaurant? One DD is a slow eater, and the younger DD is a fast eater, so I'm trying to think how to accomodate both without making my slow eater feel rushed at meal time.

you can go anywhere you want!
we took cookies, fruit etc with us.
also, best part is, you can go through the line more than once before you leave the area.

 

[muffyn]

We just got back and did the meal deal on Friday. It would probably be a good deal if you have a large family and will be at the park from opening to closing. As for my family (mom, dad and 4 year old), it wasn't really a great deal. Also, some of the restaurants at Universal and IOA are among the best at any theme park. We really enjoyed our meals at Mythos, Finnegan's and the Enchanted Oak. We would have missed out on some great food/dining experiences if we had done the meal deal each day in the park.

I totally agree! this last trip, we had kids & others with us who would NOT appreciate finnegan's or MYthos, so I was not going to waste the extra $$ on those places. you have to do an evaluation to what your group would do best with.

 

[SpideyHulk24]

This is great info. Keep the posts coming!

 

[Mari annie]

We did this in April for our kids.
One's an older teen/the other a tween.
They both over ate= it's like Cafetaria style food=unhealthy hamburgers, fries, greasy pizza=not worth it. What kid/parent for that matter eats healthy (unless you have to for dietary reasons) than itself is a silly statement=your on vacation. The ceaser salad was horrible as well. I had some of my sons. I am very picky and we cook from scratch at home and my kids said it wasn't that good=the jello was hard(film over it)tasted soapy and no matter how much you stuff your face=it's still gross! Why do you think it's so cheap-cooked in large quanitities and heated up under lights all day-it's all brought in precooked from their kitchens.......??

Never again.
My son is going to college outside MCO and we are going for 2 weeks and won't buy it again. If you are a soda "junkie" it's a great deal, otherwise, opt for bringing in your own water, or buying water.

To each their own, but one time was too much for us!

2 weeks for two weeks!
Can't wait!