Best Counter Service Meals to Share?

[LJSquishy]

Hello, everyone. This is my first post as a new member on DISboards. I have found this forum extremely helpful in planning my first Disney World trip.

My husband and I (no kids) will be staying 7 nights at CSR from 2/11/12 - 2/18/12. We will have free DDP during our stay and I am trying to maximize the plan so we don't pay OOP for too many things.

I have read that many portion sizes at both CS & TS restaurants are quite generous for one person since dessert is included with each meal. What are some good choices (restaurant names & specific menu items) for CS meals that my husband and I might be able to share during lunch? Each night we plan to eat a TS meal (on one or two nights we may even split one of those depending on our appetites).

I have considered packing a box of cereal in my suitcase for breakfasts in the room (with purchasing a quart of milk OOP from the shop at CSR) and alternating cereal with snack credit muffins/cinnamon rolls/etc. I am hoping to be able to arrange our different credits to allow for at least a couple of CS breakfasts (Pepper Market or Cafe Rix at CSR) during our stay if possible. We are not big breakfast food fans so we absolutely do not want TS breakfasts but a "hot" breakfast would be nice to throw into the mix!

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[fredtom]

The chicken & ribs combo at both Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland, MK and Fairfax Fare at DHS would be at the top of my list. Enjoy...

 

[babydoll65]

some people have used there snacks to buy breakfastas long
as it was under 4.00$ like a muffin at the food court or a
cinn. roll at the bakery on main st in mk.

 

[snookiedoodles]

The chicken & ribs combo at both Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland, MK and Fairfax Fare at DHS would be at the top of my list. Enjoy...

I love this place!!! Huge portions. We enjoyed most of the counter service, the basics are pretty much the same: aka burgers, pizza, chicken nuggets.

Take a look at the menu before you order, and decide. I have been pleasantly surprised by some pretty good meals! That are not just the basics! Also, when doing counter service, I mostly "wing it" but....

In epcot: The land is great!
In Hollywood studios: Anything but the ABC Comm.
In Animal Kingdom: Yak and Yedi

Good luck, and trust me, you will be full!!

 

[ReneeA]

The portion sizes at Pepper Market in their Mexican and Asian stations are enormous. Way more than enough to feed 2 people - we normally get a mexican dish and an asian combo for DH, myself and the 2 kids and it's more than we can eat...and we are big eaters. Handy since you'll be at CSR!

I also find that the chicken and rib combo at Cosmic Ray's is good, the chicken at Flame Tree, the spaghetti at Wolfgang Puck Express, the shrimp platter at Columbia Harbor House, and the combos at Tangierine Cafe in Morocco's pavilion are large enough to share.

 

[LJSquishy]

Thank you for the recommendations so far! I MUST go to Tangierine Cafe, the food sounds amazing! I have heard about sharing at Cosmic Ray's, but it's good to know Columbia Harbour House has at least one option that would work for sharing (it was on my list of places to eat anyway!). Heck, even if we only share two meals during our stay, that still makes a big difference in stretching our credits!

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

If they are open, Tomorroland Terrace Noodle station and Tortuga Tavern have rather hearty portions. Also, I recall getting an entire box of entenmanns donuts as a "snack" once at Pop, so I wouldn't worry about breakfast.

 

[kstgelais4]

I second the Shwarma platter at Tagerine cafe in Epcot. Also the Nacho's at La Cantina de San Angel in Mexico is a pretty hearty serving. I shared those with 2 of my kids. I consider myself a pretty big eater, and I felt full on with half size servings of a lot of Disney counter service food.

ETA! If you are feeling a little carniverous, a turkey leg may be the perfect way for you to share a traveling lunch. They are HUGE, and if eaten alone may contain 2 whole days worth of meat protien servings. I think as a CS it includes chips and a cookie too.

If they are open, Tomorroland Terrace Noodle station and Tortuga Tavern have rather hearty portions. Also, I recall getting an entire box of entenmanns donuts as a "snack" once at Pop, so I wouldn't worry about breakfast.

I'm pretty sure Disney nipped this in the bud a few years back. You will see that all the snack credits now are single serving only.

 

[Dani Dani Dani]

Wolfgang Puck Express is counter service too. They have really good food and if you order an individual pizza- it's pretty large so it's definitely sharable

 

[ciera321]

Wolfgang Puck Express is counter service too. They have really good food and if you order an individual pizza- it's pretty large so it's definitely sharable

I agree - All their portions are large enough to share....and so delicious!!!!

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

I thought you couldn't split a table service meal while on the DDP unless its with a child under 3?

I second the Cosmic Rays combo. It's huge.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

The individual pizza and salad at Pinocchio Haus is a pretty big portion. Use a snack credit to get some breadsticks too and you should have more than enough for both of you.

 

[worm761]

I had one of the "personal" pizzas at Pepper Market. It took me eating it twice and there was still some leftover.

At 50's Prime Time, I bet the sampler platter is more than enough to share between two people. It looks huge!

 

[curlz2tite]

I usually bring a package of bagels along & toast them at the food court You could also bring along packets of insant oatmeal along. I have to agree with other posters the chicken & ribs at cosmic rays ay MK is a great one to share . Also the pizza at wolfgang puck express at DTD. Even witout sharing much, if anything we have always found we had plenty of food with the DDP.

 

[RadioMom]

The chicken & ribs combo at both Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland, MK and Fairfax Fare at DHS would be at the top of my list. Enjoy...

I second the Cosmic Ray's recommendation! The portions are huge! Enough for two adults to share for sure.
The pizza/salad combo at Pizza Planet is enough for two young kids to share as well. It's a meal we really enjoy!


We also found that the children's breakfast combo in the resorts was a really good value. If memory serves, it was 2 mickey waffles, fruit, sausage and a drink. It was enough for two children and it was very tasty.

Bringing your own cereal is a great idea. You can get bowls and spoons in the food court with no problem.
Cereal bars are handy to pack. As well as little packs of nuts/dried fruit if your family enjoys those. It's good for you and really easy to tote around.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

DH & usually split meals, QS, & snacks - otherwise too much food.

Pecos Bills at MK is one of our favorites for sharing. We share a taco salad (bottomless!). Since there is a works bar, we can keep refilling everything but the ground beef (just don't eat the shell till finished refillling!). Works bar has great grilled mushrooms! There are also various salad dressings & salsa. DH & I also split their biggest burger & fries - the works bar causes the 1/2 burger to grow too!

Here are other QS meals we split -
the ribs meal at Flame Tree BarBQ in AK,
the nachos at Pepper Market in Coronado Springs,
the ham sandwich, chips, & cupcake from Starring Rolls in the Studios,
the Rueben, chips, & dessert at The Land in Epcot,
the "create own pasta" at POR & Coronado Springs.

We sometimes split 2 snack credits - We get the fried rice at Yak & Yeti's counter service - it's huge! We put it in our room fridge & when ready to eat, we get the gumbo at POFQ - without the rice. We heat up the rice in food court microwave & then mix it with the gumbo. We do this because we really like the gumbo & the fried rice, and because we can't eat all of that DDP food & often like a smaller meal, and because we do signature dining to use up some of the credits - or we would have too many left over, and because this is a great way for us to use up some snack credits without eating lots of sugar & lard!

We also split a snack credit at Pop ice cream counter - 3 dips, 3 syrups, whipped cream, nuts, & cherries for 1 snack credit!

Enjoy!

 

[TXCarsFan]

I thought you couldn't split a table service meal while on the DDP unless its with a child under 3?

No, we've done it several times, including this summer.