Budget saving tips for dining at Disney

[BridetobeDisney]

Hi, I'm looking for ways to save money on food at Disney. I can't get a TIW card.

We didn't get free DDP this time and can't afford to pay for it. We have two TS planned, Ohana and Sanaa. Ohana is for dinner and a special request from hubby and DS. Sanaa is for lunch. I want to keep both.

So far, I've thought of sharing meals with my DS but I don't want to eat chicken nuggets for 5 days. I've also thought of getting snacks instead of eating full meals. A cream cheese pretzel fills me up!

What other tips can you share?
We'll be at Disney from nov. 19 to 23. We're staying at Pop. Thanks!

 

[plutolovr]

A cream cheese pretzel fills me up!

It may fill you up but it won't stay with you. No nutritional value. I would suggest getting a meal that will stay with you longer and you won't be hungry again in an hour, even a good salad with chicken will hold you longer.

 

[danielephant]

pb and j - you can make them in your room, if you have a fridge you can make lunch meat sandwiches too. bring your own drings and lots of snacks in your bag

 

[Peaseblossom]

You could place an order for snacks/drinks with Garden Grocer - not sure if Pop rooms have a fridge, but you can save a bit by having breakfast in your room.

The cinnamon rolls at Magic Kingdom bakery are big enough for two, and you can sit and people watch.

Also, I never wanted my stomach to be too full (RNRC, Space Mountain, Exp Everest, etc) so we often split one CS meal between 2 people. Tops up the tank without over filling.

The Dole Whip Float is worth splurging on. And Sanaa was the best restaurant at Disney - hold out for a window seat or get there early, get a drink and sit out watching the animals - giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich....AKL is pure magic!

 

[danielephant]

oh and def. bring your own breakfast! poptarts and or cereal if you have a fridge

 

[BridetobeDisney]

It may fill you up but it won't stay with you. No nutritional value. I would suggest getting a meal that will stay with you longer and you won't be hungry again in an hour, even a good salad with chicken will hold you longer.

You know, I didn't even think of that!! Thank you! You're right. It may cost less but will cost more in the long run because I will be hungry again in an hour and spend more money. Thank you!

 

[catne]

Many of the counter service places have good-sized platters or combo meals that can easily be shared between 2 adults...or even 2 adults & a child if you all have smaller appetites. An example would be at Cosmic Ray's in the Magic Kingdom:

Half Chicken & BBQ Rib Combo - Served with mashed potatoes and a seasonal vegetable. - $14.19.

Add a $2.50 soda to share and your total meal cost would be under $17.

This is a huge amount of food (yes, that is 1/2 a chicken on there. AND BBQ rib. We love this meal, especially with the sides being non-traditional fast food veggies. It's usually mashed potatoes and green beans. Hubby and I have split this meal and could not finish it all (large people, too.)

At POP Century, there are many combo/platter meals that can be split. For example, the Mom's Night Out specials every day:
- Sunday & Monday - Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Tuesday & Wednesday - Roast Turkey, Thursday & Friday - BBQ Pork, and Saturday - Buttermilk Fried Chicken. - $9.59

Each of these entrees come with sides (like mashed potatoes & beans) And again, if you have small appetites, they can be split easily.

Pack some cereal bars, granola bars, snack crackers like the little prepackaged cheese & crackers or peanut butter & crackers in your suitcases for breakfast & also for park snacks. Lots of people do that!

 

[BridetobeDisney]

Thank you all for the advice! I won't have a fridge but poptarts would be ok for breakfast. I could also bring bananas. we are driving so I could go to publix the night before our trip. What are good snacks to bring to the parks that arent big? I'll have my Disney drawstring bag that you can buy at the parks. It's not small but not bookbag size either.

 

[tluvstink]

We like to have breakfast in the room too. You can use the coffee pot to heat water for instant oatmeal or grits

Since you can pick up groceries on the way I would grab bottled water and what ever else you like to drink. You can take that into the parks with you.

Fresh fruit, trail mix and dry cereal make great snacks!

Terri

 

[coltsfanatic]

In order to make it possible to book one more night, we plan to be very frugal with dining, too.

We plan to split protein bars/waffles and fruit juice in the mornings, order a la carte QS sandwiches for lunches, order one entree per person and waters for dinners and limit one snack to share a day, such as popcorn or shaved ice.

 

[pjhootch]

Granola bars and fruit roll ups are kind of staple with us. They fit easily in fanny packs or a purse.

We avoid buying drinks in the park as much as possible. There are five of us so a round of drinks alone costs about $10 bucks minimum. Even for only three people it adds up quickly. Counter service places will give you a cup of water if you ask.

Browse through the restaurant threads and you will find some discussion about the various quick service meals and snacks available. These are mostly centered around the dining plan, but even if you are paying out of pocket they are interesting because you can learn where the most economical and filling snacks are in each park and at DTD. Also, there is good discussion in there (somewhere) about CS meals that go way beyond just a burger and fries or chicken nuggets.

Even when we break down and get burgers, we almost always share a burger basket between 2 people and it is satisfying enough.

I would disagree that the pretzel and cream cheese isn't good enough for breakfast. Under normal circumstances carb packing may not be considered healthy, but when you're about to spend the day tromping around the world, carbs make a good breakfast, make you feel full and give your body something to turn into fuel to keep you going a while.