Hey turning40..I love the planning part too...I am curious which resturants you are planning to try while you're at Universal...Care to share?
Will I need to eat anywhere after I fill up my souvenier mug and refillable popcorn???
We plan to do mostly offsite eating, since we get up before the roosters and pretty much muscle our way to the very front of the line for rope drop, then charge in full commando mode through the touring plan so we don't have to wait in long lines. Then we are hot, cranky, and hungry and we will head to somewhere we know the kids will be happy, like Golden Corral or CiCi's or Sizzler.
BUT, for the meals we do eat in the parks, here are my current possibilities: at citiwalk: Bubba Gumps would please DH and I, the kids, iffy. Pastamore at CityWalk will make everyone happy.
In Universal, Finnegans shamrock steak sandwich sounds tasty, or the Fish N Chips. The Monster Cafe counterservice Rotisserie 1/4 chix with potato and corn for 8.99 is probably a definite stop. Picky child can get pizza there, too, 6.59.
At Islands of Adventure: THunder Falls Terrace in Jurassic Park has ribs that will satisfy all but DD and she can get the kids macaroni and cheese.
Circus McGurkus and the Comic Strip Cafe seem to have almost identical menu choices, we will certainly stop there for fried chicken or spaghetti, and Circus has dippin'dots that my children consider a vacation must have! I am considering reservations for Mythos, as DH and I would love anything on the menu, but this is NOT budgetty....DD would get the kids steak but at 10.99 I would be inwardly cringing and praying that she would deem it edible (even though DS eats anything left over on anyone's plate!)
Blondies subs will make all five of us happy, and be a good lunch if we decide to stay through lunch and do more fun things at the park (depends on the August heat!).
Does that help you?