Changing your eating habits while at WDW.

[Dreamfinder2]

I've been reading lots here lately about the DDP "forcing" guests to order much more than they would typically eat at home.

So, I was just wondering - does a visit to WDW substantially change your eating habits? Are you prone to eat more than you would at home? Do you "treat" yourself to food items that might not be as healthy as what you typically eat, and then get back on whatever disciplines you practice after your vacation? Or do your food choices/eating habits stay the same even while vacationing?

DW and I have collectively lost close to 75 lbs. over the last year, but we aren't adverse to the occasional splurge. Next week, we're planning on eating pretty much whatever we please (within reason, of course), and resume our new healthy habits when we get home.

I was simply curious about everyone else. Any takers?

 

[Henlady]

Hi Dreamfinder 2,
Congrats to you and your wife on your weight loss. I know it is not easy to do that. DH and I eat basically the same as we do at home. I do not normally eat "regular sweets" as I am a Type 2 - diet controlled diabetic, but I may "allow" myself a small amount of a regular dessert once or twice during a trip. Nothing to throw myself totally out of wack, but just enough to enjoy a taste.

I do not understand the "frustration" expressed by those who consider the dining plan. If the dining plan offers too much food, don't purchase it. It is not a requirement for Disney. If someone does decide to purchase the dining plan and there is too much food offered, just do not order everything. I do not imagine Disney will force you to order/eat whatever you don't want. We are doing the Free dining plan in September and I won't be ordering the dessert for myself, and I don't believe Disney or the restaurant will be upset about it.

Kris

 

[bleeps]

We have happily used the DP and will use it again for our trip this Dec.

We only order what we're hungry for -- it usually ends up that we skip dessert (or sometimes order 1 to share). We don't order everything we're "entitled" to -- we just ate as we would normally. We also order simply what strikes our fancy (not necessarily the most expensive items on the menu). Even with this "conservative" approach, we still find that we save money by using the plan.

What's funny to us is that we're clearly in the minority, because it throws the CMs for a loop! We've had desserts and snacks nicely "foisted" on us (esp. at CS places) ("take it! you might want it later!") and at TS places we see jaws drop when we pass on dessert or whatever ("but it's included!").

 

[LISAMWDW]

Congrats on your weight loss! Regardless of the Dining plan, we always eat more on vacation! We see it as a splurge/part of our vacation. We also as a normal part of our lives work out 3-4x a week so it doesn't take long to loose/maintain our weight. DH and I also do tend to share meals because I just can't eat a full meal.

 

[melomouse]

Congratulations on your weight loss!!!! Good post and thoughtful question!

Yes, it's "vacation" - I think it's human nature to splurge a little in terms of spending and eating. Who eats desserts every day???!!!!

It bothers me, too, though, that I keep hearing so much about squeezing every last piece of "free" food you're "entitled" to under the DDP, and though I tend to overeat myself - especially on vacation - I suspect it's more about the illusion of something for nothing or it should be taken because it's "free" as opposed to being a little piggy like me!!!!

 

[snowbunny]

I do eat a little more on vacation and try some new things, that's part of the fun. However I don't go crazy and stuff myself, run around in the heat, stuff myself some more and then post on the boards that I was the victim of food poisoning at WDW.

Enjoy your trip

 

[melomouse]

I do eat a little more on vacation and try some new things, that's part of the fun. However I don't go crazy and stuff myself, run around in the heat, stuff myself some more and then post on the boards that I was the victim of food poisoning at WDW.

Enjoy your trip

 

[karmom27]

Congrats on your weight loss!

I am working hard to lose weight and get in better shape, and our trip to Disney is a great motivator!

We will be using the DP in September. This is our first trip to WDW and I will have to admit, some of the posts with people that are angry started to worry me. But, I look at it more as a convenience. It will be nice to not worry about budgeting for meals and I can see us trying some things that maybe we would shy away from. I do not see us eating an app. and desert at every TS. That would be too much food! I am hoping that I will be able to enjoy a few "treats" and all of the walking will balance everything out, but we will have to wait and see.

I think it is kind of sad that people are "stuffing" themselves! I have read a few posts where people shared a TS meal, and that sounds like an excellent idea to me (if only hubby and I could agree on what to order!)

I hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[3princesses4us]

Personally, I don't think anyone can be "forced" to eat what they don't want. I am frugal though so if it comes with the plan I've paid for (or even gotten for free) I will order it and take it back to the resort if I don't eat it. Cold appetizer for breakfast the next day I say!
The reason we tend to eat more on a WDW vacation is that we're just down right hungrier. I think we log about 5 miles a day walking and I don't do that anywhere else in the world so I eat more because I need the nourishment, not because I'm a pig. Just my 2 cents.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

We do change our eating habits. We don't do the DDP but we eat 2 TS meals a day (many of them being all you care to eat or buffets). Between that and snacking, I eat way more at WDW than I ever do at home. But I also walk a lot more than I do at home. I never gain or lose weight while at Disney, which I guess is good.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Thanks, all. We do eat out probably more than we should - as newly-minted empty nesters (DD is home this summer after her freshman year at college, tho), it's sometimes way too easy and tempting just to grab a nice salad or something from takeout and bring it home, because leftovers at our house tend to look like a petri dish before we eat them. Our weight loss wasn't all that hard, really - just perserverence and ediets.com.

But we do spluge on those events (like birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, etc.). And WDW sort of qualifies as an extended event, so eating well and often is part of the total entertainment package.

This'll be our first test drive of the DDP, and it seems to suit us well, at least such is our perception. If I don't eat all my appetizer/entree/dessert, I still will have had some decent samples of each, and not feel guilty about poor financial stewardship.

I did grow up in a "clean your plate" atmosphere (and I'm guessing my Mamma has been promoted to Head Cook in Heaven by now, bless her heart). So I have to be a little more careful than most, perhaps.

I'm looking forward to next week's trip, because, candidly, if you read every post concerning the DDP here, the diversity of this group will drive you crazy.

 

[CamColt]

Congratulations!!! Thats quite an acomplishment.

When I'm on vacation my diet and exercise routine (daily jogging and ab crunching) are nonexistent. I feel that is what I am on vacation from. I eat and drink anything (and everything, LOL) that I want. I usually gain about 1 lb per day on vacation, but I take it off soon after returning home.

 

[jkmmah]

When at home I tend to eat quite healthfully, ever cautious of what I'm putting in my mouth. Combining that with working out 4 or more times per week has helped me shed 70 pounds. So when I go on vacation I relax my diet so I can enjoy what I'm eating to the fullest. At WDW I will often take tastes of whatever I want, but rarely finish anything. I share it all with dh and the two dds. When we return home I hop right back on the healthy food train. Whatever gain I have at WDW is usually lost shortly after coming home.

We're taking advantage of the free dining this fall, our first time using the DDP. I have planned for our family to do a lot of meal sharing to help control the calories. Everything in moderation, right?

 

[Samandmom]

It's vacation!

Need I say more?!

But seriously we don't eat near as much at home. We do have our occassional splurges though. I can't wait first time on DDP in August and it's FREE!!

 

[curlysue1968]

Great job. I have joined weight watchers. You are on vacation enjoy yourself.
You will walk it off anyway. That is what i keep telling myself.

 

[7onbuzz]

Congrats on your weight loss. The DW and I usually hit the gym most days we're at WDW, but I see it as vacation and you're allowed to splurge. The DW generally doesn't gain any weight when we travel, but I average a gain of about 5lbs. I just knock it off when I get home. Since they made the DDP available to DVCers we plan on using it again. The last time we used it several years ago (I believe it was called the gold plan then?), it was just too much. Three full meals a day, including appetizers and dessert was more than we could handle.

 

[SLM]

Congratulations on the weight loss! We're having dinner at the California Grill and The Flying Fish-they require 2 credits per person, so there's two desserts I won't be having! I've never felt like I had to clean my plate or eat every bite. I do love desserts, though and this is something we don't do at home-we don't eat out very often-so we do splurge on vacations. I think the restaurants offer better choices now than they did years ago-it's easier to find something that tastes good and is good for you.

 

[jennifer293]

Yes I change my eating habits..I eat EVERYTHING I see...

I will have to be careful this time as I found out in December I have diabetes...

 

[magicaddict]

Our family did eat more than what we normally would but to combat that we would share meals. It helped us stretch our TS meals further and kept us from feeling like we were wasting food or stuffing ourselves too much. Mind you we still felt stuffed even with the sharing. I really didn't expect as much food as we got but after getting on the scale back home I'd only put on about 3 lbs. and after a few days of normal eating that dropped off. You could also offer to "buy" dessert for someone at the next table if you plan on sharing and that way the server will get the biggest tip allowed, you won't feel bad for eating a whole dessert, and you will have spread some Disney magic.

 

[jetstrip19]

We were disgusting, all I can say is ice cream for breakfast! I would never eat like that at home or I would blow up like a tick!