Cheap eats within the parks?

[zanzibar138]

I took a 6 pack of Up N Go to the US with no problems getting through customs. With cereal, the dried fruit in some of them could be a problem going through customs. If you wanted to try it, I would probably try to find a plain cereal and pack it in its original unopened box.

To the OP, we stayed at the Desert Inn & Suites on our last trip. Proximity to the parks was fantastic! You'll love it! We had no problem taking our breakfast up to our room (they were actually doing renovations in the breakfast room at the time, so they encouraged it to avoid overcrowding in the small temporary breakfast area). It was a very basic breakfast, but you'll definitely find cereal, bagels, toast and basic fruit likes apples and bananas.

Mum and I shared most of our meals while we were over there. Sometimes there was a small surcharge (not at Disneyland though I don't think), and sometimes they would even split the meal for us (ie bring it out on 2 separate plates). We mainly did it because the meals over there are so big! But it did have the great side-effect of saving us money too.

Also, for those signing up for the Earl of Sandwich club, the welcome voucher is actually for a brownie, not a sandwich. You get a free sandwich voucher for your birthday which you can use at any time during your birthday month. From memory, you don't have to enter your address. If they ask you for your zip code (I signed up for a few so can't remember which ones did and didn't), just enter Anaheim's zip code (92802) - it's just so they know which is your 'local' store.

 

[Lionsy]

We also brought cereal- a box of Special K for my wife, and Weetbix for our DD9. I on the other hand, love sugar-coated cereals on vacation because I don't eat them at home

 

[zanzibar138]

We also brought cereal- a box of Special K for my wife, and Weetbix for our DD9. I on the other hand, love sugar-coated cereals on vacation because I don't eat them at home

Me too! Hello Fruit Loops

 

[bswift]

Also, for those signing up for the Earl of Sandwich club, the welcome voucher is actually for a brownie, not a sandwich. You get a free sandwich voucher for your birthday which you can use at any time during your birthday month.

I'm guessing the promotion changes throughout the year, it's definitely for a free sandwich at the moment!

 

[aussie shaz]

I've had corn dogs both times we went to Disneyland. I have never eaten one of the battered hotdogs here, but from what I can tell, they are completely different.
The "batter" on a corn dog isn't batter. It is cornbread. It is absolutely delicious.
You have to try one.

 

[aussie shaz]

We had the free brownie offer on sign-up too, and the free sandwich for a birthday. We didn't get either
That was 2 years ago though, so it must have changed.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

We carry cereal and basic spread like vegemite or single serve nutella packs with us for a trip (and extra tea bags, coffee bags, sugar sachets as they never have enough), a few plastic or disposable bowls, knife, fork and spoons and biscuits and crackers for snacks on the plane/airport (have had varied experiences on getting food at night and its easy to whip out your own cracker if some one is feeling hungry or a bit queasy in the middle of the night on the plane or while spending ages in transit). Declare at US customs as go in - never been a problem in many years of doing this. Pack in hold luggage - at least the knife and fork. Buy milk and bagels there and keep in fridge. If not included then breakfast is sorted. If it is included and/or its a strict budget trip then we normally bring crackers, sometimes cup of soup sachets or instant noodle cups and buy some extra fruit and cheese there and either have a light lunch in our room/by the pool while having a rest lunchtime then buy dinner in the parks or have big lunch in the park and have cup of soup or noodles and cheese and crackers and a cup of tea and a biscuit for a light dinner. I also usually throw in a box of meusli bars as supplemental snacks. We also find Dole whip a bit too sweet. Churros are not bad and we quite like the Mickey pretzel. Popcorn lasts for ages. If you eat at a counter serve place no worries buying one meal and sharing among kids or an adult buying a kids meal as adult serves are so big its too much for me. In a sit down place then you need to ask if you want to buy one meal to share amongst a few children and yes they may charge extra for a small plate though more often not. EoS is great value and delic and yes comes with your small bag of Lays usually. In Anaheim we also find Mimi's near HoJos (Howard Johnson) has great value meals with leftovers to take back for the next day and has the option of a small plate size meal as well as full size. The Cheesecake Factory in Garden Walk also serves very large meals and will happily box leftovers for you. Not sure on their sharing policy but we have taken leftovers back and put in fridge and had as a meal the next day.

 

[travelwith4kids]

Thank you Wendy!
Very helpful! We are hoping to buy some food when we arrive so that we can self cater some of our lighter meals, esp if we have had a big day and the kids are just ready to chill back at the hotel! Great ideas for us, thanks

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hi there,
We are doing 4 days at Disneyland and DCA in September. We are on a budget and also have 4 kids so looking for good value family friendly meal suggestions and also 'special' snacks that you consider to be a must try.
Or if you took sandwiches/snacks etc in with you please share your experiences of buying from supermarkets etc
Also wondering if you are allowed to take in food to Universal Studios?
And also thinking of the $30 all you can eat at SeaWorld is worth while? We probably wouldnt normally eat 2 meals a day within a park but might be worth it if we do?

Thanks for your thoughts

Depending on where you're staying, and if there is a breakfast buffet, I would grab extra fruit from the buffet if they have things like apples and bananas on offer. They are great healthy snacks for the kids when in the park.

I always buy water from the supermarkets; rather than in the parks. The bottled water is soooo much cheaper this way.

You may want to check pictures of the serving sizes before you go for the various eating establishments and figure out if the portions can be shared. In Disneyland, the Counter Service places I like include:

• French Market
• Village Haus
• Hungry Bear
• Plaza Inn

At DCA, the counter services places:

• Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill (the serving sizes here should be plenty big to share)
• The Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta should be right next door to the Mexican Grill; so there should be enough option for the family
• Lots of options at Pacific Wharf

The last trip, we ate at a pizza place called the Pizza Press on South Harbour. It's right where the Tropicana Inn is; pretty much about 20 m down the road from the Disneyland entry. The prices were reasonable (better than Naples) and the pizzas were decent.

At DTD. I like Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen (the beignets at that side shop are one of my must-eats when I'm there. There is plenty to share with the family), Uva Bar, Catal, Earl of Sandwich and Rainforest Cafe (if your kids are scared by loud noises, ask for a quiet table).
Our family favourite is the Cheesecake Factory. It is a little bit of walk from Disneyland; but well worth it for us.

We like shopping at Wholefoods and Trader Joe's. They cater for the 'organic'/vegetarian style of foods. We find that we still need to read the labels but the sugar content can be a lot less than the standard groceries in the conventional shops. By Australian standards, their prices are reasonable; but they are more expensive than your Safeways, or Ralphs.


Have a great trip!


ETA. You also asked about the $30 meal deal at Seaworld. I haven't done it myself but food prices at theme parks are usually expensive. If you're planning on being there all day (and hitting the parks early), then it may well be worth the money. I assume that there is a kids price and that you're not paying $30 per child as well. The meal deals usually offer a drink and a dessert/snack option as well. It usually is a LOT of food. If you end up eating two meals and a snack at SeaWorld and then not eating dinner, it may well be worth it for your family. You may want to check up on what you get for the meal and how much you think you might be paying if you ordered off the menu and working it out accordingly. Personally, I never end up eating the dessert option provided. And as I prefer to drink water than soda, I usually find that ordering stuff and paying OOP ends up being better on my wallet. YMMV.

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm guessing the promotion changes throughout the year, it's definitely for a free sandwich at the moment!

That's great! I never used my free brownie, but I got my free birthday sandwich on one of my solo lunches and it was great!