Cheapest dining options in WDW?

[been2marceline]

All of the plants at Tomorrowland are edible......

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

Hey the cheap trips CAN be done... and you know what? My memories of the times we had to be more .... um... "creative" with the cash flow are some of my happiest memories !

Love PP's suggestions above...

Hope jumped me on my comment... though... I know you'll be with a lot of friends... and Cosmic Ray's has that grilled chicken / rib platter with Mashed potatoes, green beans and cake... and around $14.95? or so? My hub & I could have easily shared it... so split it?

Also love PP's suggestion of the egg rolls and snack kiosks... you could probably stay full all day.. just eating off the kiosk... good suggestion to the "water only"... you will need to stay hydrated, you'll be walking a lot...

Also agree with Dollar store at DTD... just get your souveniers there...

You will have a Fabulous time and many happy memories when you're older and staying at a Deluxe eating character meals... you'll still remember those good times....

My Counter pics are :
MK : Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland (You'll love the free entertainment by Sonny Eclipse)
EPCOT: Sunshine Seasons in the LAND
DHS: Sunset Market which is an outdoor picnic table area between ToT and RnR... with MANY choices including a YUMMY sandwich from Catalina Eddies...
AK: Flame Tree or Y&Y....

Have a magical trip !

Mary

 

[dbarker]

Trail's End @ Fort Wilderness - around $16 for a sit down buffet.

This is our favorite "Cheap" restaurant.

I agree w/ the others - share meals. The portions at WDW are huge.

Drink water. If you want flavor, bring Kool-aid or Crystal lite packets to mix in the water. You can ask for a cup of ice water at just about any counter service and it is free.

BTW, you never said where you are staying...onsite or offsite???

 

[number1tiggerfan]

BTW, you never said where you are staying...onsite or offsite???

haha sry, i believe it's onsite... All-Star Sports Resort

 

[dbarker]

Since you are staying onsite, I would definitely look into the MYW + Quick Service Dining Plan. The Plan is an additional $35 / night, and includes 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks per night.

 

[squirrel]

Here are some other ways to stretch you $:

Order ice water at the CS locations-it's free
Share larger meals with a friend

Bring from home:
Flavor pkgs for the water-Nestea, Kool-Aid, etc.
Oatmeal pkgs-hot water is available at the food court, along with spoons.
Microwavable Popcorn-purchase one souvenier bucket if you want and then use the food courts microwave to store it for the parks.

 

[squirrel]

Since you are staying onsite, I would definitely look into the MYW + Quick Service Dining Plan. The Plan is an additional $35 / night, and includes 2 quick service meals and 2 snacks per night.

The only problem with that is she is sharing a room with other girls and everyone has to be on the Dining Plan (the same one).

They already have a voucher for one meal per day so a dining plan is probably too much food.

 

[dismichael]

I think I would definitely try to budget a little more for meals and souvenirs. Gifts from Disneyworld tend to be kind of pricey, and if you want to get some of the stuff (i.e. from the World of Disney in DTD), you probably want at least $75 so you can get some stuff for yourself, as well as bring something back for relatives/friends. Also, each counter will probably run you around $15 with a drink, or sit downs probably will run you about $20-$40 with tip and drink. Depends on how you want to budget. I would suggest at least one table service though if you can, maybe something with a cool atmosphere.

 

[lisalis]

You'll do just fine with that amount of money. The above ideas are great! My 4 year old and I spent a week at WDW in January on a budget(it was the only way for us to go). We spent $30 or less a day for food for the both of us, except the day we had breakfast at Tusker House in AK to meet the characters. We brought our own breakfast and a few snacks, like trail mix, fruit snacks, and crackers. I also bought the refillable cup at our resort, which I would fill up with hot chocolate, coffee, or soda before we left for the parks. Sometimes I would order kids meals, since we liked to buy fun snacks throughout the day as well.

We've gone before with the dining plan, which in all honesty is great but way too much food for me. I actually enjoyed eating when I wanted and not waiting for reservations to sit down for a long meal. Instead we bought our food, sat to rest, talked about our day, and enjoyed people watching- all when we were ready

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I would talk to the girls you are staying with and see if the meal plan would work. If you have one meal voucher then you would have plenty of food. It would be easy and you wouldn't have to worry. It would also give you a more stable amount of money for souvenirs. It would be nice to not have to worry about if you want a snack or a meal or if you'll have enough money on the last day.

 

[BebopBaloo]

I'm guessing this is a school trip, since you have the meal voucher. In which case, you probably won't be able to get the dining plan b/c your school group will have taken care of the rest of the package (room, tickets). There are a lot of good suggestions, so don't even worry about not having a dining plan. Def. pack snacks. Don't be afraid to ask for just one part of a combo meal. They can serve you whatever they have, even though you may only see prices listed for the combos. Asking for just one part of the meal (the sandwich, or whatever) will cut costs a bit. Disney is actually fairly priced at CS compared to other theme parks I have been to and they provide a lot more variety and better customer service.

Have a great time! The resort you are staying at is nice, as well.

 

[number1tiggerfan]

I'm guessing this is a school trip, since you have the meal voucher. In which case, you probably won't be able to get the dining plan b/c your school group will have taken care of the rest of the package (room, tickets). There are a lot of good suggestions, so don't even worry about not having a dining plan. Def. pack snacks. Don't be afraid to ask for just one part of a combo meal. They can serve you whatever they have, even though you may only see prices listed for the combos. Asking for just one part of the meal (the sandwich, or whatever) will cut costs a bit. Disney is actually fairly priced at CS compared to other theme parks I have been to and they provide a lot more variety and better customer service.

Have a great time! The resort you are staying at is nice, as well.

it's my senior trip and thats a great idea, i havent thought of asking for part of a combo meal lol usually because my mom has us bring our own food when we go to amusement parks to really cut costs

 

[mfinley]

If you're planning on carrying a backpack, stuff some snacks in there! It's ok to bring in outside food. Maybe a snack now and then will help you not be starving when it's time to order!

Quick service restaurants are gonna be best choice for you! At table service restaurants, they want you to tip 18-20%! Not worth it when you can get great food at QS!

Also, I like the advice about ordering ice water! Good choice.

Have fun!

 

[number1tiggerfan]

If you're planning on carrying a backpack, stuff some snacks in there! It's ok to bring in outside food. Maybe a snack now and then will help you not be starving when it's time to order!

Have fun!

i was wondering if it was alright to bring in outside snacks lol, though i was going to bring a small purse. not as bulky as a backpack, and easier to get to if i need my camera or something in a hurry

 

[CaptainAlex]

I think you can do it. Back in the day (1993) I went to Disney for HS Graduation and had a blast.

Of course my buddy and I were on a limited budget but you can do it. I remember getting a really good breakfast for the cheap at the Port Orleans Foot Court. Lunch we did on cheap by doing the quick service counter thing at the parks. Dinner really was just snacks.

I also remember we stocked up on snacks and stuff by walking off property to a supermarket when we went down to the old Disney Village early in our trip.

Also I remember buying t-shirts and other stuff on the last day as it was more important to eat on the days we were at the parks.

Good luck to you. I'm sure you will do great. Post how you made out. Hey it's alright to be that guy who says, "Hey are you gonna finish that?" to your buddies.

 

[dward1961]

peanut butter and jelly, bread in a rubbermaid type container. makes for a filling breakfast or snack.... have a great time!!!

 

[squirrel]

Forgot to mention that the Food Courts have a toaster.

If you bring pop tarts or bread you can toast it. The food court also sells 2 slices of bread (I think it was less than $1), marg and jam is available for free. Cream cheese is less than $1.

 

[dchronister]

If you are staying at an all star and you have 1 voucher a day, you will be fine. Me and DD8 and DD5 (at the time) stayed there for a dance competition and had 1 voucher a day a piece and we had leftover vouchers when we left. I took $700 because I was scared to death because i had no idea how much everything was, and I came home with $400 and that was after buying tshirts and some food in the park and there was 3 of us. Also, you can carry a small purse if you like, but it sure is a pain in the butt to keep up with all day, look for a back pack of some sort, soooo much easier. Also remember that check whatever type of bag you carry in so you will have to get in the bag check line, takes a little longer, but not much.

 

[Bethpremier]

I didnt read the whole thread but if you have a few friends in class, consider splitting child's lunches in the park.

I did this with my sister in law and it worked perfectly. Costs about $2 for each of us at each counter service meal.

 

[BebopBaloo]

Forgot to mention that the Food Courts have a toaster.

If you bring pop tarts or bread you can toast it. The food court also sells 2 slices of bread (I think it was less than $1), marg and jam is available for free. Cream cheese is less than $1.

On that note, the food courts also have microwaves and hot water stations at the drink fountains. This is great for oatmeal/cream of wheat that you could bring from home.