Curious about this, how many meals do you eat at WDW

[DumboDash2006]

when staying off-site? Mostly thinking table service, but also counter service?

I do NOT cook on vacation other than simple breakfast or snacks. We are doing the condo thing more to have extra space at a reasonable price. We eat out or have delivered all dinners when staying in a condo/rental house on vacation. We generally eat a sit down lunch or counter service/fast fod when we are out at Disney or other attractions. Sometimes we will have a big late lunch and then just snack for dinner or eat leftovers from the previous day.

On our last WDW trip we ate at two Disney table service restaurants. It's looking like the same this time. What do you all do? Though I'm trying to convince dh to try a third, but he's resistant.

 

[ClapYourHands]

We don't do TS at Disney. Partly because I'm not organized enough to do ADRs 180 days in advance, partly because the prices seem high for what you get, and partly because I don't want to waste park time on a meal my kids probably won't appreciate anyway.

Last trip we stayed off site, and did simple breakfasts at the condo. Cereal, bagels, maybe some eggs if we were feeling adventurous. Then we'd pack PB&J for the parks, but sometimes get QS for lunch. Dinner was at an offsite restaurant or take out eaten back in our kitchen.

This trip, we're onsite with no kitchen, so we'll be eating everything at Disney or the Swolphin. But we'll still only do QS, and may still pack some simple food for the parks.

 

[NH-to-FL]

We are not big foodies and tend to be frugal so our style might be a bit... unique. And won't help with your desire for more TS meals.

When we vacationed off site we would eat a QS lunch at the parks. And grab the occasional snack. The QS lunch would serve as our main meal of the day. We would search out QS locations that had something more than the hamburger/hot dog option. Our favorite QS is Sunshine Seasons in the Land at Epcot. Breakfast and any evening meals would be at our villa.

Even when we used to stay on site we would only have QS meals. We would eat lunch at whatever park we were visiting and since we stayed at the Boardwalk we would wander over to the World Showcase and find something to eat in the evenings. On arrival day we would go out shopping for food for breakfast and snacks in our room.

 

[hiroMYhero]

We will have a couple of TS meals that are pre-planned or are easy to make a reservation as we head to property.

Our usual is Tiffins and Sanaa. And if we are in AK on a non-Tiffins day, we’ll fit in Satu’li or small plates at Nomad’s.

We used to also fit in a breakfast or dinner at Captain’s Grille, but that no longer exists and DD isn’t pleased with its replacement.

In September, though, it’s Magical Dining Month so we fit in 3 dinners at Orlando restaurants. So far, I’ve been here at my DD’s home for a week and I have cooked dinner twice, DD cooked once, and her BF cooked twice. So, heading out to eat isn’t a priority because from Davenport, it can take up to an hour to arrive at an Orlando restaurant. And, we did eat out for every meal when we had a 3-day stay at Vero.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Usually a couple. This coming trip, its Trails End (dinner) and Boma (breakfast). Plus the Return to Sleepy Hollow event with the dessert party, and the Ferrytale Fireworks Cruise / dessert party. But.....we don't tend to spend much time in the Disney parks. So adding a meal or two gives us a little bit of Disney to round out our trip.

There are some really great offsite dining places if you're interested in branching out. It will give you a better bang for your buck, some truly delicious food, and in some cases, quite a memorable dining experience. Kobe's is a fun place for dinner (a Japanese chef will cook right on a grill at your table....think lots of fire and a few crazy antics). Hash House a Go Go serves up BIG photo-worthy portions. Millers Ale House is yummy food and a great value. Maggiano's has fantastic Italian food in a nice atmosphere. If you're into a dinner show, Capones is awesome and will come in well below most disney meals in price (and includes the evenings entertainment, a great dinner, and all the alcohol you wish to enjoy).

 

[bigbabyblues]

We've only stayed offsite once, but we probably will from now on.

We originally had 3 TS meals booked but had to change our dates 4 days before we were supposed to go, and ended up rebooking at 12 days out. We had a late lunch at Teppan Edo and that was our only TS meal for the 9 night trip.

We ate mostly CS in the parks, although we did "cook" a few meals at the condo. My DH likes to cook, but we didn't do any major cooking. We had frozen lasagna, garlic bread and salad one night for dinner. I made buffalo chicken in the crockpot one day (chicken breasts, bottle of wing sauce, packet of ranch mix) and had salad and something else I can't remember with it. One evening we had grilled chicken with salad to use up the rest of the chicken.

 

[kokomos]

We have 2 ASR’s . 3 if I can get the new character meal at artist point. Some easy breakfast foods at the condo and several counter service or take out. Someone already mentioned Millers Ale. We really like eating there.

 

[Magical2017]

On average, we eat one meal a day at the parks.

 

[Klayfish]

Just about none. We pack almost all of our own food. On our last trip, which was very long, I think we bought WDW meals twice.

Just my own opinion, but I don't get the "we refuse to cook on vacation" thing. If you were talking about spending 2 hours a day slaving over a hot stove, sure, I get it. But we "cook" easy and simple things that require just about no work. Crock pot things, things we can just stick in the oven and let bake while we sit and relax, etc...we only cook once every 3-5 days and cook enough to last. Clean up is just as easy...the dishwasher. If we're packing a dinner for WDW, I doubt we spend 15 minutes getting it ready...probably far less. It saves us a fortune. We spend 70%+ less than most people. Our way is unique, I know, but it works fantastic for us.

 

[DumboDash2006]

Just about none. We pack almost all of our own food. On our last trip, which was very long, I think we bought WDW meals twice.

Just my own opinion, but I don't get the "we refuse to cook on vacation" thing. If you were talking about spending 2 hours a day slaving over a hot stove, sure, I get it. But we "cook" easy and simple things that require just about no work. Crock pot things, things we can just stick in the oven and let bake while we sit and relax, etc...we only cook once every 3-5 days and cook enough to last. Clean up is just as easy...the dishwasher. If we're packing a dinner for WDW, I doubt we spend 15 minutes getting it ready...probably far less. It saves us a fortune. We spend 70%+ less than most people. Our way is unique, I know, but it works fantastic for us.

We really enjoy eating out, especially my husband. And for me, vacation is a time to totally abstain from household chores like cooking and cleaning. I just don't want to. For us eating out is a big part of the fun of vacation. Eating things we wouldn't normally eat etc. That's great that your way works so well for you. I don't even like making and cleaning up the quick breakfast/snack foods that we do. I'd rather spend a bit more and relax more and enjoy other foods.

 

[North of Mouse]

when staying off-site? Mostly thinking table service, but also counter service?

I do NOT cook on vacation other than simple breakfast or snacks. We are doing the condo thing more to have extra space at a reasonable price. We eat out or have delivered all dinners when staying in a condo/rental house on vacation. We generally eat a sit down lunch or counter service/fast fod when we are out at Disney or other attractions. Sometimes we will have a big late lunch and then just snack for dinner or eat leftovers from the previous day.

On our last WDW trip we ate at two Disney table service restaurants. It's looking like the same this time. What do you all do? Though I'm trying to convince dh to try a third, but he's resistant.

I agree 100% on 'not' cooking on vacation. I love to cook and make most of our meals at home, but on vacation (other than camping in the mountains and cooking outdoors) I don't even want to 'think' about fixing anything.
Also, enjoying different restaurants at Disney is lots of our anticipation and enjoyment of being there. To us, vacations are a complete change of most everything we do at home on a regular basis.

We have several favorite TS and CS meals onsite - mostly resorts, but we aren't 3 meals a day people. We usually eat one large meal, then enjoy a few snacks.

(We are not off site, but rather in FW in our motor home, but again, we do not want to prepare our own meals - dh wants me to have the freedom of forgetting the kitchen - who's to say no to that?? )

 

[jo-jo]

Just about none. We pack almost all of our own food. On our last trip, which was very long, I think we bought WDW meals twice.

Just my own opinion, but I don't get the "we refuse to cook on vacation" thing. If you were talking about spending 2 hours a day slaving over a hot stove, sure, I get it. But we "cook" easy and simple things that require just about no work. Crock pot things, things we can just stick in the oven and let bake while we sit and relax, etc...we only cook once every 3-5 days and cook enough to last. Clean up is just as easy...the dishwasher. If we're packing a dinner for WDW, I doubt we spend 15 minutes getting it ready...probably far less. It saves us a fortune. We spend 70%+ less than most people. Our way is unique, I know, but it works fantastic for us.

I know you have mentioned on a few threads about packing food for the parks. I would love to hear in more detail how you do it. With your family,I would think it would be like a Marco Polo expedition.

Years ago, there was a mom here who had been in the army (I believe a quartermaster) and she had a system that would make you cry, she was so organized.

Not that I plan to start hauling food for 6, but I just find it interesting to hear of the process. It's amazing what you can learn from others and apply to your own life.

 

[piglet1979]

We always stay onsite. We eat breakfast at the resort quick service and 1 TS for dinner each day. We typically either have a QS or a snack for lunch. I don't eat breakfast much so I usually eat a QS lunch and DH always eats all 3. Kids sometimes will have a snack or QS depending on how hungry they are.

 

[Klayfish]

I know you have mentioned on a few threads about packing food for the parks. I would love to hear in more detail how you do it. With your family,I would think it would be like a Marco Polo expedition.

Years ago, there was a mom here who had been in the army (I believe a quartermaster) and she had a system that would make you cry, she was so organized.

Not that I plan to start hauling food for 6, but I just find it interesting to hear of the process. It's amazing what you can learn from others and apply to your own life.

We almost always eat breakfast at the rental house. We never rope drop, we have no interest in that. So that's easy. Cereal for the kids, or something like that. If we're really having a quiet morning, maybe we'll make them scrambled eggs...or we buy frozen pancakes, etc... DW makes egg whites, I have a protein shake.

Lunch will usually be something like pb&j for the kids, or a turkey sandwich. DW makes a salad...she buys already made salad mix and adds boneless skinless chicken. That's where the cooking every few days comes in. She'll make 5lbs of chicken at once. Super easy...just toss it in the oven for 40 minutes and done. Then we keep it in the fridge and she takes what she needs. I'll do a simple sandwich using low carb wraps. We'll pack fresh fruits, a can of Pringles for the kids.

Dinner will be almost anything. Could be Hot Pockets or nuggets for the kids. We may make boxed mac and cheese and stick in Thermoses. We may take the above mentioned chicken, cut it up and add BBQ sauce (again put it in a Thermos). There are a lot of other things we'll do, but it's a similar concept. DW will make her salad, I'll eat chicken or something similar. Pack sodas, veggies and a simple dessert (cookies) for the kids...or sometimes we'll buy dessert for them at WDW...popcorn, ice cream bar, etc...

We've done it so often, that the entire routine truly takes 10-15 minutes. DW does her things, I do mine...it's a slick process. The kids help too. We have a huge soft sided cooler bag we put everything in. We use ice packs for the cold stuff and the Thermoses keep the hot stuff hot. It's heavy when we pack dinner, but we use an umbrella stroller, so it's super easy to push around. Getting through security only takes a minute at most, it's not a big deal at all. More often than not, we'll park the stroller somewhere and just leave it. When we're ready to eat, we come back for it and eat. Then leave it again until we're ready to go home.

On our recent summer trip, I think we spent maybe $700 in food total, for all 5 of us, for a super long trip. That includes eating out a few times and buying desserts.

It's definitely not for everyone, and I totally understand why people don't want to do what we do. It's just what works for us.

 

[cey]

We also pack our own food for our theme park trips. Initially, it was a food allergy thing, but now it is just that we prefer to eat healthier than what WDW QS provides! We eat breakfast at the villa, pack a lunch, zip back to Windsor Hills for a pm break and supper and then head back to the park for fireworks etc. Over the years, we have really cut down on eating out even on non-park days as we tire from existing on restaurant food and nothing beats a simple BBQ by the pool in the evening! Sure it takes a little cooking and planning but when you are there for 6 weeks, we feel like it makes our lives a whole lot healthier and happier! Our food bills average out to what we would be spending if we were back home during that period too! Win/Win Mind you we do allow ourselves a daily treat as who can resist a dole whip or mickey bar! LOL

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We have breakfast at the condo before we head to the parks. It's sometimes cereal/oatmeal or sometimes eggs & chorizo/big breakfast. We have CS lunch at the parks and sometimes CS dinner or snacks depending on how hungry we are. If we're not staying until park close, we have dinner back at the condo (either we cook or pick something up on the way back). We don't do TS meals at the parks as we feel they take away too much park time and the food is mediocre and overpriced. We don't mind cooking while on vacation. In fact, our DD lives in Orlando and we usually host her and her friends for meals several times when we're there. Our favorite is making a large pot of seasoned rice and grilling hamburgers, chicken breasts, hot dogs, etc. at the start of the vacation so the food simply needs to be reheated.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

We stay onsite and off. Lately, it's been off since we have been renting all of our DVC points and don't have enough for our trips! We are going Christmas week for the 3rd year in a row, staying off site at Sheraton Vistana Resort...our other timeshare. We eat breakfast in the room and then plan one TS meal per day, which is our main meal. If we get hungry, we will snack or share a couple of CS meals.

 

[KristinU]

We're "high maintenance" eaters, sodium restricted but enjoy creative foods, so dining out is generally more stressful for us than planning and cooking our own meals with quality ingredients. That's one of the reasons we love staying at condo-type accommodations or in our own RV. That said, we generally plan about 2 sit down meals at WDW during a given week as something special (I spaz out about ADRs and all of that)...however, we're often disappointed in the quality of the experience on the first one then cancel the second one and stop at the grocery store to make something ourselves that we're happier with

 

[disneysteve]

We eat breakfast in our condo/house every day.
We almost never do Disney TS restaurants as we just don't think they are worth the cost or the time commitment.
Our on-property meals are all CS.
We also eat some meals offsite at places we like like Flipper's and Sweet Tomatoes. We also do take out Chinese one night usually.
We will occasionally make a meal in our place, something simple like pasta and veggies. We never do anything complicated that needs more than a handful of ingredients.

 

[arminnie]

My DH and I are retired, live about 9 hours away and have quite a few DVC points. So we’ve been going multiple times a year for several years now.

We did a few more onsite meals when the DVC 20% promotion was going on. But I’m not all that interested in Disney food. We live in New Orleans where great food is readily available at great prices.

People rave about the fried chicken at Homecomin’ which is good. But I can get much better chicken at home down the street at a gas station for a fraction of the cost. But that’s my situation. Others’ mileage may vary.

On our next trip I’d like to try Biergarten and maybe Hoop Dee Doo as i’ve never been to either. But it would be for the experience not the food.

As we always have a car and prefer to stay where we have easy access to off property we have several favorites off property.

I will maintain my DVC ownership but have been renting out my points ( thank you David’s). I can get the cheaper AP and all the benefits and stay offsite.