Cutting food costs at Disney

[crusoe2]

We are trying to scale back on how much we spend on food in the parks cause the prices have just gotten to be a bit much for us. We've already decided to skip the table service restaurants and that will be a huge cut in costs right there. (We had planned to do the Fantasmic dinner package until we realized it would cost us about $350 for that one meal. Sorry, just not worth it.)

We've taken in a backpack cooler with snacks on previous trips and I'm thinking this time I may try packing one meal to take in with us and then eat our second meal in a quick service restaurant. So I'm looking for ideas on food to take in for our picnic meal and suggestions on how you pack it to keep stuff from spoiling. We won't have a stroller with us so we'll most likely put the picnic meal in a locker until we're ready for it.

I should also add that we're staying offsite and will have a full kitchen. We're planning to relax at our townhouse on our first day after arrival and I plan to cook a big enough meal that day that we will have leftovers for the rest of the week.

 

[redgokart]

cold subs are always awesome on the go. zip lock bags keep it air tight and a few frozen bottles of water should work for refrigeration and hydration when its time to eat.

 

[TheDisneyDoll]

My best tip for saving on food is never pay for breakfast at disney (except maybe once or twice). I see you're staying off site, cutting out one meal in the parks saves a lot in itself.
Scope out the quick service meals online, some are big enough to share. At quick service locations order off the kids menu especially depending on your appetite, the kids meals include a drink so if you or your kids want a soda thats an easy way to get out of paying the $3 for a cup.
Water is free at every quick service location.

When it comes to snacks go into the bakery shops and DON'T go to the counter with the fresh treats. Disney has proportioned snacks that are exactly the same and you can get enough for your whole family for a little above the cost of the ones in the chill boxes. My favorite are the rice krispy treats. For $3-5 you can get the fancy character decorated ones, or for $8 you can get a bag of 8 rice treat balls. They won't have icing or cute shapes but they're DELICIOUS and also fresh.
Look for a list of free offerings, you can walk up to any of the flavored pop corn stands and ask for a free sample before you commit to buying a bucket full it's also a great way for a free quick snack.

The best tip though, don't save too much. Saving money on your trip can be easy, but you don't want to cut corners on your vacation.

Definitely try and have a picnic lunch in the hub grass though It's beautiful and you'll make a lot of good memories there.

If you change your mind about table service try a lunch, they are worth it. Lunch menu's are usually similar to dinner menu's but they tend to run a little cheaper at some locations.

 

[PaintsWindColors]

Picnic meal ideas: crackers, dried fruit, nuts/trail mix, pb&j sandwiches, juice boxes, water bottles. If you have ice packs then consider meat and cheese sandwiches, tuna salad, string cheese.

Remember you can always grab a free soda at Club Cool in Epcot and fresh fruit is a good snack you can pick up in the parks. Good luck!

 

[hsmamato2]

Back in the day..... when we packed in our lunches.... I used to like pb&j for ease of carrying, and also something that doesn't spoil easily,like hard salami and provolone sandwiches or even just rolled up and eaten... you can get free ice water at cs places, and frequently we'd bring our food,drink ice water, and maybe buy the kids a side of fries to make it 'special' for them (they were little, it worked!) and we'd grab a fun dessert as we wandered,like a mickey bar or split a huge cupcake..... nowadays I like to have my snacks with me all the time so I carry almonds and possibly some simple dried fruits.... I would think if you have a cooler type backpack you could add squeeze yogurts, little pb crackers,etc if your kids like them....

 

[kymom99]

Can you tell us the ages and number in your family?

 

[crusoe2]

Can you tell us the ages and number in your family?

Sure. There will be either 4 or 5 of us going - DH and I, DD and her BFF, and possibly DS (he isn't sure yet if he will be joining us or not). We are all "Disney adults" - DS is 24 and DD and her BFF are both 13. I might break down and do one character meal while we're there because DD has never taken a friend before and I think even at their age it would be fun for them and make a really special memory. DD loves Stitch and the breakfast at O'hana is a family favorite. So I'm trying to build up enough points on my Disney Visa to pretty much cover the cost of that one meal.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions so far. Keep 'em coming.

 

[bababear_50]

Hi
I collect Starbucks gift cards throughout the year and use them to buy ,smoothies,coffee, tea, sandwiches, fresh fruit, bistro boxes and treats.
This year everyone back at home got a small Epcot starbucks mug (cappuccino) as a souvenir. I'm using mine as a pencil/pen holder on my desk at work.
Have fun planning
Hugs Mel

P.S
Frozen juice boxes or water bottles wrapped in a plastic bag is how we keep our stuff cold.
Collapsible cooler bag.
Fresh fruit, cheeses, cracker sleeves, pita bread, tuna, sliced meat.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We like to order the kids salmon meal at Sunshine Seasons in Epcot. It's just slightly smaller (portion-wise) than an adult meal and includes a drink. We get two sides (mashed potatoes and green beans) instead of dessert (grapes or a chocolate chip cookie) and it's a very satisfying meal for $5.99.

 

[kymom99]

When we have gone, I always tried to have a plan in order to save money. however, my H usually blew that. He just wanted to eat when he was ready to eat. If you pack in some food that will take care of some of that, but don't be surprised if your family gets hungry for something and doesn't want to backtrack to the lockers. I have never tried packing in whole meals so I don't know this for sure.
The way I look at it is, I try to cut back before the trip so that we don't worry so much while on vacation, wherever that may be. If you have a condo, eat a good breakfast beforehand. I'm sure you will do that. Maybe have something on hand to make a couple nights for a late dinner and try to get by with one meal in the parks.
If the friend offers to send money, tell her parents to have her bring money for some food. That way she will feel free to get something when she wants it. That should make her feel more comfortable, so she doesn't have to wait for you to offer it. You could give your daughter some spending money as well so they can enjoy a snack together. Bring in your food and let them know it is there if they want it. It is harder when kids are older to control what and when they eat.

As someone suggested, frozen water bottles in an insulated bag allow you to bring in just about anything. I also second the idea of getting kids meals in some places. At CBR, the kids pasta meal was more than enough for me, for example.

 

[disny_luvr]

Our biggest money saving tip is to eat breakfast in our room. We also carry in a lot of our own snacks. We still snack but it cuts down on the cost.

 

[crusoe2]

When we have gone, I always tried to have a plan in order to save money. however, my H usually blew that. He just wanted to eat when he was ready to eat. If you pack in some food that will take care of some of that, but don't be surprised if your family gets hungry for something and doesn't want to backtrack to the lockers. I have never tried packing in whole meals so I don't know this for sure.
The way I look at it is, I try to cut back before the trip so that we don't worry so much while on vacation, wherever that may be. If you have a condo, eat a good breakfast beforehand. I'm sure you will do that. Maybe have something on hand to make a couple nights for a late dinner and try to get by with one meal in the parks.
If the friend offers to send money, tell her parents to have her bring money for some food. That way she will feel free to get something when she wants it. That should make her feel more comfortable, so she doesn't have to wait for you to offer it. You could give your daughter some spending money as well so they can enjoy a snack together. Bring in your food and let them know it is there if they want it. It is harder when kids are older to control what and when they eat.

As someone suggested, frozen water bottles in an insulated bag allow you to bring in just about anything. I also second the idea of getting kids meals in some places. At CBR, the kids pasta meal was more than enough for me, for example.

My DH tends to be the same way - he wants to be able to eat whenever and wherever he feels like it. LOL I'm hoping to keep him on a tighter budget this time tho. One thing I'm doing differently this trip that I think will help is cooking a BIG meal on our first day - enough to have leftovers to munch on for days. We usually drive down on Saturday, make a late night grocery run, and then hit the parks on Sunday. But we're almost always still tired that first day - from the drive and from being up late. So we're thinking that waiting until Monday to hit the parks might work better for us. And that means I can do my grocery shopping on Sunday morning and cook a big meal that afternoon. We also have some days that we won't go into the parks until later. So having leftovers in the fridge means that everyone can make themselves some lunch before we go. And we'll have stuff to make a late dinner with if anyone is still hungry when we get back from the parks at night. So I'm hoping that will cut down on how much eating out we do. And without making me feel like I've spent the whole week in the kitchen. But I know we will still do some meals in the parks cause that's where we'll be at meal time. And I don't want to drag the whole group out of the parks everytime they're ready to eat - takes up too much park time.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

My DH tends to be the same way - he wants to be able to eat whenever and wherever he feels like it. LOL I'm hoping to keep him on a tighter budget this time tho. One thing I'm doing differently this trip that I think will help is cooking a BIG meal on our first day - enough to have leftovers to munch on for days. We usually drive down on Saturday, make a late night grocery run, and then hit the parks on Sunday. But we're almost always still tired that first day - from the drive and from being up late. So we're thinking that waiting until Monday to hit the parks might work better for us. And that means I can do my grocery shopping on Sunday morning and cook a big meal that afternoon. We also have some days that we won't go into the parks until later. So having leftovers in the fridge means that everyone can make themselves some lunch before we go. And we'll have stuff to make a late dinner with if anyone is still hungry when we get back from the parks at night. So I'm hoping that will cut down on how much eating out we do. And without making me feel like I've spent the whole week in the kitchen. But I know we will still do some meals in the parks cause that's where we'll be at meal time. And I don't want to drag the whole group out of the parks everytime they're ready to eat - takes up too much park time.

Not sure if there is a grill available at the place where you're staying, but we like to grill up a lot of stuff our first whole day so we can eat then and use it throughout the week. We grill pork chops, chicken breasts, hot dogs and steaks and make various meals with them throughout the week. We also cook a large pot of Mexican rice at the beginning of the week and have salad fixings on hand as well as steam in bag vegetables so that getting a meal on the table when we get back from the parks in the evenings takes minimal effort.

 

[Goofy G]

I would focus on eating a HUGE breakfast and a substantial CS late lunch. That would leave room for snacks throughout the day. Also have to think about how you will cart that food around granola bars and fruit are easy to carry around. Might also ask the kids to pick their own snacks and carry their own.

We traveled with our niece last year (she was 20) and we told her when we were planning the trip that we would have breakfast in the room, and one TS meal in the park. If she wanted to eat something outside of these limits she would have to buy or carry around her own food. Worked great! She bought about a snack or two each day or ate something she brought from the room. We also ended up sharing things like popcorn - the best group snack in the parks!

We did splurge for water a couple of times a day - I can't stand the FL swamp water.

 

[Southernmiss]

When we go we stay in Cabins at Fort Wilderness. We eat breakfast before heading out, put something in the crock pot and come back mid day and eat our big meal midday. Rest and go back out to the parks for the evening. If we get hungry, snacks or quick service in the parks works for us.

We are a family of 6. Kids are 14, 17,18 and 21. Food is a big deal!

I spent yesterday planning our meals for our trip in May with everyone's input. I'll organize food and the crock pot the week we go. Make a trip to Wal-Mart for fresh items before check in and we'll be good to go for the week.

 

[NKHarris329]

We had protein bars for breakfast, brought our own trail mix and fruit snacks, drank water (or flavored water) rather than coke, and split meals. You can order the sandwich ONLY at counter service places, and that worked well for us most of the time (and the fries from one meal was enough for our family of 2 adults a 5yo and a 2yo if you want them).

 

[scrapquitler]

We are trying to scale back on how much we spend on food in the parks cause the prices have just gotten to be a bit much for us. We've already decided to skip the table service restaurants and that will be a huge cut in costs right there. (We had planned to do the Fantasmic dinner package until we realized it would cost us about $350 for that one meal. Sorry, just not worth it.)

We've taken in a backpack cooler with snacks on previous trips and I'm thinking this time I may try packing one meal to take in with us and then eat our second meal in a quick service restaurant. So I'm looking for ideas on food to take in for our picnic meal and suggestions on how you pack it to keep stuff from spoiling. We won't have a stroller with us so we'll most likely put the picnic meal in a locker until we're ready for it.

I should also add that we're staying offsite and will have a full kitchen. We're planning to relax at our townhouse on our first day after arrival and I plan to cook a big enough meal that day that we will have leftovers for the rest of the week.

We drink water in cups, free from quick service locations. We eat breakfast in our room (Fruit, granola bars). We skip the table service completely. We share snacks (we eat 3-4 snacks a day total between the three of us, but we share them, so we might by a mickey bar at 10am, and each eat a few bites, then later in the day we might buy a popcorn and share, etc.). When we eat counter service, we each order what we want, but we don't buy drinks, and we don't buy deserts. Sometimes I order a kids meal at quick service (I love the salmon meal at Sunshine Seasons that someone else mentioned), my 13 year old son sometimes orders a kids meal, sometimes an adult one. Sometimes we'll order two QS meals for the three of us. And sometimes one of us will just buy a side or a sandwich and not get the 'combo meal'. That said...none of us ever feels like we are going hungry when we do this. In the heat of Orlando and with all the walking around, we tend to eat less because we are less hungry, and there's no sitting around watching tv and eating mindlessly.

 

[potterfanatic]

We brought a carry on full of breakfast foods and then ate those in the room before we left, then that suitcase we used to take back anything we purchased in the parks. Also, my kids only wanted American good in Epcot. I found out meal at the qs resteraunt there cost less than any of the other qs meals that we had elsewhere.

 

[dromio42]

we bring foil packets of tuna and little mayo packets and crackers then we don't have to worry about ice packs. you can get a paper bowl or bring a tupperware.

 

[aquabone1109]

Just to let you know, make sure you do not bring in a very large cooler or one on wheels. I have seem CM's telling guests that they cannot bring in their large coolers. Also, please do not use the counter service tables for your picnic meals. We had a problem last time in Animal Kingdom where a large family was taking up 2 tables with their picnic meals. There were no other tables available.