Do you cook?

[spiceycat]

For those of you that do cook, if you are in a studio do you cook and what do you bring with you (i.e. crock pot, grill, hot plate, etc.)? What would be some ideas for lunches or dinners? I know a rump roast would be good then you can have sandwiches the next day! Freezer space would be quite limited though.

I use to bring one of those grills. Now I just use the microwave and toaster.

eggs, bacon, a few tv dinners for microwave, green beans, potatoes, lunch meats, fruits, cerals, milk, fruit juices.

if I want a hamburger there is always the grill outside at all the DVC resorts.

if I am driving I bring a colder with pre cooked meals in containers that can go immediately into the mircowave.

I have a colder - so the little freezer is not a problem. Besides I only stay 5 days.

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

You want to hear crazy? Every December, my friend Charlotte and I put on a big dinner party during MouseFest for our RADP friends in a 1 bedroom at OKW. We plan the menu all year and have a ball entertaining our friends. Last year, we had 30 people at the party and it grows every year. Now, is that crazy or what?

Now that's a party!! Sounds like fun. I keep trying to get friends to come down with us, but nobody goes at the same time.

 

[Quicklabs]

Yes. Absolutely. We have almost all our meals in the villa. I buy my food at the Albertson's on the way in from the airport. I've made some wonderful dinners there: Shrimp Pasta, Teriyaki Chicken. It's a full kitchen. Why not? Nice break from the parks. Don't forget the wine! LOL

 

[pbharris4]

Thanks, Pat!

 

[keys2kingdom]

Uh uh, no way no how, not happenin'. I hate to cook and WDW is my perfect excuse not to.

 

[ont/ohana]

Thanks for posting this. I wasn't sure if I wanted to cook while we were away but we are going agian in March and need to save for airfare. I had planned doing alot of breakies. We have an ADR at 1900 for breakfast (I love Mary Poppins). My DD's love eggs and toast. I wish we were driving to bring a crock pot. Oh well, We were thinking of using the BBQ at SSR for chicken or burgers one night. The bagged salade sounds great. Thanks for the ideas!!

 

[pjshaff]

The white mountain bread is to die for! It's in a big round loaf with white flour powdered on top (looks like a white mountain). It is just the most perfect bread, and if you get there in the morning it's still warm.

Yep, I was stripping the stairs. I had ripped off all the disgusting old carpet, even more disgusting padding, tons and tons of rusty nails and staples, and particle board on the landing. Right now it has two coats of varnish on the now honey colored stairs (it needs 4, I'm letting them cure), and I primed all the risers and I put up beadboard along the walls today-burned through two jigsaw blades and an entire tube of Liquid Nails doing that! I'm soooooo efficient when the kids are in school!

What type of wood did you use for the stairs? I'd love to see a picture of them.

 

[DonnaL]

maureenann

We're halfway between WilkesBarre/Scranton (right near Montage Ski Resort)
I see you're from the Pocono's .......DH works in Swiftwater...are you located anywhere near there?

theschultzfive

Tara....you said you're from South Jersey......anywhere near Absecon? My aunt lives there.....I haven't been down to see her in several years.....I'm going to try to get down there this fall sometime for a weekend visit with her.

Donna

 

[maureenann]

maureenann

We're halfway between WilkesBarre/Scranton (right near Montage Ski Resort)
I see you're from the Pocono's .......DH works in Swiftwater...are you located anywhere near there?

theschultzfive

Tara....you said you're from South Jersey......anywhere near Absecon? My aunt lives there.....I haven't been down to see her in several years.....I'm going to try to get down there this fall sometime for a weekend visit with her.

Donna

I Know exactly where you are, I'm up near Pocono Manor. Just up from Swiftwater. DH work for Pocono Mountain or Sanofi Pasteur by chance?
I'm very connected to the Scranton/WBS area. Oldest son takes the bus to Prep every day!
Maureen

 

[Disneyrsh]

.

 

[pjshaff]

That looks gorgeous!! What is the varnish that you're using? That's something that I would consider doing on our stairs, they're carpet now but the foyer and living/dining room are an american oak finish (split level home). Great job.

 

[thelobstershanty]

We have done all kinds of WDW vacations from taking our own trailer into FW with babies in tow, to every other level of WDW resorts.
If you want to cook at a WDW resort it can be accomplished no matter which resort you stay in. Just rent a refrigerator and bring along microwave meals--there are microwaves in all food courts, bring along a George Foreman and you can realistically eat all meals in your room. How I know this, is we did it during a spring break trip in college! Would we do this now...NO!, but at the time we thought it was great and definitly within our budget.
A DVC studio is even easier to cook all meals in your villa because you have your own microwave, toaster, sink, bigger refrig, cabinets etc.
Once you move up to a 1 br it is just like cooking at home--if you are so inclined to so, while on vacation.
Personally, we got our fill of cooking on vacation years ago when it was not a choice but a necessity. We have always been folks that somehow, someway make sure we get our vacations every year. It is good for the soul, not to mention the positive effects on your blood pressure!
Times change and now even though we have a 1br with a full kitchen we hardly ever cook. We do the light breakfast, snacks and drinks--that is it,
But the bottom line is--if you want to cook on a WDW vacation---yes it is very doable. Not necessarily the most stress free dining--but it can be done.
Have a great trip!

BTW, I am not in any way advocating anyone cooking in any hotel room either in or out of WDW. Just relating our experiences as wild and crazy college kids and stating what is possible in regards to WDW hotel room and cooking meals.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

We just got back from a 12 day stay and we ate 4 dinners out and the rest of our meals in. I like full breakfasts on vacation, sandwich/soup lunches and a nice dinner. We make simple to prepare meals like shake and bake pork chops, noodle packet/baked potato, bagged salads and frozen vegatable boxes, Stoffers lasagna, prepared foods from Sams like fish and chips, etc. I always use the grill at DVC and cook several dinner meats at one time. We then eat them for more than one meal. This year I grilled hambugers/hotdogs/ ribeyes and a pre-seasoned pork tenderloin. One medium bag of matchlight charcoal is enough to cook all. The smallest charcoal bag is too small and doesn't provide a long enough fire for cooking multiple items. Pack a metal spatula suitable for the grill. The ones in the room can melt on a hot grill.

I would rather eat fewer dinners out at the nicer WDW restaurants and eat the rest of the time in the room. I find many WDW restarants to be marginal in the food dapartment, but sometimes the atmosphere makes up for it. Other times, it doesn't.

At $100+/dinner, our family can't afford to eat out and still vacation as frequently as we want to.

Here are some store locations.

From the WDW Property:
Follow signs to 192 (to orlando). Proceed several miles when you see a Walgreens on the left, turn left. There is a Publix is on the right.

Follow signs to 536 you will drive past the Nick Hotel. At the intersection of 536 and 535, turn right. Proceed about a mile or so and there is a SuperWalmart on the right hand side. (If your viewing a map, this Walmart is located on 535 between 536 and 192)

Follow directions to SuperWalmart, Continue past Walmart until 535 intersects with 192. There is a second Publix at the corner of 535 and 192. If yout turn left onto 192, and drive a mile or so, there is a Sams Club and Super Target on the left.

The best thing to if you are eating in the room is to plan your shopping list and menus before you arrive at WDW. That way you will be less likely to forget the cooking oil you need to make the brownie mix you bought.
There is nothing worse than standing Duh-faced in the publix isle trying to plan a multi day menu...very frustrating.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[jodifla]

We always cook some meals in the room. That's one of the joys of DVC! We do a bag of salad one night, with some fresh corn on the cob, french bread, and steak. Pretty darn easy...not sure why people are all bent out of shape about " cooking." Eating out every night is too expensive, and filling, for us.

We also like to get wine and appetizers, and relax on the balcony.

We eat almost every breakfast in, too.

 

[Uncleromulus]

We've been going to OKW (in a one bedroom) since 1992. Most cooking we've EVER done is make coffee in the morning!!

 

[Disneyrsh]

.

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

maureenann

We're halfway between WilkesBarre/Scranton (right near Montage Ski Resort)
I see you're from the Pocono's .......DH works in Swiftwater...are you located anywhere near there?

theschultzfive

Tara....you said you're from South Jersey......anywhere near Absecon? My aunt lives there.....I haven't been down to see her in several years.....I'm going to try to get down there this fall sometime for a weekend visit with her.

Donna

No Absecon is Atlantic County and I'm in Burlington County. They probably consider where I like to be central NJ but we don't. I haven't ever been to Absecon, but I've been to Atlantic City in Atlantic County. It takes us about 45 min to get there.

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

We just got back from a 12 day stay and we ate 4 dinners out and the rest of our meals in. I like full breakfasts on vacation, sandwich/soup lunches and a nice dinner. We make simple to prepare meals like shake and bake pork chops, noodle packet/baked potato, bagged salads and frozen vegatable boxes, Stoffers lasagna, prepared foods from Sams like fish and chips, etc. I always use the grill at DVC and cook several dinner meats at one time. We then eat them for more than one meal. This year I grilled hambugers/hotdogs/ ribeyes and a pre-seasoned pork tenderloin. One medium bag of matchlight charcoal is enough to cook all. The smallest charcoal bag is too small and doesn't provide a long enough fire for cooking multiple items. Pack a metal spatula suitable for the grill. The ones in the room can melt on a hot grill.

I would rather eat fewer dinners out at the nicer WDW restaurants and eat the rest of the time in the room. I find many WDW restarants to be marginal in the food dapartment, but sometimes the atmosphere makes up for it. Other times, it doesn't.

At $100+/dinner, our family can't afford to eat out and still vacation as frequently as we want to.

Here are some store locations.

From the WDW Property:
Follow signs to 192 (to orlando). Proceed several miles when you see a Walgreens on the left, turn left. There is a Publix is on the right.

Follow signs to 536 you will drive past the Nick Hotel. At the intersection of 536 and 535, turn right. Proceed about a mile or so and there is a SuperWalmart on the right hand side. (If your viewing a map, this Walmart is located on 535 between 536 and 192)

Follow directions to SuperWalmart, Continue past Walmart until 535 intersects with 192. There is a second Publix at the corner of 535 and 192. If yout turn left onto 192, and drive a mile or so, there is a Sams Club and Super Target on the left.

The best thing to if you are eating in the room is to plan your shopping list and menus before you arrive at WDW. That way you will be less likely to forget the cooking oil you need to make the brownie mix you bought.
There is nothing worse than standing Duh-faced in the publix isle trying to plan a multi day menu...very frustrating.

Enjoy your trip.

Oh cool, I didn't know there was a Sam's & Super Walmart nearby. I'm going to have to set a day aside for shopping. I'm kind of obsessed with Super Walmart b/c we don't have those either. Thanks

 

[spiceycat]

Oh cool, I didn't know there was a Sam's & Super Walmart nearby. I'm going to have to set a day aside for shopping. I'm kind of obsessed with Super Walmart b/c we don't have those either. Thanks

Orlando has more than their fair share of Walmart.

there is also one on US 27 right before you turn into US 192.

so you have 4 in less than 10 miles. be prepared to walk if you visit any of them.

there is a winnie-dixie closer - but I am with Johnnie Fedora - I like Publix much better.

from SSR turn right - go to where the road ends - turn right - at the first real traffic light (not fire station) turn left - you are now on Hotel Plaza - at the end of this road - turn right - get in the far left lane - go under I4 - turn left at the traffic light - at the end of this road (where it meets ID - 536) is a slightly newer Publix. (also premium outlets is on this road - so is Dolly partain's dinner show.

for winnie dixie - SSR turn right - turn right again - at traffic light turn left - at the end of this road turn left - Winnie dixie is around 2 miles (might be less) on the left hand side (in a shopping mall that is along this street) Apopka-Vineland Rd - (535)

 

[bzzelady]

Another person here who actually uses the kitchen. Breakfast is popular with my family and it's anywhere from the cereal and toast to mickey pancakes. I keep sandwich fixings for a few sandwiches during the week. I occasionally make evening meals such as pasta, chicken salads with one of those rotesserie chickens from the grocery store, and I grill some chicken and burgers ahead for quick meals.

We eat out about 2-3 table service meals and about that many quick service meal while we in the world. I tend to cook more if we are down for a winter vacation than I do if we are there in the summer.

Another tradition we have is making fudge brownies for snacking during the week-the smell usually drives all of our neighbors crazy!
I did this twice when we were at VWL in the beginning of June

I ship my dry goods down via UPS or Fedex and pick up the cold stuff on the way in. I'm flying for the first time in December since joining DVC and I haven't decided yet about renting a car so I might try out Garden Grocer for the items I can't ship to myself.