Do you cook?

[dzorn]

While staying at WDW DVC we have not "cooked" much yet - just the basics for the kids if they are hungry & reheating leftovers for the adults. But we do eat breakfast at the condo 5 of 7 days. GardenGrocer.com was a great service our last trip & I plan to use them again in Nov. We are staying a little longer this trip, so I am planning to really look at cooking a couple of nights for dinner - maybe a lasagna (love leftovers) and grilling one night - if there are grills at Kidani?

Other vacations we generally do cook alot, not sure why I don't as much at Disney Oh Well!. Maybe I just want more of a vacation from reality!.

Yes but they are charcoal. The are buy the sports courts. Not a very convient location. I wish they were closer to the pool.

Denise in MI

 

[OKW Lover]

Our cooking is typically limited to breakfast (and that's usually just toast or bagels), an occasional lunch sandwich and, on longer trips with the extended family a nice dinner - usually Italian.

 

[Kelblum]

We usually eat breakfast in our room (except the days we do Kona and get our Tonga Toast!), the rest of the time we do eat at the parks or Downtown Disney. Part of the experience for us is all of the great restaurants!

 

[Castillo Mom]

We're fairly new DVC members, have only stayed on points once with a trip coming up in September. I love to cook at home but not so much on vacation mostly because we're always on the go and I like to take my time in the kitchen. The most I might cook next trip is bacon and eggs.

 

[TisBit]

For dinner, we reheat/assemble more than cook; we'll typically do this once, or maybe twice, in a week-long stay. Here are a few easy meals we've done over the years:

* A pre-made roast chicken, plus a bag of frozen veggies and a loaf of frozen garlic bread (you have to acquire this same-day).
* Frozen pizza (or lasagna if you have time) plus a bagged salad.
* Giordano's delivery (cheaper than Disney!)
* Tacos or fajitas (the most "cooking" I usually ever do).

We do always have breakfast in.

When we cook (longer stays in a 1 bedroom or higher room, we will plan on either...simple and quick like the tacos/pizzas, etc. Or on occassion we will do something large and will pay off later. One trip we did a whole ham for dinner, then were able to use it for sandwiches, etc for the rest of the trip. We often take a lunch to the parks with us and alternate eating dinners out and dinners in.

 

[DeerIsleDisney]

We've done two DVC villa trips so far and I plan to cook more on our next ones. These were our first Disney trips and I had the idea that we should try lots of Disney dining experiences and also not have the hassle of cooking meals while on vacation. Looking back, however, we loved the meals we ate in the villa and there were several nights that it would have been so much easier to make something simple in the room than race back out to an ADR. (Our trips included me, DH, kids ages 3, 10, and 12, and my parents) - DD 3 was often just getting down for a late nap right when it was time to leave for dinner).

Here's what we've done to date:
Breakfasts in the villa every day. I have cereal and english muffins on hand, but most days we had eggs, bacon, and grits. On our last trip I made a huge batch of cinnamon rolls (using easy no-knead challah dough from Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day) and these were great for mornings we wanted to simply grab a quick bite and head to the parks. We also made a couple batches of chocolate chip cookies and these were nice to have on hand for snacks. I had makings for grilled cheese, PB&J, and hummus sandwiches and we did eat a couple of lunches in the room and one grilled cheese supper on our last night to use up the end of our groceries.

Our next trip will be 8 days in January... I'm going to try to plan out well in advance at least a few dinners to make in the villa that will be easy to put together, but still tasty. I think the challenge is not ending up with a ton of leftovers, or uncooked ingredients at the end of the stay.

We do have an Owner's Locker and we stocked it with a nice set of cooking knives. I hate cooking with mediocre knives. That said, I was really impressed with how well the kitchens are equipped. I'll add dry measure cups to our OL next time as I love to bake, but I can't think of anything else that I couldn't live without.

 

[OurDogCisco]

We've done two DVC villa trips so far and I plan to cook more on our next ones. These were our first Disney trips and I had the idea that we should try lots of Disney dining experiences and also not have the hassle of cooking meals while on vacation. Looking back, however, we loved the meals we ate in the villa and there were several nights that it would have been so much easier to make something simple in the room than race back out to an ADR. (Our trips included me, DH, kids ages 3, 10, and 12, and my parents) - DD 3 was often just getting down for a late nap right when it was time to leave for dinner).

Here's what we've done to date:
Breakfasts in the villa every day. I have cereal and english muffins on hand, but most days we had eggs, bacon, and grits. On our last trip I made a huge batch of cinnamon rolls (using easy no-knead challah dough from Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day) and these were great for mornings we wanted to simply grab a quick bite and head to the parks. We also made a couple batches of chocolate chip cookies and these were nice to have on hand for snacks. I had makings for grilled cheese, PB&J, and hummus sandwiches and we did eat a couple of lunches in the room and one grilled cheese supper on our last night to use up the end of our groceries.

Our next trip will be 8 days in January... I'm going to try to plan out well in advance at least a few dinners to make in the villa that will be easy to put together, but still tasty. I think the challenge is not ending up with a ton of leftovers, or uncooked ingredients at the end of the stay.

We do have an Owner's Locker and we stocked it with a nice set of cooking knives. I hate cooking with mediocre knives. That said, I was really impressed with how well the kitchens are equipped. I'll add dry measure cups to our OL next time as I love to bake, but I can't think of anything else that I couldn't live without.

Yum! Your cinnamon rolls sound yummy... I've never heard of them. I agree with you that there is no point in eating in if the food isn't tasty. I love your philosophy. I get a lot of ideas from Rachel Ray. I love her foods. Have fun on your next trip.

 

[staceymay00]

Yes, a little. I get tired of restaurant food all the time when we are on vacation, especially at WDW where it is overpriced and often not all the great. We almost always eat breakfast in the room - easy stuff like cereal and bagels. I would rather sleep later than make time for a CS or TS meal if we are hitting a park at RD. A full kitchen is wonderful for storing and refrigerating snacks and breakfast food. We usually order pizza/salad one night, which is much less than a WDW TS meal and we end up with leftovers for lunch or a snack the next day. On our last trip of 8 nights I only cooked once. I made a pot of chili - very easy - and we had it for dinner one night and leftovers the next day.

 

[gstew24]

i usually eat breakfast in and sometimes lunch

 

[franandaj]

We have cooked one or more times on every DVC trip and that was the point in buying in so that we could stay in one bedroom units. I have a partner who is disabled and sometimes getting out of the room is half the battle! At home I often cook very elaborate meals, but not in the villas. Our last trip to WDW was for the Destination D event and I knew we didn't want to be depending on servers and chefs for quick meals. On the days we weren't in the convention we had a TS meal, but on the convention days it was all from the villa. Friday night once we got checked in and settled my DP was so tired she took a long nap. For the next three hours, I unpacked, unloaded the OL, put away the groceries, and prepped our meals for the next two days. I planned everything out carefully, plus I bring a spice kit with the things I use most in the kitchen.

I chopped

• Onion
• Green pepper
• Zucchini
• Mushrooms
• Cheddar cheese chunks

I baked my chicken pieces in the oven (in a garlic powder and balsamic vinegar marinade, and while that cooked, I prepared a meatloaf using some of the peppers, onion and cheddar cheese. Also adding a can of V8 from the six pack I'd ordered. I made spaghetti sauce using the rest of the beef I didn't use in the meatloaf, some mushrooms, onions, green pepper and spices, plus a jar that I ordered from garden grocer. Lastly I made a boxed stuffing with the rest of the mushrooms and onion plus zucchini and served that with a jarred gravy and the balsamic chicken the first night.

On Saturday when I came back to the villa to make chicken salad sandwiches, I put the meatloaf in the oven set on delay bake, so when we retuned that evening, the room smelled like homemade dinner. Just add instant potatoes and green beans and we were eating in less than 15 minutes. On Sunday, I had the water in the pot on the stove and the spaghetti sauce was still in the pot I had originally cooked it in Fri eve so again quick stovetop reheat plus more green beans and another quick meal!


We did simple breakfasts, cereal, yogurt & V8. For lunches we used the leftover chicken and meatloaf to make sandwiches. On our last full day I made French toast, bacon and eggs for breakfast.

On trips that are more park based and longer, I'm not quite as much of a kitchen commando, but we still like a dinner or two in the room. For those we usually like the balsamic chicken, tacos, kielbasa & sauerkraut, meatloaf, spaghetti and some of the frozen skillet bag meals. Most days we have a cold breakfast running out to the parks, however I do like to spend one or two mornings enjoying a hot breakfast in our villa.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW usually makes a one pot meal:
Stew
Soup
Lasagna
As we useally stay in studios, these work out great for heating in the micro-wave. We sometimes will eat breakfast out and then depending on what we are doing that day either lunch or dinner in the room every day.

 

[mom3sonstt]

Sure - I cook......coffee and toast!

Our family trips are the 2 of us and a combination of 2 - 4 boys in their late teens to early 20s. They are very rarely in the room. We will stock the kitchen with soda, milk & juice, some fruit, chips, donuts, snack bars, bread, butter, peanut butter, jelly, ham and cheese. I make a pot of coffee in the morning - they can grab whatever they want to go with it.

We try to get together at least once, usually twice for a table service meal together. This year we only have one booked so far. Other than that they go do their thing and we do ours. My husband and I typically only eat one meal in the parks a day - not to say that we eat another in the room or offsite - but the portions are so filling, and the weather is so hot (we've been going in August) that we just dont usually feel the need for more. We may supplement that meal with a box of popcorn, or an ice cream.

But I think in the almost 15 years we have been DVC members the only thing, besides toast, I have cooked in the rooms is a frozen pizza. I dont enjoy cooking at home, so the last thing I would want to do on vacation is cook.

 

[Judique]

We are going for 8 nights next May and we are thinking we may want to cook 1 or 2 dinners in our 1 br. Last year we went for 9 nights on DDxP and we got so sick of eating out that we thought we might want to try to eat in our room. But this time we are not doing any dining plans opting instead for TIW and I'm thinking this will help us not feel so sick of eating out. I can't decide if we should do 1 or 2 nights in. I know we will be doing breakfast in a couple of mornings but lunch will always be in a park. Do you ever cook dinner? And, what do you make?

We do a combo of cooking and eating out.

I always like to have good coffee early before we leave the room. So we've gotten into the habit of keeping foods in the room for breakfasts and snacks and lunches.

 

[SamSam]

We have cooked one or more times on every DVC trip and that was the point in buying in so that we could stay in one bedroom units. I have a partner who is disabled and sometimes getting out of the room is half the battle! At home I often cook very elaborate meals, but not in the villas. Our last trip to WDW was for the Destination D event and I knew we didn't want to be depending on servers and chefs for quick meals. On the days we weren't in the convention we had a TS meal, but on the convention days it was all from the villa. Friday night once we got checked in and settled my DP was so tired she took a long nap. For the next three hours, I unpacked, unloaded the OL, put away the groceries, and prepped our meals for the next two days. I planned everything out carefully, plus I bring a spice kit with the things I use most in the kitchen.
QUOTE]

All I can say is 'Wow', I'm impressed.
Dh and I usually have breakfast in the room, toast and coffee, and usually another light meal of sandwiches and fruit. We eat out at signature dining for one meal a day...our great pleasure.

 

[franandaj]

All I can say is 'Wow', I'm impressed.
Dh and I usually have breakfast in the room, toast and coffee, and usually another light meal of sandwiches and fruit. We eat out at signature dining for one meal a day...our great pleasure.

We usually enjoy the signatures as well, but with severe RA there are times the pain pills either don't kick in soon enough or at all. Before DVC we often starved on the room trying to get to breakfast or bailed on dinner reservations to grab something sub standard from a CS because she was too tired and crankier than an over stimulated five year old.

By strategically planning dinners in I know there will be some naptime on the longer days which is important. I'm used to this at home so planning for it on vacation is not a big deal. Besides it gives me time to enjoy the villa and work on TRs!

 

[SamSam]

Ah, yes..severe Ra, my heart goes out to you. A couple of close friends suffer from it, so I'm aware of the 'limitations' that can go along with it.
I really admire how well you are planning/dealing with it.

 

[jodifla]

Yes!

Pretty much every breakfast is in the room: From Steak and eggs with grits and pancakes to just toast or bagels with cream cheese and lox.

We get cheese and some sandwich meat for a couple of lunches.

We normally have a couple of dinners in the room if we are staying a week. These time, we did some sauteed fresh fish with fresh vegetables. In my OL, I have the fixins for spagetthi, a green bean vinaigrette, and Jambalaya.

For snacks, we get chips and dips, and a big tray of cut up veggies that we can also use for the omelets or sauteed with dinner.

 

[ogguls22]

We always cook - especially pasta. We shop at the local Publix grocery store and have some great home cooked meals, as well as some dinners out.

 

[erikawolf2004]

Yes!

For snacks a big tray of cut up veggies that we can also use for the omelets or sauteed with dinner.

This is a great idea, I will have to remember this one!

 

[goofystitchfan]

We always have breakfast items and snacks. The times where we were not cruising I have packed and taken with us meats. I freeze them then pack in our checked suitcases in one of those freezer bags (the ones that are silver that you can purchase in the grocery store). Have taken pork roast, chicken, roast beef, bacon and sausage. Traveling in from Boston, believe it or not, they are still frozen when they are delivered to our room from the ME. We also pick up staples such as eggs, milk, luncheon meat at the market in SSR. Planning to get an OL when we come in September and fill with staples that do not need refrigeration for our next trip. Will be traveling on JetBlue so 1 free bag checked per person. Since we don't always have a trip to the parks, especially since we have been doing the Disney Cruise the past few years, it is nice to eat in. DH takes the kids to the pool for a couple hours and I fix dinner in the nice quiet with a beverage on the balcony. Love hearing about what everybody else does and have definitely gotten some ideas