Do you really save much by dining off-site?

[tsouth]

Hello!

Just beginning our trip planning and am asking about dining offsite for dinner. Usually we eat a light breakfast and lunch. We enjoy sit down dinners. How much can we expect to save by eating off property?

Thanks!

 

[mum4jenn]

We usually eat breakfast on I drive. There are several places that have all you can eat buffets (Ponderosa,etc) I think it is usually something like 4.99 a person and kids are free. (they just have to buy a drink)

 

[MinnieGi]

We usually do several off-site dinners of places close by like in the Crossroads section and save quite a bit of money. There are many chain sit-down restaurants in the area.

 

[kilarney]

I've never been a fan of eating off-site, but I have to admit that you do save money over a sit down meal in the parks. We went to a Chinese buffet that was HUGE, and it was $5.99 or thereabouts for lunch. Most sit-down lunches are in the $12-$16 range for comparison.
If you were planning on eating counter service in the park, I don't think you would save enough to make it worth the hassle.

 

[crisi]

You do, but keep in mind that time is money at Disney.

 

[pintrader]

Yes, you can expect a significant savings. It all depends on what you put more value on, your time or your money.


You have restaurants to choose from such as, UNOs, Perkins, Jungle Jim, Chevy's, Sizzler, Chik-Filet, Taco Bell, McDonalds and more. These are not ALL sit down restaurants, but they are considerably less expensive. There are lots of all you can eat places. We go of property. To us it is no differenct than getting in our car and going to DTD or a water park.

 

[Belle5]

I would never leave a WDW theme park just to eat off property because, as others have mentioned, time is money at WDW. When you consider what you are paying to be in the park and how much time you lose by exiting the park the loss can be substantial. However, if you are already off property for whatever reason (example--maybe you are on your way to the parks in the morning or you went back to hotel for nap and want to hit a restaurant for dinner before going back to the parks or you are having a day off from the parks) then you almost certainly can save money be dining off property. Because of the theming of WDW restaurants and the whole "magical atmosphere" concept-- our family would usually rather eat at a WDW counter service restaurant than an off property sit down eatery. We have been totally sucked in and brain washed, I know!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

We never considered eating off site until our trip last Nov/Dec when the park closed early, really early. We stayed in the park until closing and then drove over to I - drive to eat a late dinner. With early closeing there was no reason to eat on-site. We saved money.

 

[idontknow]

Originally posted by Disneycrazymom
We never considered eating off site until our trip last Nov/Dec when the park closed early, really early. We stayed in the park until closing and then drove over to I - drive to eat a late dinner. With early closeing there was no reason to eat on-site. We saved money.

Could you email that to Disney? (where's that "devil grinning" smilie? LOL)

We actually ate offsite in Sept. I bought the entertainment book for $10 and got my monies worth. We went to Jungle Jims. I really didn't think it was all that much less than on site, but the coupon made it much cheaper for us. We like Friendly's on I Drive. They have good food and decent prices. $4.99 to 7.99 for a full meal. Much better than onsite.

 

[MaryAnn B]

It is really hard to go and eat off-site once you are in the parks. I like to find a hotel that serves free breakfast, eat a good one then just nibble at lunch and then find a place to eat for dinner.

Now if I am staying at one of the Alll Star hotels inside, I might go back to eat in the food court. But to be truthful I am usually very tired by dinner time and eat wherever I can.

 

[Gumball]

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