Due to inflation making food everywhere more expensive, the price outside the parks is actually not that much cheaper than food in the parks if you know where to look, especially after Magic Key discounts. It was like $9 for a sandwich at Earl of Sandwich and there are now many meals in the parks for only $11 or $12 before discounts. Pasta at Pizza Planet or Paradise Garden Grill, the drumbstick box at Poultry Palace, some meals at Flo's, etc. Other than much smaller price differences, improvements in Disney food quality and mobile order shifted my preference to eating in the parks so even at the end, I wasn't going to Earl of Sandwich as much as 5-10 years ago. If you're specifically looking for a sandwich, I think the sandwiches at Pym's are worth trying even if they are a bit more expensive than Earl of Sandwich was.
I also go for lunch at Denny's before returning to the parks sometimes.