Easy Meal Ideas

[MinnieTeacher]

Hi everyone!! We are going to be staying offsite for the first time in June at Bonnet Creek!! We are sooooo excited!! I would like to take advantage of the kitchen to save some $ on meals since Disney dining is so expensive. We plan on coming back to the condo each day for lunch and then back to the parks in the evening. We most likely will eat in the parks for dinner. I'm thinking about ordering from Garden Grocer and trying to plan a menu for the week. Can you all give me some quick, family favorites that you prepare on vacation without spending hours in the kitchen? Thanks to all that share!!

 

[Heluvsme]

Sandwiches and salad are quick and cold!

Chicken salad.

Semi homemade pizza... buy a Boboli type crust then add your own toppings, or better yet, pizza delivery!

Tacos are always quick and easy!

Are you open to taking a crock pot? Assemble the ingredients before you leave for the parks then when you return.... voila! Dinner!

Spaghetti can be fast and inexpensive!

Hope this helps!

 

[momto2js]

We are also crock pot users on vacation, I have done chili, meat for tacos, BBQ pork for sandwiches in the crock pot while we were out touring.

 

[Upatnoon]

Hi everyone!! We are going to be staying offsite for the first time in June at Bonnet Creek!! We are sooooo excited!! I would like to take advantage of the kitchen to save some $ on meals since Disney dining is so expensive. We plan on coming back to the condo each day for lunch and then back to the parks in the evening. We most likely will eat in the parks for dinner. I'm thinking about ordering from Garden Grocer and trying to plan a menu for the week. Can you all give me some quick, family favorites that you prepare on vacation without spending hours in the kitchen? Thanks to all that share!!

We usually do breakfast in our room, lunch at the parks, and dinner in the room. Dinners are much more expensive than lunch and some days you will want to just relax in the afternoon and not hike back to the parks.

Pizza, Taquitos, burritos, lasagna are all favorites. Appetizer-style items you just heat up in the stove make for little cleanup. We always get ice cream sandwiches, which are a great pick-me-up after coming in from the heat!

One word of caution: The first couple of times we brought too much food, so I would be conservative on how many meals you will eat in.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

We are doing the same thing...staying at Bonnet Creek and taking advantage of having a full kitchen. It will be me, DH and our 6 year old and one year old. I planned some meals that are pretty easy. Some meals I am having wegoshop pick up at Sams Club. I am hoping that I didn't order too much food. This is what I have planned: ( I think I removed a few items..but this gives you an idea)

Breakfast options:

French Toast Sticks
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Bagels w/ Cream Cheese
Cereal
Toast w/ Cinnamon Butter
Chobani Greek Yogurt

Lunch options/Afternoon Snacks:

Ham/Turkey Sub Sandwiches
PB&J sandwiches
Lunchables
Pringle Chips
Grapes/Apples
Veggies
Trail Mix
Rice Krispies
Portable gogurts
Bottled Water
Juicebox

Dinners:

Hamburgers/Hotdogs
Curly Fries
Potato Salad
Potato Skins

Artisan Fresh Grilled Chicken and Four Cheese Ravioli
Alfredo Sauce
Steamed Veggies
Salad
Garlic Bread

Tacos
Shells/Tortilla Chips
Spanish Rice

Digiorno Pizza Party Pack
2 Medium Pepp Pizzas
Breadsticks
Cookies


Stouffers Lasagna
Garlic Bread
Salad

Pilgrim's Honey Dipped Chicken Tenders
Curly Fries
Stouffers Macaroni and Cheese

 

[HeyMickeyUSoFine]

I agree..salads, sandwiches, tacos, and spagetti or very quick fixes. I'll add waffles, pop tarts, sloppy joes, hamburger helper,and hot or lean pockets. We also pick up Subway gift cards prior to vacation. $5 footlongs go a long way on vacation.

 

[jlevis]

We stay offsite. We drive down and bring a crockpot with us. We eat breakfast in our villa and do CS in the parks for lunch. Dinner back at the villa. We have BBQ grills at our resort so steaks, chicken, brats, hamburgers or hot dogs are options. Salads, beans, baked potatos or various vegtables for sides. We do things like spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, round steak with rich gravy and more in the slow cooker. The options are endless. We kind of make up our meal plans as we shop at Publix. The idea is to make it fast, easy and quick clean-up.

 

[Lisa0620]

I've discovered that even though I like to cook "in real life" I can't stand cooking at Disney, so each time our meals have gotten simpler! Sandwich fixings if you're doing lunch food and individual sized sides like chips, carrots & bagged apples or grapes. Lloyd's barbeque, cut up fruit, take the more expensive shortcuts that you might not do at home. The less prep the better and makes it feel "restauranty" which I like. (Can also bring swizzle sticks for the sandwiches & umbrellas and straws for the kids' drinks which makes it fun w/o a lot of effort.) For dinners: spaghetti with bagged caesar salad or marinated meat on grill (have to do this early, they're popular) or grill pan (have to take from home), steam-in-a-bag veggies and baked potatoes in the crock-pot (take from home.) Make clean up as easy as possible on yourself; I line everything with aluminum foil or crock-pot liners, things I would never do/purchase at home. I agree with PP that we bought almost twice as much food as we needed the first time. Our Easter trip I figured out the amount of meals I thought we would need, subtracted two and planned for those, worked out great. Good luck!

 

[isla bonita]

If you are driving things can be done ahead of time.

Purchase meats and mainate them.
Freeze them in ziplock bags and take them withyou.

I agree Lloyds ribs a bit more but no fuss.

When down purchase bagged salads, fresh fruit and some veggies. Put veggies in tin foil and put on grill if available and there is no clean up.
All can be tossed.

If any one stays in a villa ask ahead so the crock pot can stay home and there if there is one already in the home.

 

[luchamouse]

I've discovered that even though I like to cook "in real life" I can't stand cooking at Disney, so each time our meals have gotten simpler!

This times 100.

I was all about cooking at the Villa when we first went offsite. That got really old really fast. Last year we dialled out for Chinese, italian, pizza etc Really, really cheap.

We also bought sandwich fixings, breakfast on the go item and some frozen pizzas. Apart from some fruit, and some nice treats that was IT!

Agree with everyone else. Don't buy too much food, it will get thrown out.

 

[miami305]

Beemitcowski gave you a great menu! I agree with the others that over estimating is the biggest mistake when buying groceries for a condo. Everyone is hyped about vacation. Favorite breakfast items and snacks will go a long way in making everyone happy.

For dinners, tacos or burgers a quick n easy. You don't want to spend a fortune on groceries and then have to throw half of it out at the end of your stay. We stayed at Nickelodeon Hotel a few years ago and there was Publix grocery store up the road. Buying bottled water, grapes, milk, bread and beer at the Publix saved us a ton of money. I had snacks and a jar of peanut butter in my suitcase.

Good luck!

 

[bankr63]

Often, we like to take advantage of the Ready to Eat meals at Publix or WholeFoods. Roasted chickens, entrees, prepared salads.

That way we are mostly just reheating rather than cooking. It is still much easier to eat healthy and to portion control when you do this, and the price falls between eating out and cooking your own.

It does require a 10 minute stop on your way home from the park each day, but it is still quicker than cooking, and you don't have to think so much.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

Beemitcowski gave you a great menu! I agree with the others that over estimating is the biggest mistake when buying groceries for a condo. Everyone is hyped about vacation. Favorite breakfast items and snacks will go a long way in making everyone happy.

For dinners, tacos or burgers a quick n easy. You don't want to spend a fortune on groceries and then have to throw half of it out at the end of your stay. We stayed at Nickelodeon Hotel a few years ago and there was Publix grocery store up the road. Buying bottled water, grapes, milk, bread and beer at the Publix saved us a ton of money. I had snacks and a jar of peanut butter in my suitcase.

Good luck!

Thank you. That's what I am afraid of..that I ordered too much food. I may have gotten carried away with the "Sams club" portions...we are just a family of 4....Like I ordered a bag of chicken tenders from Sams Club..and the portion size is 1---and there are 24 in the bag...really only 1 chicken tender per person? are they that large? I have a total of 6 meals (some may be good for more than one meal) for 9 days. hmmmmm

 

[Madzac]

Thanks so much for posting this and the suggestions! We too are doing our first offsite trip and I am trying to come up with some quick and easy ideas, hopefully of things we wont be eating everyday in the parks! I am thinking we will be able to breakfast at the house all but the one day and 5 lunches/dinners. Right now I have spaghetti/garlic bread/salad, tacos/chips, sub sandwiches/chips/fruit, grilled ham&cheese/chips/fruit and I am not sure on the last one... thinking maybe eggs and pancakes? I figure we will do plenty of pizza in the parks. For breakfasts I plan to get some of the variety cereal packs as the kids love those and bagels/cream cheese, toast/jelly. Then some ice cream/popcorn/crakcers for snacks.

I will watch the amounts, that is a great tip. I figure we can always hit target one night if we need more food!

 

[Lisa0620]

thinking maybe eggs and pancakes?

Yum! I got the cutest sample sized jug of real maple syrup at our home Target that I brought along. I don't remember the price, but it was nice that it was in plastic and not glass and we got to use 'the real thing' without buying and throwing away a big container there. Have a great trip!

 

[dtum]

We find that we don't always eat 3 meals a day on park days. We have breakfast and go to parks. Usually have a larger meal at lunch (baked ziti w/garlic bread is a fav) usually around 2 or later by the time we get back from the parks. Later if we are hungry, we just have apples or pop corn or snacks like that. Park days are very busy and we usually just don't stop for more eating. We also carry trail mix or granola bars in the parks. Non park days that we hang around, we still make lunch our biggest meal --burgers on the brill, etc. and cold sandwiches later on. Also, non park days we always hit Sweet Tomatoes for lunch and after everyone is stuffed, we eat very little later that day. Also love my crockpot for park days. Agree you won't need as much food as you think because you will be so busy, there just won't be time to fit 3 full meals in.

 

[Echo queen]

I pre plan all meals and make a list, on arrival day we quickly move through the grocery store. My plan is 1 grocery stop, this plan has really helped with the over buying.

 

[mrsklamc]

We grab a bag of frozen burritos, microwave for 5 minutes, then throw in a pan w/enchilada sauce and cheese, & heat in the oven.

Last year we made a grocery stop first thing in the week, and then another later in the week. Next time we will make a grocery stop on our arrival day, and then have one of the grocery delivery services supplement later in the week when we know what we need. Time on a Disney vacation = money.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Some real staples for us are:
burgers and fries
homemade pizza
a pot of spaghetti sauce so we just need to boil noodles when we get back from the parks
fried chicken
salad
fresh fruit
It might be a good idea to pack a small amount of the spices you need
Our first few trips we did buy to much food which we ended up wasting.
If you are traveling with smaller children I would suggest feeding them in the park before it gets to late. When we have traveled with friends the little ones fall asleep in the car and just don't et well enough.
You'll love Bonnett Creek!!!

 

[RumpleMom]

I have signed up for the Winn-Dixie loyalty card to make sure I get the sale prices, even though we do not have a Winn-Dixie at home.

I take manufacturer's coupons for national brand items ie. Pepperridge Farm cinnamon bread, and juices.