Eating back at the condo

[adoptivemomx2]

Is it practical to think we could eat 2 meals at our condo each day we are at Disney?

We are thinking of staying at LikiTiki condos for a week in September 2012. Does it sound right that we would eat breakfast in the condo before heading out to the parks in the morning and then coming back for lunch midday for our break. Dinner would probably have to be in the park.

I'm thinking we could freeze several crock-pot meals ahead of time in those easy clean-up crock pot bags and just pop it in in the morning. That way it would be ready when we got back for lunch. I could even use paper plates and plastic forks so clean up wouldn't take too much time (and I could still feel like we're on vacation.) This means lunch would be our "big" meal.

We would still have some meals out...maybe a special meal at epcot and sanwiches on other night from the walk-up stands.

Does this sound practical, or will we be so tired that all we're going to want to do is have someone serve us food?

 

[chartle]

How far away is the condo?

Also leaving and returning to the MK will add an hour to your travel since you have to monorail or take the ferry back to the TTC. That's not including any time to leave a park like if you are back in Frontier Land when you decide to leave.

Only you can determine if the money you will save is worth the time you will waste.

You can also bring food into the park including a full meal. Either carry it around or put it in a locker.

Also have you seen the menus and how much food costs if you stick to counter service. Some meals can even be split. You should check out www.mousesavers.com for tips on how to save money.

 

[adoptivemomx2]

We're probably going to have to take a break each day anyway because my daughter has cerebral palsy and will need a rest midday. The Condos are about 10 minutes from Disney.

 

[chartle]

OK I just realized that I have posted on a few of your other threads so I understand some of your other issues with this trip.

And realize that leaving and getting back to a park like the MK will be even harder due to you needing to be picked up and dropped off at the Contemporary
Resort. I can see an hour to maybe an hour and a half of extra time.

Other things to think about is that the hours for your September trip are shorter so you may only have 10 hours to tour a park and you are taking away maybe a third of them to eat back at your condo.

Its just something you have to be aware of.

 

[mrzrich]

We're probably going to have to take a break each day anyway because my daughter has cerebral palsy and will need a rest midday. The Condos are about 10 minutes from Disney.

The condo is NOT 10 minutes to Disney. Thats just something off site places put in their brochures.

It MAY BE 10 minutes to Disney Property. Disney Property is 47 square miles. The parks themselves are on the interior of that property for the most part. (AK is actually pretty close to Liki Tiki. But still more then 10 minutes ) It takes most on property guests 15 plus minutes to get to the parks via car. I've passed Liki Tiki on my way home, and I'd say it could take you around 45 minutes to get from MK exit back to the condo. (This includes Monorail or ferry back to the TTC)

If you need a condo for the space it gives you at a decent price, I would look into renting at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. They are on a piece of land not owned by Disney, but pretty much in the middle of Disney Property. Its nestled between CBR and Typhoon Lagoon.

2 bedroom with full kitchen and Washer/dryer. Wonderful pools, lazy rivers, mini golf, scheduled activities and much more.

This thread sings its praises.... http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2739937

Many Diser have sung the praises of 2 sites for rentals www.vacationstrategy.com and www.vacationupgrades.com.

 

[LuLuO]

I agree that you are going to be using a lot of time going back and forth from the parks. If you can swing accommodations that are closer to the parks like the previous poster stated, it would definitely save you time. Since you will be driving, it will take you some extra minutes to walk from the parking lot. And MK will take you more time to get to and from also.

As to your question, maybe eat breakfast in the condo (which will actually save you time), get to the park at opening, bring a some sandwiches to eat around 11am and stay until 2 or 3 and call it a day and relax at your condo, and make dinner.

If you want to go late to see Wishes or IllumiNations, sleep late, relax, eat breakfast and lunch and then head to the park and grab dinner at the park.

 

[BrettS]

Breakfast at your condo is no problem and a lot of people do that. However, as the others stated, going back to the condo just for lunch is a pretty big time waster. If you absolutely need to go back to the condo anyway for health concerns, the by all means have lunch while you're there, but I wouldn't recommend going back simply to have lunch.

If you want to have your own food and can stay in the parks, then sandwiches are a good idea. Disney lets you bring food and drinks in (as long as you don't bring in any glass containers), so bringing a small soft sided cooler with sandwiches and drinks has worked great for us in the past. If you don't want to bother carrying your lunch with you all morning you can rent a locker inside the park and stash your cooler in there.

The other thing I'll mention is that if you're planning any table service meals then you might want to do those at lunch. Most of the table service restaurants are somewhat cheaper during lunch, so take advantage of the lunch prices and have your sandwiches for dinner or go back to your condo and have dinner there. If you're just doing counter service for your park meal then it doesn't really matter as the counter service prices don't change during the day.

Good luck,
Brett

 

[burnurcomputer]

I highly doubt that you are planning a commando style trip so I think you will be fine. Just stick with the touring style that you normally take when you go anywhere. Disney will always be there and you know your child and her needs best

It does take time to enter and exit the park. Handicapped Parking still leaves you with a few minutes of walking to get where you need to go. I would be aware of it only because your daughter might be tired when you leave. I don't know if your daughter uses a wheel chair or other mobility assister, so you could factoer that in too


Maybe the DisAbility board will have a better idea for your planning


I hope you have a trip!!!

 

[DZNEE4US]

We have enjoyed staying at Lighthouse Key for the past few years. Long story short- we are a family of 5, with a now 4 year old with Autism. Due to the need for more space and a kitchen for his dietary needs, we HAVE to stay off site. We could do a Deluxe at Disney, but then we would never be able to afford a yearly vacation.
We usually go to WDW yearly, and in the Fall. As someone else said, the park hours are shorter. Most parks close around or before 9 p.m..
We have found that we typically eat breakfast at home, eat lunch in the parks, and pick up carry out for dinner. That way I get a vacation from cooking, yet we can accomodate everyone elses' tastes. You could cook your own dinner at home, but I am not- I am on vacation!!! I'd check into what utencils and cookware your condo offers. Our kitchen is completely stocked- to the point that they even had a blender!!
I know your child may be tired in the afternoon, but when you factor in transportation time and early park closings, it may not be worth it.
We tried to take nap breaks in the past, and my kids fell asleep right when we left the parking lot. When you'd go to move them, they'd wake up and not go back to napping.
Our solution to napping is just letting them sleep in the stroller as needed. It makes the most of our time.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

As others have said, if you are staying off site I would definitely not be planning to go back and forth due to the extreme hassle and time needed, especially MK. eat breakfast in the room, carry lots of snacks, juice boxes, pretzels, etc an eat lunch in the park and then leave when your child needs to. Good luck!!

 

[MichelleVW]

We stay off site many times and take an afternoon break at the condo, but they are always super close by. With our rental car we can usually make it back to the condo in less than 15 minutes from any park which is usually way faster than Disney transportation.

It seems like the OP has other issues that will take longer for transportation, but in general eating lunch back at the condo can be easily done and done pretty quickly.

 

[kaligal]

We have stayed off the Disney property, taken mid-day breaks and lived to tell the tale!

Bonnet Creek and Sheraton Vistana are two very popular condos that are both extremely close to WDW...but you can stay elsewhere.

I don't know why everyone wigs out over it. It's just a few more minutes in the car. Not a big whup.

Wherever I stay (on or off the WDW property), I cannot arrive at opening and stay until closing. We did it once and that was enough. We were TIRED...and that is no way to enjoy a vacation!

 

[chartle]

1. We stay off site many times and take an afternoon break at the condo, but they are always super close by. With our rental car we can usually make it back to the condo in less than 15 minutes from any park which is usually way faster than Disney transportation.

2. It seems like the OP has other issues that will take longer for transportation, but in general eating lunch back at the condo can be easily done and done pretty quickly.

1. Does that include getting to your car? One issue about leaving is you have plan on where you will be at lunch time. If you are back in the WS its going to take 20 to 30 minutes just to get to your car. Versus just say hey lets eat here and be done in 30 to 45 minutes.

2. That's what I was alluding to in my prior posts. Its going to take longer because of other issues.

 

[Alesia]

It's a 30 minute drive from Liki Tiki to the MK parking lot. Then there's another 20 to 30 minutes from the parking lot to the actual park because you'll need to take a tram to the TTC and then the monorail or the ferry to the park. Doing this 4 times will be 3.5 to 4 hours of your day spend traveling. That's a huge chunk of the day, especially when you factor in spending 2 or three hours at the resort.

The rest of the parks won't be such a big deal, but for MK I would try to find somewhere in the park for your daughter to rest. The hall of presidents is a great place for an air conditioned nap. In fact, I have never been able to stay awake in there.

All condos say they're 10 minutes from Disney property. The actual dive times to the parks are significantly longer:
Tiki Liki to MK: 30 minutes
Tiki Liki to Epcot: 25 minutes
Tiki Liki to DHS: 20 minutes
Tiki Liki to AK: 15 minutes
You'll still need to allow time to get from the parking lot to the park, but for all the parks except MK, It should only take around 10 minutes or so.

 

[MichelleVW]

1. Does that include getting to your car? One issue about leaving is you have plan on where you will be at lunch time. If you are back in the WS its going to take 20 to 30 minutes just to get to your car. Versus just say hey lets eat here and be done in 30 to 45 minutes.

2. That's what I was alluding to in my prior posts. Its going to take longer because of other issues.

I ALWAYS plan on where I'm going to have lunch...weather it be in the condo or a Counter Service place...so if it's at the condo we plan on being at the front of the park near the time we want to leave for our break. 5 minute walk to the car 10-15 minute drive to the condo...seriously it takes less time than waiting for a stupid resort bus.

We don't always take a break in the middle of the day....but it's really not as hard as people make it out to be. We always have a good plan and do everything we want and more with minimal travel time.

 

[disnut8]

For the OP - breakfast in your condo is very reasonable, in fact, probably expected. When I first saw your thread title, I thought you meant having dinner in the condo which would be more practical than lunch, I think but it depends on your daughter's needs. If you mean "lunch" being around 2:00 or so then you going back to the parks after that, it might be OK.

I'm just thinking of going to the parks after breakfast and then leaving for a noon meal which would mean you would only have a few hours before you had to leave. Plus, if you do crock pot things, you would kind of be forced to leave since the meal would be ruined if you decided not to go back to the condo. Preplanning something like that only to find out your family is having such a great time at Disney World that they would rather stay there for lunch is not going to work.

Taking a mid-day break is championed by some, not needed by others. And the pros and cons about doing this while staying offsite could be debated for years without any resolution. It's up to YOU to determine how your family will want to do things. My only suggestion is to not do a crock pot thing because then you will have to go back to the condo - you will have no choice. And if your daughter if having a great time and wants to stay through lunch but then needs to go back to the condo in early evening, what do you do then? I'd think more in the lines of soup and sandwiches for lunch - that way, if you do go back, it's easy but you don't have to leave the parks if you don't want to. Be flexible.

 

[adoptivemomx2]

You guys, this is amazing information. Thank you so much. I think we do need to look at a closer condo so we can more easily take breaks. My daughter is completely mobile, but she is hypotonic and fatigues very easily.

That is great info on the crock pot...we do want to stay flexible. This is a vacation primarily for the kids and I don't want to be rigid (gotta go NOW...lunch is ready!) if they're in the middle of having a great time. It actially never occured to me to let her nap in the park.

One of my friends suggested a big-kid stoller (she's 9), but she would be so embarassed. We just need to let her lie down in a quiet spot for about an hour and she will be good to go. She could even lie her head on my lap on a bench, if Disney doesn't frown on that). The Hall of Presidents sound like a great idea (and I cracked up that the poster said she has never stayed awake while there lol).

 

[mrzrich]

One of my friends suggested a big-kid stoller (she's 9), but she would be so embarassed. We just need to let her lie down in a quiet spot for about an hour and she will be good to go. She could even lie her head on my lap on a bench, if Disney doesn't frown on that). The Hall of Presidents sound like a great idea (and I cracked up that the poster said she has never stayed awake while there lol).

There are cots at the first aide stations located in all the parks. Perhaps if you explained to the staff that works there, they could accomadate you for some down time. I definately suggest you check the DISabilities forums here on this site.


http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20


I have read your other post about your particular problems and I think the down time would do you some good as well.

Perhaps you and DD could go to the aide station while DH and your other child explore a while.

 

[mrzrich]

One of my friends suggested a big-kid stoller (she's 9), but she would be so embarassed.

Would DD feel less embarassed if you got her a wheelchair? It would certainly help her be less fatigued. (added bonus is you can hang your backpack holding drinks and snacks off the back)

 

[chartle]

We just need to let her lie down in a quiet spot for about an hour and she will be good to go. She could even lie her head on my lap on a bench, if Disney doesn't frown on that).

No they wouldn't have problem. I was out for I don't know how long in the Its tough to be a bug playground.