Eating in Orlando

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I agree with looking into cancelling your car and using the free service from the airport to your resort. If you're planning on going to Universal or somewhere else, take a taxi. The transportation throughout WDW itself is totally free.

You can take a bus to DTD then walk to Sweet Tomatoes in Crossroads. It's a very good buffet about $9 an adult for dinner.

 

[hearts8701]

pizza pasta salad soup dessert for about $6 each
Kissimmee, FL
5035 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy
Kissimmee, FL 34746
Orlando, FL / SOBT
12402 South Orange Blossom Trail
Unit 6
Orlando, FL 32837
Orlando, FL
8540 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819
Orlando, FL- Main Gate
7763 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy
Kissimmee, FL 34746

 

[saysib]

Thanks for all the advice guys, some great suggestions!!

Unfortunately we cant cancel the car hire as we fly into Sanford and Disney doesnt transfer from there. We enquired about transfers through our travel agent and they wanted $160 for our party of 3 Would have been perfect though!

Keep the ideas coming, we have 14 days to fill

 

[beansmom]

House of Blues in Downtown Disney has Happy Hour 3-5pm and 10:30-close daily. Half price appetizers.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Left along with the fridge swap I was in with a coffee pot. Not a frying element, the same usage as the fridge and coffee pot in the Mod's. You unplug it when not in use. Nothing said about the lime green lights in the window with an extension cord either.
House keeping had no issues and the swaps passed along benefits to others.

Not a problem, as refrigerators and coffee pots are allowed. No one said they were not.

 

[mab2010]

You can find great deals at just about any of the off-resort restaurants - there are plenty on Sand Lake Road and I-Drive. Happy hours are really good typically ranging from 4pm-7pm.

Plenty of websites with deals - our favorite is www.OrlandoDiningDeals.com

Sometimes it's just as well to run to the local grocery store and buy some hot prepared food there as well! You could buy some food at the grocery and picnic in a fun area like Celebration - fun and inexpensive!

 

[FoodLover]

I do, but because I booked in the UK I dont appear to be eligible would have been great though!

UK residents can book the US offers through a US travel agent. If your dates coincide with the US free dining offer, it may be worthwhile to cancel your UK booking and rebook the US offer.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[Acklander]

Another vote for cici's pizza. Also the Orlando ale house has fair prices.

 

[saysib]

Ooh, Happy hours, what a great idea!! Its not something thats big in the UK so I hadnt even thought about that!

UK residents can book the US offers through a US travel agent. If your dates coincide with the US free dining offer, it may be worthwhile to cancel your UK booking and rebook the US offer.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

What would I need to cancel and rebook? I hadnt realised I would be able to do that!

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

Earl of Sandwich at DTD is SUPER yummy and a pretty good deal! Personally, I can't eat a whole sandwich AND a bag of chips, so I just get a sandwich. (And I'm not a skinny person either.) Probably could even split a sandwich (maybe with a child) and each have a bag of chips or something. It's one of our all-time fave places at WDW.

Giordano's we were pleasantly surprised with. Got a GC from restaurant.com. There were 2 adults and 3 kids when we went, ordered a medium Chicago style and large "thin" crust. We didn't think we would like the Chicago style, but it was really good! We had enough leftovers for lunch the next day! So for 2 adults and 1 child, could EASILY split like a medium Chicago style.

Smokey Bones is really good too. Sign up for their e-mail list and you'll get coupons.

Big River Grill at BW we also signed up for e-mail and got coupons.

The thing with the e-mail lists is to not sign up TOO far away from your arrival date, as they will usually send you a coupon just for signing up (free appetizer, etc.) and it will expire like 2 weeks or 30 days from when you get it.

Sweet Tomatoes - sign up for their e-mails too, lots of coupons on a pretty regular basis.

Another poster mentioned Cici's... also a good deal. Not the BEST pizza, but decent deal and kids usually love it. And it's a buffet, so you can really fill up like mid afternoon and make it lunch/dinner with a snack later.

 

[HayGan]

House of Blues in Downtown Disney has Happy Hour 3-5pm and 10:30-close daily. Half price appetizers.

HOB is on restaurant.com which has lots of vouchers for restaurants in the Orlando area. Make sure to search for a code to save anywhere from 60-90% off the couchers (NEVER pay full price for a restaurant.com voucher!) We have used a number of them over the past few years and they are a great value!

I know space will be a premium in your luggage but bring some dry goods with you from home. Plus it will leave room for the trip home for some of those souvineers that you are likely to pick up during the trip.

 

[FoodLover]

What would I need to cancel and rebook? I hadnt realised I would be able to do that!

I just took a look at the Disney UK terms and conditions (scroll way down for the cancellation policies):

http://wdtc.disneyinternational.com/Terms-Conditions.asp

It appears some level of penalty applies for any cancellation in the UK (unlike in the US, where we can cancel a Disney vacation package without penalty up to 45 days prior to check-in). However, it may be worth paying the penalty in exchange for getting free dining. You'd have to do the calculations.

If it seems worthwhile to switch, I recommend first booking the free dining with a US agent, to make sure the resort and room type you want are available for your dates. Once you've secured the US booking, just go back to wherever you booked in the UK and just tell them you want to cancel and get your money back, less whatever penalty applies.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[FoodLover]

HOB is on restaurant.com which has lots of vouchers for restaurants in the Orlando area. Make sure to search for a code to save anywhere from 60-90% off the couchers (NEVER pay full price for a restaurant.com voucher!) We have used a number of them over the past few years and they are a great value!

I know space will be a premium in your luggage but bring some dry goods with you from home. Plus it will leave room for the trip home for some of those souvineers that you are likely to pick up during the trip.

HOB is no longer on Restaurant.com, unfortunately. Many of the Swan/Dolphin hotel restaurants are still participating, though.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[mab2010]

The Swan/Dolphin has a number of great places to eat...many on Restaurant.com, you just have to watch the terms on Restaurant.com.

The Swan/Dolphin has a neat perk for people with kids...if you want to go to Shula's or Todd' Blue Zoo you may be able to get your young kids in the Kid's Club as part of the dinner - get with Swan/Dolphin concierge directly on that.

Great people at that hotel.

 

[KristiKelly]

Also, if you want to keep items like sandwiches and milk cold in your room, you could just buy a cheap styrofoam cooler at any grocery store and use the free ice from Disney's machine. I'm not sure what they cost but maybe someone else could tell you.

The food prices at Earl of Sandwich at DTD is very resonable and very good!

Consider ordering appeatizers as your meal. Usually they are a smaller version of the same item on the regular menu and are at reduced price.

Having a 4 year old you could order a meal and share it with the 4 yr old since they usually don't eat a lot.

A few times we have gone to the Poly resort and ordered the tonga toast from the CS location, which by the way is cheaper than the tonga toast at Kona's at the Poly, and because it is so big we split it. Remember tonga toast is only served during breakfast.

I agree with both of these. We have used www.wegoshop.com in the past, they will shop wherever you want them to. You could get groceries & a cooler from Walmart, fill the cooler up daily or twice daily from the ice machine, keep milk, sandwich meat, etc. (might want to purchase a small rubbermaid type, airtight, container for meats). Cold cereal for breakfast, not only a money saver but time saver as well.

We have also eaten at Earl of Sandwich, $5 sandwiches and plenty to share. This is THE BEST deal in Walt Disney World. We have also ordered pizzas or flatbread from Wolfgang Puck Express.

 

[pampam]

There is a Publix on #192 we go to. We buy canned chili, weiniers, beans, hot dog buns, bacon, eggs, bread, cereal, milk, frozen single serve pasta dishes, fruit and veggies. We use the food court microwave. They are always clean, and of course we clean up after ourselves too. Since you have a car you can't cancel, it's cheaper for you to drive to the grocery store rather than have food delivered.

Off site restaurants I recommend are Steak and Shake and Cici's.

Also, if you run out of bread, ask you cashier at the food court if they sell loaves of bread. I know at Pop, they sell loaves of bread at the Pizza place in the food court. It's not listed on the menu, but the cashier told me to get it there, and it was only about $.10 more than Publix. - Quite a convenience. The choice was white, or whole wheat.