Freezing food for travel to save money

[SDSorority]

Hi everyone! Any tips on freezing food for travel? We're wanting to save some money by not eating every meal from a WDW restaurant, and thought that freezing some food in a cooler (somehow) and checking it with our luggage would be a good possibility.

-We're flying domestically on Southwest, so we can check a cooler for free
-We're staying in a DVC Studio Villa (at BWV) so we'll have a small fridge and a microwave.
-Will a styrofoam cooler work, or should we get a different type?

Any advice as to how to keep the food cold, or what type of food freezes and travels well? Have you ever done this? Including transit time, the food would need to be in the cooler for approx. 7 hours or so.

Thanks for any tips or advice!

 

[cluvsdisney]

I have never considered it but I would definitely not use a Styrofoam cooler...I would use a sturdy one with a locking mechanism.

Not necessarily this one, but something where the lid doesn't just lift up or off.

 

[java]

Why not use a delivery person instead of lugging it all. Like Garden grocer? We never bring frozen stuff but as we drive, we do pick up some things for the kids like milk pouches. I am an if in doubt throw it out kind of girl so I would be afraid of packing frozen stuff.

What about using dry ice if you do though? That's how stuff that is frozen gets shipped to me.

 

[TxRabbit]

I've never tried air travel with frozen food. I have, however, ordered salmon from Alaska many, many times. They ship flash frozen salmon via FedEx overnight. I would have to recommend packaging your food the way that this company does, because the food stays frozen through the overnight shipping.

The box is about 8" x 8" x 15-18". I don't know if the size helps? The box is fully lined with Styrofoam. It's like sheets of Styrofoam placed on the bottom, sides and top. The food is frozen and all placed into a large, very thick plastic bag. The bag is ridiculously large, so it isn't really sealed. It is just twisted around itself and folded into the box. Inside the bag are at least 3 of those frozen gel packs (they run the length of the box, but are just intermingled into the packets), the flexible kind that are within a very thick plastic bag like pouch. Well, flexible when not frozen. The box is almost completely full, which I DO know helps the effectiveness of a cooler.

I don't have very much experience freezing already cooked food. The one thing that I HAVE frozen a lot is chili. And I know that chili freezes very well. I have frozen all different kinds of chili. Oh, I have also frozen lasagna. I made some smaller bread loaf sized lasagnas. Bake them. I put them in the fridge over night before putting them in the freezer to freeze. Maybe research the idea of once a month cooking for more frozen food ideas?

I definitely would try a trial run? Do whatever you plan to do and keep the box for as long as your anticipated travel plans and see what happens.

 

[Marionnette]

Hi everyone! Any tips on freezing food for travel? We're wanting to save some money by not eating every meal from a WDW restaurant, and thought that freezing some food in a cooler (somehow) and checking it with our luggage would be a good possibility.

-We're flying domestically on Southwest, so we can check a cooler for free
-We're staying in a DVC Studio Villa (at BWV) so we'll have a small fridge and a microwave.
-Will a styrofoam cooler work, or should we get a different type?

Any advice as to how to keep the food cold, or what type of food freezes and travels well? Have you ever done this? Including transit time, the food would need to be in the cooler for approx. 7 hours or so.

Thanks for any tips or advice!

I would be concerned about lost luggage or delayed departure. All that food, the money spent to buy it and the time spent preparing it could be wasted.

If you purchase a steel cooler like the one pictured in the PP, it's going get expensive. The one I saw on Amazon was $170 + shipping. It may just be cheaper to have Garden Grocer deliver food that is easy to reheat.

Oh, and that free bag must fall within the weight and measurement restrictions that Southwest has. The cooler in the PP weighs 12 pounds when empty.
http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/

Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per check piece of luggage. Effective for tickets purchased on or after December 15, 2012, for travel on or after February 13, 2013, overweight items from 51 to 100 pounds and oversized items in excess of 62 inches but not more than 80 inches will be accepted for an overweight and oversize baggage fee of $75 per item. For tickets for travel before February 13, 2013, or for tickets purchased prior to December 15, 2012, overweight and oversize baggage fee is $50 per item.

 

[SDSorority]

I've never tried air travel with frozen food. I have, however, ordered salmon from Alaska many, many times. They ship flash frozen salmon via FedEx overnight. I would have to recommend packaging your food the way that this company does, because the food stays frozen through the overnight shipping.

The box is about 8" x 8" x 15-18". I don't know if the size helps? The box is fully lined with Styrofoam. It's like sheets of Styrofoam placed on the bottom, sides and top. The food is frozen and all placed into a large, very thick plastic bag. The bag is ridiculously large, so it isn't really sealed. It is just twisted around itself and folded into the box. Inside the bag are at least 3 of those frozen gel packs (they run the length of the box, but are just intermingled into the packets), the flexible kind that are within a very thick plastic bag like pouch. Well, flexible when not frozen. The box is almost completely full, which I DO know helps the effectiveness of a cooler.

I don't have very much experience freezing already cooked food. The one thing that I HAVE frozen a lot is chili. And I know that chili freezes very well. I have frozen all different kinds of chili. Oh, I have also frozen lasagna. I made some smaller bread loaf sized lasagnas. Bake them. I put them in the fridge over night before putting them in the freezer to freeze. Maybe research the idea of once a month cooking for more frozen food ideas?

I definitely would try a trial run? Do whatever you plan to do and keep the box for as long as your anticipated travel plans and see what happens.

Great advice, thanks!

 

[hsmamato2]

I don't know if they allow a frozen cooler to be checked....last trip,we had a small cooler packed with random snacks,and we were closely questioned as to whether it was a 'cooler' or not.....don't know why but you should check...if you're in a studio, you could also just pack and microwave various easy meals, like mac and cheese,ramen,etc (the stuff my kids love on vacation) you'd be amazed what a microwave can do for a quick meals.....you can even buy a can of veggie soup,and have that for a meal with some toast,etc. (I've stayed DVC studios in the past,and we've 'cooked' an amazing amount of foods in that mini kitchen area..... you're not roughing it,and will have the micro and sink + coffee area to make simple meals in.....from what I remember,the freezers are TINY also....not for big storage needs

 

[Lucille1963]

From the Southwest website:
Southwest does not accept styrofoam coolers. All perishable items are accepted at the Customer's own risk. The perishables must be completely frozen and packed in a hard, durable ice chest. Preferable refrigerant would be a frozen gel pack(s) placed inside the plastic bag with the frozen perishable item(s). A small amount of ice is acceptable when packed in a separate, leakproof bag inside the ice chest. Loose ice is not permitted. Dry ice is acceptable in quantities under 5 pounds, provided it is shipped in a package vented to release the carbon dioxide gasses to prevent a build up of pressure. The outside of the container must be marked "DRY ICE" or "CARBON DIOXIDE SOLID" and display the net weight of the dry ice.

 

[JessM]

I'm pretty sure the studios only have dorm size mini fridges in their kitchenettes. You aren't going to have much storage room when you finally get there.

I wouldn't try to pack perishables in cooler and check it. I would order from a grocery service, just keep in mind the limited fridge space.

 

[cndij]

I'm in Orlando right now, and driving not flying, but staying at a timeshare with full kitchen. We used a "cube" type cooler packed with our frozen stuff and everything was still frozen after a 12 hour drive. I would not invest in an expensive cooler, if you are worried about it popping open in transit, you could always duct tape around the seal. Here are the things I pre-cooked and froze to minimize cooking while here: sausage gravy (to be used with frozen biscuits bought on arrival), cooked, shredded chicken to be used to make chicked salad for sandwiches, cooked seasoned hamburger for tacos, and cooked shredded pork butt roast to make BBQ sandwiches. So far has worked well, and the BBQ sandwiches will be tonight's dinner.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I've been doing this for 10 years no problem. First I fly from BWI so it is a short direct flight. I use a cooler on wheels and another not on wheels. Both are soft side and zipper shut. I freeze water bottles to use to keep items cool then I just drink the water so no ice packs for the way home. I've taken just about everything. Peeled hard boiled eggs, yogurt, frozen lunch meat, chicken and beef strips, cheese , fruit , milk in a sealable container , cooked veggies, roast beef , cottage cheese etc.

I have done grocery delivery and that was a good option and rented a car to shop.

This trip I am taking two coolers on the plane. Mainly because I don't want a car and I don't want to pay for over priced not so great food from the deliveries. Where I live we have a Wegmans and I prefer their food to what I can get in FL. Also I Pre make sandwiches at home and it is easier to make them at home then in the room. We do plan to eat out also so the cooler food is just for a quick breakfast and a few lunches.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Happyjen27]

My plan A would be to use Garden Grocer to get food to my villa.

If that doesn't appeal, I would probably freeze and reheat the following foods:

Pulled Pork
Taco meat
pre-cooked personal sized pizza doughs for make your own pizza night
ziplock of sauce for pizzas
Meatballs for meatball subs or meatballs and sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese for pizza and meatball subs
ziplock of salsa for nacho night for taco meat
Stonyfield Go-gurts for snack

All of these things will be safe to be refrigerated once you're there, since the little dorm fridges don't do much for frozen things.

Then I would devote an entire suitcase to room temperature items to include:

Shelf stable milk, like parmalait to refrigerate once it's opened.
Cereal
rolls for pulled pork and/or meatball subs
pasta for spaghetti and meatballs
nachos for taco meat
other snacks like cookies, crackers, granola bars

Even well cushioned fresh fruit like apples or oranges can be fine at room temp, although I would be worried about them being thrown around. I can't imagine not eating tons of fresh fruits and veg though, which is why I would do garden grocer.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm in Orlando right now, and driving not flying, but staying at a timeshare with full kitchen. We used a "cube" type cooler packed with our frozen stuff and everything was still frozen after a 12 hour drive. I would not invest in an expensive cooler, if you are worried about it popping open in transit, you could always duct tape around the seal. Here are the things I pre-cooked and froze to minimize cooking while here: sausage gravy (to be used with frozen biscuits bought on arrival), cooked, shredded chicken to be used to make chicked salad for sandwiches, cooked seasoned hamburger for tacos, and cooked shredded pork butt roast to make BBQ sandwiches. So far has worked well, and the BBQ sandwiches will be tonight's dinner.

Just FYI, no, you cannot duct tape the seal if you are checking it with an airline. Baggage agents must visibly inspect the contents of all checked coolers at the time of acceptance to be sure that they contain no loose ice, no loose glass containers of liquids, and no non-frozen perishables. Also, more often than not, they are also manually inspected by TSA to be sure that there are no plastic explosives concealed among the frozen items.

You may use a luggage strap with a buckle to secure it, but don't use tape, because it will be removed for inspection and not put back.

I check a cooler of frozen food quite frequently when we are headed to the beach. I don't put in ice blocks, as the food itself serves as the ice. The key is packing the cooler so as to minimize any air pockets: you want it as tightly-packed as possible. This means that the cooler cannot be very large unless you want to pay an overweight charge, because frozen foods tend to be pretty heavy. We use a 38-qt Igloo Wheelie Cool (about $18 at WalMart).

I freeze all of the containers (disposable ones) in our deep-freeze, which is much colder than the one on the fridge. I first line the cooler with a double-bagged heavy-duty plastic trash bag, and then I put an old towel on the bottom. Then I pack in the food (with crumpled newspaper filling any gaps between containers), put another old towel on top, and seal the bag with a twist-tie. Then I put a layer of bubble wrap on top of that to insulate the opening seam of the cooler, and put a luggage strap around the outside (threaded through the handles at the ends so that it won't slip sideways, and duct-taped on at the bottom of the cooler so that if TSA opens it, the strap won't fall off and be forgotten when they close it up.)

If, heaven forbid, the cooler is lost in transit for several days and the food spoils, the towels and newspapers will absorb the liquid to prevent leaks, and you can just pick up the closed bag and put it all in a dumpster, saving your cooler from being permeated by the smell of rotten food.

PS: If you freeze sauces and the like in a Ziploc and intend to check that, I suggest that you take great care to get ALL air bubbles out of the Ziploc, and then put it, opening facing in, inside of another, larger Ziploc that has some folded paper towels in it. The pressurized interior of an aircraft will cause any trapped air to expand, and if that happens, the bag's seal probably will probably not hold completely, so you'll want to put something absorbent with it to catch any leaks.

 

[Sadie22]

To save money for our trip we have been eating the frozen food from our freezers. We are not planning to take any frozen food with us. It's good to know that that's an option.

I want to make sure to empty one freezer and pack the other solidly before we leave so if one of the frequent summer storms here means power is out for a short time, the food will stay frozen.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I'm pretty sure the studios only have dorm size mini fridges in their kitchenettes. You aren't going to have much storage room when you finally get there.

I wouldn't try to pack perishables in cooler and check it. I would order from a grocery service, just keep in mind the limited fridge space.

That's exactly what I was thinking. If you'll only have a small fridge/freezer, you won't have a place to store the frozen food once you get there. Personally, I would pack non-perishables in a checked bag, but I would plan on ordering cold food to be delivered.

 

[Lucille1963]

FWIW, we bought a collapsable cooler to accommodate the groceries that we had delivered that didn't fit in the mini fridge. It worked really well, and it was easy to pack in our suitcase. This wasn't the exact one we purchased, but it was similar to this.
http://www.amazon.com/Picnic-Ascot-Compact-Pop-Up-Cooler/dp/B004R6V2SC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1

 

[beansmom]

honestly, i wouldn't even think about this. If money is so tight that you are worried about how to eat, maybe it isn't the right time to go.

and what if the airline loses your cooler?

 

[brennicksmom]

I do agree with taking something to supplement park food. We are staying for 14 nights next May/June. We are getting the Dining plan (over $3000!!!)-so it includes 1 TS and 1 CS and 1 snack. Well with 11 year old and 14 year boys we MUST take some more food. If we don't we will spend another small fortune. We plan on eating breakfast in the room while we are getting ready. I am looking into that new breakfast sandwich maker, maybe taking the electric skillet to heat up biscuits and gravy-if I can figure out how to make biscuits in it, not sure what else. We need to have something with protein in it, so poptarts just won't cut it. I will be buying the nestle chocolate shelf sustainable milk from SAMs.

Sometimes it isn't about "if you can't afford it, don't go" as PP said-sometimes it is just about common sense.
I will be following this post for more ideas.

 

[NotUrsula]

honestly, i wouldn't even think about this. If money is so tight that you are worried about how to eat, maybe it isn't the right time to go.

and what if the airline loses your cooler?

Well, I don't really do it at WDW, but sometimes it isn't about money; it's about time and effort. I do it for beach trips because I don't want to waste vacation time cooking when I can just warm something up; we don't stay at the sort of beaches where restaurants are steps away, so it's an effort and time-consuming to go out.

Sometimes at WDW you end up getting back to your room exhausted and realize that while everyone is hungry, no-one wants to make the effort to go eat in a restaurant. Not every resort has room delivery food options, or they may be prohibitively expensive. It's kind of nice to have some sandwich supplies on ice so that you can just rustle up a simple cold meal in 10 minutes with little effort, and without having to put your shoes back on.

We *do* always bring breakfast foods with us to WDW, because we don't want to waste the cooler, less crowded, morning hours fetching food or eating in restaurants when we could be enjoying the parks. As we always rent a car it's no big deal to just stop at a supermarket on the way from the airport and pick up some milk, OJ, cereal, deli meat and baked goods, plus some paper plates and a roll of paper towels. I bring a selection of ziplocs and bag up the dry stuff so that it will stay fresh, and I put the milk, juice and deli meats in the little fridge. (If we don't have a kitchen handy, our go-to vacation breakfast protein is cured ham, which keeps nicely in a Ziploc in a small cooler or mini-fridge.)

I prefer to do this for convenience. I was at a professional conference in a major city earlier this month, and there was a deli/bakery across the street from my hotel. I went in and spent about $15 for three days' worth of breakfasts for myself. That took 20 minutes, and for my three-night stay I got to sleep in an extra hour each day because I didn't have to get dressed and go out for breakfast before my morning meetings, and I also got to eat nicer dinners on my per diem because I saved money on breakfasts.

 

[Marionnette]

I do agree with taking something to supplement park food. We are staying for 14 nights next May/June. We are getting the Dining plan (over $3000!!!)-so it includes 1 TS and 1 CS and 1 snack. Well with 11 year old and 14 year boys we MUST take some more food. If we don't we will spend another small fortune. We plan on eating breakfast in the room while we are getting ready. I am looking into that new breakfast sandwich maker, maybe taking the electric skillet to heat up biscuits and gravy-if I can figure out how to make biscuits in it, not sure what else. We need to have something with protein in it, so poptarts just won't cut it. I will be buying the nestle chocolate shelf sustainable milk from SAMs.

Sometimes it isn't about "if you can't afford it, don't go" as PP said-sometimes it is just about common sense.
I will be following this post for more ideas.

I hope that you're staying in a DVC villa or FW cabin. The regular resort rooms are not meant for cooking in. And after the recent refrigerator fire in DLR, I don't think that heating appliances such as the electric skillet or sandwich maker will be welcome in a regular room.