Good Restuarants on a Budget

[LeeAnn]

Which restaurants give more for the $?
Which sit-down restaurants can be adorable?
What's the best meal?

Don't want to look cheap but don't have much to spare.

Thanks for your input.

 

[disneydarlin]

Leeann,

You might try posting this on the Disney Restaurants board as well. My family always had plenty to eat...and we are huge eaters (one look at my butt will attest to that!). We often shared meals because they are big.

 

[ducklite]

While sharing meals within your family is a great money saver, I wouldn't want to be in LeeAnn's position and tell people they are expected to share a meal. I think she's looking for "upscale menu's" without the upscale price.

LeeAnn--

Try these for dinner:

(The ones with the * are especially good value IMHO)

Contemporary Steakhouse
Kona Cafe
Yacht Club Galley
*Bongo's
Spoodles
Mama Melroses
*Cape May Cafe
*50's Prime Time (huge portions!)
*Beaches N Cream
*Plaza Restaurant

Stay clear of character meals--they are EXPENSIVE!

The Rainforest Cafe is another mid-range place to suggest, but I'm not a huge fan of the service there.

Anne

 

[Cindy B]

You could look into vouchers.. either the Q & C (good idea for lunch or a casual dinner) or the VKL.

Personally I find the VKL too expensive..

If you are able to get a car, off site meals are the best bet.

 

[Kae]

Don't forget the meal deals at AK.Where you get a meal w/ drink, ice cream or popcorn & a drink. Not sure of Price. I think 12.99 for adults

Check out www.wdwig.com they have menus with prices on them.

Kae

 

[Belle5]

I must agree with most of the places Ducklite mentioned. I would also like to add Shutter's at the CBR to the list. It will give you great food and nice atmosphere without the cost associated with Cali Grille, etc. We also like LTT for lunch. Many of the restaurants are significantly cheaper at lunch without much change in the menu options. (Teppanyaki is another example.) Good luck! You will have just as great an experience at many of these places as you would at some of the more expensive places. But let me clarify--none of these are what you would call "cheap".

 

[WIcruizer]

Don't want to look cheap but don't have much to spare

My experience is the definition of "cheap" really varies. How many people do you have in the group, and how much are you willing to spend total?

 

[scootert]

We really like the Tangierine Cafe in World Showcase -- it's counter service in Morroco with seating indoors (air conditioned) or outside on a pretty patio. We also think Mama Melrose's is an excellent choice -- share flatbreads and have salads -- excellent. The meal deal in AK is really great deal and gives you many choices for your meal. It's out of your way, but Tubbi's Buffeteria at the Dolphin also is a good place. Deb's site has a menu, but you can also buy yogurt and snacks at a more reasonable price than most WDW hotels.

 

[TonyS20]

I'd like to recommend Trail's End at FW. We had their buffet for breakfast and it was really good. I have heard others rave about their lunch and dinner buffet as well. You could always do it on your MK day and take the boat.

As a side note, it is usually cheaper to have lunch instead of dinner. My DH and I either eat a breakfast buffet or have a sit down lunch. Regardless, we usually just snack at dinner in order to avoid the higher prices.

I hope this helps!

 

[renessa]

You know, there are so many things going on at night...that it's really best to have your "dinner" for a late lunch. As much as I enjoy eating, I would rather watch spectro, fantasmic, fantasy, and illuminations. You'll be too busy to need long dinners. And everyone is right...lunch is cheaper that dinner. Our night meal is usually popcorn, quick service, snacks, etc. This might work well for you!!! Renessa

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

is a nice change of pace, and the resort is quite beautiful. The set up is better than a traditional food court, in that each member of your party gets a card, your party is seated at a table, then everyone can go to whichever food station you wish and choose your food (your card is stamped to show what you choose). You pay afterward on the way out, so whoever is picking up the tab can just collect all the cards and take care of the bill.

The menu is listed on the link above, I believe, and we found it to be the best quality and atmosphere of any food court we've tried. Upscale, no, but more relaxing than counter service and way less expensive than a full service restaurant.

(Sorry about your job loss, that is really unfortunate.)

 

[Pig Pen]

My favorite budget trick is to eat a LATE lunch at one of the Epcot buffets and sometimes you can get the dinner buffet at the lunch price. We have done this at Biergarten and Akerhaus (SP?).

I am a big advocate of the "late lunch - snack at dinner" plan at Epcot.

Other good places:

Tusker House at AKL. Great chicken at a reasonable price. DH and I split a big salad, a chicken dinner and a dessert - the bill came to about $15.00 with drinks. AND we were full.

We also like Ray's Cosmic Cafe at MK. They have a decent variety of food at a lower price.

Trail's End at Ft. Wilderness. Plain homecooking at a reasonable price. I think the lunch buffet was under $10 with tax and drink. Currently annual passholders get 10% off some restaurants.