How do you all handle meals?

[problemchild718]

We will be staying at OKW in January. There will be 5 of us and this is our first trip as DVCers. I usually get the food plan. What is the most economical way to eat at WDW when staying with DVC? I have 3 children 14, 13 and 6 and 2 adults. Thanks for your help.

 

[Chuck S]

The most economical, of course, would be to prepare meals in the villa. We often have breakfast in the villa, eat our big table service meal for lunch (prices for lunch are less than dinner, and portions are generous), and if we are hungry for dinner, then we do a counter service venue. Also, at oKW, you are just a boat ride away from Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney...a reasonably priced sandwich shop with quality food.

 

[rocketriter]

We do a slightly different pattern: breakfast in the villa so we can get out and go, lunch at a fast food stop in one of the parks, snacks in the villa for the afternoon swim and siesta, then a dressier evening meal followed by fireworks in one of the parks.

 

[carol1231]

We usually have breakfast in the room too. And if we are planning to spend the afternoon at the pool, we will fix sandwiches. Dinner is usually at a sit down restaurant or counter service if we haven't planned ahead.

 

[JimC]

We eat breakfast in the villa. Usually lunch and dinner is out. We generally split a lunch quick service lunch -- they just give you too much food -- then enjoy a nice sit down dinner. Sometimes we reverse and do the nice sit down at lunch and then split a quick service dinner then get an ice cream later.

 

[Cinderella]

My justification for joining DVC was the money i would save spending all my meals in the room! Of course, this doesn't happen in real life - but i like to have breakfast in the villa - saves dollars and saves eating out. I hate eating out for breakfast unless it is a character brunch, so we save a heap there on room service. Our preferred time for main meal is lunch - and that is usually when prices are lower in the restaurants and it is easier to get a walk in. Dinner will usually be from counter service or snack bar, or prepare a snack at the villa. But, believe me, the dvc villas are out of this world - you could easily cook your christmas lunch in there and have all the facilities you would ever need and more. And i would love to - but i am on vacation, i work 70 plus hours a week and look after 2 kids in the real world. But, still, the villas have a huge savings over hotel room and i find we save a heap just on the in villa breakfast.

 

[Pluto 2]

i usually eat breakfast in something fast no cooking.
than lunch and supper we always eat out. one of those will be a counter service and the other one a sit down restaurant.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We always make breakfast in the villa and plan several dinners as well. We have most of our big sit down restaurant meals mid-day when prices are lower. It's pretty easy to plan dinners just the same as you do at home. We actually like having 2-3 main meals in the villa... We get tired of eating out for 12 straight days.

 

[problemchild718]

Anyone use DDE? Can DVCers get on the meal plan yet? Had the meal plan for our August stay and it was awesome!

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

We do most breakfasts in the room. Lunch and dinner will depend on our plans for the day. We do try to eat most meals in the room. We don't save money by doing this because we use the savings for 2-3 special character meals per visit. That will be slowing down now though since my 10 and 11 year olds are now being priced as adults.

 

[cobbler]

No dining plan for DVC'ers yet but I have read here that they are thinking of or talking of a way to make it available.

 

[Chuck S]

Anyone use DDE? Can DVCers get on the meal plan yet? Had the meal plan for our August stay and it was awesome!

We use DDE, and even for two adults eating mainly one Table Service meal per day, it more than paid for itself our first trip of 10 nights, and we have another 9 night trip scheduled. Adding everything up, it worled out about the same for us (a little less actually) than the meal plan at $35 for two adults. However, given the food portions, we rarely each order appetizer, entree AND dessert at any meal. We sometimes each order appetizers, split an entree, and each order a dessert or each order entree and split an appetizer and dessert.