How do you eat cheap at Disney?

[amykluvskent]

Hi! I have enjoyed reading the posts! We will be going to DW this summer. I have 4 kids with my DH. How can we eat cheap at DW? We won't be staying on the property. Thanks, I'll be watching for your feedback. Also if you have any other tips for large families at DW, let me know!

 

[MouseTriper]

Ohh I so wanna know the answer to this too.

 

[My2Angels]

We have been many times, and food in the parks is expensive! The best thing for us was the Disney Dining plan. At least, with 3 kids under 9. They eat for $9.99 per day! You CANNOT eat that cheap any other way!

Before we used the DDP, we took snacks, juice boxes, PB&J in our backpacks. If you are staying offsite, you can certainly do breakfast before you hit the parks either in the room, or at the hotel and it will more than likely be cheaper. We bring those little cereal boxes, disposable bowls and spoons, and eat in the room. Also, poptarts, cereal bars, etc.

 

[amykluvskent]

thanks! Do you have to be on the property to use the DDP?

 

[My2Angels]

Oh yeah! Another tip for summer: bring your own water bottles into the parks!! It saved us a ton of money. The kids were constantly thirsty in the FL heat! There are water fountains that you can refill them in for free!

 

[amykluvskent]

I guess I should explain better: If we are not sleeping on disney property, can we use the DDP? Is it better to eat a big lunch and hit counter service at dinner?

 

[DVCLiz]

I guess I should explain better: If we are not sleeping on disney property, can we use the DDP? Is it better to eat a big lunch and hit counter service at dinner?

Hi, Amy! Yes, you have to stay on property to use the Dining Plan - it is tied to the number of nights you stay on property. So file that away for another trip!!!

If you are staying offsite, you might be able to do simple breakfast things in your room or at your hotel. You can bring in sandwiches, etc. as long as they are not in a rolling cooler. If you want, you can rent a locker and store your food items. Counter service for both lunch and dinner is also an option - you can find enough different places to keep yourselves from getting sick of the same things!!

There are often coupon books in hotel lobbies for offsite restaurants. You might book one nice character meal or table service meal in a Disney park, and do the rest off site. Have a fun trip!!!

 

[LadyShea]

You have to be staying onsite to use the DDP.

We never stay onsite, as we have unlimited points with a national chain, however we usually eat a big breakfast at the hotel, then counter service lunch and dinner-except for a special meal or two like character dining. We found some lunch items, like pizza, can be shared pretty easily. We pack granola bars and other easy snacks as well/ You can eat off property the day you go to Animal Kingdom which closes early.

 

[amykluvskent]

Thanks! That helps a lot!

 

[Rylee]

Hi! I have enjoyed reading the posts! We will be going to DW this summer. I have 4 kids with my DH. How can we eat cheap at DW? We won't be staying on the property. Thanks, I'll be watching for your feedback. Also if you have any other tips for large families at DW, let me know!

Five children here and 'cuz we don't have enough kids, we always bring a nephew or a friend along.

We do the Dining Plan but since that's not an option for your family, a few tips...

If you want to dine/experience any of the Table Service restaurants in Disney World, lunch is cheaper than dinner.

Try sharing some meals... for 6 people, order 4 complete meals... sandwich, salad or fries, and drinks, plus 2 sandwiches and 2 drinks. Adjust for your family's appetite. When we do this we still throw food away.

Pack pop-tarts, fruit snakcs, granola bars, juice boxes, mini cereal boxes, etc. Eat breakfast in the hotel room.

If you want to schedule a character breakfast, schedule the latest seating and let it serve as lunch.

Bring refillable bottles into the parks.

Eat dinner off-site.

 

[bellebud]

When we first starting going to disney, we did sit downs for most lunches and dinners. I didn't want the crowded/crazy atmosphere that seemed to be in the counter service places. We spent lots of money on food, and probably wasted (threw away) half of the food! Then we started trying counter service places... the food is just as good (the rosiesserie sp?? chicken meals, etc) and we would eat lunch at 11:30 when they opened, and the places were empty. Then we'd eat dinner as soon as they started serving it (4:30pm or 5 usually), and again, pretty empty. No crazy atmosphere, no lines, etc. THEN we discovered how much food we were still throwing away, so we started sharing (it's me, dh, dd8 and ds6). We couldn't believe how much less we were spending on food. Usually 2 regular meals and maybe some fruit fed the 4 of us, and if anyone was still hungry, we'd get a snack from a cart. In the heat, and with running around, we usually ate less anyway. Now we'll do maybe 1 character meal and 1 yachtsman steakhouse (yum!) meal per trip, the rest counter service, and I don't feel we're getting any less quality food or amounts of food. This probably wasn't exactly what you were looking for, but wanted you to know you won't be missing anything not eating table service. they're nice, but counter service can be just as good.

 

[mrstomrice]

Okay, we're trying DDP this trip. I like to do Disney without being tued to a schedule, but we'll give it s shot!

This is how we've saved money:
At Peco's Bills in MK, we order 1 double cheeseburger meal and pay the extra $1.00 for a bun...good enough for DS3

We bring crystal light mix ins and ask for free ice water at any CS restaurant. It is easier than walking around the parks carrying water bottles.

We order food from gardengrocer.com for snacks and lite breakfasts. We also order the diapers and baby food, if needed.

Have fun!

 

[brymolmom]

IMO - BY FAR the best way to save $$ at WDW is to bring your own food into the parks - especially with a large family. Pack a soft-sided cooler with sandwiches, apples, chips, cookies, frozen water bottles, juice, pop, etc - then, if you aren't bringing a stroller (if so, stow underneath) - just pop it into a locker at the park entrance and every time you're near - grab a snack and/or a drink. Grab the cooler and find a shady spot to enjoy your picnic lunch and/or dinner.

We usually eat breakfast at the hotel - bring lunch and then eat a counter service meal (remember - you have your own drinks and 'side' items if you bring fruit and crackers - so 3 or 4 c/s meals to split between you all should cover it).

That one meal plus a mickey ice cream bar for each would be about $60 or so total per day.

 

[Echie]

I just finished reading the book "Disney on a Dime" which had lots of great tips - obviously several that people have mentioned here, but it might be worth seeing if your local library has that book and take a quick read through their tips.

 

[DeAnna4140]

We packed a lot of the drink mix-ins that someone mentioned. Lemonaide, Propel, crystal light and asked for the free glass of water when we were thirsty. Saved a LOT of money!!

Also, trail mix, string cheese, fruit roll-ups, beef jerky and those little JIF individual peanut butter containers. A lot of the counter service places will sell you a bun for under a dollar. Add the peanut butter, ask for some free jelly (considered a condiment) and instant sandwich!! Better than carrying in a cooler only to have sandwich squished when you are ready to eat it!

Ate breakfast before we got to the parks, had our snacks throughout the day and then sat down for 1 CS meal.

Definitely can save money on food!!

 

[JeremyGNJ]

DDP seems great for people who stay on Disney resorts anyway (cause they're already paying inflated hotel prices)

However there's no substitute for staying off-site and eating off-site. It will ALWAYS be cheaper, unless you're willing to stay in a small box of a hotel room at the "value resorts"

 

[Rachie0507]

We share meals, 2 or 3 is always plenty for my family of 4.

We bring snacks--granola bars, 100 Calorie Packs, etc. I try to offer those BEFORE my kids notice the popcorn/ice cream/pretzels. Sure, they get "treats" during the week, but I don't want to do those too often. And if we do buy a snack, we share it. DS loves those big, soft pretzels. He eats maybe 1/4 of it. DH and I share it after.

During our summer trip, we packed water bottles in our bag. We brought them back to the hotel at night and refilled them (I'm one of the few that isn't bothered by FL water).

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

Bring your own food an snacks as much as you can. Definitely bring your own water bottles.

Share, share, share! Before we started doing the DDP we would just share. The portions are huge, even the counter service meals. I think in the heat we don't eat as much either.

 

[mybabesuz]

We used the Greengrocer.com last year and loved it. Or if your staying off site you could find a grocery store. We bought two cases of water (33cents each. 24 bottles for $8per case), some bottles of gatorade, two 12pks of soda, orange juice, milk, cereal, bananas and apples, PB & J, bologna, cheese, yogurt, bread. I got diapers too. one less thing to pack. I brought snack pack size cookies and crackers and breakfast bars. chocolate teddy grahams work great for bribing them back in their strollers. We brought a small soft sided cooler that fit 6 bottles of water and some ice, a pack of plastic dinnerware, a pack of small paper plates, pack of napkins, and a reusable plastic bowl for everyone 99 cents at walmart. You can bring small coolers into the park. We had a fringe at POP Century. We didn't ask for it. They just brought it up with the food. It didn't cost extra either. But if you don't have a fridge. Greengrocer sells the cheap styrofoam coolers for like $5. Just fill it with ice everyday. We ate breakfast in our room everyday. saved time and money.
We usually ate at the park for lunch. And most nights just had sandwiches back at the room. With a 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 year old it was much easier.
They were delivering constantly. Lots of people were getting stuff.
Hopefully Disney won't catch on and ban the greengrocer anytime soon.
Just one other note... Florida water tastes nasty... If your not used to it...
The savings on the water alone at $2.50 a bottle at the park was over $100.
And that was only 7 bottles a day for all four of us. We could have drank more. This time we are getting three cases.

 

[Disneygirl26]

You have to be staying onsite to use the DDP.

We never stay onsite, as we have unlimited points with a national chain, however we usually eat a big breakfast at the hotel, then counter service lunch and dinner-except for a special meal or two like character dining. We found some lunch items, like pizza, can be shared pretty easily. We pack granola bars and other easy snacks as well/ You can eat off property the day you go to Animal Kingdom which closes early.

We also stay offsite in a rental house and we have a big breakfast before we hit the parks, take water and snacks and for lunch depending your kids ages, instead of buying 2or3 kids meals we would by 2 adult meals and share it and also we always eat dinner off property like Mcdonalds or applebees unless we're doing a special charcter meal