how much do you spend on food when camping?

[masonsmousermom]

We just bought a pop up and we are looking to go to FW this winter/early spring. We have always went to Disney on the dining plan, and while it is available in a package at FW, we kind of feel that if we're going camping, we should do the whole camping experience and "cook out". But we're clueless as to what costs we should expect.

How do you plan for your meals? How do you incorporate the parks around your meals?

How often do you end up eating at the parks/resorts?

What do you bring from home and what do you buy once you get in the area?

For those of you that may have done the dining plan, do you think we'll be "satisfied" without it?? We LOVE the dining plan and I'm worried that we'll be kicking ourselves in the behind for trying too hard to be campers!

Thanks for your opinions!

 

[becky1960]

We still eat most of our meal out as its vacation time, we do eat breakfast at the camper and different snacks at various times.

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

As my signature will tell you, we spend a lot of our trips at FW. I am one of those overplanners. I plan our meals out before going. We always do breakfast at the camper - except for our waterpark day, when we go to a character breakfast at one of the hotels.
We plan for lunch to be in the parks-usually just counter service OR plan a later lunch/dinner combo and do a nice restaurant maybe 2 times during the week.
We plan dinner at the camper - crockpot all the way! Before we leave for the parks in the morning, I will have our supper cooking and ready for us when we get "home".
My plan works for us because we get up early - like first in line at the gates. So we are usually headed back to the camper for "supper" at about 4-5 pm. This gives us time to eat, relax a little and head back to a park for the evening.
I have always carried everything we need with us. Once we park our vehicle - it doesn't usually move until we are ready to leave. Since I use the crock pot, a lot of my meats are frozen.
I usually plan all my meals out and then take off 3 as I know we will always eat out more than we plan for.
We have never done the dining plan, but I am sure others will give you input on that.

 

[christinou]

We always eat breakfast in the camper, go to a park or water park, early in the morning as soon as the park opens, then come back to the camper for lunch, rest, pool, then back to the parks at night, we generally eat in the parks at night, we used to do mainly sit down restaurant, we are now cutting down on those as the prices seem to go up and the quality goes down, so we are doing a lot more counter service, there are some nice one such as Tusker House at AK.

 

[susancl]

My general camping rule is that we eat at least one meal a day out. That way, I get a vacation too. We always eat breakfast in the camper. Camping at FW is a little different because we are hardly at the camper. So, we tend to eat out more.

 

[jima53]

We just came back from 8 nights at FW. Mid 50's couple no kids, just us on the trip. We ate most breakfast at the buffet. Brought chicken takeout from the buffet and had it as dinner two nights. Ate dinner at the buffet one night and probably two lunches. We had steaks and speghetti 3 other nights. This trip we wanted to mix it up as to cooking at the popup or eating out. Snacked in the parks during the day and always came back at mid day for a rest. Didn't really have a set lunch each day. Normally when we camp at a state park we do dinner each night and also a light breakfast. Crockpots, and electric grills work great out on the outside stove or picnic table.

We were in the 100 loop so it was convenient to get to the dining area and stores.


Jim

 

[clkelley]

Don't cook at all at Ft. Wilderness, too many good restaurants!!

 

[trouble]

Except for breakfast we don't cook at the fort. We are on vacation and don't want to spend our time cooking. For our last and upcoming trips we used the basic dining plan. It cost us around $36 per adult and $10 per child. The plan consist of one table service, one counter service and a snack. We found that we were spending about the same without the plan but not eating at the real nice resturants. With the plan we can eat anywhere and get more food than we can eat. My wife has cooked a few pre cooked meals for our trip to Fl that way just heat them in the microwave. We will be heading to the fort in about 30 hours

 

[kmccain]

When we camp I plan all our meals in the camper. Then we have enough food in case we decide not to eat out. I use this meal planner to help plan all the meals so we have enought of everything: Meal Planner

Then I use this to make a grocery list. It helps a lot. We don't have to run to the store all the time for something that we forgot.

Hope this helps!

 

[Boomer1]

We try to eat at least one meal per day at a restaurant, usually evening but occasionally breakfast or lunch. We budget 125.00 per day for food for 5 of us and we always have money left at the end of the trip.

 

[Kathy5]

We eat breakfast in the camper and then either lunch out and a light dinner in the RV, or lunch in and dinner out. I try to bring enough food and drink for our entire visit, BECAUSE if you end up buying anything at the Fort Wilderness camp store you will KICK yourself, due to the massive expense. At least I do.

Kathy

 

[DogDawg]

We generally eat 90% of breakfasts at the RV (bacon/eggs, pancakes, or cereal), 50% of lunches (sandwiches, hamburgers) and 75% of dinners (ham, turkey, steaks).

Mainly the schedule is based on touring plan rather than feeding. If eating out, we love full service (Japan, Brown Derby) and CS (pirates, tusker house, commisary) when we must. But we always have time for french fries!

Try to bring everything. Esp. drinks, beer, chips and snacks. Often have to buy milk or bread. Besides, who wants to go grocery shopping on vacation!

 

[loriandmatt]

when camping at the fort we do the following for food:

we are not big breakfast folks so we generally just eat at the camper or take along stuff with us that we eat once we get to the parks. (pb&j's, large muffins, granola bars, fruit)

we snack at the parks (must have at least a mickey bar a day for goodness sakes) generally from stuff that i bring along from the camper. (spit a can of pringles, baggies of goldfish, more fruit, spray cheese and crackers)

we generally plan to eat one meal that day out. if we are "buying" lunch we put a pre-prepped and frozen dinner in the crock pot or make on the grill when we return to the site. if we are "buying" dinner, we make roll up sandwiches at the site in the AM and take them with us along with chips.

generally we drink water in bottles that we take along frozen.

we can only do this because we drive down :
1.) and bring along the cooler stocked with our frozen water bottles and pre-prepped frozen crockpot meal items.
2.) non perishable snack items that i have been slowly stocking up on in preperation for out trip. - a real money saver.
3.) bring our mini fridge to use while camping
4.) stock said fridge with a first day of trip swing by Publix. deili meat, cheese, juice boxes, bread, fruit.......

We save gobs of money this way and still get to eat out once a day.

we did the dining plan this past year and we didn't like it near as much as our plan above. we felt like a slave to the food.

 

[marybrat]

This si exactly the information I have been thinking about for the past three days. I'm so glad to have found this thread. Thanks!!!