How to do dining cheaply?

[marriedmarylander]

I just realized how much food is even if it's just me and DH. Well okay I didn't realize it just now but I guess I just realized it is more difficult to stick with a budget then I realized. I'm looking at all these TS restaurants and realizing we could be spending $25 per person on one meal. What will we eat the rest of the day!? I realized the dining plan was $35 / person/day but we've paid for our package in full already so you can't add it now, plus a lot of TS restaurants seem to have no room so I hate to take the chance of not even using some of the meal vouchers we pay for if we just end up eating fast food most of the time anyhow.

So right now we booked the Fantasmic Dinner @ H&V ($22.99 per person) and DH wants to eat seafood at Fultons (friend's rec) so that I guess I estimate about $30-40 for each of us depending what we eat. Then I wanted to eat somewhere nice at MK and Epcot and realize we could be blowing our whole budget on sit-down "nice" restaurants.

I guess most people have the dining plan? For those who don't how to do you budget? Do you just do only a few TS restaurants and mainly stick with CS or fast food?

Even though we were'nt getting the dining plan, I figured we should stick with our $35 per person a day budget (which is what the dining plan would have been). Do you think it can be done?

 

[cocodog]

I was told that you can add the dining package up until 3 days before your arrival (hope that's right, beacuse that's what I am planning on doing!)

 

[Pumbaa_]

When my DH and I go, we try to do a nice sitdown every other day. Too much 'good' food doesn't agree with me after a few days. We also tend to do more sit down lunches than dinner.

We have our favorite counter service places. I like cosmic rays in MK for breakfast burgers (they have amazing topping bar and you can get a burger at 10 or so in the morning)

Beaches and Cream is on our must do list. Love that place.

In AK, the meal deal is a great value and the food at Flame Tree is very good. The ribs are really tender but I prefer the chicken. And an ice cream and a drink on the way out makes for a happy end to the day.

We try to fit a turkey leg in too if we can

There are so many great things at Disney to eat. Pick your favorites and save the rest for next trip!

Have fun planning

 

[Dutchmom23]

I was told that you can add the dining package up until 3 days before your arrival (hope that's right, beacuse that's what I am planning on doing!)

It is not too late to add this on. Check the restaurants featured. Knowing if we were not attending with dc, our meals would be different. I think you can maximize dining opportunities with the MYW with dining.

 

[marriedmarylander]

In AK, the meal deal is a great value and the food at Flame Tree is very good. The ribs are really tender but I prefer the chicken. And an ice cream and a drink on the way out makes for a happy end to the day.

I read about the AK meal deal. $11 or $12 each right for a counter meal and a bottle of water? You get it at Guest Services at the park?

 

[marriedmarylander]

It is not too late to add this on. Check the restaurants featured. Knowing if we were not attending with dc, our meals would be different. I think you can maximize dining opportunities with the MYW with dining.

Thanks. I'm just worried that some of the restaurants we might want to go to (like Earl of Sandwich, Fulton's) don't take the dining plan. We have a AAA Diamond Discount which seems to offer 10-20% off at some of the DTD restaurants so that will help a little.

Now that I think about it we may not have time to eat TS all the time or afford it with tip and all!

 

[ricktib]

To save a little $ per day, have your sit-down meal during lunch.

 

[Snoopygirl]

I hope you can add the dining plan on....our trip is paid for but I am hoping to add it on before we go on May 21st. Does anyone know for sure if I can or not? I think I may call tomorrow and find out.

 

[bugsy]

okay, I have a REALLY dumb question, but maybe someone
could tell me the answer...which I think I already know, but
maybe I am wrong...
We booked a room at the AP rate. We also purchased ONE
MYW premium ticket. There are 2 of us (adults) Can we
purchase a dining option for the 1 MYW ticket, or can we
purchase 2 dining options, since there are two of us in the
room, or is none of this (as I suspect) available to us at all?
I'm just making sure I am covering all the bases.. we have
ordered the DDE card.

 

[kandmwedding]

okay, I have a REALLY dumb question, but maybe someone
could tell me the answer...which I think I already know, but
maybe I am wrong...
We booked a room at the AP rate. We also purchased ONE
MYW premium ticket. There are 2 of us (adults) Can we
purchase a dining option for the 1 MYW ticket, or can we
purchase 2 dining options, since there are two of us in the
room, or is none of this (as I suspect) available to us at all?
I'm just making sure I am covering all the bases.. we have
ordered the DDE card.

None. The MYW dining option is only available to those who book room/ticket packages. You'll need to rely on the DDE card for your meal discounts.

 

[princesslibby]

I read about the AK meal deal. $11 or $12 each right for a counter meal and a bottle of water? You get it at Guest Services at the park?

You can purchase the vouchers @ the register. You don't have to go to Guest Services. So if you want Flame Tree you just tell them when you order.
They give you the vouchers for the snack & drink to use later.
libby

 

[JodyLynC]

My DH and I tend to nosh all day. We go someplace like FountainView in Epcot or Main Street Bakery in MK and have a light breakfast. After that we split everything. We go to Adventureland split a Dole Whip. Then do some stuff and grab an orange treat before heading to frontierland. We split a lunch at Columbia Harbour House. Split a strawberry swirl from Enchanted Grove in Fantasyland. Split a meal at Cosmic Ray's. Do more stuff then find a place for dinner and get our own meal. Sometimes one of us will get an appetizer or salad, the other will get an entree. We share it all and split a dessert.

At Epcot, we do close to the same thing. We split an early lunch at The Land. Later we split fish and chips in England and a bratwurst in Germany and a pastry in France. For dinner we like going to the French restaurant and having our own french onion soup and pastry.

Now we have 2 toddlers so I don't think we will be doing the all day snacking. We will probably plan on doing regular sit down meals at the girls regular meal times so we are leaning towards getting the meal plan.

 

[scrump]

I guess most people have the dining plan? For those who don't how to do you budget? Do you just do only a few TS restaurants and mainly stick with CS or fast food?

Even though we were'nt getting the dining plan, I figured we should stick with our $35 per person a day budget (which is what the dining plan would have been). Do you think it can be done?

We average $35 a day eating only at TS restaurants. I go with a girlfriend, so we split some stuff, but mostly eat at only TS restaurants. We typically eat our large meal at lunch, and maybe something light later in the evening. I usually don't order drinks and I order dessert only if I feel like it. We also like to do buffets. Even for a la carte menus, sometimes the appetizers are filling enough as a main course meal, and I just like water, so I end up not spending too much at restaurants. We don't really eat snacks or the counter service stuff, so the dining plan isn't the best deal for us. That's just how I eat, though, so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything. I realize that it's not for everybody.

I think it's very doable, it's just different for everybody given their dining styles. I think the pre-paid element of the plan is great, though. I hope you are able to add it on your package.

 

[prncess674]

So right now we booked the Fantasmic Dinner @ H&V ($22.99 per person) and DH wants to eat seafood at Fultons (friend's rec) so that I guess I estimate about $30-40 for each of us depending what we eat. Then I wanted to eat somewhere nice at MK and Epcot and realize we could be blowing our whole budget on sit-down "nice" restaurants.

If you can only do a few sit down meals I would skip the sit down meals in MK. The food is just mediocre. I am also not a buffet fan so that may have something to do with it. Are you big eaters at home? What time of year are you visiting? In the summer I can't eat a big heavy meals without having to go back and nap! If your budget doesn't allow lots of fancy meals then don't sweat it. There is plenty to see and do in the world. One of the big draws to the World Showcase in EPCOT is the food. Maybe snacking around the world would be a good compromise. I also think WDW is doing a better job in recent years of expanding the selection of casual quick dining. There is alot more than just hamburgers and fries.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Tell me about it!! My DBF and I are splitting costs (well he just has food because we're going with my family ), and when I told him it's going to be about $800 for 7 days, 6 nights and at least one sit down meal a day he looks at me like I'm crazy. He asked if we're getting gold watches with our meals. I'm too crazy about WDW sit down meals to give them up but I've cut it down from two or three a day to just one (maybe two). Hey I'm paying for the room, flight, and passes! Suck it up!

 

[marriedmarylander]

If you can only do a few sit down meals I would skip the sit down meals in MK. The food is just mediocre. I am also not a buffet fan so that may have something to do with it. Are you big eaters at home? What time of year are you visiting? In the summer I can't eat a big heavy meals without having to go back and nap! If your budget doesn't allow lots of fancy meals then don't sweat it. There is plenty to see and do in the world. One of the big draws to the World Showcase in EPCOT is the food. Maybe snacking around the world would be a good compromise. I also think WDW is doing a better job in recent years of expanding the selection of casual quick dining. There is alot more than just hamburgers and fries.

Thanks! Actually I think we are doing a character dining at MK LTT. We have chosen to skip the Epcot TS restaurants. I like the snacking around the world idea!