How to eat cheap in Disney (and area)

[WDBRDWLK]

Another option is for the adults to order off the kids menu at most restaurants. The portions are, in some cases, fairly large or just stand to the side as guests walk by with their food. You should be able to get a sense of the portion sizes.

We always splurge and have lunch at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. Lunch is cheaper than dinner. Bring your own water and crystal light packets for flavor. And if you really gotta have dessert, I highly recommend the made to order brownie with hot fudge sauce and ice cream!

Where ever you decide to eat, make it an enjoyable experience.

 

[taaren]

We won't have a car though unless maybe we can get one free from points (saveon points or wyndham rewards or something like that). But I think through points it is only for one day, but maybe if we could get one to drive from the port to the hotel, we could stop at a grocery store for snack/lunch style items. I think our hotel room will have a fridge and microwave in it so that would help for sure! This way we could get bottled water from a grocery store too and not have to buy in the parks, that is a great reminder about water, I hadn't even thought of that yet!

If you have a Discover card you can use $20 cashback to get $40 coupon off your rental through Enterprise (think they might have one for Budget too but we're Enterprise fans). If I'm doing a one-day rental that's our go-to free-car. One day would definitely work to get groceries/snacks, and even paying the drop at another location fee would most likely be less than paying Disney for the transfers for 2 people.
Just remembered back when we were even more budget-ey we got those tuna-salad-in-a-can/cracker combos for $1 at Target/Walmart, granola bars and just carried a backpack and snacked whenever we felt like it. Got to love portable heat-stable food.

 

[starry_solo]

Do you by chance remember how much an adult is for the all you can eat BBQ? Thanks!

I believe at lunch it was $19.99 per adult, refillable drinks are $2.99. Dinner was $24.99 and you got corn on the cob with that.

Lunch has ribs, chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn bread. Dinner had all that, plus corn on the cob and smoke sausage (for the extra $5).

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining/menus-detail.cfm?restaurant.ID=583

 

[PurpleEars]

Being frugal and having fun is entirely doable! DH and I were there at the beginning of April for a 4 park day trip. We did not rent a car. We had budgeted $30/person/day (that amount includes $5 for a special treat for each person each day) but we didn't get anywhere near that amount.

I would suggest checking the Anaheim Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website for coupons.

Subway (about a 10 minute walk from the gates) had their foot long "Regular" subs at $5. We got a foot long sub combo with milk and yogurt and a salad each day for just over $12. DH had the sub and milk and I had the salad and yogurt. They also have a coupon on the visitor bureau web site right now for 6-inch subs (buy one get one free with purchase of a drink).

Millie's (in the same plaza as Mimi's Cafe) had good food for not too much money. I think our entrees were around the $10-12 range. We went there twice (becuase it was very good the first time). I saw a sign outside of the restuarant saying that the owner was changing so I don't know if they would be as good or affordable in the future. (I think the sign was posted due to some regulation with serving alcohol)

Mimi's Cafe was quite afforadable and good too, though I was confused by them serving a large muffin with my entree salad. I thought the idea of having an entree salad was to have a lighter meal? Anyway, I saved the muffin for breakfast the next day. DH did the $13.99 "just enough" meal and it was more than enough.

California Pizza Kitchen at the Garden Walk was very good. Reasonably priced when you factor in a 20% off coupon from the visitor bureau website. Or you can get the Garden Walk "VIP shopping pass" (again, another coupon from that website) which will give you 20% off as well.

I did a grocery run at Food 4 Less when I got there to pick up fruit to go with the granola bars we brought for breakfast. It was within walking distance. I found out later that apparently Vons was closer. Oh well.

We got our special treat (e.g., Mickey Premium Bars) each day so we felt had a good balance between being frugal and enjoying a vacation. Good luck!