How to save on Meals

[plove53]

OK FOLKS... In the works for another WDW TRIP... BUT I REALLY WANT TO SAVE$$$I’m not a big eater (aka buffets) waste of $$$ for me… and going out to eat is not a big deal for me. just a quick sit down meals are good. I would do a couple of nice dinners (like Le Cellier, I would do the Boma buffet). Anyway I really need to save a FEW BUCKS!!!

I want to see if I can save a few bucks doing a-la-cart, and/or quick meals… and just do one or two NICE places???

Have oatmeal in the room for breakfast?

My opinion… and let me know what you think
Quick meals in the resorts?
Flame Tree BBQ?
Rose and Crown
50s prime time cafe

What are the best value places to eat at WDW? I really would like FREE dinning!!!

and I am sure this been asked many time

 

[kaytieeldr]

Maybe check the Restaurants Board?

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

OK FOLKS... In the works for another WDW TRIP... BUT I REALLY WANT TO SAVE$$$I’m not a big eater (aka buffets) waste of $$$ for me… and going out to eat is not a big deal for me. just a quick sit down meals are good. I would do a couple of nice dinners (like Le Cellier, I would do the Boma buffet). Anyway I really need to save a FEW BUCKS!!!

I want to see if I can save a few bucks doing a-la-cart, and/or quick meals… and just do one or two NICE places???

Have oatmeal in the room for breakfast?

My opinion… and let me know what you think
Quick meals in the resorts?
Flame Tree BBQ?
Rose and Crown
50s prime time cafe

What are the best value places to eat at WDW? I really would like FREE dinning!!!

and I am sure this been asked many time

I always take along breakfast foods and we eat in the room at least every other day. The other days we either have a character breakfast (Tusker House, Crystal Palace) or eat at the resort's food court. I take pop-tarts, granola bars, sometimes cereal and plastic bowls & spoons and buy milk at the gift shop or food court. It's a time saver as well as a money saver.

As for the restaurants you mentioned, we usually eat at the resort for dinner once or twice during a trip, often when we arrive in the late afternoon and don't want to trek to a park. We ate at Flame Tree on our last trip and it was quite good. They have good-sized portions, probably enough to share between 2 people with smaller appetites. We've not been to Rose & Crown in 16 years; we ate there on our honeymoon and it didn't agree with my husband and he won't go back. 50's PTC is one of my favorites. The portions are generous and the food is good. It's more moderately priced than some of the other TS restaurants. Their milkshakes are delicious!

Hope this helps!

 

[DisneyEater]

OK FOLKS... In the works for another WDW TRIP... BUT I REALLY WANT TO SAVE$$$I’m not a big eater (aka buffets) waste of $$$ for me… and going out to eat is not a big deal for me. just a quick sit down meals are good. I would do a couple of nice dinners (like Le Cellier, I would do the Boma buffet). Anyway I really need to save a FEW BUCKS!!!

I want to see if I can save a few bucks doing a-la-cart, and/or quick meals… and just do one or two NICE places???

Have oatmeal in the room for breakfast?

My opinion… and let me know what you think
Quick meals in the resorts?
Flame Tree BBQ?
Rose and Crown
50s prime time cafe

What are the best value places to eat at WDW? I really would like FREE dinning!!!

and I am sure this been asked many time

Bring your breakfast.

As for QS meals, Flame Tree is good, but not that cheap. Rose and Crown Pub has the English Bulldog that is a great value. 50's Prime Time is not expensive, but not exceptionly low cost either.

For others you didn't mention:

The Bakery in France (even the new one) has some very nicely priced items for both lunch and snack.

Sleepy Hallow Waffles Sandwiches are an incredible value.

If you are going with a group, Via Napoli might be reasonable if you order a pizza to split.

Check out the Lucky Combo at the Joy of Tea stand in China.

Yak & Yeti QS in Animal Kingdom for some fried rice and an eggroll.

Corn Dogs are cheap anywhere that sells them.

You can just have the Cobb Salad at Brown Derby.

Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney.

Tonga Toast at Captain Cooks for Breakfast in the Poly is less than $6.

 

[vinmar4]

OK FOLKS... In the works for another WDW TRIP... BUT I REALLY WANT TO SAVE$$$I’m not a big eater (aka buffets) waste of $$$ for me… and going out to eat is not a big deal for me. just a quick sit down meals are good. I would do a couple of nice dinners (like Le Cellier, I would do the Boma buffet). Anyway I really need to save a FEW BUCKS!!!

I want to see if I can save a few bucks doing a-la-cart, and/or quick meals… and just do one or two NICE places???

Have oatmeal in the room for breakfast?

My opinion… and let me know what you think
Quick meals in the resorts?
Flame Tree BBQ?
Rose and Crown
50s prime time cafe





What are the best value places to eat at WDW? I really would like FREE dinning!!!

and I am sure this been asked many time

When I'm planning the meals I go to the all ears website and look at the menus and prices. I look at what area we are going to be in and than plan.
We like the fish at Epcot and the wings from ESPN zone for a not so expensive meal. You can also do meals at some of the other resorts specially if you are at Epcot or the downtown area where you can just walk to some resorts or take a boat.
Good luck!

 

[plove53]

Thanks fir the info,,, i was checking out all ears... good move to go to wdw with a food plan!

-phil

 

[vinmar4]

Thanks fir the info,,, i was checking out all ears... good move to go to wdw with a food plan!

-phil

No problem!
We don't plan all of our meals, I make the reservations that I need to make but if we don't know where we are going to eat at a certain day I like to know what restaurants to look for depending on the area that we are at, especially if it is good and not that expensive. Now a days with smart phones I look up the restaurants and the menus with the prices and then we make a decision depending on what we feel like eating.
I know that we tried the new chicken place where the Mc Donald s used to be and it was really good and inexpensive, if you like wine, the sangria is really good also.

 

[HLAuburn]

Definitely eat breakfast in the room! We drive, so we usually take a rolling cooler and pack it with yogurts, milk (for cereal), OJ, water etc. Personally, I think it saves a lot of time and money.

Also, if you don't mind toting it around or maybe renting a locker, bring food and drinks to the park! We take a stroller, so it's easy to take a cooler. Even if you just "supplement" meals with what you bring and avoid buying $3 sodas or water, I think you can save a lot.

 

[karliebug]

We always get a food order from gardengrocer.com . Cereal, donuts,etc for breakfast in the room and snack items to take into the park. Each kiddo gets a bag of goldfish,pretzels, trail mix , or granola bar to take to the parks. That way we aren't buying expensive snacks. For lunch and/or dinner we always order water instead of soft drinks. That saves our family of 5 almost $15 per meal.

 

[njmom47]

We always get a food order from gardengrocer.com . Cereal, donuts,etc for breakfast in the room and snack items to take into the park. Each kiddo gets a bag of goldfish,pretzels, trail mix , or granola bar to take to the parks. That way we aren't buying expensive snacks. For lunch and/or dinner we always order water instead of soft drinks. That saves our family of 5 almost $15 per meal.

I'm certainly no expert (haven't been to WDW that many times) but we did order groceries for our last trip and had breakfast in the room (or on the way), brought our drinks, snacks, and made sandwiches which we brought in a soft-sided cooler. We did eat a couple of more expensive places (paid OOP) but I feel it evened out. We also split a few counter service meals or meals from the resort restaurant. There's 5 of us and we don't all eat on the same schedule or have the same appetite, so I think this made it easy for us.

 

[timmac]

Have oatmeal in the room for breakfast?

Yes, or cereal, or something easily prepared in the room. Not only does this save on cost for a meal, but it gets you out quicker in the morning!

For breakfast meals in general, unless you're looking for a particular location or character experience, I'm not a big fan of booking a sit down breakfast. As is sometimes joked about, almost every breakfast in WDW is eggs, mickey waffles, and three kinds of pork. (There are a few exceptions, but not many)

What are the best value places to eat at WDW? I really would like FREE dinning!!!

Don't let yourself get fooled to easily be "free" dining, keeping in mind that it implies rack rate for room and tickets. Often times, one can get a discounted room and pay for the dining plan, at an overall lower cost than free dining.

 

[Diegosmom]

I have read on here that The Plaza in MK is pretty good and the cost of the sandwiches seemed similar to QS yet you are getting a sit down. I made an ADR and we will be trying it in June...

 

[GoldenAfternoon]

Ice water is free at all of the counter service restaurants and you can also omit the side from any combo meal if you so choose

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We hauled drinks and Subway sandwiches into the parks. If we did buy a burger, we bought one drink to split among four of us, or got our own out of the locker.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We like to do breakfast buffet at 10:45 that way it serves at lunch as well.

Try to eat dinner during the lunch hour. Some places have lunch as late at
3:00 and pay the lunch price. Then just have a lite bite to eat later.

Order pizza from Flippers and have it delivered. They have pasta, subs, salads and 2 litter soft drinks.

Our big thing is that renting a car is a great deal. I am paying $92 for my mid size car next week. The money you save by eating offsite pays for the car and even put money in your pocket. there are many cheap places to eat close to DTD its well worth the renting of a car. CiCi Pizza, Sweet Tomatoe - especially when you use their 4 can eat for $20 coupon, Steak and Shake, Perkins, Kobe Japanese Habachi meals as low at $7.00 with huge portions and they cook the food infront of you so it also a little show to go with the meal.

 

[TangledMama]

We like to do breakfast buffet at 10:45 that way it serves at lunch as well.

This is one of my favorite tips! On our trip in February we have an ADR at 1900 Park Fare at 11:00am. We'll probably have cereal in our room when we wake up, and the 'breakfast' will be more of a lunch for us.

 

[McKelly]

Ice water is free at all of the counter service restaurants and you can also omit the side from any combo meal if you so choose

Just curious, how much does omitting the side reduce the price? I often don't want the side.....and neither will my DD.

 

[latmck]

We like to do breakfast buffet at 10:45 that way it serves at lunch as well.

Try to eat dinner during the lunch hour. Some places have lunch as late at
3:00 and pay the lunch price. Then just have a lite bite to eat later.

Order pizza from Flippers and have it delivered. They have pasta, subs, salads and 2 litter soft drinks.

Our big thing is that renting a car is a great deal. I am paying $92 for my mid size car next week. The money you save by eating offsite pays for the car and even put money in your pocket. there are many cheap places to eat close to DTD its well worth the renting of a car. CiCi Pizza, Sweet Tomatoe - especially when you use their 4 can eat for $20 coupon, Steak and Shake, Perkins, Kobe Japanese Habachi meals as low at $7.00 with huge portions and they cook the food infront of you so it also a little show to go with the meal.

Where can I find the coupon for Sweet Tomatoe? Where is the the Kobe Japanese Habachi and do I need a coupon for the $7 meals.

 

[JessB320]

Where can I find the coupon for Sweet Tomatoe? Where is the the Kobe Japanese Habachi and do I need a coupon for the $7 meals.

For sweet tomatoes go to their website and sign up for their emails, they will send you several coupons.