If you are staying on-site, do you eat at off-site restaurants?

[missypie]

For those who stay on-site, do you leave the Disney cocoon and eat at off-site restaurants, or do you stay on-site all the time? If you leave the World, what are the best nearby restaurants with "real world" prices?

 

[CamColt]

Im a strictly on site person. Once Im there I dont leave, even when we have a car. IMO, there are so many great restaurants in WDW, that you can only eat at while in WDW, I dont want to go elsewhere.

 

[jel0511]

We used to be strictly on-site people, but the past two years we've tried to break out. There are some good chain restaurants off WDW property, some right by the Crossroads Shopping Center and some on 192. We generally eat at the ones we can't get at home (we have Chevy's, Macaroni Grill and Cheesecake Factory near us). We love Bahama Breeze, California Pizza Kitchen at Milenia Mall and Carabbas on 192. It's also nice to have a dinner be around $50 for 4 people instead of $100 like at the WDW sit-down restaurants. We also ventured up to Universal this year and ate at Tchop Chop. The food was fabulous and it was our most expensice meal of the trip. Next year, we'll be eating at Emeril's at City Walk, it's nice to venture off sometimes. We also travel down to WDW for an entire 2 weeks, so we do need to mix it up a bit!!! On the night we venture off, we either end up at DTD or playing minigolf those nights, so it's really not at all inconvient.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

We don't rent a car so we stay onsite. I don't think we would go off site even if we did have a car. There is enough for us on property.

 

[zulaya]

Pretty much onsite with the exception of arrival and departure days. When we arrive, we used to hit the pizza place at Crossroads - Uno's - well they stopped making their Shroom pizza so we have no reason to go there. But we would do that before checking in.

On departure day, depending on the flight time, we might hit something on the way or at the airport.

Otherwise, we pretty much eacy exclusively on site - when we aren't cooking and snacking in the villas.

 

[ciera321]

We live on-site for the entire time we're at DW, guess it's part of our magic. There are so many different places to eat in the world that we love, we just stick around.

 

[erikthewise]

A couple years ago, we ate at Pizzeria Uno at Crossroads. About halfway through the meal, our younger one (6 at the time) got this strange look on his face and said "Daddy, are we still in Disney World?"

I told him we weren't, but that it was right across the street, and we would go back in right after dinner!

Last year we didn't eat off-site at all, and I don't think we will this year either. There's so many good restaurants at WDW we still haven't tried!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

We used to always stay on site and would park the car and not get in it again until the day we left but since I have learned my way around better and the park hours are shorter I often find it easier and much cheaper to go off site to eat before going to the parks or afterward.

Of course, we would never miss our favorite DW restaurants. When you go for a couple of weeks or more at a time you have plenty of time for all.

BTW, my dh and myself enjoy the Perkins at Crossroads. I am going to try UNO this time. I thought it was just pizza, not on my diet plan, until someone spoke up and I checked their menu.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[Kae]

We alwasy go to Cafe Tu Tu Tango. And we try to go to one of Emerils palces.

Kae

 

[RyMickey]

We usually do Jungle Jim's at the Crossroads Shopping Center on our first day for either lunch/dinner. Of course, this is usually before we've stepped foot in a park. Once that happens, there's no going outside.

RyMickey

 

[DisneyDiver]

We nearly always eat offsite - and in a direct comparison, the food on Citywalk is considerably better than the West Side (bar House of Blues), and I'd rather go to Perkins or Denny's for breakfast. The only restaurants we now go to on site (for dinner anyway) are HoB, LeCellier, and Rainforest Café, but we'll always eat on property for lunch.

 

[momxx5]

All Disney
All the time!


We believe that once we hit Disney property we are there to stay. (until we have to pack up and go home of course) - LOL

 

[Muushka]

We usually go to Joe's Crab Shack, Ci Ci's pizza, Miami Subs and Bahama Breeze. While we enjoy WDW food, we also enjoy this food too!

 

[rcyannacci]

Originally posted by momxx5
All Disney
All the time!


We believe that once we hit Disney property we are there to stay. (until we have to pack up and go home of course) - LOL

This describes our trips too! I don't even want to look at my car while I'm at WDW. We just save a little extra, knowing that we'll pay a bit more for food on-site, and enjoy the experience.

 

[hockey mom]

We always include a trip to Chili's on every vacation. We do our fair share of Disney restaurants also but the 2 for 1 margarita deals are too good to pass up at chilis.

 

[missypie]

Hmmm....OP here, and what is interesting is that of all of the off site restaurants you've all mentioned, we pretty much have all of them in the DFW area (except maybe for Perkins, which I've tried in other areas). Are there any nearby restaurants that are maybe just Florida or east coast or southern chains that might be neat to try?

 

[Uncleromulus]

Always on site--except for two trips to Celebration.
We can eat at Applebees, TGIF, etc around here--no need to that at WDW!!

 

[pumpkinboy]

Except for the groceries in our fridge and having a quick breakfast in the room and maybe packing sandwiches and snacks for the parks, we only eat at Disney restaurants (good thing I'm a stockholder too, eh?). And any of the off-site restaurants we've been too were not so great.

 

[Figment22]

Originally posted by missypie
Are there any nearby restaurants that are maybe just Florida or east coast or southern chains that might be neat to try?

Pebbles at the Crossroads of Lake Buena Vista is excellent. It has slightly more upscale fare still in a casual atmosphere. It is a central Florida chain with about 4 or 5 in the general area. Shells, which is on 192, is also a Florida chain. It's casual with very good seafood at very reasonable prices. The restaurant enclave on West Sand Lake Road (between the Sea World and Universal areas) has many excellent restaurants like Seasons52, Roy's, the Samba Room, FishBones, etc. Well worth a visit to this area. Also, on West Sand Lake Road is the gourmet European Bistro McDonald's. Gourmet burgers (along with the regular McD's type for the kids), panini sandwiches (DH had a grouper sandwich!), specialty pizzas, made to order omelettes at breakfast, specialty ice cream sundaes for dessert. Not your average McDonald's experience!

I'm ready to get flamed here, but those of you who never venture off Disney property are missing lots of great dining experiences. We were like you once and just got tired of paying twice the price for food that was similar in quality to what is available elsewhere for a lot less.

 

[jel0511]

Also, on West Sand Lake Road is the gourmet European Bistro McDonald's. Gourmet burgers (along with the regular McD's type for the kids), panini sandwiches (DH had a grouper sandwich!), specialty pizzas, made to order omelettes at breakfast, specialty ice cream sundaes for dessert. Not your average McDonald's experience!

How do you get here from WDW. It sounds like a GREAT place to try!!!!