Large family, small budget... driving... food ideas for room or dining?

[gunner2010]

We always bring an electric skillet on vacation. Works for burgers, grilled sandwiches, pancakes, etc.

We would have you remove it from your room in my hotel. It is against fire codes. If you did not, we would make you leave.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I would love to see someone quote chapter and verse of the Florida, Orange County, or Osceola County fire code, building code, whatever that states small kitchen appliances are not allowed in hotel rooms. I can't find it. I wonder if it's kind of like the commonly held belief that federal wage hour laws require an employer to give 2 15 minute breaks in a shift or even a lunch break to workers (they don't, but individual states might). http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/008.htm

And the idea that hotel wiring is somehow substandard or inferior to residential wiring is questionable - I mean, think about it. REALLY? Maybe in an old hotel with old, un-updated wiring, but in a modern hotel?

Is it rude to cook in your hotel room? I think so. It literally smells, and hotel rooms don't have the same ventilation options (including windows that open!) as a residential kitchen. But is it illegal or against some code? Not so sure about that.

Here's a link to the average amperage for household appliances. http://www.georgiapower.com/in-your-community/electric-safety/chart.cshtml The key is how much load a circuit can handle at one time. For example, we have a small toaster oven and a pretty big microwave in our breakroom at work, and we learned by tripping the breaker that we can't run both at the same time. Look at the amps of a coffee pot and iron - pretty sure you couldn't run both of those at the same time on the same circuit, whether it's a hotel room or home. I don't think a random crockpot or electric skillet could hold a candle to a roomful of teenage girls using blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and a boombox all at once, but no one bats an eye at that scenario.

 

[Egdisney]

How many days are you staying? If you aren't staying too long I don't see why you couldn't live mostly off of hotdogs and sandwiches. Breakfast is easy, cereal, oatmeal, fruit. Lunch in the parks could be sandwiches or wraps. I have an awesome backpack cooler from Thirty-one gifts. A sandwich on whole wheat bread and an apple goes a long way. And then when you are back to the hotel hotdogs, mac and cheese, scrambled eggs, etc. Think about it like you are camping. What would you pack then? Also, everyone says that Earl of Sandwich in DTD is delicious and has great prices. I just looked on allears and it looks like a hot sandwich is only 5.99! A quick search tells me that you can have pizza delivered from outside. Just go to the Pizza Hut website, for example, and find the closest one. If you are lucky they will be running the any large for $10 promo. I love the idea about eating around the world by sharing! We are having breakfast at Akershus, I think we will do lunch that way! You could also do Disney pizza delivery, I looked that up on allears also. It looks like you could get 2 large for a little more than $40 including gratuity and all that.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I was also going to suggest staying offsite in a condo since you mentioned you are a large family, are on a budget, and will have transportation covered since you are driving; but then I read through the thread and saw where you said you can't change your plans to stay at AS Music because of the discount you have. We are staying offsite in a 3 bedroom condo for our upcoming May trip but for our last trip we stayed in the AS Music family suite so I am familiar with the layout of that particular room. There is a kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, coffee pot, and small sink. The idea of bringing pre-cooked meals is great, but the mini fridge isn't that big so keeping a lot of stuff refrigerated may be a challenge. Having your own vehicle is a plus so you will be able to go to the grocery store and stock up on bottled water, juice, snacks, breakfast foods, and some lunch foods like bread, cold cuts and microwaveable soup and macaroni and cheese. You should be able to store at least a couple half gallons of milk, yogurt, cheese, cold cuts, and some fruit in that mini fridge. You will definitely save money by eating breakfast in the room on most days, taking your own water and snacks into the parks, and sometimes even packing a lunch to take to the parks (a soft sided cooler bag with sandwiches, wraps, soup in a thermos, grapes, pretzels, etc.). You can even consider splitting some counterservice meals if you decide to buy lunch in the parks. There are also plenty of offsite restaurants that are a lot less expensive to eat at than the park or resort restaurants and food courts since you will have your own vehicle. I like the idea of the rotisserie chicken meal from Publix which is definitely an affordable dinner option if you don't have cooking appliances and want a break from restaurant food. Have a magical trip, you will love All Star Music

 

[sweetdana]

I like the idea of freezing items... my mind is full of ideas; if they are frozen when we leave (we have a deep freeze so theybwill be rock solid)... do you think we can reasonably keep these items for another 4-5 days if it is something like fried bacon, sloppy joes, cooked n frozen hamburger (no poultry)... of couse I will have them in their own cooler wih lots of ice (there is no freezer in the mini fridge) to keep them as cold as possible.

Thx for all the ideas.... so helpful!

Already cooked bacon at the grocery store is way better/cleaner/easier.. 7.99 for a family pack where I live. We use it all the time. BLTs as an evening snack, or a 1 day lunch with chips all non refrigerator stuff.

Order pizza 1 night, and eat it for lunch or dinner next day.

In park cheaper place are Liberty tree for lunch ONLY. Char, meal would be either Donald's Saf breakfast, or swan and dolphins. Sticking mostly to QS.

POR has one of the most fantastic make your own pasta bars... highly recommend it. Also DTD's T-rex or rain forest are nice/ fairly reasonable.

Bringing all breakfasts. (cereal/oatmeal/toast/ bagels/ pop tarts (Note cream cheese is actually free at SSR, and BC. (Haven't tried ASM.) actually asked and there is no charge not encouraging you to take 30 of them. They also have free butter/jelly)
Bring all snacks. (granola bars/ chips/ cheese and cracker snacks), evening snacks (micro popcorn, salsa and chips).

Drinks only cost refill mugs for 15$ a person and get your caffeine intake needs, and free water in park. Would save you tons.

If you managed to eat say 1-2 lunches (BLT, and maybe something left over pizza ) and 1-2 dinners (pizza, and maybe tuna sandwiches ( or another canned/non fridge dinner) even better.

Offsite dinner 1 day.

Cutting out the cotton candy, the popcorn, the pops will do wonders to your budget.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We would have you remove it from your room in my hotel. It is against fire codes. If you did not, we would make you leave.

Remind me to stay elsewhere in your town, wherever that is

 

[CrAzY4DL]

Already cooked bacon at the grocery store is way better/cleaner/easier.. 7.99 for a family pack where I live. We use it all the time. BLTs as an evening snack, or a 1 day lunch with chips all non refrigerator stuff.

Where is already cooked bacon at the grocery store? That sounds AWESOME as I seem to always annihilate bacon even cooking it. Are you talking about the microwave bacon? Or for real already cooked delicious bacon? Thanks for your time!

 

[bear74]

We regularly share meals and only stay onsite. Here are my tips for staying onsite and great value and food. HS= Last time we went to 50's prime time it was a ton of fun but portions were tiny and we are light eaters. I think there were four French green beans on my plate and that's it. Read recent reviews and look at pics before you pic that one if you want to share. I think you will be there when they are offering the fantasmic dinner boxes that you can pick up, those sound interesting. HS is my least favorite park to eat at. One option is to boat over to the boardwalk and get a pizza at the walk up window. Good value you get to see the boardwalk entertainment and usually fireworks if you time it right. Great way to end an evening.

AK-FLAME TREE BBQ- great food bigger portions, their fruit and yogurt bowl is huge and super fresh. Great sandwiches and sides big enough for our family to share. Really great and nice area to sit down by the lake and watch the birds.

MK= I believe I have read that cosmic rays has a great rotisserie combo meal big enough to share. Look at pics and menu of Be our guest for lunch. I ate lunch their with a friend and sandwiches were reasonably priced and big enough to share. My kids are gonna share the steak sandwich for lunch next trip and the atmosphere was great. My kids cant stand the Disney kids meals so they usually share an adult meal or get a snack and share with one of the adults. ALso Casey corner dogs are big enough for kids to share and we always share fries.

EPCOT- Eat your way around the CS World! Really fun! We are a family of five . We start at England and share one basket of fish and chips. THen to France for an item at the bakery or crepes(the bakery items are usually under $3) everyone gets one item there. Then to Morocco for one sampler plate .Everyone try it. Snow cone or sushi to share at Japan. Dumplings and eggrolls are cheap in CHina. Nachos in Mexico. Split a sandwich in Norway. In France we all get one item at bakery or share a crepe and everyone is full by the end and feels like they went on a mini food adventure.( we don't do all of these each time just some of our favorites) NOt our most well balanced meal but fun. We spend about the same as if we sat down and all ordered one thing. The other fun thing is that dessert sometimes come s in the middle!

We do epcot two days so on the other day, we always do sunshine seasons. Plenty to share there(especially the Asian stirfry dishes) and wonderful quality. YOu can also share the pizza at Via Napoli. My best advice on sharing is to just watch the people as they walk away. See if it looks good and big enough to share. That is often how we pick. All three of my kids(4.9.and12) share one adult entree and the fruit and cheese sampler in the cold section and there is enough for me to have some of the fruit/cheese too. Hope this helps! these are our favorite place and a sure fire way to have options besides a chicken nugget.

oh thanks for the ideas

 

[momontheright]

And apples are juicy and satisfying.

Another thing I have always done it to take a rubbermaid pitcher which I fill with ice in the morning and the evening.
It will give you cold water when you get back to the room and if you refill it at night it is cold water to fill water bottles.
I like to pack snacks into the pitcher as to not waste any space.

.

Love this idea!!

 

[sweetdana]

Where is already cooked bacon at the grocery store? That sounds AWESOME as I seem to always annihilate bacon even cooking it. Are you talking about the microwave bacon? Or for real already cooked delicious bacon? Thanks for your time!

Well at my krogers it is in a stand (non refrig) right next to the meat cases.. I have not bought one bellow.. but I have tried 2 different kinds and VERY happy with both! zero mess.. my grocery store has a small pack of line 12 pieces for 5.99 ish and a big pack of I think 30 ish for 7.99


I found a link at walmart below..

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hormel-Fully-Cooked-Bacon-7.56-oz/22259067

 

[CrAzY4DL]

Nice thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Well at my krogers it is in a stand (non refrig) right next to the meat cases.. I have not bought one bellow.. but I have tried 2 different kinds and VERY happy with both! zero mess.. my grocery store has a small pack of line 12 pieces for 5.99 ish and a big pack of I think 30 ish for 7.99


I found a link at walmart below..

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hormel-Fully-Cooked-Bacon-7.56-oz/22259067

I get Kroger brand precooked bacon - 15 slices per package - usually two packages for $5 on sale or $2.99 or 3.99 per package. I usually give it 30 seconds in the microwave to make it a bit crispier. Especially if I am using it for quiche.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I would love to see someone quote chapter and verse of the Florida, Orange County, or Osceola County fire code, building code, whatever that states small kitchen appliances are not allowed in hotel rooms. I can't find it. I wonder if it's kind of like the commonly held belief that federal wage hour laws require an employer to give 2 15 minute breaks in a shift or even a lunch break to workers (they don't, but individual states might). http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/008.htm

And the idea that hotel wiring is somehow substandard or inferior to residential wiring is questionable - I mean, think about it. REALLY? Maybe in an old hotel with old, un-updated wiring, but in a modern hotel?

Is it rude to cook in your hotel room? I think so. It literally smells, and hotel rooms don't have the same ventilation options (including windows that open!) as a residential kitchen. But is it illegal or against some code? Not so sure about that.

Here's a link to the average amperage for household appliances. http://www.georgiapower.com/in-your-community/electric-safety/chart.cshtml The key is how much load a circuit can handle at one time. For example, we have a small toaster oven and a pretty big microwave in our breakroom at work, and we learned by tripping the breaker that we can't run both at the same time. Look at the amps of a coffee pot and iron - pretty sure you couldn't run both of those at the same time on the same circuit, whether it's a hotel room or home. I don't think a random crockpot or electric skillet could hold a candle to a roomful of teenage girls using blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and a boombox all at once, but no one bats an eye at that scenario.

Hotels are privately owned companies and have the right to enact any rules they want for the safety of their guests. They don't need to wait for a law to require it.

The other issue is cleaning the cooking devices. Bathroom sinks don't handle the grease and food particles like a kitchen sink with garbage disposal might.

And then there is the smell.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Hotels are privately owned companies and have the right to enact any rules they want for the safety of their guests. They don't need to wait for a law to require it.

The other issue is cleaning the cooking devices. Bathroom sinks don't handle the grease and food particles like a kitchen sink with garbage disposal might.

And then there is the smell.

Don't disagree with a hotel being able to set whatever rules they want.

That said, if a hotel room has a microwave in the room, one has to assume dirty dishes and/or grease (not to mention food smells) is going to be generated.

 

[Trish.Glenn]

Don't disagree with a hotel being able to set whatever rules they want.

That said, if a hotel room has a microwave in the room, one has to assume dirty dishes and/or grease (not to mention food smells) is going to be generated.

And the original post is staying in a family suite at ASM with a kitchenette. Isn't disney encouraging some kind of cooking in the room?

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

And the original post is staying in a family suite at ASM with a kitchenette. Isn't disney encouraging some kind of cooking in the room?

This makes me wonder too because I remember that as soon as you turn the kitchen light on (in the AS Music fam suite kitchenette) an exhaust fan immediately comes on. The kitchenette at AS Music is in its own little hallway area too, not open to the living room like the kitchenette in the Art of Animation suite is. We were on the quick service dining plan on our last trip so we didn't really "cook" anything, just made coffee, cereal, toasted bagels and waffles(we brought a cheapo toaster with us that we got at Walmart), made microwaveable mac n' cheese and popcorn, and kept milk, juice, yogurt, and leftover desserts from our meals refrigerated.

 

[Jellyboy]

Windsor Hills is a nice place reasonably cheap.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I don't have any suggestions on food, but will say that Frontierland overlooking the Rivers of America is lovely place to enjoy a sandwich.

 

[robinb]

Hotels are privately owned companies and have the right to enact any rules they want for the safety of their guests. They don't need to wait for a law to require it.

The other issue is cleaning the cooking devices. Bathroom sinks don't handle the grease and food particles like a kitchen sink with garbage disposal might.

And then there is the smell.

The All Star Suites already has a cooking device provided and they also have a small kitchen sink. I really don't consider the ASM Suites to be any different than a DVC studio.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Hotels are privately owned companies and have the right to enact any rules they want for the safety of their guests. They don't need to wait for a law to require it.

The other issue is cleaning the cooking devices. Bathroom sinks don't handle the grease and food particles like a kitchen sink with garbage disposal might.

And then there is the smell.

I completely agree about hotel owners - their properties, their rules. My only point is I don't think it's against any fire code or law, and that is what the no-cooking folks point to every single time, along with the wiring thing.

I DO have something funny to add - I work in a rather staid office (by necessity, it's staid), in an old historic building, on the 3rd floor. Last Friday someone on the 2nd floor decided it was a fabulous idea to bring "shrimp from the Dollar Tree" for lunch. Canned shrimp, I guess? Who does that???? You cannot imagine how stinky the whole building was. That smell came wafting up the staircase with a vengeance.