Taken From Mousesavers.com
Best Bets
Magic Kingdom - Main Street Bake Shop is your best bet for a cheap breakfast: in addition to baked goods, mostly priced in the $2-$3 range, you can get breakfast quiche or cottage cheese and fruit for under $4. For lunch or dinner, Casey's Corner (Main Street) has hot dogs for $4 and a side of chili for $2. The Lunching Pad (Tomorrowland) offers big smoked turkey legs for around $5.50. Cosmic Ray's (Tomorrowland) has a half rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables (split it between two people) for less than $8.
Epcot - For breakfast, the cheapest option is Fountainview Cafe (Future World), which offers baked goods including bagel & cream cheese ($2.50) or a savory breakfast pocket ($4). Later in the day, Electric Umbrella (Future World) has vegetarian chili with a breadstick for $4.50. Boulangerie Patisserie (France) sells ham and cheese croissants for $3.50, ham and cheese quiche for $5 or a fruit and cheese plate for $6. Lotus Blossom Cafe (China) has several inexpensive items including two egg rolls for $4, fried rice with beef ($4), vegetable lo mein ($5) and Sichuan chicken salad ($5). Yakitori House offers teriyaki chicken for $6 and a side of kaki-age (fried mixed vegetables with shrimp) for around $2. Or walk out the International Gateway to the Spoodles Pizza window, where a slice is about $4.
Disney-MGM Studios - Starring Rolls Bakery has lots of inexpensive ($1-$2) mini baked goods for breakfast, or for something more substantial, a bagel with smoked salmon for $6. When you want lunch or dinner, Toluca Legs Turkey Company offers foot long hot dogs for $4 and big smoked turkey legs for $5.50. Backlot Express has a half grilled turkey & cheese sandwich with cranberry slaw for $6. Toy Story Pizza Planet offers a substantial salad with feta cheese and olives for $6 and several pizza options under $6.
Animal Kingdom - At breakfast, Tusker House has muffins and danish for under $2 or biscuits and gravy for $4; later in the day they sell a half rotisserie chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables (split it between two people) for $8. Pizzafari offers a basket of cheesy bread sticks with marinara sauce for $4.
Cheapest (and Healthiest) Food Item in the Parks - Fresh Fruit!
Each park has at least one fruit stand. Apples, pears, bananas, and oranges are usually around $1.
There are three fruit stands in the Magic Kingdom: on Main Street, at Liberty Square Market and in Mickey's Toontown Fair. Disney-MGM Studios has Anaheim Produce on Sunset Blvd. At Epcot, fruit is available at the Refreshment Outpost between China and Germany in World Showcase. Animal Kingdom offers fruit at Harambe Market in Africa, just outside Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Maximizing Value at Character Breakfasts
Disney's character breakfasts can be a lot of fun, and if you are traveling with kids, I strongly advise trying to budget for one. However, they are expensive!
The least expensive character breakfasts are at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort or 'Ohana at The Polynesian Resort (either of which is a quick monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom), Donald's Breakfastosaurus in Animal Kingdom or Cape May Cafe at Beach Club Resort (quick walk or boat ride from Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios). Any of these breakfasts will cost you $17.99 for adults and $9.99 for kids.
Here's a way to maximize your dollar when paying for character breakfasts, shared by MouseSavers.com reader Lisa C:
"One money saving tip we have discovered is to eat breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the latest possible time (usually a reservation around 11:15 AM) on a day when the Magic Kingdom has early entry and so everyone will be ready for lunch by then. The buffet is very substantial, and all drinks -- coffee, milk, juice, etc. -- are included, so we drink a bunch and the kids get their character breakfast at a pretty reasonable price, considering that it is really lunch. This also allows us to take advantage of the lighter crowds in the morning at the Magic Kingdom. Also, because the restaurant is not open for lunch it starts to get quiet as people with earlier seating times leave, and ALL of the characters gather together in the waiting area for group photos of just your family, which the servers will gladly take with your camera. This has happened both times we have eaten there, and so I have photos of just my family with Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, Chip and Dale!"
Clearly you could apply a similar strategy to other character breakfast locations (not just Chef Mickey's) and regardless of whether you have access to early entry. As Lisa points out, since the crowds are lightest first thing in the morning, this strategy has the added advantage of allowing you to enjoy the attractions without long lines -- instead of spending prime time eating breakfast!
You'll probably want to eat something light to keep you going in the morning (for instance, all of the parks have pastry shops offering bagels, sweet rolls, milk and juice; or you can eat a light breakfast in your room). Then book the latest possible reservation for "breakfast" -- but consider it lunch!
Best Bargain "All You Care to Eat" Buffet on Disney Property
Without a doubt, the best buffet deal is Trail's End Buffeteria at Ft. Wilderness. Dinner is $17.99 for adults and $9.99 for kids, plus tax and beverage. (Compare this with many of the other buffets at Walt Disney World, which charge around $24.99 for adults.) At dinner Trail's End offers fried chicken, barbeque pork ribs, peel and eat shrimp, a carved meat, soup, salad, side dishes and desserts. There is also a "soup and salad bar only" option at dinner for $11.50.
Breakfast (also "all you care to eat") is $11.99 for adults and $7.99 for kids. There is a "continental breakfast" option that includes all the cold items, oatmeal, coffee and tea for a lower price. All-you-care-to-eat lunch buffet costs $12.99 for adults and $8.99 for kids. At lunch there is a "soup and salad bar only" option that is less expensive than the regular buffet.
You can also get takeout food from Trail's End. A fried chicken dinner for 4 people is $19.99-$24.99.
The only tricky thing about Trail's End is getting there. The easiest way is to take a boat to Ft. Wilderness from the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Resort, or the Wilderness Lodge. From the Ft. Wilderness dock, it's just a short walk to Pioneer Hall, which is where the restaurant is located.
Super Cheap Kids' Meal
Sometimes my readers' cleverness just astounds me. Consider this discovery by MouseSavers.com reader Lisa C: "In the [resort] food courts... you can buy two slices of bread (white or wheat) for $.69 plus tax." Peanut butter is about .50, and in some food courts it's free because there are packets of it with the condiments. Jelly can be obtained for free because it's a condiment. So for around a dollar or less, you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lisa notes, "We have a five-year-old, so this was a godsend and really saved us money over having to buy combo meals all the time."
Take Advantage of Large Portion Sizes to Cut Costs
Many of the entrees and combo meals served at Walt Disney World restaurants include a large amount of food. If you are not big eaters, consider splitting an entree or combo meal between two people and possibly ordering an extra side dish or appetizer to share. We have done this many times and the server always cheerfully complied. In fact, at sit-down restaurants, usually the split entree was brought out on separate plates for us.
Here's a clever trick light eaters can use at counter-service restaurants at Walt Disney World: order one double cheeseburger combo meal, and ask for an extra bun, which at last report costs 80 cents. Then take one of the hamburger patties off the double burger, and put it on the extra bun. Most of the counter-service restaurants have a condiment bar where you can add any toppings you like to the two burgers. Split the fries and drink, or order an extra drink. This will practically cut your cost in half! Some people also split "foot-long" hot dogs using this method. This tip works especially well when you have two small kids who don't eat a lot. Thanks to rams408 for the idea.
Adults looking for a smaller portion at the counter-service restaurants should not hesitate to order from the kids' menu. No one will know you're ordering the kids meal for an adult! This is not allowed at full-service restaurants, however.
A good option at sit-down restaurants, and one that works well for someone dining alone, is to substitute an appetizer for your entree. For instance, order two appetizers instead of an appetizer and an entree, or order an appetizer instead of an entree, thus leaving yourself room for dessert. Be sure to inquire about the portion size first -- some appetizers are substantial and filling, but some aren't.
Don't Pay For Extras You Don't Want
In the parks, the counter-service menus often list only complete meals, such as a sandwich with fries or fruit, entree with corn on the cob, etc. A little known fact is that you can order anything you want a la carte! If you just want the sandwich, say so. Otherwise you may be paying up to $2 for that side item you don't want. This applies to adult meals only -- kids' meals are only sold as a package.
Here's a related tip: reader Hadley B writes, "The last time we ate at the Backlot Express in MGM I was reeling from the $5.00 kid's meal prices and asked why they were so expensive at this one place. I was told I could order the same meal without the little plastic souvenir box for $1.50 less. With several kids this adds up fast. My kids were definitely willing to put the money towards an ice cream later in the day rather than have a rather useless plastic box (which would have been a pain to keep up with all day). The cashier told me that any time a counter service kid's meal comes with one of these boxes, ordering without it and saving $1.50 is an option."
Please tell me I am not going to be thumbing it back home.....
it will all work out! Have fun , We leave in Nine days
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I carry apples in as well as bags of goldfish crackers and the packs of crackers with spreadable cheese. All items that are not "thrifty" in the real world, but they make toting our own food a little more fun for the kids 
but I think it's right that if you want to eat out Trail's End is a good way to go AND if you want a more removed (yet still fun) place to eat with your own food the seating there would be nice. And a quick boat ride from MK. Also you could take the kids to the petting area while there. More cheap (free) stuff...the evening campfire with Chip & Dale & the movie there. Biring a bag of marshmallows & you can roast them there.
