Packing Food for our trip? Good idea or not?

[brocklesnar69]

The last time my GF and I went to WDW, the majority of our money was spent of food. We were only there for twelve fays, but we ended up spending like $500 on food alone. We tried our best to save as much money as possible, but it still seemed like overall we spent way too much.

So, I recently had a bright idea, and was wondering if it would be a good or not.

We have two very large suit cases. Last time we went, we each had one to ourself. We ended up packing 5x the ammount of clothes we actually needed. So this time I was thinking, "Why dont we use one bag to split and put both of our clothes in, while we load the other bag to the brim with food!"

I figure if we can pack all sorts of goodies, it'll hopefully cut down a lot on our overall food spending bill. But I have to wonder, would any airport allow me to take a suitcase which was filled with nothing but food? (NOT a carry-on, but an actual suit case, which they stow under the plane) Like: Crackers; Pop Tarts; Bagals; Cereal; Muffins; Oatmeal; Energy Bars; Hot Coco mix; Marshmellows (for coco); Sliced Cheese; Loaf of Bread; Sliced Turkey; Candy bars; Graham Crackers; Trail Mix; Dried Fruit; Etc....

I figure this would save me a lot of money. We'd probably eat Lunch in the parks, while Dinner would most likely be back in our rooms.

Would this be a good idea? Do Airports allow it? I dont want to be told "Throw it away, or leave it with the person who dropped you off."

Thanks!

 

[mommymeg]

That's what we're doing!!!

We have purchased the dining plan, but I've already got a box full of breakfast items... cereal, pop tarts, granola bars and different snacks to take with us to the park. The night before we leave I'll pick up some bagels and possibly some fruit..

I've never heard of airlines having a problem with checked luggage containing food... I would just be hesitant to bring any refrigerated items... even if you freeze them...you never know how long it will actually take your bag to get to the same destination as you...

I picked up some plastic containers from the dollar store to help avoid anything getting crushed... then on the way home, we'll have an empty suitcase for souveneirs or dirty clothes!!

I'd also recommend double bagging any liquids in ziplocs...just in case!

 

[Lori1960]

I would not take refriaged foods.

 

[MariDisney]

As long as you're within the guidelines of things allowed and not allowed by the TSA, you'd be fine bringing those sorts of dry foods. I wouldn't pack anything liquid. The airline doesn't care if you have shirts or pop tarts in your suitcase. Just be keenly aware of the price your airline charges for bags and over weight bags. The food will weigh more than clothes, I would think. You don't want to spend more having the bag get there than you would save by eating things you bring.

Personally, we've brought breakfast foods in the past, but have generally ended up not eating them and buying food anyway. We rent a car, so we do always make a stop at Wal Mart or a grocery store and buy some snack foods and adult beverages to have in the room.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

It is a good idea! It could save you a considerable amount of money. We've brought food in the past, but usually didn't eat it, but we are going to try again this year. Since breakfast can usually cost over $25 for a family of four in the parks, we figure we will buy the refillable mugs to get drinks, then just eat some cereal we bring along. I would also suggest bringing apples and bananas because they are quite expensive on disney property. Oh, and as long as you follow the guidelines, the airline shouldn't have problem. Have a great trip!!

 

[Starlilly]

DEFINETLY A GOOD IDEA!!!

We always pack extra food in our luggage. It saves a lot of money on food, its definetly going to make or break your budget for this vacation.

Any non parishables are great. Some of my favorites are the mini boxed cereals (like, for kids. lol) , cracker packs, granola, bagles & spread, chips, ect. And you can just buy milk at the general store at your resort.

I will NEVER go to disney without packing food. Its a god send!

I would just pack all your food into your checked luggage (not carry on) as you could potentially run into problems passing through security. You just never know what will fly these days

hope this helps!

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Last year I shipped a box of snacks to our resort before we left home. It didn't cost much to do so. I've not tried putting anything in our suitcases though.

If you are a costco member you can ship a case of water (no shipping charges) by ordering on line. I want to say we paid around $7 for 24 bottles last year. That saved us a lot as well.

 

[Starlilly]

Reading through some of the other posts it looks like some people arent satisfied with the snacks they bring and buy food anyway

I personally have never had this problem, but who cant really be tempted by the yummy smells everywhere, lol?

I suppose it just requires some planning. Always bring snacks with you to the parks, in the very least it can curb your hunger so you dont end up buying the biggest meal on the menu!

Unless you usually stop by the resort for a break, it wouldnt be practical to plan to go back to the resort just to eat. The conveinence of buying food in the park willl win every time. The best thing to do is eat breakfast at the hotel before you leave for the park, or eat at night after your day.And just make sure to buy foods you already enjoy.

 

[sueh]

For my trip in January we will be taking breakfast items and snacks items.

My kids aren't big breakfast eaters so they would be happy with cereal and poptarts.
Last July when I was there I bought a bag of chips and almost had a heartattack. They were like $2.69 or something crazy.
This trip I will be packing some snacks!

 

[disszilagyi]

I would not take refriaged foods.

We took Pop Tarts. Took them out of the box so they didnt take up much room.

 

[aidtrismommy]

If you have young kids, packing snacks is a good idea because they don't really have a concept of time and can't "wait" for lunch or whatever. (at least mine can't) It is not realistic to go back to a hotel to eat and then go back to the parks (unless you are done for the day) Plus, after a while, won't you get sick of snacks for a meal? I mean, I would start craving a steak if all I had to eat were granola bars and pop tarts I think for it to actually save money, limit yourself to breakfast and snack items, food weighs a lot too and you may have to pay the airline if it is too heavy. Eat breakfast in your room and then plan to share a lunch and then eat a well balanced dinner. You will be doing a lot of walking and will need to eat well to replace your calories. That's my 2 cents.

 

[jakoky]

hi there, we leave for DL in 2 1/2 weeks, and i have many boxes of granola bars, fruit snacks and many other munchies...they will go in a suitcase and coming home that suitcase will carry all the stuff my 3 teenagers buy ...we always pack snacks like this for the in between munching(still gotta buy some disney treats, like churros)...really, these snacks are great at the motel...my kids are always hungry...we have never had a problem taking the food in a checked suitcase...

 

[princessfionasmom]

Have you thought about maybe using a grocery delivert service? We used gardengrocer last time and it was great. There is also wegoshop. The difference is gardengrocer has a list on their website to choose from (they will make a liquor stop if you request it), their prices are slightly higher than the store and there is a delivery fee. Wegoshop will shop where you ask them to and will also make a liquor store stop. The also have a fee. The fee is not that big and there is a minimum order but from what I've read that won't be a problem for you. Lot's of people over on the DVC boards use these two and all I've read are good reviews. We are going to use on of them for our Oct trip so I don't have to bring a lot of stuff with us. Good luck!

 

[Starlilly]

Have you thought about maybe using a grocery delivert service? We used gardengrocer last time and it was great. There is also wegoshop. The difference is gardengrocer has a list on their website to choose from (they will make a liquor stop if you request it), their prices are slightly higher than the store and there is a delivery fee. Wegoshop will shop where you ask them to and will also make a liquor store stop. The also have a fee. The fee is not that big and there is a minimum order but from what I've read that won't be a problem for you. Lot's of people over on the DVC boards use these two and all I've read are good reviews. We are going to use on of them for our Oct trip so I don't have to bring a lot of stuff with us. Good luck!

Liquor store stop!?!? That could make things pretty interesting thanks for the info!