Parking and Snacks

[mrsmommaburns]

I'm sorry if these have already been answered!! I looked and didn't see it anywhere. I could just be blind.

So, I wanted to know... we're planning on driving from the hotel to the park each day. What I'd like to know is... once you pay for parking at the park can you come and go during the day? Or is it you have to pay for parking EVERY time you leave and come back??

Also, does anyone have any suggestions as far as food or snacks?? We're trying to limit the amount of money we spend on food this year... since we spent way too much last year and would like to use that extra money for other FUN things... unlike eating! So does anyone know of any certain treats that are best/easiest to keep in the lockers of if they allow certain snacks in the park? Has anyone made a lunch to leave in the lockers and then gone out to eat and re-entered afterward??

Any suggestions would be helpful. Also, I had one or two more things I was wondering about and now have forgotten. So, keep an eye out for another thread from me because I'll start a new one if I remember the other questions I had!!

Thanks in advance!!

 

[PinkBudgie]

You can come and go through the parking during the day. But save your ticket.

We bring in snacks like granola bars or peanut mix in baggies along with water bottles in our backpack. The snacks are good for having a quick bite in line to hold us over. Personally, I look forward to eating there, so I don't want to make an entire lunch to bring in. But we don't always eat big, we might split something between us. Sometimes we might just have an ice cream cone for a meal.

 

[spidey_99]

I've been taking my kids alot these last few months (like every few weeks we go...season passes rock!)...we're going this Sunday and it's the first time I will be bringing our lunch and putting it in one of the lockers on Main Street (with a little cooler ice pack inside the lunch box). It's just getting that I don't want the kids to associate Disneyland with eating junk food since we now go so often. 1-2 times/year and sure, it's fun to go and pig out on the yummy but unhealthy stuff. But since we're going alot, and since there are not great healthy options at the park that my kids will eat, looks like we will be bringing the food in for most visits.

I will post this Monday and let you know how it went.


Spidey

 

[mrsmommaburns]

Thank you both of you!! Very helpful!! I'll be looking forward to Monday!

 

[mrsmommaburns]

I remembered one of my other questions....

If we were to buy three souvenier cups (one for each of us) and just buy refills all the time, does that make sense?? Would it stretch our dollar more??

I guess what I"m asking is, does the refill on the souvenier cup cost any less than if you were buying a regular drink?? and do they make the souvenier cups any smaller or bigger than a regular drink?

 

[PinkBudgie]

I haven't bought one so can't say. But you can get a free cup of ice water when you order your food. We always do this because then we spend no money on drinks. I could never drink so much soda to keep getting a big cup filled over and over. But maybe someone who has bought one can tell you more about it.

 

[DisneyFairytale]

You can come and go through the parking during the day. But save your ticket.

We bring in snacks like granola bars or peanut mix in baggies along with water bottles in our backpack. The snacks are good for having a quick bite in line to hold us over. Personally, I look forward to eating there, so I don't want to make an entire lunch to bring in. But we don't always eat big, we might split something between us. Sometimes we might just have an ice cream cone for a meal.

Excellent advice. You will do ok with fluids as they are water fountains all over the park and as for snacks, I would bring energy fruit bars. They really help tie you over between meals. One restaurant I recommend to help with the budget is the one that sits right at the foot of Space Mountain. They have great pasta at a really affordable price.

 

[bumbershoot]

I guess what I"m asking is, does the refill on the souvenier cup cost any less than if you were buying a regular drink??

Nope.

They are souvenir cups (buying the cup), not refillable cups (not buying the right to get more soda etc).



We bring granola bars, clif bars...we bring in waters and get free waters from counter service (we don't drink soda)... Many people bring in their own soda bottles. You can bring in pre-made sandwiches, but you can't bring in "fixings" if that makes sense.

And yes you get in/out privileges to the parking structure (though you might check out hydroguy's tips on lost time while driving and parking, it's in MaryJo's sticky thread that mentions Hydroguy's tips), and yes you can leave the park, have lunch, and re-enter. YOu could even put your food in a locker outside the parks, either just to the left of the DL gates, or outside the esplanade (so you don't have to take the cooler through security) behind some tall trees in the "picnic" area, so you're kinda forced to take a little break.

 

[raftislander]

We just spent a week at WDW and the thing that I took that saved us $5-9 per meal were the Crystal light lemonaid and Lipton ice tea "to go" packets. They are very small and light -you can easily carry 25 of them in a purse without any difficulty. We just asked for a free cup of ice water per person when buying our counter service meals and added these packets. My DH and I are not huge soda drinkers and we dont want DD(15) having much soda either. You will be amazed at how much drink costs add up. I also love this idea because we did not feel like we were being deprived of anything. Of course if you were a huge soda fan, you might feel differently. Also we frequently ordered two meals for three people with an extra side and found this was plenty of food. We are not small eaters either. The only issue with this is agreeing on what to order. When we shared a lunch, we did usually get an afternoon treat of some kind, but that is part of the fun. We didn't always share. Sometimes everyone got their own meal or their own snack.. Nuts, trail mix, energy bars are all transportable without danger of food poisoning being unrefrigerated all day. Are you staying at a hotel that has a free continental breakfast? Usually they have pieces of fruit. If so, pick up an extra piece of fruit for an afternoon snack. I think it is this balance of mostly being frugal but not always that allows you to have a great vacation without either breaking the bank or feeling like you are scrimping every minute

 

[Corpsebride]

I dont know how easy this would be in a hotel, but if you can bring your own pineapple spears in a zip loc bag, you will save lots. Just buy a pineapple if you are having groceries delivered , buy a knife, and just chop it up yourself. you can easily get 6+ big hunks of it at $8- total, rather than spend 3.75- per piece in the park.I also bring my own water bottle and just fill it up at Rancho Del Zocolo. they have a water service outside just by the taco sauce.
Also, if you get a small milk, and a little cup and a plastic spoon, just bring the little instant pudding single serving packs, and you can have a sugar free dessert that costs pennies and fixes the sweet tooth.

 

[Leshaface]

Nope.

They are souvenir cups (buying the cup), not refillable cups (not buying the right to get more soda etc).


We bring granola bars, clif bars...we bring in waters and get free waters from counter service (we don't drink soda)... Many people bring in their own soda bottles. You can bring in pre-made sandwiches, but you can't bring in "fixings" if that makes sense.

Last time we came with my brothers family (5 kids) it was going to cost wayy to much for them to eat at the park...so my SIL packed ham, turkey, chesse, lettuce, tomato, onions, peppericinis(sp),mustard, mayo, bread, and plastic knifes! Whew! it was quite a meal! You can bring in all that if you want to and place it in a locker like she did! It fed 10 people and saved lots of money!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Im hoping they come out with vitamin water to go packs id buy them. an get free glasses of ice water

 

[bumbershoot]

If they'd had a different CM it might not have been allowed in. I think they're mainly looking at containers, especially glass, with mayo, etc, as being contraband, but still, it's generally better to just put it altogether before going in, or you might be directed to the picnic area lockers, which means a second time in the security line (since the picnic area is out of the security area).

I personally don't want to push it.