PLEASE help me get my dinning down so I can go Camping

[tinksgilrs251520]

Ok all my veteran campers i need honest opinions on my plan. Right now I have a package reservation at ASMu. I am staying for 2 weeks (not willing to give up length of stay) I have a 7 day ticket and I have the DDP attached to my reservation. I am paying about 4300 for everything. my original plan was to go camping and my daughter is totally on board with this so thats not a issue, I am flying down and would be renting a rv from a rental agency who would set up and take down (hes been awesome) I had booked a site and changed my mind and switched to the values but after rethinking things I am contemplating doing the camping thing again and I know that I have to act quick on getting a site booked. I usually go the last two weeks when free dinning if offered but it looks like i can really not count on that and the dinning is really killing me so i rethought and here is my plan:

1. Have some dry groceries shipped to the Fort
2. Rent the RV
3. Limit OOP meals to quick service and a few Table service meals
4. Rest of meals cook quick meals at the campsite
5. Have garden grocer deliver more foods
6. And enjoy the Fort
7. Buy tickets from undercover tourist
8. Instead of doing a package do everything separate

And another question ---- How many People out there go back to the site to have a meal and then go back to the parks ...My girls and love EMH at night so i am thinking I can cut even more off my dinning budget by doing that..
PLEASE PLEASE give my advice I need .....Thanks all

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

bump oh bump

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Do it.

We go back to the camp to eat a lot. What I mean is , we go back a lot to the camp to eat,,,,during the day and between parks.Kinda gives us a break from the rush/hectic crowds of the parks.




and bonus, I can toss a line while my wife fixes us something to eat before we head back to a park.

 

[2goofycampers]

Ways to save.

Eat the TS meals at lunch if possible, it's cheaper than dinner $.

You can save at some restaurants using a Disney Visa card, 10%.

Duke of Earl at DTD has a 15% discount using AAA card.

Eat breakfast at the RV everyday.

Carry some drinks and snacks with you to the parks.

Maybe you can carry some dry foods on the plane with you.

 

[amylevan]

We almost always come back to the camper early afternoon. We rest, swim, let the kids play, ride bikes, have dinner, and then head back out for evening entertainment.

We eat CS for lunch in the parks, but you could just as easily pack a lunch to save money, too.

I highly recommend crock pot cooking. I put dinner on before we leave in the morning, and its ready to eat with minimal fuss later.

 

[KristinU]

We're "high maintenance" eaters (low sodium, clean, organic...) so we only eat at restaurants a few times in a week as special meals. Not a big deal to pack lunches to take into the parks. We have an older version of this Igloo Backpack and make little bento box lunches using the ziploc sectioned containers. We do a lot of wraps, salads, pasta salads, some veggies and hummus, along with some crackers or chips and a piece of fruit. Pretty easy and economical (and reduces stress for us, especially on the sodium thing.) We can always find a spot to sit and have lunch - just make sure you aren't taking precious table space from a QS restaurant. We've also been at busy times on the last couple of trips, so we have been hitting rope drop then go back for lunch and fun at the Fort, that works out really well, especially since we're early risers anyway.

 

[bama_ed]

tink,

I'm not sure I understand why you would go to the trouble to dry ship some groceries and then get others from gardengrocer or wegoshop. I'd say let them handle it all for you and schedule it to be delivered on the day you arrive. And maybe once more since you'll be there for a while.

The economics of free dining can't be overlooked since room-wise you're comparing the cost of a value room to the a Fort campsite PLUS the cost of a rental trailer.

Like KristinU, we pack a picnic meal when we go to the parks and rent a locker at the park to stash it in until it's time to eat. Breakfast is at the trailer (yogurt, cereal, microwave pancakes, etc-something easy) and the third meal is either Counter or Table Service. When we do TS we do lunch since it's cheaper usually. For example at MK we stash the lunch in a locker then pull it and eat it on top of the MK trains station on the benches and chairs/tables looking down Main Street - very nice view for our meal.

Honestly I think two weeks in a hotel room would feel claustrophobic after a while. You can also get a pizza delivered to the Fort Wilderness checkin area (or order one from Trails End takeout). All the big pizza chains deliver.

Also if you don't have a car and need a few grocery items, the Hess gas stations on property have a surprising variety of items at reasonable prices. The easiest one for you to get to at the Fort would be to take the bus to Downtown Disney then walk through the parking lot out across Buena Vista Drive (the main road through DTD) at the red light/cross walk and visit the Hess there on the corner.

Of course on this board we favor staying at the Fort but you do what makes cents and sense for you.

Bama Ed

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

OMG.... Thank you all for the excellent advice I think we will do the camping thing I cant miss the chance to not get a site and wait for the hope off free dinning to be offered. As I sit here and think about there is a time of the day when we do get a little overwhelmed (not me, the girls) we get a little , well "*****y" and the break would do us good. Plus I am looking to do a little less parks and take advantage of the things DTD and the Fort has to offer. Trying to make two teenage girls amused is a chore in a half...So This week I will make me reservations agian at The Fort.

Just one more thing do alot of you guys use undercover tourist and do all aspects of your trip separate or should I book a package?

 

[tiggerdad]

I personally book a package because I prefer to lump things together. I have not used undercover tourist, since I usually book my own things. Again, it's just a personal preference.
I have seen several leave the booking to others, or book directly with Disney, or use other services. All of them seem to do just fine. It really depends on how much you want to do yourself. Any of them are fine, just keep up with discounts and try not to overburden yourself and make the trip a bad experience.

Sent from my Desire HD using DISBoards

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

I am gonna book hopefully tomorrow and was just wondering if I can book a package using my AAA discount or does that only apply to site only? And can I just switch my reservation from Music to The fort or do I need to make a whole new reservation

 

[2goofycampers]

I am gonna book hopefully tomorrow and was just wondering if I can book a package using my AAA discount or does that only apply to site only? And can I just switch my reservation from Music to The fort or do I need to make a whole new reservation

When using KTTW cards you could buy from UCT and transfer them to the card. I would suppose you can still do that with the magic bands.

To book a AAA package you must go through a AAA TA. Site only you can use WDW reservations. If it's not available, make your reservation and keep trying right up until check-in.

You will need a whole new reservation.

 

[KristinU]

We used to be DVC owners, so I think we got used to buying admission separately and not packages. We've purchased tix through Undercover Tourist a couple of times (withe the Mousesavers link) and have had no problems at all. We've never done the linking thing and just carried separate tix, but with the magic bands it might be worth linking for the convenience.

The times I'm feeling brave enough to leave the calmness of the Camping board to hop over to the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies board, I have seen some posts complaining about the inability to link UT tix to magicbands and people having to call Disney IT to help...but I would think that these are growing pains with the rollout.

 

[veraletta]

tinksgilrs251520 you said you are staying for 14 days and have park tickets for 7 of those day. Our last trip we did the one day park and next day fort.. I have to tell you that we had the best time doing one day on one day off. We are AP holders so park tickets are a wash for us.

We saved a lot of money on food, as the fort day we would cook out or go buy the Giddyup and Go - 10 pieces of chicken $23.39 dinner, which was cheap and believe it or not we fed 6 of us and we still had some left overs.

I think you will enjoy the break from the park.. like you said you can go to downtown Disney...

As far as doing a package deal, I've done it and love it too.. as it's easy to use, but only thing is,that it really didn't save us any money...
So I find paying out of pocket cheaper for us.

As far as going back to camp site after being at the park... I can't remember us ever leaving the park to go eat at camp site, but it would be easy to do tho... The reason we don't go back is because we all have our favorite food and it's hard to fit it all in...

 

[Betty Rohrer]

if you are able to do a day or 2 depend on season of year at the water parks. my teen daughters loved going there.

 

[PEC]

if you are able to do a day or 2 depend on season of year at the water parks. my teen daughters loved going there.

My plan next summer with my 13 yo DD twins is to just go to the water parks a couple of days. There is so much to do at FW that the OP could easily just do a couple of days at the Fort with the teens and still have fun.

Yes the camping may cost more if renting an RV vs staying in ASM but by 2 weeks the walls will be closing on you pretty quick at ASM. For 2 weeks I would definitely do the camping.