Restaurants to choose that will reduce food costs without anyone noticing?

[wendow]

I swear every time I hear about splitting meals I always think, where?

Seriously.

Op be wary. this is what happens to us when splitting meals and I've tried every restaurant on site.

So let's say Peco's bills. yes it may be too much for me but it has never been enough to fill 2 adults. Now when I go to the toppings bar I generally don't fill my plate with the salad and green peppers. so what happens with us, we split a meal (even tried the old get one double burger and ask for a bun trick) and for the first hour after lunch every thing is cool.

Then the person who didn't get enough fries or whatever is hungry and whatever we save is lost with snacking.

Now in the interest of full disclosure, my sons were 6ft tall from 9 years. they NEVER ate on the kids menu.

We get a large pizza on via Napoli and a family sharing salad and there is never any extra.

Same thing with the supposedly rotisserie chicken. Yes I totally agree it's too much for me but me and dh tried splitting it. I think 30 minutes later I was at the ice cream shop ordering a sundae.

so once again any thing we saved with splitting the chicken is lost.

You quoted my post in response to sharing meals but I was saying I get a kid's meal as do my "Disney adult" dd's. I actually prefer to get my own kid's meal vs. sharing. I will usually only go for sharing if I know a snack is soon in my future LOL or I am not all that hungry to begin with. I do find many of the kid's meals to be plenty of food.

 

[hollypoast]

You could also buy gift cards at Target with a red card and save 5% off the cost of the gift cards.

yep, doing this too

 

[friend2Figment]

If eating at AK Yak Yeti counter it is owned by the same Co as Rainforest Cafe. You should be able to use GC bought at a discount. My tween kids love the fried rice & sweat n sour chicken two of them split one and gave their 2 yr old DC some. Really will depend on how big of eater your family is.

 

[friend2Figment]

At MK we love Peco's Bills, the taco salad could be shared, they give you a shell with the meat and you fill it with many options on the fixings bar. For under $9.00.
DTD our vote is Earl of sandwich. Sign up for their members club and you get a free sandwich. Id is required.
Our bring some Disney themed snacks such as fruit snacks or crackers. We had beef sticks. My kids would rather snack on the go or in line then sitting and waiting at TS meals.

 

[aprilchem]

But Op is concerned about cost, she specifically said she wants to reduce cost.

From a cost perspective, it was more expensive when we split a meal, than an hour later we're buying 4 ice cream sundaes.

Now I understand that people have different eating styles but on the dis people tout disney portion sizes like they're enormous, IMO there are not. pecos Bill burger combo is no bigger than a quarter pounder medium meal from McDonald's
The chicken is not a roaster size chicken

I do understand not wanting the stuff feeling while walking around but I also don't like having to eat again 30 minutes after a meal. i don't eat lunch at noon and then eat again at 12:30 regularly

A quarter pounder medium meal at McDonald's has 824 calories, if you choose diet soda or water as your drink. That would be two meals in our house for adults - we shoot for about 400 cal/meal. I'd probably split that by 3 for my kids, with a milk to drink. So I'd consider that a splittable meal.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Thank you to the other poster that feels like the meals are not huge and shareable. I always thought I was the weirdo on the Dis that didn't think portions were so huge. DH and I are what I would consider average size portion eaters and there is no way we could share a sandwich and fries for lunch on a day we were walking 10 miles and be full. Other than leaving a few fries here and there, I generally finish my meals at Disney.

 

[eliza61]

A quarter pounder medium meal at McDonald's has 824 calories, if you choose diet soda or water as your drink. That would be two meals in our house for adults - we shoot for about 400 cal/meal. I'd probably split that by 3 for my kids, with a milk to drink. So I'd consider that a splittable meal.

that's cool and I think that points to what my point is. Different folks eat differently. In my house with 3 6ft meals, everyone gets their own quarter pounder. I myself can eat a medium meal one all by my lonesome.

My son who plays collegiate football will get a large big mac meal and a salad and eat every bite of it. I will admit I've never monitored calories in our house.

So my main point is that sharing does not always save a family money. If I ate at noon and split my quarter pounder meal with my husband, I guarantee you that by one or one thirty at the latest we would be spending another 20 bucks on snacks.

Remember the title of the thread was to save money. that's what I was referring too.

 

[eliza61]

Thank you to the other poster that feels like the meals are not huge and shareable. I always thought I was the weirdo on the Dis that didn't think portions were so huge. DH and I are what I would consider average size portion eaters and there is no way we could share a sandwich and fries for lunch on a day we were walking 10 miles and be full. Other than leaving a few fries here and there, I generally finish my meals at Disney.

Actually there is a large portion of folks on the dis who also have never had success with the splitting meal trick.ESPECIALLY between two adults. once in a while the question comes up on the dining board and many folks are just as flummoxed at all these supposedly large meals. LOL, I've gone to Disney annually for the last 18 years and every year I try with no luck. I may have been able to do it when my boys were 5,6 or 7. My dh would flat out stab someone with his fork if they wanted half his sandwich.

I've never thought the portion sizes where all that much bigger than what you get on the outside. Peco's bill's burgers are no bigger than your normal fast food/chilis/Fridays combo. the salads I've seen aren't any bigger than what I get at the salad works. I don't understand how they are so much more splittable. I don't go to Friday's and split my meal.

Now I have gotten a kids meal on the days I'm not particularly hungry or I know we are going to have a big dessert but other than that, it's is not a money saver.

Like I said, op asked specifically for money saving tricks and with 5 adults, I just want him/her to be forwarned that this might not be the huge savings it's cracked up to be.

 

[eliza61]

Lastly,
in order for splitting meals to be any real type of savings, 2 people would pretty much have to split quite a number of meals.
So a peco's bill combo is what 10 bucks and you split it one day? that's a savings of 10 bucks at most.

She has a 15 dollar meal/per person/per day so if she sticks with CS she'll be fine. Much better than getting two people getting 1/2 meal for 5 days

I'm not saying that it isn't a neat trick IF one can successfully do it and be satisfied. I'm just advising her that it might bomb.

We tried it at every restaurant recommend here and it has never saved us money. if any thing it cost us more because since we are not satisfied, we eat junk until the next meal.

 

[ajwolfe]

I can see splitting the meals between an adult and child, but not 2 adults. If my dh and I tried to share a quarter pounder meal at McD's someone would lose a finger fighting for the last fry! Lol. We don't like to be stuffed at Disney either, but we try to limit our snacking unless we specifically start a day saying it's a junk food day and skip meals. WE don't typically do meals and snack food within the same day partially for budget reasons but mostly for the amount of food and time we would be spending eating.

 

[pooh2001]

EPCOT - nice deals - walk around to eat - Enjoy

Fife and Drum Tavern - American Adventure
Jumbo Turkey Leg $10.50

Lotus Blossom Cafe - China Pavilion -
Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice $9.99
Beef Noodle Soup or Beef Rice Bowl $9.99
Shrimp Fried Rice with Egg Roll $9.99
Hong Kong Style Vegetable Curry over Rice $9.99
Sesame Chicken Salad $7.95

Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles - France Pavilion
Croque Monsieur - toasted ham and cheese $8.75
Fromages - Imported cheese plate $9.25
Quiche Lorraine - ham, gruyere $6.20
Brie Aux Pommes - brie, apples, cranberries on a multi grain bread $8.00
Croissant Jambon Fromage - ham, cheese and bechamel in a croissant $4.75
Dinde BLT - turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli $8.50
Jambon Beurre - ham and cheese, dijon mustard butter on a demi baguette $7.50
Poulet au Pistou - chicken breast with cheese, tomato, red onion and pesto $9.00


Sommerfest - Germany Pavilion
Bratwurst - Fresh-cooked Brat with Roll and Sauerkraut $7.49
Frankfurter - Traditional Frank with a Roll and Sauerkraut $7.29
Currywurst - pan-seared fine Brat with curry ketchup, curry seasoning, and house-made paprika chips $9.29
Nudel Gratin - Baked Macaroni and Cheese Custard $3.79


La Cantina de San Angel - Mexico Pavilion
Pollo Cascabel - grilled chicken, Mexican rice, corn, Cascabel sauce and pickled onions $12.25
Empanadas con Queso - fried flour tortillas filled with cheese served with Mexican slaw $10.99
Tacos de Barbacoa - seasoned beef, homemade corn tortilla, Mexican rice, refried black beans and fresh salsa $12.50
Nachos - tortilla chips with ground beef, nacho cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, black beans, and sour cream $10.50
Guacamole with Totopos - fresh made guacamole with tortilla chips $7.95



Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe - Norway Pavilion
Salmon and Egg Sandwich Norwegian Club Sandwich - turkey, ham, and bacon with Jarlsberg and Muenster cheese with fresh tomatoes, sliced red onion, and lingonberrry mayonnaise on toasted multigrain bread $8.49
Ham and Apple Sandwich - with Jarlsberg and Muenster cheese, with a sweet apple chutney on toasted multigrain bread. $7.49
Roast Beef Sandwich - with Jarlsberg cheese $8.49
Vegetable Torte - with roasted mushrooms, spinach, potatoes, Jarlsberg and Muenster cheese $6.39


Yorkshire County Fish Shop - United Kingdom Pavilion
Fish and Chips - two strips of fish served with chips $9.49

 

[leebee]

By the way you said you'll have 5 "Disney adults," I am going to assume that not all of those 5 are actual, grown adults. The trick to sharing meals is to be selective and compromise on what you choose to eat. Now, that's not something everyone always wants to do, especially on vacation. As pooh2001 posted, there are lots of places where you can eat for <$15 per person, some even <$10 per person. However, there are also places where DH and I or DD21 and I choose to share a meal. At AK we always share the half-chicken meal. It comes with baked beans, cole slaw, and a piece of cornbread (not sure about the corn bread anymore). It's enough for lunch, and with a second side of beans, we find it's fine for dinner for 2, also. I'd only eat a quarter-chicken at home for dinner, so why eat a half-chicken at Disney? We've also shared a caesar salad and breadsticks at Pizzafari, because we find it's enough for lunch for us. It's really going to depend on the eating habits of your family and the ages/sizes of your "Disney adults." Besides, we know we are going to have a snack each day, because who can say "no" to Dole Whips, Mickey Bars, or Sweet Almond Pretzels?

 

[themommy]

I was reading the thread and was going to second the ham and cheese croissant in France in Epcot, then I saw it again and again. So here is the 5th vote for that sandwich. It is amazing and cheap. In Mexico, the nachos are huge. My daughter (31) and I can split that and be happy. Also, in HS at Staring Rolls Café, the sandwiches are huge and are definitely able to be split. If you get a sweet tooth and want a snack, in the bakery in Norway they have school bread. It is delicious and cheap. It's the best deal on a sweet that you will find in any of the parks.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Try Picabu at the Dolphin hotel.
Picabu Family Meal - Whole Rotisserie Chicken and Three Sides (Additional Sides - $3.25 each)

Collard Greens
Mac & Cheese
Creamed Spinach
Mashed Potatoes
Rice
Cauliflower Parm
Black Beans $25.00

Picabu Market Meal - 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken - accompanied by two sides and a breadstick

Select Two Sides:
Collard Greens
Mac & Cheese
Creamed Spinach
Mashed Potatoes
Rice
Cauliflower Parm
Black Beans


$14.95

Picabu Market Meal - Lasagna - accompanied by two sides and a breadstick

Sides:
Collard Greens
Mac & Cheese
Creamed Spinach
Mashed Potatoes
Rice
Cauliflower Parm
Black Beans

$14.95

Picabu Market Meal - Pot Roast - accompanied by two sides and a breadstick

Sides:
Collard Greens
Mac & Cheese
Creamed Spinach
Mashed Potatoes
Rice
Cauliflower Parm
Black Beans

$14.95

 

[seasheller]

Earl of Sandwich also gives a AAA discount if you have that card.

 

[LovesTimone]

You might want to think about having breakfast in the room to. Then everyone can take turns getting ready and grabbing some breakfast, suggestions - cereal, milk, juice, instant oatmeal. If you are a rope drop family granola or cereal bars, pop tarts. Those package muffins or breakfast cookies, a bag of apples or those "cutties" oranges. My friend makes her own muffins, brownies and cookies for each of their trips, she packs them in a plastic shoe box style, that you can pick up at Wal-Mart, and rubberbands them both ways so they don't come open, she uses wax paper and baggies for padding.

Garden Grocer will deliver to the resorts, also you can ship a box ahead of time, or do a mix of both.

For lunch you can head back to the resort, and have a picnic by the pool. We would take chesses, crackers, make rolled deli meat, grapes, hummus, pickles, olives, carrot and celery sticks, with ranch dressing or some kind of dip, chips or pretzels.

With this saving you could do a sit down if you wanted too.. - Sci-Fi, Plaza, Via Napoli (share a pizza)

DTD - Earl of Sandwich, has the best sandwiches, and they are the most affordable. We have appetizer night, you can get the large appetizer platters, and some side salads to share. You would probably need 2 platters, T-REX, Rainforest & Planet Hollywood all have these and we have done this at all of these. Then finish off the night at Ghirardelli with one of those giant ice creams the whole family can share.

Sharing meals is another way to go. You could share spaghetti in Italy or other pasta dishes huge portions at Tutto, which we have done, and it was more food than 2 people could eat.
Check out the menus at the food courts for options easily shared.

Have a great vacation...

 

[tzolkin]

I completely agree with what many others have posted about splitting a meal.

Disney does not have "huge" portion sizes, so there is no way that two adults are going to split meals and still wind up with the equivalent of a whole meal each. (I'm talking about CS)

That doesn't mean that you can't share, but it's only fair to give people reasonable expectations.


My family has always shared meals, but there are several factors I think need to be mentioned:
We are not huge eaters. (If I eat out, I always bring half home as leftovers)
We don't feel like eating filling meals when it's hot. (It has always been hot when we go to Disney)
We have our room stocked with groceries and we snack throughout the day.
DH always gets sick from eating Disney food, so we supplement the unhealthy food with fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc

I have never bought a child meal at Disney. Even when my kids were pre-school aged, we would get 2-3 adult meals and split them between the five of us. Sometimes just the kids will share something. Often DH and I will split something, but we do so knowing that we plan to share something else a few hours later. (This is more for variety and trying new things.). Basically when we share it's more like snacking.

As for the mention about calories, there is a huge difference in the quantity of food you would consume in a healthy 400 calorie meal vs an unhealthy one. At home one could prepare a big plate full of a low calorie dinner, so 2 corn dog nuggets and 5 fries (while it may have the same number of calories) is not going to keep most adults feeling full and satisfied for 6-8 hours between meals. Our family will all share the corn dog nuggets (it's a tradition since our first trip to stop at Casey's on our way out of the park after morning EMH), but we will then each have an apple and some carrots to snack on during our afternoon break.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you have a car on your way out of MK stop at the Hess/Speedway station and pick up a pizza. They are $9.00 for one topping and on certain days of the week you can get a 2 liter of pop for free with the pizza purchase. Their pizza is good.

We stopped one day and had lunch there. They have a little café area with tables and chairs. We got 4 hotdogs, 2/20oz cokes and a bag of combo's and spent just under $8.00 to feed two people. One hot dog meal at Case Corner in MK will cost you more than $8 and I believe it does not come with a drink.
The Hess/Speedway also serve Quizzno's subs.

 

[ilovebassets]

A quarter pounder medium meal at McDonald's has 824 calories, if you choose diet soda or water as your drink. That would be two meals in our house for adults - we shoot for about 400 cal/meal. I'd probably split that by 3 for my kids, with a milk to drink. So I'd consider that a splittable meal.

Good grief. I'm a 5'5" woman, about 130lbs, and a quarter pounder medium meal with a diet coke would be an absolutely normal meal for me anytime. I would be starving again in an hour if I split that evenly with somebody else. My two and four year old boys could split that, but even they would be starving again in an hour if I made them split that equally three ways.

 

[ajc]

You can also take some water enhancers like Mio if plain water is boring.