Saving money on food at WDW

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Order the chicken nacho's at the Big River Grill at the Boardwalk. It is $12 and it will feed 3 people. We ordered that and it was more than enough for the 2 of us and we weren't able to finish it.

 

[21hearts]

We usually do breakfast in the room (Pop Tarts, small boxes of cereal, bagels, muffins, eta), I bring snacks to the park for the kids (small bags of gold fish, fruit snacks, eta). We try not to spend money on snacks while at the park. We buy bottle water to bring with us since DH doesn't like the taste of Disney water. We do lunch in the parks. Some times we share but often we don't. We usually eat dinner off site or at the hotel if we have a kitchen.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

Here is our plan...obviously, won't work for everyone, but maybe it will give you ideas! We are staying off site with a full kitchen, driving and making a grocery stop

I have found several recipes for breakfast made in the crock pot. So, we are bringing one! I figured it would be good to have a filling breakfast that will be ready when we wake up. Then, we will bring lunch into the parks...sandwiches, chips, veggies/dip, hummus/pitas, fruit, cookies, drinks. I figure the groceries for breakfast and lunch will be paid for with our normal grocery budget...so, "free".

Then, dinner. One night, Miller's Ale House (off site, OOP about $50). Another, we plan to eat 'around the world' and F&W in Epcot ($75 OOP). Another night, our splurge...Ohana ($125 OOP). Once, Pizza Planet for our Toy story crazed son ($40 OOP).

The other three meals are planned for Landry's restaurants - T-Rex, Rainforest Cafe and Yak & Yeti. I purchased two of the Landry's club cards for my hubby and myself at $25 each. They come loaded with a $25 welcome gift, and you get $25 on your birthday (which can be saved until a later date). I have also gotten Landry's gift cards from points I have earned, so the remainder of the three meals will be covered by that. So, three meals, total $50 OOP.

Total for food for eight days for 3 Disney adults and 2 kids: $340, plus $150 normal grocery budget. Hope it works like I planned!!

 

[Mom2Ben02]

Adding...our "Disney adult" eats barely enough to keep an ant alive, our eight year old loves to eat, and the other kid is two, so he will be free at Ohana.

 

[pat fan]

No double burgers anymore. Disney went to a single, larger sized patty.

Well, I did find this
The Famous All American Picnic Burger - Flame-broiled Angus Burger Patty topped with Grilled Hot Dog, Sauerkraut, and Sauteed Onions, crowned with a Pickle Spear served with a choice of Cucumber Salad or French Fries $15.99
It's not quick service (Sci-Fi) but sure sounds like you could make 2 meals of it!

 

[Guyton dis lover]

Drink water with your meals. Buy 1 meal and share. Carry your own stuff. Snacks that don't require ice. Fruit works well. Turkey legs go along way. If you drive to WDW there allot of good places to eat just off the WDW site. If you can afford it get a meal package. Pay up front. When you are just about to leave spend the rest of you snacks on fudge that you can take home.

 

[RunningthruDisney]

We bring snacks (crackers, muffins, nuts etc) from home. Southwest lets each passenger have 2 bags and then I have room for souvenirs. We also do get an order from We Go Shop for fruit water and juice for the room.

 

[Happyjen27]

Myself, I can't tolerate the Quick Serve food, it makes my belly unhappy. I try to limit it to once a day.

I packed one suitcase full of breakfast foods and snacks. At home we eat all organic, so I was able to do what I could to eat heathy in WDW by packing a suitcase full of food. I made my own cookies, packed granola bars, cereal bars, fruit snacks, breakfast cereal, chips and snack mixes. Last year we rented a car so I bought milk when I was down there. My upcoming trip I will not have a car, so I will buy shelf stable milk to pack in the suitcase, shelf stable milk is ultrapastureized and doesn't require refrigeration until it's opened.

So, I need table service food to feel well, and thus to enjoy Disney more. Here is a list of Table Services that aren't too expensive, yet convenient to the parks or a short monorail or boat ride from MK.

Dining in the Parks:
Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom: Features Pooh and friends
Lunch (price includes tax):Adult = 26.62 Child = 14.90 = 83.04 + tip
Dinner (price includes tax): Adult =39.40 Child =19.99 = 118.78 + tip

Plaza in Magic Kingdom (mainly sandwiches, does not get good reviews).
Lunch and Dinner Average adult entrée = 13.99, kids = 8.59 = 45.16+tax and tip
Tony’s Town Square
Lunch Average Adult entrée = 17.99, kids = 8.59 = 53.16 + tax and tip
Dinner Average Adult entrée = 23.99 kids = 8.59 = 65.16 + tax and tip
Liberty Tree Tavern (gets great reviews)
Lunch Adult entrée range = 18.99-13.99, kids = 8.59 = 55.16-45.16
Dinner is a family style all you care to eat (tax AND tip included in price): Adult=34.07, kids = 17.03 = 102.20
Akershuh in Epcot
Lunch (price includes tax): Adult = 41.53, Child = 25.55 = 108.61 + tip
Dinner (price includes tax): Adult = 46.85 Child =25.55 = 144.80 + tip
Via Napoli in Epcot
Via Napoli Extra large pizza = 39.00 (feeds 3-5)
Rose and Crown
Lunch Average adult entrée = 16.99 kids=8.59 = 51.16 + tax and tip
Dinner Average adult entrée = 18.99 kids = 8.59 = 55.16 + tax and tip

Sit down places within a boat ride of Magic Kingdom
Trail’s End buffet at Fort Wilderness: Dinner: Adult = 24.99, child = 13.99 = 77.96 (price includes tax)
Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge
Lunch: Average adult entrée = 15.99, child = 8.59 = 49.16+tax and tip

Dinner: Build your own all you care to eat skillet Adult = 32.99 per person Kids meal is off a typical kids menu:8.99 per child= 83.96
Kona Café in Polynesian
Lunch Average Adult entrée = 14.99, kids entrée = 8.59 = 47.16 + tax and tip
Dinner Average Adult entrée = 21.99, kids entrée = 8.59 = 61.16 + tax and tip

5 days of QS once a day = 34.00 per day = 170.00 total

Please don't flame me for posting 100 dollar meals and calling them affordable. For me, Disney is about splurging a bit, so one or two 100 meals over the course of a trip is a nice way of "doing Disney" and staying within spending goals. I put this list together for my co-worker, who says she can't afford Disney unless they do FD, and she also needs to eat TS meals to feel healthy. Totals are based on her family, 2 adults, DS7, DD5, DS2.5 (who will share meals at TS, and half the time get his own QS.

 

[las3888]

Pack snack food to fill up between meals in the room, buy kid's meals at CS restaurants, and if you're interested in TS meals, check out the menus in advance to find a place that will have pricing that you are comfortable with....good luck and enjoy!

 

[shopn24seven]

Eating breakfast in the room
Splitting meals- FLAME TREE has HUGE portions
Double burgers and ask for extra bun= 2 burgers
Order entree only ( this will omit fries and is less expensive)
If you want TS- Go at lunch. Prices are less.

 

[maxiesmom]

Eating breakfast in the room
Splitting meals- FLAME TREE has HUGE portions
Double burgers and ask for extra bun= 2 burgers
Order entree only ( this will omit fries and is less expensive)
If you want TS- Go at lunch. Prices are less.

A couple of these used to be great options. Disney no longer has double burgers. And they will not give you an extra bun without having to pay for it.

As far as table service being cheaper at lunch, you really need to check. Many restaurants at WDW have gone to an all day menu, and are the same price for lunch and dinner.

 

[momontheright]

We get Subway sandwiches on 192/I4 and stash them in a locker along with drinks and snacks.

I would eat a Subway sandwich over any CS meal in Disney but have to ask do they not get all funky sitting in a locker all day?

 

[eliza61]

I found the problem with all these meals that are supposedly "Huge" is that they maybe too much for one person, they are rarely enough for two grown people to feel satisfied.

That chicken at cosmic rays? Yes it was too much for me but we had to supplement it with a side of fries and a drink for me and my 14 year old son to feel satisfied.

So truthfully for the 3.99 we saved on that meal, I would have simply preferred that everyone had their individual meal.

Same thing at Peco's bill which is supposedly another place for "huge" portions. Dh and I split the bbq pork meal. we brought no extra sides. Maybe 1 hour later we were starving and we ended buying 2 frozen lemonaides and a box of popcorn for 8 bucks. No savings there.

I've yet to find one cs meal that can satisfy my dh and I fully without adding extra or getting a snack soon afterwards, which pretty much defeats the purpose.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I would eat a Subway sandwich over any CS meal in Disney but have to ask do they not get all funky sitting in a locker all day?

Surprisingly, no and we buy them the night before. You do have to leave off stuff like oil and vinegar because they'll get soggy. We do keep them in a cooler with frozen drinks and cold packs. So I'm sure that helps too. A pair of footlongs is enough for all four of us. We had them at least three times.

We also combined a pair of CS burgers with our own snacks and drinks. So we were still able to eat a hot meal for four for under twenty bucks.

 

[kate08096]

I agree with everyone else share... I haven't been to WDW yet without the DDP however I will be this time and I plan on stocking up on groceries and eating breakfast in the room before we hit the parks.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I found the problem with all these meals that are supposedly "Huge" is that they maybe too much for one person, they are rarely enough for two grown people to feel satisfied.

That chicken at cosmic rays? Yes it was too much for me but we had to supplement it with a side of fries and a drink for me and my 14 year old son to feel satisfied.

So truthfully for the 3.99 we saved on that meal, I would have simply preferred that everyone had their individual meal.

Same thing at Peco's bill which is supposedly another place for "huge" portions. Dh and I split the bbq pork meal. we brought no extra sides. Maybe 1 hour later we were starving and we ended buying 2 frozen lemonaides and a box of popcorn for 8 bucks. No savings there.

I've yet to find one cs meal that can satisfy my dh and I fully without adding extra or getting a snack soon afterwards, which pretty much defeats the purpose.

We almost always had to supplement our split meals with our own carried in snacks. I would imagine a teen boy would really throw a wrench into any meal splitting plans too

One thing we didn't find in time for our trip was Mio and all the knockoffs. That would have been perfect to combine with free ice water!

 

[Granny square]

I found the problem with all these meals that are supposedly "Huge" is that they maybe too much for one person, they are rarely enough for two grown people to feel satisfied.

That chicken at cosmic rays? Yes it was too much for me but we had to supplement it with a side of fries and a drink for me and my 14 year old son to feel satisfied.

So truthfully for the 3.99 we saved on that meal, I would have simply preferred that everyone had their individual meal.

Same thing at Peco's bill which is supposedly another place for "huge" portions. Dh and I split the bbq pork meal. we brought no extra sides. Maybe 1 hour later we were starving and we ended buying 2 frozen lemonaides and a box of popcorn for 8 bucks. No savings there.

I've yet to find one cs meal that can satisfy my dh and I fully without adding extra or getting a snack soon afterwards, which pretty much defeats the purpose.

I think it depends on who is sharing. When it is my mom, sister and I we can happily eat 3 or four cs meals between the three of us in the day. It doesn't work with my teen boys or husband.

 

[EagleScout]

some good suggestions, just two more here:

1) to the extent it needs to be said, skip character dining. that involves a huge upcharge for seriously mediocre food.

2) keep very well hydrated - many times our bodies mistake hunger for what is really thirst, because we are not used to drinking enough. very few people drink the 8-10 glasses of water per day that is recommended. the one time I was able to lose weight recently was when I made sure to drink enough, because I lost much of what I thought was my food craving (and as others have noted, ice water is included at disney, and will often (always?) be given out free even if not ordering meals.) - if you really need a sweet drink "treat", epcot future world has an exhibit sponsored by coke that has unlimited free samples of sodas from all around the world (which is sort of neat anyway).

 

[momontheright]

Surprisingly, no and we buy them the night before. You do have to leave off stuff like oil and vinegar because they'll get soggy. We do keep them in a cooler with frozen drinks and cold packs. So I'm sure that helps too. A pair of footlongs is enough for all four of us. We had them at least three times.

We also combined a pair of CS burgers with our own snacks and drinks. So we were still able to eat a hot meal for four for under twenty bucks.

Thanks!! I am going to have to try this for our water park days. We are staying on property so I wonder where the closet Subway is to our resort. I am sure there is one.

 

[MomToOne]

I found the problem with all these meals that are supposedly "Huge" is that they maybe too much for one person, they are rarely enough for two grown people to feel satisfied.

I've yet to find one cs meal that can satisfy my dh and I fully without adding extra or getting a snack soon afterwards, which pretty much defeats the purpose.

I'm with you, only in my case it's me and DD12. Neither of us are huge eaters but we both usually manage to finish off our own meal with no problem. And I can't imagine trying to get by with just a kids meal for me - by the time DD was 9, it wasn't enough food for her and I had to buy extras to fill her up. So I know it won't fill me up. Not to mention that the choices are usually nothing I would ever want to eat.

I will say we aren't huge snackers. We usually limit Disney "treats" to only 1 a day. Otherwise, we find we are taking in too much sugar and start feeling yucky from it.