Staying offsite question

[torinsmom]

I like your park hours

I'm not so sure about getting a kitchen on vacation. I like to get a break from cooking so we'll probably save up to eat out.

Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to "cook". We do things like frozen lasagna, rotisserie chicken(from Walmart) with a salad, mac n cheese, stuff like that. I do like to make monkey bread in the morning, but that's pretty easy. We also go out to get pizza(Giordano's is amazing), Chik fil a etc. Red Lobster has become a tradition with me and my son. we have one here, but we never eat at that one.

I LOVE having a fridge to have cold drinks, sandwich stuff, ice cream, etc. And, going in the summer, I love having a washer/dryer. I like to change clothes when I get all hot and sticky, but I also like to pack light. I'll throw a load in every couple days and everyone folds their own when they come out of the dryer. I also like to not have to wash when I get home, so I wash at the end of the trip before we pack. Maybe I am weird like that though!

 

[kamom]

We left most days around 2:00, went back for kids to swim and mom and dad to relax a little bit. Ate dinner at a restaraunt off site and was back to park around 5 - 6. We had a car so we had flexibility. Did not have a problem with the kids (they love to swim)! Didn't feel like we were wasting time going in and out of parks.

 

[torinsmom]

We left most days around 2:00, went back for kids to swim and mom and dad to relax a little bit. Ate dinner at a restaraunt off site and was back to park around 5 - 6. We had a car so we had flexibility. Did not have a problem with the kids (they love to swim)! Didn't feel like we were wasting time going in and out of parks.

I think the time people "waste" going back for a break pays off when you don't have to waste time in silly arguments because people are overtired and/or burning up. At least it does for me. I have done the rope drop to park close thing before and I would never do it again unless I only had 1-2 days.

 

[Sparkly]

We usually eat at a offsite restaurant or grab something from Walmart/Publix. Our condo has a kitchen but mum never cooks! The nearest thing to cooking we do is prepare salads or make a sandwich for breakfast!

 

[kmbrandt]

We are leaving for our first trip in 6 days (woo hoo). We will prob bring a small cooler and plan to leave for dinner. With 7 people, any meal out is expensive but meals at Disney all the time won't be on our budget. Add in my daughter's severe food allergies, we are going back to cook. I am used to making all meals, and we hardly go out at home due to my daughter, so no biggie here.
Making your own meals, cooking on your own, and eating outside of the park are all great ways to not blow a budget. Whatever works for each family.
With five kids with us, a break of some kind for all, including the parents running with them, will be needed. I imagine us taking a few hours break and then returning to a park in the evening after dinner and staying until close.

 

[mrsklamc]

We also go out to get pizza(Giordano's is amazing),

We LOVE Giordanos.

 

[torinsmom]

We LOVE Giordanos.

And their restaurant.com certificates make it such a cheap meal!

 

[mrsklamc]

Do you have to eat in to use them?

 

[estherhead]

Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to "cook". We do things like frozen lasagna, rotisserie chicken(from Walmart) with a salad, mac n cheese, stuff like that. I do like to make monkey bread in the morning, but that's pretty easy. We also go out to get pizza(Giordano's is amazing), Chik fil a etc. Red Lobster has become a tradition with me and my son. we have one here, but we never eat at that one.

I LOVE having a fridge to have cold drinks, sandwich stuff, ice cream, etc. And, going in the summer, I love having a washer/dryer. I like to change clothes when I get all hot and sticky, but I also like to pack light. I'll throw a load in every couple days and everyone folds their own when they come out of the dryer. I also like to not have to wash when I get home, so I wash at the end of the trip before we pack. Maybe I am weird like that though!

THIS!!!

We love to either go early and leave early (like 6pm) and pick up dinner (like Giordino's or Red Lobster) and then just stay home for the night, or take a break and then go back to a sit down TS and nighttime show.

Last time we got a ton of high quality sandwich stuff as it was June and we thought we might want to pack cold lunches into the park. But at 7 am (park opening) we didn't feel like packing a lunch. So we just bought CS for lunch and then ended up having sandwiches for dinner a few nights. It seems not very fancy, or cheapskate like. But it was so hot I didn't want hot food. And to let the kids play in a private pool while I ate a sandwich and pretzel m&ms in air conditioning in silence was so delightful.

I don't cook on vacation. But that doesn't mean I have to eat out at every meal either.

 

[torinsmom]

Do you have to eat in to use them?

Yes, dine-in only and they add 18% gratuity before the discount. The one I got was for $25 with a minimum order of $35 and for food only. I think last year we ended up paying about $25 after buying drinks and tip and we fed 6 people and took some leftovers back to the house. The certificate was only $2 after an 80% off discount. The only one I can find right now seems to make the total $5 for a $25 gc. The code is CELEBRATE.

 

[wishesuponastar]

THIS!!!

We love to either go early and leave early (like 6pm) and pick up dinner (like Giordino's or Red Lobster) and then just stay home for the night, or take a break and then go back to a sit down TS and nighttime show.

Last time we got a ton of high quality sandwich stuff as it was June and we thought we might want to pack cold lunches into the park. But at 7 am (park opening) we didn't feel like packing a lunch. So we just bought CS for lunch and then ended up having sandwiches for dinner a few nights. It seems not very fancy, or cheapskate like. But it was so hot I didn't want hot food. And to let the kids play in a private pool while I ate a sandwich and pretzel m&ms in air conditioning in silence was so delightful.

I don't cook on vacation. But that doesn't mean I have to eat out at every meal either.

That's a good compromise to eating offsite and not spending a lot of money. Sandwiches, pizza, rotisserie chicken, good ideas