SUPER Cheap Eats - on & off property

[disneychrista]

I know cheap eats & Disneyland do not really go together. But I am taking a super budget trip at the end of October and need suggestions for super cheat eats.

So tell me what your cheap eats are. Budget is less than $20/meal for 2 adults & 1 10yo.

 

[SnowWhite09]

This is probably obvious, but McDonalds on South Harbor.

 

[KalamityJane]

Subway would be cheap using the anaheim county coupons, I think it is buy 1 get 1 6in? Also Mimis with coupons and maybe Dennys?

 

[KalamityJane]

Pacific Wharf in DCA has soup in a bread bowl for 10 bucks? You could split 2 of them.

 

[Eddygirl]

I was going to say the bread bowl soups as well.

 

[scanmom]

We always stop in at Bengal Barbeque in Adventureland and get the chicken skewers. They are pretty inexpensive, I think about $4.00??? I always plan on using it as a snack, but it ends up being enough to fill me up. I think you could use this as a meal. They are YUMMY!!!! There are other kinds of skewers, but I love the chicken ones so much, I never have tried the others!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Will you have a car? If so, one of our favorite budget meals is Vietnamese sandwiches (bahn mi) at OC Rotisserie Chicken on Ball at State College (behind the car wash). 2 large (8" or 9") baguette sandwiches to go for under $10. And the sandwiches are fresh, tasty, and filling. We've brought them into the parks many times without any problems. OC Rotisserie Chicken also has noodle dishes, curry, and yummy spring rolls. The staff is super friendly.

Also, many of the entrees at Rancho del Zocalo are large enough to share. Our normal bill there for 1 entree (for 2 adults) and a dessert or soup is usually around $15 or less. Same with entrees at the Plaza Inn. Or entrees at Paradise Grill. Drinking water will cut down on your expenses quite a bit. And, most of all, when we eat on property,we try to make sure that we don't wait until we are starving to go eat. Eating before we get really hungry helps us eat less and get full more quickly.

 

[Eddygirl]

Sorry... Stupid phone! We had the bead bowl soups at the river side counter restaurant across from the HM. They are huge! They also had stuffed baked potatoes which were good and massive! I think they were about $7. I had a Jalapeño cheese pretzel from Bengal BBQ one day for lunch for myself. It was filling!!!

I saw a lot of people that had brought in a subway sub with them.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

golden horseshoe or stage door cafe was 20bucks for three meals dont get drinks just get ice and refill your fav drink (for us its pepsi and the park dont sale it)

 

[disneychrista]

golden horseshoe or stage door cafe was 20bucks for three meals dont get drinks just get ice and refill your fav drink (for us its pepsi and the park dont sale it)

What did you get at Stagedoor? And yes we do not plan on buying drinks. Ice water is free and better for you so why spend $3 of sugar/caffine filled water.

 

[smiles33]

What about the giant corn dogs at Corn Dog Castle? I just googled and it looks like a menu (not sure if current!) has the most expensive (and best one!) the hot link corndog at $6.49 each. They were huge so I think one each should fill up most people.

I also second the earlier rec for OC Rotisserie. Banh mi are cheap, filling and, IMHO, better than Subway (provided you like pickled daikon, cilantro, and carrots, which not every American does so you can always ask them to leave those toppings off).

 

[mshrm]

We like to get El Pollo Loco chicken, beans, rice and tortillas for a meal. Then I buy a package of the large burrito tortillas at grocery store and fill the left overs into them for burritos the following day. We don't live in an area with one of these chains so its always a treat to us.

 

[disneychrista]

What about the giant corn dogs at Corn Dog Castle? I just googled and it looks like a menu (not sure if current!) has the most expensive (and best one!) the hot link corndog at $6.49 each. They were huge so I think one each should fill up most people.

CornDog are the only thing on my traveling partners list. She had them last time she was there (in 1998) and talks about them all the time.

 

[disneychrista]

We like to get El Pollo Loco chicken, beans, rice and tortillas for a meal. .

Where is El Pollo located?

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

One thing to keep in mind is that the restaurants on Harbor Blvd. (McDonalds, Denny's, IHOP, etc.) prices are slightly inflated compared to your local restaurant, so it may not be entirely cheaper eating there. I'm not sure about the Mimi's Cafe though.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

There are coupons available for Mimi's on their website and other coupons for restaurants in DtD (check the Patina Group website). Those can help with the budget. Also check for coupons in the OC Visitor's booklets at your hotel.

 

[Ingrid0382]

We like the corndogs from Stagedoor because they actually come with fries as opposed to the other places that only serve them with chips.

The carne asada platter at Rancho is great to split. It comes with lots of meat, tortillas, two enchiladas, plus beans and rice. I believe it's 12.00.

We find that if we stock up on snacks to bring inside the parks (we shops sales during the weeks leading up to our trip) we end up spending way less on meals and when we do decide to eat, DH and I can split a burger meal or an order of pomme frites and be satisfied.

Have you signed up for emails from the patina group? If you have a birthday coming up they will send you a gift certificate good for $30 at three or four of the Downtown Disney restaurants. Tortilla Joes, The Italian Place, Cafe....something. I'm so sorry, I can't remember the names. But it will pay for a meal.

*edited* Sorry, Lucky! I missed your advice about the Patina Group in your previous post!

 

[Eeee-va]

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express in Downtown Disney always struck me as fairly good prices for on-site. Another site shows conflicting info, but it looks like it's between $6.59-$6.99 for a burger and fries, or $9.99 for a platter with chicken and shrimp and fries. I reckon some sort of splitting could be arranged to keep you under $20.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining/menus-detail.cfm?restaurant.id=534

Plaza Inn and Rancho del Zocalo often come up as "splittable" options, even in this thread!

If you go for the soup in a breadbowl, you can get the soup in a bowl with the breadbowl on the side, and then save part of your breadbowl for later. It might make splitting easier as well. Or even eat some of the bread with skewers at Bengal Barbecue (I've done that!).

The Harbor Galley in New Orleans Square reportedly sells large baked potatoes; you could maybe split 2 of them for something like $15 and then share a popcorn or another snack.

Though I'm not sure what you mean by $20 per meal...if you are thinking breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I'd definitely bring some breakfast fixings (even just instant oatmeal) and eat breakfast in the room, then put the savings toward lunch and dinner (or snacks, but I have a bit of a sweet tooth ). And/or, you may be able to have a large, late lunch and then a light dinner...that works well for me in hot weather.

El Pollo Loco is off-site and not walkable, unfortunately.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

My budget meals are always the soup/bread bowl combo and the baked potatoes. Mighty delicious, more then enough to fill me up and pretty cheap.

I bring in my own water and small snacks like granola bars, Rice Krispie treats, and peanut butter filled pretzels. Great for holding you over until you get a meal break.

I've also had Jamba Juice smoothies for meals with the vitamin boost.

 

[disneychrista]

Have you signed up for emails from the patina group?!

Unfortunately the only birthday in our group is only turning 11 and you have to be 21 for the birthday club. BUMMER!

Though I'm not sure what you mean by $20 per meal.....eat breakfast in the room, then put the savings toward lunch and dinner

The only meals we are purchasing is lunch & dinner, so no "savings" from breakfast. Breakfast will be whatever is available at the hotel (cereal).