The Joy of Cooking

[Mississippian]

On our last trip, which was split between OKW and VBR, we decided to do more cooking in the room than usual. Many people make a big point of saying they can't stand to cook on vacation, but with the high cost and sometimes low quality of WDW food, cooking your own food really can save a lot of money.

Here are some thoughts and tips:

1. Who says the woman has to do all the cooking (or washing of the dishes)?

2. If driving, bring a crate of food from home, particularly spices and staples. If you are flying and don't have to pay a luggage check fee, pack a small (or large) suitcase full of food. If driving, the further away from WDW you can buy your food, the cheaper it will be! The more food you can bring from your own pantry, the better.

3. Plan to cookout if your resort has a grill. Cookouts and picnics are cheap and fun!

4. Try to plan your menus before you leave home. That way if you need a cassarole dish or special spices, you can bring them, and everything will be ready when you are.

5. Try to avoid buying any grocery item at the resort store. For the price of one item you can buy a week's worth of groceries elsewhere (well, almost).

6. Cook breakfast in the room every day. Bacon is easy and Pop-tarts need only be stuck in a toaster. Cereal need only be poured in a bowl. A tube of whompum biscuits costs less than one store bought biscuit.

7. Avoid the "I'm On Vacation Bug." So many posts I read are from people who suggest that on vacation no cost is too much. $500 saved on meals during a vacation is a lot of money, some of which can be spent on a couple of really nice dinners at places like California Grill or Bistro d' Paris.

Just my thoughts. I really enjoyed cooking more in the room this last trip, and plan to make "home cooking" just as much a part of future trips as everyone else does their complex ADR plans. Not only does cooking not have to ruin a vacation, but it can really make it more fun.

 

[Muushka]

Great thread!

Last fall we had a family reunion. We drove and the others flew. We decided to have an "Iron Chefs Orlando" competition. All in fun of course. We had to cook 2 nights and they each had to cook a night. They knew ahead of time what we would do and they were excited to participate. We brought the spices and oils and that sort of thing and then a trip to the grocery store picked up the meats and sauces and vegetables.

It worked out great. We had wonderful leftovers that we ate for lunch and found ourselves enjoying each others company and not sitting waiting in a restaurant! Who won?? We all did!

 

[toniosmom]

I completely agree -- I cooked this past Spring and it worked out great. And....there was so much more time to do the things we wanted to do without having to worry about getting to an ADR on time.

 

[goofydad99]

We ate out 2 meals this past trip. One was a MG breakfast and dinner at Boma. We went to Super Target and purchased food that we thought was fun and easy to cook as well.

We never lacked for food or snacks. Going back to the villa gave us time to relax too. Buy a bag of salad and add shredded carrots and you have an easy side. I bought baby carrots as a snack food. They were easy to shred in the villa shredder.

1. Bring pancake batter already mixed. All you have to do is add the eggs, milk, and oil.
2. Better yet buy the mix from the store that you add water to.
3. Bake a roast or brisket and freeze it. If you are driving it will likely be partially or all the way thawed in your cooler when you arrive. Refrigerate and eat it when you are ready.

I sound cheap don't I?

 

[disneykidatheart]

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto!

We had previously only stayed in studios. We spent very little time in our villa. For our last two trips we had a 1 bedroom at OKW (bigger than our first house, by the way). My husband and I found it was difficult to leave the villa except for a couple days in the parks!

I am not big on cooking at home anymore. The thrill is so gone. We had two adult sons come on the last trip. When they left we commented that we had not bought either of them a meal out. Before their arrival we hit the grocery store. We had spaghetti and garlic bread one night. With the extra burger cooked for the sauce, we added taco seasoning. They ate nachos with that. We bought deli meat and crusty rolls, salad fixings, fruit, cereal, eggs. After they left we had BLT's (not to be confused with Bay Lake Tower ) and corn on the cob. I did over buy and left unopened pancake mix and syrup in our Owner's Locker for the next trip. The boys later told us they liked being able to come back to the villa to graze on leftovers.

As the time for the trip grew near we were wanting to stay longer but didn't have the points to use so we booked at POR for two nights. Probably shouldn't admit to this but, on the first morning we took our last two little cereal boxes, milk, juice, bread, and leftover bacon to the food court. We quietly used the toaster for four slices of bread, and the microwave for heating the bacon. The food court was not busy so we didn't take up a table the paying guests needed. We used up almost everything we bought and felt we ate pretty efficiently for the trip. We did eat in the park on the days we were there. The next day we did buy food at the food court for breakfast.

We are going again in October and will be in a two bedroom with nine in the group (one is an itsy bitsy infant) and are already thinking about simple meals to eat in. What a change from a studio. Wish we had more points so we could always stay in a 1 bedroom. Yes, I know, Disney could help me out there!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Just my thoughts. I really enjoyed cooking more in the room this last trip, and plan to make "home cooking" just as much a part of future trips as everyone else does their complex ADR plans. Not only does cooking not have to ruin a vacation, but it can really make it more fun.

You are so right, of course, since I love to cook it's always been easy for me. Also, since Disney dining has gone to the dogs IMO, not only in quality, service and cost, dining at the villas is that much more attractive. We always travel w/ friends and family and every one pitches in and let me tell you we eat well! At Costco I can purchase an entire tenderloin (filet mignon) for what they charge for one meal at most restaurants, all you need is an OKW grill and some Montreal seasoning! Yum!

 

[lsutigger2]

Yep, somehow cooking in a villa is much more fun than cooking at home

When we have longer trips and drive, I start planning what to eat and cook things at home in larger amounts, eat a meal from it and then freeze the rest. Then they are ready to go! Last trip we traveled with friends and had some really good meals and had fun doing the prep together.

I'm planning do to the same thing for our trip in November.

 

[bigsmooth]

We love eating out at WDW, it is really part of the appeal to us. That being said, we are also big believers of cooking in the units. We always follow the following formula-

1) Breakfast in (like OP said, easy to pour a bowl of cereal or throw a pop tart in the toaster)
2) If Dinner out, lunch is in
3) If Lunch out, Dinner is in

While there is a cost savings in doing this, our motivation is to do this so we can spend more at the restaurants. We typically only eat at table service restaurants so part of the justification for eating one meal in, one meal out is to help fund the meal out.

I also love the BBQ idea. Even in foul weather. Our last trip to SSR was over New Year's, and we BBQ'd steaks in the cool misty dark weather on New Year's Eve. The damp misty weather definitely slowed things down but the steaks definitely tasted extra good.

 

[GGOOFY1]

I always prepare meals in the rooms. I go for the simple things, even prepare them the night before and warm them up between park runs. Some of my favorites are; sloppy joes, tacos, fajitas, lasagna, chicken alfredo. We have breakfast in the room, then head out to the parks. Come back to the room for late lunch/early dinner. We do eat out the last night of our trip as our celebration dinner!! This was one of the biggest draws to DVC, being able to save on food.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I agree too! I think we all need to be more supportive of those that choose to cook instead of making it seem like a chore and cheap. It's really neither.

Disney food quality has really gone down. Some of the food is downright nasty and the kids choices are pitiful. We are just back and spent 7 nights at AKV and 7 nights on DCL. DCL puts 90% of WDW DIning to shame.

I expect the high prices, but I wont accept the poor quality that Disney seems to be replacing most of its items with. They used to serve grapes on the vine as a side. Now they give you this small bag with 6 raisins in it!
We did enjoy many offerings from Mara, but I fear we are in for big disappointment at BLT. Our lunch from the CR food court was barely edible. Nothing like the old food court.

We are going for 2 weeks this Christmas and have gone for the last 5 years. Christmas is our "bonus" trip. We dont need passes, and we bring most of our food from home. We are staying at THV and have invited family. While we have grown accustomed to WDW prices, most of our family is not. We like hanging out, grilling (always grill enough for leftovers) and just enjoying our beautiful resort. I joined DVC for the resorts not the food and Im glad I did! Last year we did a few days of free dining and it was barely worth free. We have no desire to have the DDP more than a day or 2.

If Im spending $1400 a week on food, I want steak, shrimp, lobster and Crab legs as daily choices. WDW Dining wont get you that. I could hire a personal Chef, have them cook in the Villa and clean up afterwards and it would not cost me that!

 

[Mississippian]

I should add one word of warning. If you're traveling by plane and going to have to leave behind unused food, shop carefully. I've found it is very, very easy to overbuy. Better to underbuy and be forced to eat an extra meal in the parks than to overbuy and to leave massive amounts of food unopened and uneaten.

Of course, if you plan and make menus -- even mental menus -- then you won't have to worry so much about this.

We usually drive, so this isn't a problem. We bring lots of food and just return home with what we don't use.

If you like to drink a nice glass of wine, obviously it's much cheaper to buy a nice bottle of wine and drink it in your room than it is to order it out at a Disney restaurant. With some good planning you can get it for less than one third of the cost you would pay dining out.

 

[photobob]

We try to do a mix of both. We can't afford to eat out every meal and we don't want to cook every meal. While at WDW we usually have a snack bfast, TS lunch because they are cheaper than at dinner and easier ADR's and a sandwich or quick fix dinner. While at Vero Beach we go out for a couple nights and cook a big meal the others.

 

[extremesoccermom]

That is just one of the many reasons we recently add on 100 points at BLT. I love to cook at home and away, (When we go camping with the family I do all the camp cooking also) We realize that we are getting older and really want to enjoy our time at the resort. We have found ourselves point poor and are unable to stay in anything bigger than a studio on our next trip. So we decided to add on to allow us to stay in a 1-br and enjoy the full kitchen.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

That is just one of the many reasons we recently add on 100 points at BLT. So we decided to add on to allow us to stay in a 1-br and enjoy the full kitchen.

Congrats on your addition! Once you stay in 1br you'll find it hard to go back to a studio! I love the kitchens and the washer/dryers!

 

[dkellumw]

We always follow the following formula-

1) Breakfast in (like OP said, easy to pour a bowl of cereal or throw a pop tart in the toaster)
2) If Dinner out, lunch is in
3) If Lunch out, Dinner is in

We were there two weeks ago (VWL 2br) and this is the same formula that we used. We drove, so once we check into the room we headed out to Publix to get groceries and beer. Since we were not going to do a character breakfast this year we ate in the room every morning. Switched between lunch and dinner depending on which park we were going to be at.

 

[goofydad99]

Thank goodness there are people like us! We don't mind cooking some things and it is a nice time to relax at the resort. The only thing we have a problem with is wanting to leave again. To save on points in March we will be staying in a studio, but I am sure we will be just fine.

 

[El&Asmom]

The other nice thing about cooking is that we have little kids and eating out three meals a day does not work. They are much happier having some of the meals that they are used to eating at home. Plus when they are crabby, the last thing we want to do is wait for a table and sit for a meal with three crabby kids.
I also agree that for the prices you pay, the food is not all that great. We live outside of Chicago and have many great restaurants to eat at within a very close drive. The CS places at Disney are even worse. When people rave on the restaurant boards, I never quiet get what they are loving about some of these places.
I could eat pretty well for $40 pp per day compared to what you get on the DDP.

 

[goofydad99]

Disney food quality has really gone down. Some of the food is downright nasty and the kids choices are pitiful. We are just back and spent 7 nights at AKV and 7 nights on DCL. DCL puts 90% of WDW DIning to shame.



Ita about the DCL food. Many of our recent experiences couldn't compare to DCL.


If Im spending $1400 a week on food, I want steak, shrimp, lobster and Crab legs as daily choices. WDW Dining wont get you that. I could hire a personal Chef, have them cook in the Villa and clean up afterwards and it would not cost me that!

We went on a cruise this year and then to WDW so we couldn't bring as much food as we are used to. We went to the store and we spent over a little over $100 for the entire week. We ate at Boma and Tony's for 8 people and each meal cost over $100 with the TIW discount. I think Boma was closer to $200. We like having our kitchen and we are standing by it!!

 

[jodifla]

On our last trip, which was split between OKW and VBR, we decided to do more cooking in the room than usual. Many people make a big point of saying they can't stand to cook on vacation, but with the high cost and sometimes low quality of WDW food, cooking your own food really can save a lot of money.

Here are some thoughts and tips:

1. Who says the woman has to do all the cooking (or washing of the dishes)?

2. If driving, bring a crate of food from home, particularly spices and staples. If you are flying and don't have to pay a luggage check fee, pack a small (or large) suitcase full of food. If driving, the further away from WDW you can buy your food, the cheaper it will be! The more food you can bring from your own pantry, the better.

3. Plan to cookout if your resort has a grill. Cookouts and picnics are cheap and fun!

4. Try to plan your menus before you leave home. That way if you need a cassarole dish or special spices, you can bring them, and everything will be ready when you are.

5. Try to avoid buying any grocery item at the resort store. For the price of one item you can buy a week's worth of groceries elsewhere (well, almost).

6. Cook breakfast in the room every day. Bacon is easy and Pop-tarts need only be stuck in a toaster. Cereal need only be poured in a bowl. A tube of whompum biscuits costs less than one store bought biscuit.

7. Avoid the "I'm On Vacation Bug." So many posts I read are from people who suggest that on vacation no cost is too much. $500 saved on meals during a vacation is a lot of money, some of which can be spent on a couple of really nice dinners at places like California Grill or Bistro d' Paris.

Just my thoughts. I really enjoyed cooking more in the room this last trip, and plan to make "home cooking" just as much a part of future trips as everyone else does their complex ADR plans. Not only does cooking not have to ruin a vacation, but it can really make it more fun.

This is a terrific post with a lot of good points.

I used to love to eat out at WDW, but the dining has decline while the price has SKYROCKETED, so we are much more careful now.

On our upcoming trip, we have about 4 meals out planned: Boma, Sanaa, Jiko, at Chefs de France. 3 dinners, one lunch. rest of the 15 or so meals will be in the room.

One thing I've started doing is buying a big tray of the cutup veggies that come with a dip. Then I use the veggies as appetizers AND cook them as side dishes or add them to salads.

 

[LIFERBABE]

One thing I've started doing is buying a big tray of the cutup veggies that come with a dip. Then I use the veggies as appetizers AND cook them as side dishes or add them to salads.

That is a great ideal!! This trip, I cant tell you how many little servings of celery and carrots we bought at Mara.

I do buy more "party" groceries when we stay at DVC for convenience and ease. I can double our normal grocery budget and still save money over dining out. Love the party trays of beef tenderloin and cheese trays too for the Villa. i've been eating more veggies lately so I will add the veggie tray to the list.

We get steamed King Crab from the grocery, a salad and French bread and that is our favorite meal in the villa.

My favorite past time is sitting on the balcony with some appetizers and a glass of wine.

The restaurant that surprised us this trip was T-Rex. The food was actually pretty good. The $15 burgers were AWESOME!!! They were huge! We will go back just to split a burger.

Goofydad, Dh and I were really impressed with DCL food quality. They still have the real Chicken Tenders not the WDW nuggets (that are mostly bread) and the burgers were good too. We took 4 boys over 9 and they all loved the fast food on DCL. The DDP alone for a week would have cost more than it cost to take them on the entire cruise. Really i would have had to move up to the DXDDP because they ate 3 meals a day plus snacks!