tips for best food deal

[Becca61]

My familiy and I just spent 5 days in the parks. We all agree that the very best "deal" to eat a meal is going into one of the full service restaurants. We ate one counter service meal our first day. We had to stand in line in the heat, pay outlandish prices for chicken strips and french fires, then try to find a place to sit (also in the heat) while our food got cold. There are no refills on drinks and if you ask for a free water, you get a tiny plastic cup. Contrast that to going into Finnegans or Mythos. Check out the prices when you are there. It really isn't that much more expensive than counter service when you consider all you get. You sit down, someone waits on you, you get a free huge glass of water that someone keeps refilling. The waitstaff is wonderful about splitting meals, and the portions are large enough to do that. And the food was great.

 

[tampaman]

I definately agree - its the same to me in all of Orlando, but especially the Universal Parks and Sea World. The normal food is cheap, mediocre, and expensive. There are much better values in the restaurants in the parks and City Walk. And the food is actually good!

 

[highlander447]

Dont forget also the free bread abd apple jelly at Finnegans yummy

 

[missymouze]

Found a great food deal in U.S......right by Earthquake there is a pizza/pasta place that serves large pizzas at great prices....13.99 large, thats great for a theme park!!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

They have the same pizza deal in the cafe over at Marvel Island at IOA.

 

[Eclpz314]

Is that Louis Pizza over at US? 2 yrs. in a row we've eaten there several times during our stays. Going again in a couple weeks and it's on top of the list of eating places we "must do" My teen boys couldn't be talked into eating at the similar one over in IOA----didn't even want to hear that there could be two such places as their special hangout!

 

[Foladar]

Definitely enjoy eating in Citywalk after Universal closes. It isn't much more than the usual prices you pay, and is actually sometimes on the "reasonable" side for a themepark.

 

[gschmerl]

WE have often thought the same thing. We comment on the very slight difference in price between a Mythos meal and counter service which can't begin to compare. Plus, it's so nice to have that air conditoned relaxing break from the parks!

 

[3Mousketeers]

We'll be at RPR on 6/25 for our first trip. I thought this thread was really interesting. We've been to Disney many times and I've always spent hours making priority seating reservations and planning out our days. This trip we are trying to be much more relaxed and just rely on FOTL. But, we haven't given food much thought. Are the full service restaurants like the ones at the Disney parks where you don't have a pray to get in unless you have a reservation?

 

[gschmerl]

We'll be at RPR on 6/25 for our first trip. I thought this thread was really interesting. We've been to Disney many times and I've always spent hours making priority seating reservations and planning out our days. This trip we are trying to be much more relaxed and just rely on FOTL. But, we haven't given food much thought. Are the full service restaurants like the ones at the Disney parks where you don't have a pray to get in unless you have a reservation?

By staying on site your room key will get you "next available seating". At times that can mean immediate seating, and at other times, it can mean a wait because a lot of other on site guests may have arrived before you. We usually just make a reservation that morning for wherever we want to have dinner. If you want to eat at Tchoup Chop(which I highly recommend) at the Royal Pacific, you need to make reservations in advance. You can make them on line at www.opentable.com
Definitely have a dinner at Mythos. Great, interesting food, atmosphere and service.

 

[highlander447]

Another good place to eat at is Finnegans and Lombards in US also the chicken meal in monsters cafe is enough for two too share for a light lunch

 

[3Mousketeers]

By staying on site your room key will get you "next available seating". At times that can mean immediate seating, and at other times, it can mean a wait because a lot of other on site guests may have arrived before you. We usually just make a reservation that morning for wherever we want to have dinner. If you want to eat at Tchoup Chop(which I highly recommend) at the Royal Pacific, you need to make reservations in advance. You can make them on line at www.opentable.com
Definitely have a dinner at Mythos. Great, interesting food, atmosphere and service.

I had no idea that was a perk for staying on-site. It sounds kind of like a Disney priority seating but with that you have to actually make the reservation ahead of time. Thanks for the info.