Tips for eating cheaper

temple4

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 3, 2002
Messages
53
We are going to the world next summer and would like to eat at some of the places around the world. Since dinner is the most expensive, we were thinking to do lunches. I was thinking to get to the parks at opening and have a nice lunch somewhere, then go back to the room and rest. Any information you can give me on good counter service would be good too (Pecos Bills, Tusker House). I was thinking to take a couple of nights and do a nice dinner (Chef Mickeys maybe). What about ice cream at Beaches & Cream? We will have all age ranges (age 3 to 60 in the party) and will be there for 10 days. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Family Suites (we will eat their free breakfast buffet). Thanks in advance for any help.
 
here are a couple of tips:
1. As you figured out lunches are cheaper. I do a late lunch at a sit down buffet restaurant and then a light counter service dinner.
2. Order an appatizer and a sald instead of an entree. Or for a big group order several appetizers and split them. Leave room for dessert :)
3. Eat of the children's menu if you are not a big eater.
4. Split entrees between 2 people. I have found the portions to be really big and more than enough for 2 people.
5. Try the ice cream social if you are looking for a less pricey character dinning experience. WE did this and the attention from the characters was great and the restaurant itself was kind of neat.
 
We do exactly as you are planning: in the parks early, nice sit-down lunch. It works out great if you have little ones in your party! We have a 3yo DD who loves to eat out but get up early! So we are at the parks upon opening and then have a nice sit-down lunch which is always cheaper than dinner! Usually these lunches are so filling that we do not need a big dinner. So often for dinner we either hit counter service, do an off-site restaurant, or just get appetizers at a nice sit-down.

Have fun!
 
In addition to posting here (and the good responses you will get from the dining afficiandos) :).....you might want to take a peak at the Budget Board and the Tips Board as well. Enjoy!
 

We ate breakfast in the room- brought cereal, breakfast bars, and stopped and got apples, bananas and yogurt at the store. I also brought a whole suitcase full of crackers, pringles, cookies, fruit snacks, trail mix, etc. I bought a case of bottled water at Publix on the way into the World & that saved us a ton of $$. Bottled H2O is $2.50 a pop at the parks. I often had our two boys (ages 2 & 5) share an adult's fast food meal- cheaper than two kids meals. Depending on the kid's meal, sometimes they shared that and then picked off our plates if they were still hungry. Our 2 year old was free at the buffets, so at Chef Mickey's, Cape May Cafe, 'Ohana & Whispering Canyon (I got the all you can eat skillet) he pigged out and it was free! And like you are planning, we ate about 1/2 of our dinners just at Counter Service, so it wasn't as $$. And, a few days we just shared a lunch or got snacks and then had a huge dinner (Cape May, Ohana, etc). In hindsight, DH and I probably could have shared several meals and saved a few more $$, but we were very go-go-go and by the time dinner rolled around I was STARVING and didn't want to share! LOL!

Definitely check out the meal combo at Animal Kingdom- we weren't able to do it cause my group was so hungry we got stir fry at just some random window, but at Tusker House, Pizzafari and the BBQ place (And maybe one other place I am forgetting) for $12 you get your lunch, a soda, and then two vouchers- one for another bottled soda/water and one for either a popcorn or an ice cream! Not bad considering most counter service meals are about $10-11 for the entree and the soda.

PS- I lived in San Jose the majority of my life---where abouts do you live? I lived in the Willow Glen area. :)
 
Hi,
We'll be there is less than two weeks; I remember seeing a sign for this meal deal a couple of years ago when we went. How do you go about buying this meal combo? Is it a voucher that you buy at Guest Services?
 
You can read more about the meal deal on Mary's site. (don't know if I'm allowed to post it or not...) You can purchase it at the counterservice line, without having to go out of your way! ;)
 
I have found that ordering an appetizer and soup works for me--the portions are usually large, and I like to sample different things anyway. I always go this route in Chefs de France--their bisque and onion soups are great, and so is the bread. This costs about 1/2 the amount of a "regualr" entree.

I also agree with the folks who suggested bringing beverages--they are expensive int eh parks, so bringing your own will save about 25% off of your counter service meal (vs buying a large fountain drink.

Oh--I like the kiddie meals, too--the one in Mexico is pretty good, and is just enough for a lunch.

Samantha
 
Originally posted by Nikole
In addition to posting here (and the good responses you will get from the dining afficiandos) :).....you might want to take a peak at the Budget Board and the Tips Board as well. Enjoy!

Oh so true! There was a great thread a while back about "Best Eat Cheap Tips". The tips and advice were excellent! So much I didn't know about the *options* you REALLY have when ordering at the counter service locations....I'd check over there and see if you can find more info.
 
As far as counter service goes, I really like Pinnochio's Village Haus. The food is average, but I enjoy sitting by the "Its a small world" window and waving to the boats below. Its a cheaper place to eat with some homemade entertainment. (Cheaper... not cheap :p :) :cool: :p )
 
temple4:
Just another idea: I see that you are staying at HIFS (so are we, in Oct.). Last time we went to WDW (and stayed at HIFS), we filled up on breakfast and never ate a single lunch. I ordered single packaged snacks from Netgrocer and had everything delivered to the hotel, and every day I packed healthy snacks for everyone. Between those and the occasional Mickey bar, we made it just fine until dinner. Paying for only dinner each day would make up for the price difference between lunch and dinner. And seriously, you probably won't want a big lunch after the breakfast buffet. Plus you don't have to take away from your park time in the middle of the day. We like to eat a big breakfast, hit the park and do as much as we can, then when we're done with the park, sit down to a nice relaxing dinner. But, that's JMHO. ;)
 
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one that loves to wave at small world riders from that window. My teens think I am a bit loopy, but I love watching the kids faces when they see me wave(and some wave back)
 





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