tips to save $$ on food

[mjh8955]

Two teens and Mom will be joining Dad at a convention April 13 - 17, staying at the Grand Californian. I see lots of wonderful food pictures but am interested in tips and tricks to stretch our budget for food and snacks during our stay. We are WDW veterans but DL is a whole different story. Are there menus and prices posted online somethere?

I hope others can share their ideas here.

 

[godalejunior]

I am staying at DLH in a few weeks and we are having groceries delivered. Cereal, muffins, water, pop, capri sun, etc. Just an idea.

 

[bumbershoot]

dlresortinfo is a site with menu info last updated 10/07 (which was the last time as far as I know that prices were changed), and others like allears.net (.com?).

 

[DLR29]

Take breakfast items (muffins, cereal, milk) and disposable utensils (bowls, spoons, cups) and eat in the room or in line waiting for the gates to open.

I have never once eaten breakfast at the park or DTD. Waste of precious morning touring time and more expensive than bringing it.

 

[silence]

SHARE MEALS!

DH, DD and I all split/share entries at Pizza Port. We usually get a slice of pizza and salad or a salad and the chicken pasta. WAY too much food for any one person in our family unless you are super hungry.

We also share at Plaza Inn. My mom always orders a kids meal (goodness, DS won't eat anyways) and it fills her up!

We do lots of counter service when funds are tight.

My favorite new "meal" is the CHILLI bowl that we got at the Billy's show restaurant. I looked all over the park for the place that sold the chilli in a bread bowl. YUMMY. I had sooooooo many people asking where I got it. Funny thing is, the park was packed and there were lines at all the food places, EXCEPT that place, I got my food before everyone else in my group.

 

[shoppingmom]

Just like SILENCE said "Share Meals" and look at kid's meals some of them are huge!

 

[Gemfyre]

This last trip, I baked some of our snacks and took them with us (I drove in)

I made Pumpkin Bread for portable breakfasts, I made rice krispie treats for our packs and toll house cookies for the room. Worked out pretty nice.

And as everyone else said share share share... We shared most snacks and meals keeping costs to a minimum. And we ate out of the park usually 1 meal a day.

 

[c&m]

Our experiences with saving $$$ on meals are pretty much the same as the other posters here.

We always share meals to save money at DL. Two places where sharing is easy because the portions had always been so big are Whitewater Snacks at the GCH and Mimi's Cafe just across the street from the DL front gates.

Also buy bottled water outside of DL. We go to the Target at the corner of Chapman and Harbor, or the Vons supermarket on Chapman.

If we don't share the meal, we would buy the kiddie meals. Sometimes those kiddie meals are big enough.

 

[Jenn1116]

I know DL checks backpacks etc as you enter if you stay off-site, and they have a rule against outside-food being brought into the park, but I'm going with 3 DD4s (mine and two of my friend's) and I was wondering how strict they are on bring bottled water in and things like granola bars.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

We've never had any problems bringing in water bottles and snacks in a backpack to the park. You should be fine.

 

[bumbershoot]

They care about glass bottles.

And that's really it.

I've read that some people have problems if they bring things like "sandwich fixings" in, but bringing the made sandwiches isn't a problem at all. And water and granola bars aren't worried about.

 

[AmericanItGirl]

Prepackaged snacks and unopened bottles are never a problem. Kids meals with snacks in between meals are a great way to go in terms of saving money.

 

[Leofoenget]

Two teens and Mom will be joining Dad at a convention April 13 - 17, staying at the Grand Californian. I see lots of wonderful food pictures but am interested in tips and tricks to stretch our budget for food and snacks during our stay. We are WDW veterans but DL is a whole different story. Are there menus and prices posted online somethere?

I hope others can share their ideas here.

http://www.mickeyxtreme.com/index.html

I like this site. It has menues.

 

[scanmom]

go to Bengal Barbeque in Adventureland. It is just across from Indie/Tarzans treehouse. We got chicken skewers there (twice), and they were REALLY good! They filled us up, but we were not starving either. We used them as a light lunch. And they are anout $4.00, if I remember correctly. They also have veggie skewers and beef skewers.

 

[trodrigue]

go to Bengal Barbeque in Adventureland. It is just across from Indie/Tarzans treehouse. We got chicken skewers there (twice), and they were REALLY good! They filled us up, but we were not starving either. We used them as a light lunch. And they are anout $4.00, if I remember correctly. They also have veggie skewers and beef skewers.

I agree those are delicous, but I have to say, I got one chicken, one beef and one asparagus, and I was feeling a bit cheated when my husband and son shared with me. I could have eaten all three easily. They are only about 3oz of meat on each stick and then like 8 1 inch pieces of asparagus wrapped in bacon. So I think a minimum of two skewers for a lunch, which is $8 about the price of a children's meal.

 

[kkheburn]

We always bring our own snacks and water bottles. We have a stroller so we put our small cooler and pack in there. I try and buy Disney fruit snacks and bake a few things before we go so it is not the same old boring stuff we have at home all the time. We always eat breakfast in the room and have an early lunch @ DL. I share w/ the kids and husband has to have his own. We eat at Mimis's. Price is right and portions are huge!

 

[Albort]

Buy a Turkey Leg, really really worth it!

 

[DoomBugger]

Buy a Turkey Leg, really really worth it!

Oh yes, the good 'ole turkey legs! Good stuff but for a dollar less you can also get the Chimichangas! If you are looking to just save money on food you could take an hour from the parks and walk across the street to the other side of Harbor Blvd. where therre are sit down and fast food restaurants that will be cheaper than the DLR.

The way to go is eliminate one meal in the park by bringing some fruit and other healthy snacks in a back pack and then go have a meal in the park... it might be higher than average prices but it is just part of the fun to sit down and have a meal in the park while you people watch and enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[Keggy]

I am staying at DLH in a few weeks and we are having groceries delivered. Cereal, muffins, water, pop, capri sun, etc. Just an idea.

Where are you having the groceries delivered from? Are you able to get a little refrigerator at DLH?

 

[mommaU4]

We always eat breakfast before we leave the hotel in the morning. It varies depending on whether or not we are staying at a hotel with a fridge or not. But there's always something we can bring to eat before we leave.

Then I always carry water and snacks with me. Granola bars, cookies, crackers, trail mix, etc. are all good choices to snack on through out the day. I even brought some Smuckers Uncrustables once. The kids love those!

Those snacks will usually tide us over for most of the day so we only need one full meal in the park, and then we usually just do a counter service and I get an discount with my annual pass.