Trying out a new strategy for eating...Does anyone do this normally?

[MaC410]

My wife and I are trying out a new strategy for when we eat each day. On our first trip we snacked a bit throughout the day and then sat down at a table service for dinner in the evening. We enjoy going to the table service places because we typically pick ones with fun food/atmosphere . The only thing is we found ourselves either too full to enjoy the food or we found ourselves skipping snacks we wanted to try so we wouldn't be too full for dinner.

On our upcoming trip we decided to try something different! We decided to do our table service meal for as early of lunch times we could get. We aren't breakfast eaters so that table service lunch would be our first meal of the day. Then it would give us the entire rest of the day to snack here and there whenever we felt like it and basically use that as our dinners.

We enjoy night time at the parks a lot too. This strategy would give us more time to do things at night instead of being in a restaurant. Does anyone else do this kind of thing? How does it work out for you?

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I say that's a great strategy. With ADR's we spend so much time eating or waiting to eat that we miss so much of the parks. I do ADR's since we have kids and we need that break but on full park days we don't do breakfast ADR's since it's waste most of the time and we eat in our room. Then we eat off hours, so a later lunch and later dinner or we skip and just snack. Only having one ADR per day helps us feel less locked in. Between ADRs and FP res, it gets to be stifling. We do lunch time reservations so we can get out of the heat and have a reserved table to recharge but I say stick with that plan.

 

[elaine amj]

That's a great idea! I wanted to snack more last trip too but was always full.

 

[kniquy]

I think it sounds like a good idea. It lets you tour in the morning, build up that appetite but then the freedom to snack around for the afternoon. We are challenged for our next trip because it is flower and garden - many tasty treats, but then there are also so many great restaurants at Epcot.

one thing that i have some people mention is that they will just order a few apps and dessert at a TS restaurant - this way you get the sit down atmosphere you are looking for and not necessarily filling up on a large meal and dessert or apps and a meal

 

[Disneylover99]

This is exactly what we do when we are on the dining plan. We are not breakfast people so we make the earliest lunch ADR and we are free to eat however we want the rest of the day. The bonus, is that we rarely have to wait for an ADR and buffets are hot, fresh and plentiful.

 

[MaC410]

Glad to see some good feedback about the strategy! Only day we will be eating at a table service at night is our Animal Kingdom day. We wanted to try Boma again and they don't do early lunch. So we decided to do a late in the evening Boma ADR after the park closes.

 

[Faldred]

The other advantage to this idea is that - especially if you're rope-drop people - you get a nice, air-conditioned break after the morning hustle and bustle (when you get the most done anyway) and then you can go at a more leisurely pace the rest of the day.

 

[NYCgrrl]

For some medicos eating your bigger meal of the day earlier is the right thing as you'll have fueled your body for various activities. Your new eating strategy will align nicely with those thoughts.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

When visiting the parks, we have used the same strategy since about 1985:
. . . one day eat a big breakfast and snacks fro lunch and dinner
. . . another day, eat a big lunch and snacks for breakfast and dinner
. . . another day, eat a big dinner and snacks for breakfast and lunch
. . . we alternate in that order, and the family likes the "system"

 

[KimBean]

I like this idea. When paying OOP we used to always plan our TS for lunch because it was cheaper. Disney has gotten away from that model but I still like your plan.

I use the same thinking when I go to the movies. I want popcorn and candy so I go to movies first and then eat dinner. If I'm not very hungry for dinner I'll just get an appetizer. But I prioritized my must do. Lol.

 

[MamaJessie]

We ended up bumping a few of our dinners to lunches on our last trip and liked it quite a bit, nice to take a break when the parks are busy and it was super hot. We were worried we would get hungry later but snacks were really enough to keep us going.

 

[Disney_Alli]

As an all adult group we've always liked late leisurely lunches as an afternoon break... but this next trip with a 2.5 year old might change our vibe haha

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We do a quick breakfast on the go (like a granola bar) and do the first lunch seating usually.

We love the early seatings! I love your plan.