What are your best budget dining tips?

[AuntBJ]

We decided on a last minute, budget trip to WDW (ASMU 3/3 thru 3/8). Since we are planning to go again in November, we are trying to get by as inexpensively as possible this trip. Any suggestions on saving money on food? We're driving down so we can go to grocery store but don't look forward to a five days of cold sandwiches. We'll probably do counter service lunch in the park, so I am mainly looking for breakfast and dinner ideas. We'll have three girls (ages 4,5,6) so I'd like to find some hot veggies at least a couple of times.

BTW, someone offered to loan me a tiny microwave, is this a good idea?

 

[Ted and Holly]

Breakfast in the room is easy. Buy some fresh fruit, some juice or juiceboxes, pop tarts, granola bars, and instant oatmeal (just heat the water in the coffee pot). If you are doing grocery shopping and want to splurge, you could always get some pastries from the store bakery.

Counter service dinners will be okay if you are saving on the other meals.

Have a great trip!

 

[ReneeQ]

What we do is - breakfast in the room (we're at DVC at the Boardwalk, so we have a small fridge, microwave and toaster, which really helps). The kids are too little and too excited to really stop and eat much during the day, so we take snacks with us and just graze on them all day. We do buy the occasional ice cream or special treat. Then we usually have one nice sit down meal each night. This has worked well for us. But some of those nights the sit down meal could be fast food.

 

[crusoe2]

I believe all of the All Star resorts have a toaster and microwave available in the food court. That may save you some packing space. I don't think you can get a coffee maker at All Stars, though, so if you will need one you might want to take one of those instead of the small microwave. We always take a cooler and some food for the room. Next trip I'm planning to take some non-perishable stuff to pop in the micro - probably some of those "It's Pasta Anytime" dinners along with a bagged salad. We'll get breadsticks from one of the counters in the foodcourt. I'm also planning to take some fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, celery sticks with Easy Cheese, etc. to have with sandwiches or cold fried chicken brought from home. Canned veggies and instants like mashed potatoes and mac & cheese can also be cooked in the foodcourt microwave.
For breakfast, why not take some treats like danishes, donuts, poptarts, favorite cereals, etc.? Whatever your kids will eat that can be eaten right out of the package - saves time as well as money. Hope this helps.

Just thought of something else - if your family drinks lots of soda, tea or coffee you might want to buy the refillable mugs. They cost about $9 or $10 each but you get free refills from the foodcourt drink stand for your entire stay. Some folks take their's back and use them on later trips, too.

 

[rogers803]

We took a small griddel last time and made grilled cheese sandwiches. We also had a toaster
for poptarts and toast etc. It worked great ! We saved money and time.

 

[tink2dw]

The Super Walmart near All Stars has a kid freindly
McDonalds[I seem toremeber it costing less than the ones onsite at WDW] in it, and a Deli that makes Fresh made 3 foot sub type sandwichs[about$4.99each]. They made two kinds when were there last year one with kid friendly cold cuts,and one with more adult type meats like roast beef. Dh and I found the one with roast beef to be Excellent,DD like the other one. We took them back to the room.and cut them in 3 inch sections. And had one of the best tasting off site meals. And one of the cheapest meals!!

 

[deena]

definitely take advantage of restaurants just right outside of WDW on 192 that have a large variety of delicious buffets during the day at great prices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner such as Shoney's, Ponderosa Steakhouse, and Golden Corral. Also, like was mentioned above, you can stop by any of the Publix grocery stores and Super Walmart next door to pick up whatever food items you may need/want at low prices.

There are also many chain restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, IHOP, TGI Frridays, and more places available such as fast food if desireable some days; pick up tourist booklets that are inside the bins located in shopping areas as they have many great money saving coupons for area restaurants. Hope this helps.

 

[JohnnyOldBoy]

Just as deena said, especially at that time of year. The park hours are shorter and ASMU has easy access to 192 area. Eat a good breakfast outside the park, snack and/or lunch in the park, and dinner outside the park. Lots of variety along 192 and much cheaper than in parks.

 

[mhopset]

I don't know if you could use this idea or not, but here goes.

I found these great breakfast sandwiches at wal-mart. They are sausage, egg and cheese on sourdough toast. I believe they 2 for $1.00. You just heat them up in a microwave, and they are pretty good. The only problem is how you would keep them cold until you was ready to eat them. Maybe if you had one of the coolers you plugged into the cig. lighter in your car. They are really good though. And you could heat them up in the microwave in the food court.

 

[tinaluis]

Connections meal vouchers - $11.00 buys a whole lot if you plan ahead, especially at Beaches & Cream.

 

[SandraC]

This is what I would do:

DAILY BUDGET MEAL PLAN

Breakfast in room (granola, fruit, breakfast bars, cereal, pop tarts, muffins, pastry etc.,.)

Picnic Lunches in/out parks (sandwiches, peanut butter and apple, cookies, fruit, veggies etc.,.)

Counter Service / Food Court Dinners ~ the servings are big and you can order a kid meal for yourself if your not too hungry. 2 adults counter service meals are approx. $8.00 each, kids are about $5.00 so your family would be $31.00 for dinner. Bring your our drinks.

I'll bet you can get your dining budget about $50.00 per day with one inexpensive meal and groceries!

 

[SandraC]

This is what I would do:

DAILY BUDGET MEAL PLAN

Breakfast in room (granola, fruit, breakfast bars, cereal, pop tarts, muffins, pastry etc.,.)

Picnic Lunches in/out parks (sandwiches, peanut butter and apple, cookies, fruit, veggies etc.,.)

Counter Service / Food Court Dinners ~ the servings are big and you can order a kid meal for yourself if your not too hungry. 2 adults counter service meals are approx. $8.00 each, kids are about $5.00 so your family would be $31.00 for dinner. Bring your our drinks.

I'll bet you can get your dining budget about $50.00 per day with one inexpensive meal and groceries!

 

[SandraC]

This is what I would do:

DAILY BUDGET MEAL PLAN

Breakfast in room (granola, fruit, breakfast bars, cereal, pop tarts, muffins, pastry etc.,.)

Picnic Lunches in/out parks (sandwiches, peanut butter and apple, cookies, fruit, veggies etc.,.)

Counter Service / Food Court Dinners ~ the servings are big and you can order a kid meal for yourself if your not too hungry. 2 adults counter service meals are approx. $8.00 each, kids are about $5.00 so your family would be $31.00 for dinner. Bring your our drinks.

I'll bet you can get your dining budget about $50.00 per day with one inexpensive meal and groceries!

 

[karin037]

The family meal at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (MK) was really great. The Family Meal consists of a Whole Rotisserie Chicken - with Mashed Potatoes & Corn Muffins: Family Meal serving 3-4 people - $15.99.

 

[ldh]

I read on a Myrtle Beach web site to take a George Foreman Grill with you. We didn't do it but I thought it was a good idea.

 

[Disneydenise]

DD is a college student. She uses her George Forman grill to make grilled cheese. It actually was pretty good. It doesn't need alot of butter or margarine so it is fairly healthy. I wouldn't want to cook on vacation but I don't like to cook anytime.

 

[Snow Brite]

and have put two boxes away to take to WDW with us. I will buy milk at the foodcourt and my kids will think its great to have a "disney breakfast". They alos are making Disney themed fruit snacks, with Mickey, Buzz or the Princesses, and I am waiting for those to go on sale before I scoop up a few boxes of those.

For veggies/fruit I will get a couple of cans of fruit (bringing my can opener from home) in lite syrup (for dessert) as well as a few pieces of fresh fruit like oranges, apples, bananas. I had a friend who cooked frozen veggies in her coffee pot, by running them through in the basket (where the coffee grounds go) and the hot water cooked them. Never tried it but thought I would mention it!

Jennifer

 

[Rpsemont]

Best way to save money on meals - no character dinners and eat dinner off site. There's also alot of restaurants on the LBV side of WDW near DD. We ate at TGI Friday's and pizzaria Uno. OH, And have adults share and "Finish" the kids meals. When Kids meals come with a drink, you really can't go wrong.

 

[disneyfan551]

btw, how was Pizzeria Uno's??? I've always been curious about it...

 

[musicfan]

I second the "sharing" suggestion. We would always order one entree for my husband and me, then I would "finish" anything my son didn't eat (which was a LOT when he was little!). We saved a lot of money doing that, but we learned the hard way, after throwing away tons of food ordering three entrees.

Now that he's 15, my son doesn't leave leftovers anymore!