What the cheapest most fun meal option...

[nuttymomma]

For each of the main parks, Dwntwn and BW? Can't afford to eat out each day, and with 5 kids and 2 adults, we can't afford even one high priced meal a day.

Looking for cheap, fun options that will still have a special feeling to them. Something we can enjoy and not have the kids (14, 14, 11, 6 & 6) feel like they are missing out on anything by not going to the higher priced places.

We will be staying at FW...next week arriving late Sunday and leaving first thing Saturday.

Thanks!

 

[ckoncurat]

I like the flame tree barbacue (counter service) in the animal kingdom- They have toms of beautiful, waterside seating with lots of birds flying around.

 

[Madi100]

I'm not for sure on the name, I think it is Peco's Bills. It is in Magic Kingdom by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This was a favorite of my dad's. He's el cheapo. It's burgers and counter service. But, you get to go to the fixin's bar. You can put all sorts of stuff on your burgers. That would be the one I recommend.

 

[WDWorBUST]

I'll 2nd the Flame Tree Barbecue.....they also have a "meal deal" there that gets you a full meal and a snack later - depending on how big of an eater you are you come out ahead with it. (Is there something else with it guys - I feel like I'm leaving something out)

Another option - just do dessert - I love the Sci Fi Drive-In Diner - but it can be expensive.....but you could always just do milkshakes (I've never tried one of theirs but I here they're great!!) or if you are ready for a little snack share an appetizer or two!! You'll still get the fun of it without spending an arm and a let!

 

[Madi100]

Another one if you want the character interaction without paying for a big meal you can do the ice-cream social at Epcot. It's a per person price of around $7. You get a neat ice cream treat with yummy cookies. It's expensive for ice cream, but it was a great break in our day, and we got to meet the characters at Garden Grill in Epcot. Mickey and friends are dressed up as farmers. Since most character meals run about $20 or more, this is a cheap way to get the character meal in.

 

[fanofpan]

Our kids loved the Ice Cream Social, and the Characters were great with the kids. My ds had a great time playing tic tac toe with chip. And the ice cream was so huge that we couldn't eat the whole thing.

 

[Carol Ann]

I've heard great things about the Ice Cream social too...but since you are going next week, I am pretty sure that isn't an option right now due to the Land renovations for Soarin'.

 

[LoveToDisney]

We enjoy the delicious hotdogs at Casey's in MK. They are huge, so if you not a big eater you may want to split one. There's also a condiment bar that you can use to add all sorts of things.

We also drink water rather than ordering sodas/juice...that saves $$.

Also, go to Beaches and Cream (at Beach Club) during the off hours -- not during meal time -- and just order desert. They are reasonably priced and the atmosphere is so cool.

Have a great trip!

 

[Princess Glenda]

Flame Tree BBQ is a great suggestion. Be sure to do the Meal Deal there and get the coupon for a drink and ice cream later in the day. I would also second the Beaches and Cream idea and suggest that you get the KITCHEN SINK. Check out www.allearsnet.com for the menus on the restaurants suggested by everyone.

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

I've never done this, but heard this could be a fun thing to do. Go to Beaches and Cream and order the kitchen sink. It is a huge sundae with every flavor ice cream they have with all the toppings on it. It is enough for your whole family .

 

[SuzyQue]

We did mostly counter service in the parks on our last trip, and my 22 year old daughter and I ended up sharing a lot of the meals. At the Cosmic Cafe in MK they have a turkey bacon wrap that comes in two pretty good sized sections along with a little side of pasta salad. Chicken strips, which are offered pretty much at all the parks was another one we split. Those 2 examples ran about $6-$7 each. They also offer really nice kid meals for between $3-$4. I think the one at the Flame Tree BBQ was a hot dog, corn on the cob and applesauce. The same holds true for the food courts, the adult serving of spaghetti or mac & cheese at POR could easily feed 2 people. ~~

 

[Colinsmom]

For DTD, stop at the sandwich place - The Earl of Sandwich. The sandwiches are only 4.95 and definitely a meal; your youngest kids can probably split one. You can sit outside and have a lovely view of DTD, so it definitely doesn't feel like you are missing anything (and the food is GOOD!!).

 

[Candace]

I second the Earl of Sandwich at the Marketplace. Those sandwiches are huge and really delicious! Probably the best $deal in WDW.

 

[kccmommy]

This is not a dinner, but something that sounds really neat for the 6 year olds.
(copied from another thread)
Nestle Junior Chef Program - (copied from allearsnet.com) at The Land pavilion in Epcot. The Junior Chefs (aka any child between about ages 3 and 10) help two grown-up chefs make a delicious and magical batch of chocolate chip cookies. The children also each get a personalized paper chef's hat and at the end, a little container of Nestle chips and two cookies.
There is no sign-up or prior registration. Just head downstairs to the Sunshine Season Food and look for the bright yellow bakery storefront to the far left (from the vantage point of the stairs) of the food offerings. At the time of our visit, Junior Chef was offered every hour on the half-hour.
We arrived about 5 minutes before the program was to begin, and they were already distributing the chef's hats, so I'd suggest arriving earlier at busy times. I have read they sometimes limit the number of children participating, on this day there were at least 15.
After donning their hats, the children wash their hands (with wipes) and line up around a work table. Each child is assigned a "job" - of pouring in the ingredients or stirring the dough - and each child got to place a cookie or two on the baking sheet.
The work table is inside a gated, picket fence area and the kids are always in full view of their parents. There are some seats around the outside of the fence and the photo opportunities are wonderful.
After the baking sheets are full, one grown-up baker whisks the sheets off to an out-of-view oven while the other helps the children invoke some Disney magic. In the blink of an eye - the cookies are ready!
Junior Chef requires just a small amount of time out of your touring day, in fact it is a great way to spend the time waiting for your Fast Pass window for Living With the Land.

 

[swilphil]

I love the Junior Chef idea, but I think the Land might be closed right now.

We like Cosmic Ray's in MK. In Epcot, the counter service in the different countries of World Showcase is a fun way to try different ethnic dishes. We like to get ours to go, and then sit on the benches in Germany. The kids love the train village there. For dessert we go to the French bakery. I LOVE the Marvellous.

 

[adamandallie]

Pizza Planet in MGM is a fun surrounding.

 

[welovedis]

I would go to:
50's Prime Time in MgM-here is their lunch menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_ptc.htm
We usually go there and order 2 meals-then split our food with our DS, plenty of food for everyone and the atmosphere is a riot. With a bigger family like yours you'll have a ball with the servers!

Flame Tree Barbecue at AK-here is their lunch menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_ftb.htm
Again, we split the meals, there are lots of different things to choose from and you can't beat the scenery!

Trail's End at Fort Wilderness ( I know it isn't a park) but the buffets there are cheap (for Disney) and I hear the food is great. Here is their menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_teb.htm

Lots of people have mentioned Beaches & Cream at the BC resort, very close to BW-you can walk there or take the boat if you are feeling drained! Here's their menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_bc.htm

We also like the ESPN club because the portions are pretty good sized (DS splits our meal again) and they have always gone out of their way to accomodate my food allergies. Great place if your gang likes sports!
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_espn.htm

At MK there are lots of great choices:
Pecos Bill
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_pec.htm
Cosmic Rays
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_cr.htm
Casey's Corner
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/men_cas.htm
Columbia Harbor House I like because it feels a little less like the other "counter service" place, just my opinion, and the prices are decent-good sized portions.

Epcot-there are many choices, just check out all the Epcot menus here:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm#mk

As others have mentioned your younger children could split meals and pretty much anyone can order a kid's meal, they are a good amount of food.

Have a great time on your trip!

 

[Boo Mc]

When we eat at Earl of Sandwich, I usually send DH down to McDonalds for the kids' food while I wait in line for our food. EOS line is a bit slow so by the time he gets back with the Happy Meals, we are ready to eat together. The kitchen sink at Beaches is huge and I think about $20. We never finish but there's only 4 of us. The highlight of our trip is to skip dinner one night and just eat ice cream. The kids LOVE it and I wouldn't be able to eat dinner and then eat all that ice cream anyway. Definitely get the meal certificates at AK. Also, I know some may disagree, but we find that eating lunch at Liberty Tree is not that much more than eating counter service. Plus, you get free drink refiills, excellent rolls (if you request them), and air conditioning all at no charge. Just a nice break during a long day and good food IMO! Get a fast pass for Splash or Big Thunder while you're eating to maximize any time you may have lost by eating in a restaurant. The same theory holds true for Le Cellier in Epcot. Another favorite of ours and great breadsticks and cheese soup. Kids meals are quite filling, too. Can you tell we're not exactly on the Atkins diet? Same plan here - get a fast pass for Test Track (or Mission Space if you're brave enough to go on after lunch). We've found that if you eat a big enough lunch, you can sometimes skip dinner or just get a snack. Good luck!

 

[Muffy]

I think your kids would love Earl of Sandwhich. We just got back and ate there twice. Our DD is 14 and loved Earl's.

 

[ttfn3]

Share meals! Even the counter meals servings can be big.

We like Pecos Bills at the MK and their fixings bar. In AK, I highly recommend Tusker House.

Don't forget the "free drinks" at Ice Station Cool in Epcot. A great place to quench your thirst for no cost.

Also in Downtown Disney at Ghiradelli's they give out a free wafer of chocolate (usually the chocolate covered carmel). Yum.

Oh - we also like to take a backpack that includes some snack items and we bring our own bottle of water into the park (and you can fill it up at the drinking fountains). Add some packets of Crystal Light to flavor the icky fountain water at MK.