What's the cheapest way to eat at DW?

[megan&joeysmommy]

What exactly is parmalot? I've never heard of it. Is it like powdered milk that you add water to? Does it taste like milk? Would it be cheaper than the $3 for 1/2 gal. at the gift shop? (My head is still spinning over that!! We get 1/2 gallons on sale sometimes for 77 cents. I know...it's Disney) Just wondering...

 

[epcotfan]

It is advised by the Transportation Security Administration to not pack food in luggage. It sets of the new machines that scan luggage.

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_0077.xml

 

[welovedis]

Yes, you are no longer supposed to pack food in your checked luggage, carry-on would be fine.

What about taking a cab from your All Star resort to the a grocery store & back. I don't know how much it would cost (I'm sure the folks on the Transportation board would know) but that way your DH is not struggling with grocery bags on an unfamiliar bus route, etc... and by the time he got from the grocery store to the TTC to ASMo your stuff would be out in the heat for quite some time.

We have always used a car service & stopped at Publix. We pick up a styrofoam cooler for about $3, then fill it with a bag of ice, add our milk, yogurt, string cheese and juice. Each night DH would just refill the ice and everything stayed really cold, nothing spoiled or got warm at all.

Maybe check into the cab fare costs?

Parmalat is a brand of milk/dairy products, many of which don't need to be refridgerated. I buy the shelf-stable milk that is ready to drink, it tastes pretty much like the fat-free milk I would buy at the dairy.

HTH!

 

[bobcat]

Parmalat is milk but it is just pasteurized differently, at a very high temperature.

 

[icydog]

If you want to economize can you buy a kid's AK lunch ceritficate and an adult eat it?? What do they have for kid's lunch? I don't eat a lot anymore and I think a kid's meal would be more than enough for me. Now DH, he's another story!!

 

[KDawnLily]

The ASR Food Courts are decently priced. (You can get a grilled cheese sandwich and fries for $3.99)
Check out www.wdwig.com for the menus (it also lists prices that seem to be very accurate).
Because we travel from Canada, shipping food ahead is not an option for us so we always tend to look for the best deals at the resorts and just outside the resort. Sharing, splitting, getting kid size meals at counter service restraunts, taking a trip to the Publix/Wal-Mart are all great ideas(eg. 6 btls of water at Publix/Wal-Mart normally cost about the same as 1 at WDW).
If you don't like the taste of WDW water I think they sell btl filtration units like Brita or some such for a relatively low price(and little cyrstal light single packs are a great trick to hide that WDW water taste).
Everyone has had great ideas so far- and I sure appreciate learning all the new tricks to making $$ last longer.

Oh- One more thing- Get the refillable mug- Even at $10.99 a person it saves a ton of $$( for our next trip we plan on gettng everyone their own and it works out to less than $0.80 a day for drinks at the resort- need that morning coffee!)

 

[DisneyEnthusiastic]

If you are really trying to economize you should think of other things...like where are you going to store any cold food? A refrigerator is going to cost you $10 per day. You would need a cooler. Then the cost of a cab to a store. I would have everyone pack some things in their carry ons (things mentioned previously by other helpful posters), either purchase milk from the gift shop or better yet is to purchase 2 refillable mugs and fill those with milk for your cereal. You can purchase a loaf of bread at the gift shop (which is what I plan to do) and bring pb&j. They also carry things such as chips and dips, donuts (Entemmans...which is much cheaper than buying a single one at the bakery). These may be a $1 or 2 more than we are used to buying at home, but well worth the savings of eating out all the time. I know that in the past we have bought food at the food court and share the meals because they are such large portions. So if you prebuy the refillable mugs and share a meal with your husband...this would only cost about $6 for say a steak & cheese sub with french fries. And you could get one of the kids meals and split that between your two children...because they get a lot of food as well.

Sorry for the rambling...but I am trying to economize myself. I have the luxury of driving down this time but I have no plans to go to a grocery store. I will bring some things from home like others have mentioned and purchase my bread, etc at the gift shop. I figure the time I spend running around looking for deals, I could be spending that time with my family. I figure I will do all my deal looking and planning here before I go, and just enjoy the magic!! Have fun!

 

[megan&joeysmommy]

purchase milk from the gift shop or better yet is to purchase 2 refillable mugs and fill those with milk for your cereal

I thought I read somewhere that they don't let you have milk in the refillable mugs. This would certainly be a great deal for our family as we go through 6 gallons a week.

Can someone verify whether or not this can be done?

 

[epcotfan]

Milk is not available at the refill stations.

 

[DisneyEnthusiastic]

oops...sorry...I was thinking about the creamer for the coffee. That is usually in a dispenser near the coffee. But since I'm staying at the All Star Movies in 3 weeks, I will let you know for sure about the price of milk.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I agree that bringing what you can with you will be the easiest thing to do. Milk, bread, juice can be bought in the food court at AS. I would advise to put your snacks, lunch items etc. into a disposable plastic container and then into a soft sided cooler to be checked as bagage. I have heard of people checking a loaded and taped shut hard sided cooler as luggage too, but not sure how this would go post 9-11. As for sandwich fixings, you really could bring them with you if you really wanted to. We have family in California that likes some of the meats etc. that we have here on the east coast. My MIL freezes things like ham. and then puts them in a small soft sided cooler in her carry on and they stay just fine for the about 8 hours total travel time. We find that the biggest money saver when eating out is not to over order. Share things and alway know that a snack latter if you are still hungry is fine too.


Jordan's mom

 

[missypie]

Okay, I don't want any lectures about rules or fire codes or morality here - I'm just answering the question: When I was a child we had very little money but always took an annual vacation. My mother brought along a small electric skillet and heated food in the room ... canned beef stew, etc. You could do the same thing with a hot pot - if you don't have one left over from college you could get one for a dollar at a resale shop or garage sale. I'm not condoning this - I'm just sayng this is how you eat hot food very cheaply on vacation.

 

[campingcorgi]

You always have the option of renting a car for a day and taking a trip out of the world. You could eat out (we found the Golden Corral to be our best meal in 2 weeks at WDW and cheapest, too!) and hit Wal-Mart to get everything you need. Renting a car on site is quite easy and you might get a good deal, too.

How long are you staying? If not for at least a week, I'd just make do with the food court and whatever snacks you can carry-on.

If you planned on doing the Chip and Dale Campfire at Fort Wilderness you could shop at the Trading Post there and get some supplies, but they will probably be the same prices as the shops at any resort. More selection, though, but I doubt you need steaks and charcoal or frozen lasagna.

 

[megan&joeysmommy]

Missypie~~Don't feel bad, we always did this too. It was our only chance to have Hamburger Helper--HA! It was also probably the only way my family could take more than one vacation a year. My DH and I have carried on this tradition and still bring the electric frying pan along on road trips. The thought had crossed my mind this time, but since we're flying I don't think I would want to lug that all the way to WDW.

 

[missypie]

Ya know, even if money were no object, I would still want the option of eating some meals in the room. Breakfast for example: With 5 people getting ready, it sure is easier to have the kids eating cereal in the room while I do my hair, rather than everyone getting ready then devoting time to a restaaurant breakfast. And at the end of a long theme park day, my kids would much rather take 10 minutes to stuff a sandwich in their mouths and fall into bed in the room than spend an hour+ at a restaurant. Sitting at a restaurant at night with tired cranky kids is no way to spend a vacation!

 

[crazelion]

Here's what I would if I was flying and did not have a grocery stop:
Breakfeast
Breakfeast oatmal that comes in its own bowl. Can use the hot water at the coffee maker at the All Stars for free.

Bring some grits in a bowl in mircoware it in the food court.

Buy bread at the gift shop to have some toast.

Buy a refillable mug to cover drinks for 10.99.

Ceral Bars
Lunch

Tuna and chicken saland it a pack. They is coming out with new varitys everyday.

Pringles to with tuna and chicken saland.

Viena sasaages in a can.

Devil ham in a can

Pasta to Go meals from kraft: examples spattii that does not need to be fridge.

Kraft Macroni and Cheese in the packets

Raju Sauce pasta packets that a you all needs to put in the microwave. Be sure to bring a bowl and sppon.

Snacks

Cookies, goldfish , crackers jacks, peanuts, kool-aid and other snacks tha your fmaily would like.

Everything should fit a carry-on bag and cover for lunch and breakfeast for a week in the WDW.

 

[crisi]

The DVC resorts have stores with a more extensive selection of groceries than most resorts. Expect to pay premium prices for them, but they generally have lunch meat, peanut butter, etc. You can "swing" by the BWV while at Epcot or MGM, or send someone over to VWL while at MK.

We always (and money - at least at the needing to save a few bucks on breakfast level - has not been an object on our Disney trips for some time) eat breakfast in our rooms. We pack or buy on the way in cereal bars, granola bars and pop tarts. Its simply much faster in the morning and these things are really easy in the room. We also bring fruit snacks for the kids (because little ones get hungry NOW, usually when you are standing in a 30 minute line) and sometimes microwave popcorn.

If you are really on a budget, eat a single park meal a day. Eat your cereal bars in the room - have a Dole Whip or Mickey Bar or something for a tide you over snack, bring a granola bar along as well - a late lunch. Another late snack if you are in the parks late, and microwave some popcorn (there are microwaves at the food court) when you get back to your room.

 

[kfields1]

A few things we have learned over the year traveling with our kids ages 4 and 6 now:

1. Pack a variety pack of your kids' favorite cereals (the little individual boxes). My kids LOVE this for breakfast b/c they think it's a special treat b/c they get a new cereal everyday. You can pick up milk at the food court every evening. If you don't have a firdge, just keep it on ice. Or, buy the milk in "juice boxes" that does not have be refrigerated. OR eat a big breakfast at the foodcourt (my kids like scrambled eggs and toast and it really held them over. Then see #3)

2. Also pack Juice Boxes if your kids are into them. It's worth the $10 a day for the fridge if they offer it in AS. Definitely buy water ahead of time if you can!

3. I learned that three meals a day was just too much for my kids. They were very happy to have "snack lunches". Pretzels and PB, etc. at the pool or before rest time.

4. The food courts are good. They also have an area where you can get a fresh fruit (banana, apple, etc.) and they have the little packs of PB, etc. The also have bread to toast, etc. Also, cold sandwiches, fruit and cheese, etc.

5. If you can do one character meal, do Chef Mickeys in the Contemporary. All of the characters are there and it is a blast! Dinner has a great desert bar with ice cream and different candies plus all kinds of deserts! They always have a kids buffet today which the kids love!

Good luck!