What's your Disney Eating Style?

[Tricia1972]

I know that we all do things a little differently and was just wondering what everyone does. I was inspired by the snack thread on the DDP board, because half seem to say that they run out of snacks and the other half has snacks left over!

For our group: (5 Adults, 1 Child and 1 Infant)

Breakfast - Bowl of Cereal or toasted waffles in the Villa

We grab a juice, soda or water for the road and hit the parks at Rope Drop. We tour throughout the morning and if we're hungry mid morning we may grab a snack (popcorn or something) to split between us. Just a bite or two usually tides us over.

Lunch - 11:00 at a CS location. We have done the DDP in the past and always thrown away most of or skipped our dessert. For a while we took them to the room, but nobody ever seemed to be in the mood for the whipped whatever later on. We also threw away fries and parts of our entrees on the DDP. This trip we're going to split those CS meals and not order dessert this trip (paying OOP) We hope to waste a lot less.

After Lunch we head out of the park and go back to our resort for an afternoon nap. The kids sleep and we kick back and watch TV. If we're hungry at all we may grab some chips or a granola bar. Drink a few sodas/waters/juices and then get ready for dinner.

Supper - 5:00/5:30 at a TS Location. With the DDP we found we couldn't all eat an appetizer, entree and a dessert. We ordered them, but never seemed to finish them. Now we're going to order one appetizer, and order an entree for everyone (Mom, sis and I usually eat chicken - my Dad and DH usually get steak). If we need something sweet right away we'll order one dessert to split between us. More often that not I expect we'll wait for our sweet treat until later on that evening.

We'll head to a park or DTD after dinner, and wander around. During this time we usually crave something sweet and may purchase a snack or two to split.

We always have snack type foods in our bags, and the kids (and we) munch on them throughout the day. We usually carry nuts, crackers, and little fruit snacks in my backpack.

Because we're in a Villa - we either have a grocery service deliver food or we rent a car to stop at a grocery store. We find that most of our emergency snacks are covered by this, from the munchies in the park to sodas that we bring to the parks with us.

I am also kind of hoping that I feel more hungry throughout this trip than I did back in October. I am bummed that I didn't get to eat a bunch of snacks that I was looking forward too because I always felt stuffed from my meals.

 

[Laura]

Not a DDP user. I've had a few snacks as dinner, but I wouldn't see myself using all the snack credits I'd get for, say, a week-long trip. Generally we eat breakfast in a CS or TS restaurant, generally at the resort. We don't hit the parks at opening. The rest of the time we just wing it. I don't like being tied to ADRs.

 

[simonkodousek]

At the Poly...

Breakfast -- Most mornings at Captain Cook's, except once or twice at Kona when we don't feel like rushing. Next time, we will be eating a light breakfast in the Concierge Lounge.

Lunch -- We split up in the parks, so 1 adult and 1 child go to a CS restaurant while waiting for their Fast Pass time. The other adult and 1 teenager go to a TS restaurant and have a leisurely walk through stores afterwards.

Dinner -- Both groups always meet around 6 or 7 PM and we have dinner together at a TS restaurant. Afterwards, we go on some rides as a family and watch the evening show.

 

[princessesrule4]

Ours includes a balanced diet of Mickey ice cream bars, Mickey rice krispy treats and Dole Whips!

 

[mickeystoontown]

We are a family who uses the Disney Dining Plan and I want to get the most bang for my buck.

We stay in a moderate (this year we are staying in a deluxe) so that we can have a refrigerator. The cost to bump to to a moderate resort and have a complimentary refrigerator pays for itself because we save on drinks, snacks and breakfast foods.

We usually eat snack cakes, pop-tarts, etc. in our room. Because we have a fridge, we have juice and milk in our room. These are things that we bring from home or pick up from a local grocery store.

At lunch, we eat a counter service meal. Mid-day, we use our snack credits for snacks or drinks.

We use our table service credits at dinner. I have found that a later dinner ADR works best for our gruop. We make them for 7:30 p.m. or so. By this time, we have toured the park and are ready for a sit down meal. By the time we get through with our meal, it's time for the evening parade and fireworks.

Before we started using the Dining Plan, we mostly ate counter service meals. We were perfectly fine with that until we purchased the dining plan. We never realized just how burn out we got on the counter service meals.

 

[caa1277]

We went last year in July and paid OOP. I kept all receipts and we spent about $800 on food(CS, TS, & snacks). We just don't think it is feasible for us to use the DDP.

We ate some breakfasts in the room and other times at the resort. We ate mostly CS which was fine for us since the only big eater in the group is me. Had we used the DDP, we would have wasted alot of food.

 

[disneydreaming101]

Our first family trip ever to Disney World was August 2007. We were planning on Feb. 2008, but made last minute reservations because we got a better deal and didn't have to take kids out of school. Therefore we didn't have the option of the DDP, and I'm very glad because paying OOP we saved so much money. From that first trip, we discovered that for us, it works much better to pay OOP. We are planning our next trip hopefully for this June and we will not be using the DDP. And we will make a few ADR's, but the price increase for June (because it's listed as a holiday??) is kinda a slap in the face to June vacationers. But we will pack up and go anyway!!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Just DH and I so we have a nice sit down breakfast, usually around 8, then we share snacks or CS lunch and have another nice sit down for dinner around 6. We hardly ever order an appie or dessert...but if we crave something sweet there is always plenty to choose from at any park

 

[southtexasmom]

We cook breakfast in our room (2bedroom villa). Most of the time lunch is CS, once in a while a charater meal. Supper is TS once in a while, sometimes we cook in our room but mostly we eat off site. We take in a few snacks and always buy ice cream.

The first 2 time we went to WDW we did character meals and TS for every meal and then we realized how much time we were losing.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Our dining style can be summed up in one sentence.

We eat lots of counter service, and not so many table services.

We are really more freestyle vacationers, so all those ADR's made us have a headache.

 

[Terk-1]

Breakfast - usually something quick like a Nutragrain bar. However, my upcoming trip I'm on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, so I'm planning more TS breakfasts.

Lunch - Usually CS or just a snack.

Dinner - Table service meals.

With the DDDP, I get 2 snacks per day, so with the planned meal schedule I have, I'll use the snacks as a lunch.

 

[daisy112878]

Last trip we were at BCV and never used the kitchen except the refrig for bottled water. We're the people that like to eat table service. Neither dh nor myself like counter service that much. Once or twice is fine but not constantly. We also have a must do restaurant list that includes Breakfast at Ohana and Kona, Lunch at Nine Dragons and Morrocan place, Dinners at Jiko and Brown Derby. We usually do ADRs for the 2 breakfasts and dinners doing the breakfasts early morning and dinners later at night. Lunch is just whatever we feel like. Snack credits we used fast since I drink a ton of water each day. Our dining style is why we're doing the deluxe plan in september for our next stay at BCV.

 

[badblackpug]

We have cereal or bagels in the room, counter service lunch at whatever park we are visiting. Might have an afternoon snack if we are eating dinner (TS) late. Might have an evening snack if we are in the parks late or eat early. We usually have snack credits left over.

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Breakfast - We don't usually eat breakfast unless we do a character meal, but we don't miss it since we don't eat breakfast at home.

Lunch - We eat quite earlyish, around 11.30-11.45 since we haven't had breakfast. We mostly do CS, but usually only eat half of dessert since we're so full!

Snack Credit - We use both for drinks throughout the day. We'll buy one drink at a time and share, since it takes me ages to drink a large one by myself and we're on the move!

Dinner - A TS anytime from 6-7.30. We love our ADRs and having a sit down meal at night. It gives us time to recharge our batteries before heading for EMH!