Where do you get the most food for your money

[newbie58]

I am taking two teenagers to WDW the first week of August. We will visit all 4 parks. This is our first Trip! Please post suggestions on where to get the most food for your money at each park - of course, it needs to be edible!

 

[tluvstink]

There are a lot of places but the first one that comes to mind is Cosmic Rays in the MK. It is a CS and they have a rib and chicken combo that is huge and a great value if you are on the DP.
As far as TS goes buffets are great options for hungry teens.

Terri

 

[Matthews4Disney]

If you will be on the DDP, your teens will be totally stuffed meal after meal. It is such a great deal for all the food you get. My daughter was so spoiled from getting dessert with every meal - that NEVER happens anywhere except on the DDP!

Also, like the OP said, buffets would be a great choice for you because they can eat as much as they want of whatever they want. Also, Liberty Tree Tavern is a fun family-style character meal that we really love.

Two of my favorite CS meals were Toy Story Pizza Planet where we got a salad, pizza and dessert on the Dining Plan. I think my most favorite was Tusker House at Animal Kingdom, which may still be open as a CS when you go. The portions were very nice and I thought the food was as good as some of our TS meals!

For any TS meals you plan, be sure to make your reservations as soon as possible so you be sure to get in. Have a magical first trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TaraPA]

Liberty Tree Tavern dinner in MK. It's all you can eat - and they mean it! We asked to refill some of the bowls 3 times & she wanted to refill a 4th time but we were stuffed! It's Colonial-themed & there are characters, not sure your teenage sons will like that or not! It's traditional Thanksgiving food - ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, green beans, Stouffers mac & cheese, apple cobbler, etc. My sons ate more at this meal than any other on our trip.

 

[dzneelvr]

DS is now 19 and DD 17, so we know about teen appetites! Biergarten is wonderful in EPCOT. Sci Fi has huge burger/fry plates and Mama Melrose has huge portions, also Backlot Express for burgers/chicken sandwiches and fry or carrot baskets (next to Indiana Jones) all in MGM. Tony's and Crystal Palace in MK for sitdowns; counter service in MK: the el pirotoca across from POTC for Mexican goodies and Pecos Bills just down the street in Frontierland for the best burger bar ever (MK). Last but not least: AK with Tusker House (very healthy) and RFC at the entrance to AK. DD and I always split entrees at most of these because there's simply too much Finally, make a ressie for Ohanas at the Poly early one evening when you're at MK. Take the monorail there and enjoy a wonderful dining experience. Once you're done, look around the Poly and their unique gift shops, hop back on the Monorail and take in Wishes and close down MK That's always our "last night" plan. Enjoy!

 

[MickeyNicki]

I think any buffet is worth it. My DH is a big eater and he loves breakfast and dinner buffets. For CS places he is the happiest at Tangeriene Cafe and Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD

 

[canron]

cosmic rays and liberty tree,,are the best if your on disney grounds..good value.and the food is not bad..

 

[pooh2001]

Buffets if paying cash

If you are on the meal plan - Coral Reef is a great way to get your money's worth, so is Brown Derby.


Coral Reef sample menu prices:
appetizer:
Chilled Shrimp - served with seaweed salad $9.99
Sea and Land - Grilled shrimp with cucumber salad and BBQ beef skewer with creamy polenta $9.49
main dish:
Grilled NY Strip Steak - served with potatoes au gratin, and broccolini $31.99
Pan-seared Ahi Tuna with asparagus and baby carrots with red wine fish sauce $26.99
dessert:
Baileys and Jack Daniel's Mousse* - topped with a ganache and chocolate cigar $7.99
The Chocolate Wave* - with brandied cherries $7.99
Citrus Creme Brulee - with Berries and citrus zest $7.99

Brown Derby sample menu prices:
appetizers:
Cobb Salad for Two with chopped greens, turkey breast, egg, bacon, tomatoes, bleu cheese, avocado, chives and Cobb dressing $14.00
Blue Crab Cake with Potato Crust, avocado-mustard sauce and salted green papaya slaw $9.00
Seared Sea Scallop with barbecued pork rib belly and corn relish $9.00
main dish:
Grilled Filet Mignon on warm new potato-cress salad with sherry vinegar and sweet tarragon-lobster butter $32.00
Sansho-peppered Ahi Tuna seared "rare" with amazu daikon slaw, pea tendrils and two sauces $27.00
Roasted Pork Rib Chop with smoked cheese fondue, braised red cabbage and cider-lingonberry relish and drizzled with Madeira pan juices $25.00
dessert:
Banana White Chocolate Toffee Tower on cocoa almond cookie and bananas "Foster" $8.00
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Praline Cheesecake - with blood orange sauce $8.00

 

[GolfCrazy]

hmmmmmmmmm........

EPCOT - Biergarten or Tangierine Cafe. If going to Biergarten, go for lunch....much the same menu as dinner but $4 less.

Animal Kingdom - Flame Tree Barbeque...we were really impressed with it the last time we were there. Quite a lot of food for a counter service.

Magic Kingdom - Crystal Palace for lunch (character meal) is the best for me. I like Liberty Tree for dinner (character meal) but it is about $7 more per piece but I like the variety at Crystal Palace much better and it has been very good whenever we have been there. If going here though, you would probably want to make a ADR.

MGM - to be honest.....I do not like the food choices here. If it was me, I'd hop on a boat and go down to the EPCOT resort area to try one of the good restaurants there or go all the way to EPCOT where you enter right in the middle of World Showcase where there are quite a few restaurants...much better than MGM. If I had to eat at MGM, I'd probably do the variety of counter service restaurants down by Tower of Terror....I am not sure their names but they have turkey legs, burgers, chicken...the basics....nothing great but a better value than a sitdown restaurant at MGM (in my opinion).

And....if you can....check out the restaurants at the resorts......they are generally much better than the parks. EPCOT is the exception as they have quite a few good restauarants in the World Showcase area.

 

[thinktink99]

If you're looking a best bang for your buck and lots of YUMMY food and you don't mind a counter service, you have to go to the Flame Tree BBQ at the AK....all I can say is delicious....my mouth is watering just thinking about it!!

 

[bennythepug]

Trails End @ Fort Wilderness

 

[tinkandpan]

If they enjoy seafood- Cape May Buffet is terrific.

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

Trails End at Fort Wilderness--great OOP buffet! FYI, Brown Derby in MGM requires 2TS credits on DDP, so maybe not such a good value in terms of amount of food for the $$.

 

[Schucraig]

Boma for breakfast or dinner!

 

[HM]

MK- Cosmic Rays rotisserie chicken meal
Epcot- Tangerine Cafe (any meal)

Those two come to mind right offhand