Don't Eat in the parks/Take your own water

[epcotWSC]

Only problem is I've heard Florida water is kinda gross.

 

[tizzo]

Only problem is I've heard Florida water is kinda gross.

Not FL water, or even Orlando water, just WDW water. They have their own water system there, and based on the smell and taste, they seem to purify it with some kind of Sulfur compound rather than Chlorine or Florine. You can taste it even in the fountain sodas. It bothers some people more than others - my wife won't drink it at all, but it doesn't bother me, although I can definitely taste it. Outside RCID the water tastes normal.

 

[irmonkey]

Only thing that bugs me with WDW water is it never comes out cold. But hey, it's Florida!

That said if I'm going on a vacation, I set a budget that includes meals. Found some great places at WDW so far.

 

[unkadug]

Only problem is I've heard Florida water is kinda gross.

Not FL water, or even Orlando water, just WDW water. They have their own water system there, and based on the smell and taste, they seem to purify it with some kind of Sulfur compound rather than Chlorine or Florine. You can taste it even in the fountain sodas. It bothers some people more than others - my wife won't drink it at all, but it doesn't bother me, although I can definitely taste it. Outside RCID the water tastes normal.

There are several areas of Florida that have the "sulfur" water.



Google MiO...it looks like it would be a godsend to those who cannot stomach the water.

 

[unkadug]

Only problem is I've heard Florida water is kinda gross.

Not FL water, or even Orlando water, just WDW water. They have their own water system there, and based on the smell and taste, they seem to purify it with some kind of Sulfur compound rather than Chlorine or Florine. You can taste it even in the fountain sodas. It bothers some people more than others - my wife won't drink it at all, but it doesn't bother me, although I can definitely taste it. Outside RCID the water tastes normal.

There are several areas of Florida that have the "sulfur" water.



Google MiO...it looks like it would be a godsend to those who cannot stomach the water.

 

[Susan Savia]

If your thirsty and ya don't want to spend the $ for a bottle of water a sip of cold Florida water, tastes mighty good. Beats carrying around a bottle all day and is free.

 

[hankhill]

Its all about the budget. We book two breakfasts on ADRs and the rest we grab stuff and eat before we leave for the parks. Bring snacks like granola bars and bags of pretzels and goldfish. Always take a bottle of water. That way we spend the money on real food as opposed to snacks and such.

 

[StitchRox35]

On our day at Hollywood Studios, we were about to eat at one of the stands on Sunset Boulevard. It would have cost around $50 for a meal/desert/drink for everyone, and as with all theme park food, it looked like utter crap ($8 for a tiny pizza, erm... no). We also didn't eat at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom because it was just too expensive for a proper meal and anything cheap looked awful

So afew options to consider:

We left the park for an hour and a half when we went to Hollywood Studios, and had the most delicious meal in Cracker Barrel, about a 10 minute drive from the park, on the 192. We each got a beautiful main course, a dessert, and unlimited drink re-fills for $55. We did the same when we went to EPCOT and got a steak in Ponderosa for half the price it would have cost at Disney.

The day we went to Animal Kingdom, we bought a load of stuff to make a packed lunch the night before (cost around $20) and took sandwiches, crisps, cake, bananas and cookies to the park. Lovely

Also, we bought big batches of water bottles (28 bottles for around $5). We took 6 bottles a day, two of which were frozen, and the frozen ones kept the other ones cool throughout the day. By the time we needed them, the frozen ones were mostly melted.

You can save ALOT of money by doing this.

Personally, why wouldnt you get the dining plan ahead of time? That would save money daily in the parks and you dont have to waste the money to leave to find food. Thats what we do every year. Its SOOO much easier and there are SO MANY good food options at ALL of the parks!!!

 

[Silver Figment]

Personally, I've never worried about it. I'm in WDW, there are good food options available and the cost doesn't bother me. An hour and a half outside the parks isn't worth the savings to me. :shrug:

This.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Our tip for saving money eating at the park

We make lunch the main meal, usually at a sit down restaurant at 2 p.m. I'm pretty sure I remember the menu being the same but prices higher at dinner time. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Then at night, we just get something light to eat, so it's not so costly.

 

[walterdisney]

i kinda... like the pizza.. :lookaroun :lookaroun :lookaroun

 

[Tres Vegas]

When I took my kids in 09 to WDW I practiced my usual routine I use for our theme parks in California. Being a single dad every bit helps.

We stayed with family just out of the park so this is what I did and what worked.

1.took a day off between parks to rest and also replenish our food/snacks for out next park visit.
2.Froze bottles of water and kept them in the lockers till it was time to change them out, carried a small pack with cool water and snacks to keep us sustained till our late lunch.
3.Breakfast was outside the park on our way in ( we leave very early to have time for this ).
Our meals were a hearty lunch and usually a quiet place to get some rest ( expensive part of our day ) and continued snacks ( usually cut up fruit, crackers, nuts ) till we left the park and then grab some dinner on our way back. This really helped my budget with two young boys.

 

[jlevis]

We bring Brita fill & go sports bottles which we fill at the water fountains. The filter cartridges are hard to find now but they do kill the taste of the "Orlando water".

We get ours from Amazon.

 

[Weather_Lady]

It really depends on budget and what your priorities are.
My family never ate in the park. We packed sandwiches and snacks and would go to IHOP or Waffle House on the way back to the hotel. Things like churros and ice cream or those "special" Disney treats were the exception. It just wasn't worth it to us and we didn't have the extra money to spend some years. The cost of food at Disney adds up quickly. Really just cutting out soft drinks at QSR meals would save a family of 5 over $100 during their trip. Which for some people isn't a big enough deal to worry about it but for others it is.
I enjoy character meals and certain treats in the park but other than that I still don't find much appeal in eating at Disney.

It isn't terribly inconvienant for some people to leave the park during the day. A lot of times families with young children return to the hotel for breaks and naps which would be a perfect time to grab a meal off property.

I totally agree -- every family and every budget is different. When I was a kid, my parents scrimped and saved to get us to Disney, and we did it on a shoestring -- drove down from upstate NY, stayed in the campground, lived on canned soup, sandwiches and cereal, and never set foot in a WDW restaurant, which would have cost a small fortune to us. Those were also the most amazing, wonderful and magic-filled vacations I've ever had. Now that I can afford to stay in an on-property resort and eat at the WDW restaurants, I enjoy the ambiance and relish not having to leave the park to eat... but I also realize that it's an icing-on-the-cake luxury that I could easily do without if I needed to, without sacrificing the enjoyment of the vacation.

 

[doodle]

We can afford to eat in the parks. We don't care to pay $$$ for fast food. We have one meal planned at the parks each day and one meal planned off site. Cracker Barrel or Red Lobster are not fine cuisine, but they are acceptable meals. I don't want to get upset on vacation because we paid $100 for what is really a $50 meal off-site.

I've read numerous reviews from various sites. It seems about half of the WDW are hit or miss in their service.

 

[jfelcie]

We have one table service/character meal each day. It is an important part of our vacation. We stay on The Boardwalk and do not rent a car. The money saved by not renting a car pays for the added price of our special dining. It also saves time.

 

[Hulacat]

On our day at Hollywood Studios, we were about to eat at one of the stands on Sunset Boulevard. It would have cost around $50 for a meal/desert/drink for everyone, and as with all theme park food, it looked like utter crap ($8 for a tiny pizza, erm... no). We also didn't eat at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom because it was just too expensive for a proper meal and anything cheap looked awful

So afew options to consider:

We left the park for an hour and a half when we went to Hollywood Studios, and had the most delicious meal in Cracker Barrel, about a 10 minute drive from the park, on the 192. We each got a beautiful main course, a dessert, and unlimited drink re-fills for $55. We did the same when we went to EPCOT and got a steak in Ponderosa for half the price it would have cost at Disney.

The day we went to Animal Kingdom, we bought a load of stuff to make a packed lunch the night before (cost around $20) and took sandwiches, crisps, cake, bananas and cookies to the park. Lovely

Also, we bought big batches of water bottles (28 bottles for around $5). We took 6 bottles a day, two of which were frozen, and the frozen ones kept the other ones cool throughout the day. By the time we needed them, the frozen ones were mostly melted.

You can save ALOT of money by doing this.
You can also do WDW for a week and not gain a pound by bringing in Brita water bottles to refill, apples or other fruit as mid-morning snacks, and eating the healthier choices @ WDW. Plus, you can do this and still remain in the parks while savings moolah and calories Even if calories aren't a concern, I like saving some$ and still having fun!

 

[Hulacat]

We bring Brita fill & go sports bottles which we fill at the water fountains. The filter cartridges are hard to find now but they do kill the taste of the "Orlando water".

I found that the counter service places do let you have a free cup of ice (or ice water if you smile nicely) and you can refill the Brita with ice water, verrry good on a hot day.

 

[Contrast]

Our tip for saving money eating at the park

We make lunch the main meal, usually at a sit down restaurant at 2 p.m. I'm pretty sure I remember the menu being the same but prices higher at dinner time. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Then at night, we just get something light to eat, so it's not so costly.

Yes, we do exactly the same and it does save you a lot of money.

 

[bethymouse]

Well, personally if I am going to DISNEY, then I'm going to want the entire DISNEY experience! If I can't do dining and need to save money, then I will not go. I would not stay off site or eat outside of the parks. To me, it may save some money, but it still adds up. DDP all the way-that's what I say (IMHO)!