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Eating Cheap
- Thread starter Dayzie914
- Start date
tigsmom
Well-Known Member
Dayzie914 said:
Try for one big meal a day... the best bets are the all you can eat buffets. Then you can just have some snacks throughout the day. Also bring some stuff with you... cereal, granola bars, trail mix, peanut butter crackers, etc. If you buy a few things everyweek you can save some money. The re fillable musg (about $12) are great at the resorts, you can just get as much to drink as you want.
JPVonDrake
Well-Known Member
Dayzie914 said:
Book your stay with the "Magic Your Way Package plus Dinning" vacation package. This plan includes your resort stay, a MYW ticket of your choice, and the Disney Dining Plan for the length of your stay. Remember everyone in the room must be on the same package and choose the same ticket options.
The Dining plan includes per Guest (age 3+), per night:
1 full meal at a table service location (appetizer, entree, desert, beverage, tax and gratuity)
1 full meal at a counter service location (entree combo, desert, beverage, and tax)
1 snack (popcorn, soda, fruit, etc.)
And will cost only $38 per guest age 10+ per night / $11 per guest age 3-9 per night plus the cost of the room and MYW tickets. The average guest saves over 30% on their meals and will be able to eat much better then they normally would on a budget.
Hope this helps! :sohappy:
GenerationX
Well-Known Member
One strategy we've used is to eat our breakfasts in the room. We buy cereal and bagels from a grocery store on the way to the resort, and they last the entire trip. You can get milk at the resorts. The other advantage of this strategy is that you can get to the rides faster by not stopping somewhere for breakfast.
raven
Well-Known Member
$38/day is what it costs for a ticket into Cedar Point now. Kinda steep still for the average HS kid. Here is another plan: From now until the time you leave set aside a certain amount of money each week/paycheck. I usually put away $20/paycheck. To help you keep from spending that money, go to your local Disney Store and turn them into Disney Dollars. You can only use Disney Dollars on the property. This way you won't be tempted to spend it. Take food with you! Even though security checks your bags you can still bring food into the park. Snack cakes, crackers, peanuts, etc. will help delay your appetite until later. Water is free! Drink lots! You can get a large cup of water at a counter service. If you don't like water, bring along packets of Kool aid mix. Add the free sweetener and presto...juice! All-you-can-eat buffets are around $20. Still a little high for my taste. I did it once and I felt like I have to stuff myself in order to get my moneys worth...and I was even using my CM discount at the time. Splurge for only the good restaurants you REALLY want to eat in. This will make your feel like your money is being well spent. At AK there is a meal ticket option you can get. Go to a counter service and order your full meal but when you go to pay for it, ask to pay for the meal ticket option. You will spend $11-$12 on your meal which includes the drink but will also get a ticket for popcorn/ice cream and another one for water/pop on the same day of your visit. A great deal and hardly any guests know about it! Hope this helps a little! :wave:JPVonDrake said:
DisneyMarg
Member
1) Be VERY VERY careful about snacks and drinks. They add up fast and you don't really feel like you've had food. I'm not saying "no Dole Whip". I'm saying, if you just eat fries for lunch you'll be wanting something else an hour or so later and if that's another snack these will add up fast. In my opinion, this is the most common mistake teenagers make. It seems like saving money at the time, but over the week, it really wasn't.
2) Eat as much as you can in the room. No, you won't get the full Disney experience, but you've got years to come back for that. We ate very cheaply for many a trip by having Poptarts or granola bars in the room for breakfast and cheese and crackers or tuna in the room at night for supper.
3) Eat offsite. If you have a car and can drive around, you'll find great deals at the restaurants offsite. Not great Disney food, but it will fill you up. You can find the same value menus that you have at your favorite fast food place back home. You can also order pizza a split it - just like at home.
4) To get some of the Disney experience, eat at the restaurants for a late lunch. Lunch is cheaper than dinner, but you will still get a very good meal.
Our usual schedule was this...
Breakfast in the room (no time lost)
Carried a snack into the park (trail mix or crackers, and water) to eat around 11 (while in line at an attraction - no time lost)
Late lunch around 1:30 at a restaurant (ready for a break by then)
Bought a special treat snack in the park around 5 (Dole Whip, Mickey Bar, or some other yummy snack - be sure it's Disney special - not just something to eat)
Late supper back in the room
If you are staying at the park from opening to closing, you may need to carry enough snack to have something else around 9 pm because you won't get supper until you're back in the room at midnight.
While I now love the Disney Dining Plan, I think you can eat much cheaper than $38 per day. We did it for years.
2) Eat as much as you can in the room. No, you won't get the full Disney experience, but you've got years to come back for that. We ate very cheaply for many a trip by having Poptarts or granola bars in the room for breakfast and cheese and crackers or tuna in the room at night for supper.
3) Eat offsite. If you have a car and can drive around, you'll find great deals at the restaurants offsite. Not great Disney food, but it will fill you up. You can find the same value menus that you have at your favorite fast food place back home. You can also order pizza a split it - just like at home.
4) To get some of the Disney experience, eat at the restaurants for a late lunch. Lunch is cheaper than dinner, but you will still get a very good meal.
Our usual schedule was this...
Breakfast in the room (no time lost)
Carried a snack into the park (trail mix or crackers, and water) to eat around 11 (while in line at an attraction - no time lost)
Late lunch around 1:30 at a restaurant (ready for a break by then)
Bought a special treat snack in the park around 5 (Dole Whip, Mickey Bar, or some other yummy snack - be sure it's Disney special - not just something to eat)
Late supper back in the room
If you are staying at the park from opening to closing, you may need to carry enough snack to have something else around 9 pm because you won't get supper until you're back in the room at midnight.
While I now love the Disney Dining Plan, I think you can eat much cheaper than $38 per day. We did it for years.
DisneyMarg
Member
One more thing... refillable mugs may be fun, but you can buy a LOT of canned drinks for $12. Right now in my area 12 packs are 3 for $10 (36 cans) and 2 liters are even cheaper. Plus, you don't have to walk to the food court when you are thirsty (not to mention bone tired). I think the mugs are not a good buy for that reason.
rainfully
Well-Known Member
The only way to truly eat cheaply is to eat offsite... :lol:
Try Cici's Pizza... $3.99 AYCE pizza buffet... :lol: I ate there quite a bit when I went with a couple of my (*ahem*) cheaper friends.
Also, Denny's.
OK... you said cheap... not necessarily good, correct? :lookaroun
Try Cici's Pizza... $3.99 AYCE pizza buffet... :lol: I ate there quite a bit when I went with a couple of my (*ahem*) cheaper friends.
Also, Denny's.
OK... you said cheap... not necessarily good, correct? :lookaroun
raven
Well-Known Member
Well, they are good if you want something to remember your resort with. You don't have to just use them for pop either. You can get coffee, juice or whatever else they have at the fountain area. Just fill it up! I always carried mine in my bag so I could drink coffee on the bus in the morning then get something before I went back to my room at night.DisneyMarg said:
dumboflyer
Well-Known Member
You want to eat cheap but also have fun!
1. Breakfast on the go: bring stuff into the parks for breakfast and snacks. Make sure it is FUN stuff though. If you bring granola and then you see the Dole Whip or Strawberry Swirl, you'll get pouty (I would anyway) and be like BUT I WANT ICE CREAM, not this crappy granola! So buy foods to take with you that you consider a treat---otherwise the temptation will be too great.
2. You can always get water for free in the parks (not in a bottle, in a cup). Just ask.
3. Biergarten Buffet at Epcot's Germany for lunch is around $15. It is awesome food and it's a buffet. Eat around 1:30-2pm and you'll get to see the oompah band perform. Yeah, $15 isn't cheap but you'll be really full. Since you are staying at Pop Century (and flying in?), I assume you won't have a car so places with cheap food (Mcdonalds, Dennys) aren't an option. Thus, you need someplace during the week to get you FULL! Remember you'll be doing a lot of walking and thus will be NEEDING (not just wanting) more calories and energy than normal time of sittting at home.
4. The mugs are only free refills at the HOTEL, not in the parks! Beware!
5. Another good deal is the kids' meal at the quick-service Mexico pavillion. It's like $4 and you get a pretty decent sized taco, chips/salsa and a tiny drink. Still, it's the best deal of property. YUMMY!
HAVE FUN!
1. Breakfast on the go: bring stuff into the parks for breakfast and snacks. Make sure it is FUN stuff though. If you bring granola and then you see the Dole Whip or Strawberry Swirl, you'll get pouty (I would anyway) and be like BUT I WANT ICE CREAM, not this crappy granola! So buy foods to take with you that you consider a treat---otherwise the temptation will be too great.
2. You can always get water for free in the parks (not in a bottle, in a cup). Just ask.
3. Biergarten Buffet at Epcot's Germany for lunch is around $15. It is awesome food and it's a buffet. Eat around 1:30-2pm and you'll get to see the oompah band perform. Yeah, $15 isn't cheap but you'll be really full. Since you are staying at Pop Century (and flying in?), I assume you won't have a car so places with cheap food (Mcdonalds, Dennys) aren't an option. Thus, you need someplace during the week to get you FULL! Remember you'll be doing a lot of walking and thus will be NEEDING (not just wanting) more calories and energy than normal time of sittting at home.
4. The mugs are only free refills at the HOTEL, not in the parks! Beware!
5. Another good deal is the kids' meal at the quick-service Mexico pavillion. It's like $4 and you get a pretty decent sized taco, chips/salsa and a tiny drink. Still, it's the best deal of property. YUMMY!
HAVE FUN!
Nansafan
Active Member
The poster said they were "right out of high school" telling them to eat "off-site" is a great suggestion but probably difficult for them to do unless they are driving to WDW. I don't know of a car rental place that will rent to anyone that young. Without a car, they are at the mercy of WDW transportation, (which won't take them to restaurants off-site) and cabs which added to cheap food will bring you back up to the typical WDW prices. If they are flying, carrying that much pop in their suitcases is also pretty impractical. The best suggestion IMHO was to save $20/week converting the cash into Disney Dollars so it doesn't get spent.
VetMed
New Member
don't drink the $2 water
i know it's not 'eating', but bring your own water, bottled water. cheaper and healthier...or you can always ask for water too, tap water is free, but we always bring our own small bottles so that we don't have to hunt down a restaurant/counter service spot to take the time to request water....
i know it's not 'eating', but bring your own water, bottled water. cheaper and healthier...or you can always ask for water too, tap water is free, but we always bring our own small bottles so that we don't have to hunt down a restaurant/counter service spot to take the time to request water....
mickeysgal
New Member
There are some great money saving ideas on mousesavers.com. Ideas like splitting meals. You can purchase a double cheeseburger meal (comes with fries and drink) and ask for an additional bun (I think it's about 0.50-0.80 cents). Put one of the burgers on the extra bun, top it to your hearts desire at the toppings bar, and split the fries. I'm sure you could also ask for an extra cup or get an extra soda. This can also be done with a footlong hotdog.
That's what I'm doing with my kids, they don't eat enough to warrant paying for two individual meals. Hope you have a great time!
That's what I'm doing with my kids, they don't eat enough to warrant paying for two individual meals. Hope you have a great time!
GoofyMom2
New Member
Our tips for saving $$ at the parks on food:
1. Bring some snacks with you into the parks and also to eat in the room. Foods that pack well for an airplane trip:
Small boxes of cereal, cereal bars, Easy Mac, poptarts, Crystal lite powder, Pringles, small packages of cookies if packed well, hard candy, tea bags, peanutbutter crackers, tuna/cracker kits , fruit snacks etc
2. Share counter service meals and get 1 extra drink or order ala carte (don't get combo meal).
3. Eat late lunch at buffets.... fills you up for lunch and dinner and pay cheaper lunch price. Ex: can get a 4:30 ressie at Biergarten.
4. Order kids meals at counter service. (they even come with a drink) Some places like Pecos Bill have awesome fixins bars so you can "add" to your plate.
5. Get free drink samples at Club Station Cool in Epcot
6. Get pizza in your room instead of an expensive sit-down dinner
7. Fruit is a cheaper snack.... although more than you pay at grocery store, cheaper than some of the other snacks available.
8. Familiarize yourself with food available in each park by visiting www.allears.net then you can plan out some of your meals, snacks without settling for what you see in front of you.
9. www.Mousesavers.com also has some gret money saving tips.
Hope this helps! Have a great trip! :wave:
1. Bring some snacks with you into the parks and also to eat in the room. Foods that pack well for an airplane trip:
Small boxes of cereal, cereal bars, Easy Mac, poptarts, Crystal lite powder, Pringles, small packages of cookies if packed well, hard candy, tea bags, peanutbutter crackers, tuna/cracker kits , fruit snacks etc
2. Share counter service meals and get 1 extra drink or order ala carte (don't get combo meal).
3. Eat late lunch at buffets.... fills you up for lunch and dinner and pay cheaper lunch price. Ex: can get a 4:30 ressie at Biergarten.
4. Order kids meals at counter service. (they even come with a drink) Some places like Pecos Bill have awesome fixins bars so you can "add" to your plate.
5. Get free drink samples at Club Station Cool in Epcot
6. Get pizza in your room instead of an expensive sit-down dinner
7. Fruit is a cheaper snack.... although more than you pay at grocery store, cheaper than some of the other snacks available.
8. Familiarize yourself with food available in each park by visiting www.allears.net then you can plan out some of your meals, snacks without settling for what you see in front of you.
9. www.Mousesavers.com also has some gret money saving tips.
Hope this helps! Have a great trip! :wave:
shoppingnut
Active Member
DisneyMarg said:
That all depends on how much one drinks. For me who drinks minimum 3-4 mugs of soda for breakfast alone, I generally make out fairly well.
While buying the soda ahead of time is a great idea, unless you are driving or renting a car, it might be difficult to carry all that soda.
col
Well-Known Member
this is what i use to do:
take a $20 down to the eating area and buy my breakfast that came to something like $4-5 then with the rest of my money i would buy a cake and frozen latte then for my tea i would spend the rest but i didnt blow it all if i had some left i would buy crisp or ice cream or something like that.
gotta say this though buying a refillable mug is the best thing to buy if your staying at a disney resort.
it doesnt matter what age you are as long as you dont spend your money on crap and just take what you need and if you have money left over then by all means splurge on something thats what i do and if i dont have enough then i do without but let me add buying something for breakfast is really important.
have fun!!!!!!!!!!!
take a $20 down to the eating area and buy my breakfast that came to something like $4-5 then with the rest of my money i would buy a cake and frozen latte then for my tea i would spend the rest but i didnt blow it all if i had some left i would buy crisp or ice cream or something like that.
gotta say this though buying a refillable mug is the best thing to buy if your staying at a disney resort.
it doesnt matter what age you are as long as you dont spend your money on crap and just take what you need and if you have money left over then by all means splurge on something thats what i do and if i dont have enough then i do without but let me add buying something for breakfast is really important.
have fun!!!!!!!!!!!
