Is this ridiculously cheap or a good idea?

[Momarazzi]

We're on a budget. I booked the trip for September. We have 5 nights with basic tickets and the free dining plan and are staying at the POP. With the free dining plan, we're going to have to fend for ourselves for either breakfast or lunch. I choose lunch because I don't like breakfast much anyway.

I've been looking around and Disney is stinkin' EXPENSIVE for food. I'm THINKING about bringing a couple boxes of Pop Tarts and granola bars (that's all I eat for breakfast anyway - a granola bar) for our family to eat in the room for breakfast. I estimate that by doing that every day we'll save over $100.00 and probably more.

Is this a good idea or should we just suck it up and eat breakfast in the resort like "normal" people?

And if I do decide to be a cheap-o, where can I obtain a toaster or will I have to pack that too? LOL.

Jennifer

 

[NiarrNDisney]

I think you answered your own question. If those items are what you would normally eat for breakfast then why spend more for that meal. Like you I don't care for Breakfast, I usually will have a muffin a piece of fruit and a coffee so I figure why not stop at the local grocery store and pick up a couple of items and save. According to your est. - $100 a day could go a long way elsewhere.

 

[a2grafix]

During my last two trips to WDW (October 2007, August 2008), I packed granola / power bars and ate them either at breakfast or as a snack touring the parks.

I did splurge on a muffin walking from Shades of Green to the Poly and drank my daily cup of joe, but it saved me a lot of not purchasing a sit down breakfast somewhere on property.

I only ate a relaxing breakfast one day at Shades during my August 2008 stay as I was on a different agenda. Slept in, watched Team USA play basketball in the Olympics, ate breakfast/brunch, then toured five / six resorts during Tropical Storm Fay.

I see where you are coming from. Though I did a solo trip at WDW the last two years and you have a family, it's good to be frugal and economical. I agree, if you can purchase a box or two of three of pop tarts and a box or two or three of granola health bars before your trip, then go for it.

But at least, you saved up for the trip. Splurge a little. You are on holiday / vacation. You and your family don't eat big breakfasts every day.

 

[lbrad]

Poptarts, bananas, granola, doughnuts, muffins, bagels & cream cheese,
all hit teh spot for breakfast for my family:slurp:

Plan an early lunch or snack....crackers, nuts, raisins, cookies...etc.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Definitely not cheap - just plain smart. I'm actually getting ready to make a grocery store run and pick up breakfast for our trip. (We leave in about 19 hours for 14 days at the Wilderness Lodge!!!) I am normally not a real breakfast eater nor is my husband. However, I'm about 5 months preg-o right now (bringing yet another Disney fanatic into the world) so breakfast is a must for me. I'll still only bring something light like muffins or granola bars (along with lots of very cold sweet tea).

 

[stitchtastic]

I'm not a big breakfast person when at home but find that when in WDW a big breakfast sets me up for the day's activities and as I am sure you all know it can be pretty tiring when doing all that walking etc.Then I will usually just want a snack at lunch and a meal in the evening - as long as I stay well hydrated then I won't get headaches and grumpy during the day. This works with the kids too as they find it too hot to eat a big meal during the day.

 

[Disney_Belle]

I always pack a smaller suitcase full of breakfast items such as granola bars, poptarts and the little bite mini muffin pouches, along with a couple of our favorite snacks. We always eat breakfast in the room before we hit the parks except for one day - we usually do 1 character breakfast per stay. And then by the end of the trip, we use the suitcase we packed the breakfast food in to bring home things we bought in WDW.

I don't think you are being cheap. I am with you in that I would rather use my dining credits on lunch instead of breakfast.

 

[Gucci65]

Definitely not cheap - just plain smart. I'm actually getting ready to make a grocery store run and pick up breakfast for our trip. (We leave in about 19 hours for 14 days at the Wilderness Lodge!!!) I am normally not a real breakfast eater nor is my husband. However, I'm about 5 months preg-o right now (bringing yet another Disney fanatic into the world) so breakfast is a must for me. I'll still only bring something light like muffins or granola bars (along with lots of very cold sweet tea).

Hope you are brining your sweet tea. That is a hard item to locate in WDW.

 

[gccgrad1996]

saving money

For the last three years on the Disney dinning plan we always bring our own breakfast. (Except for our Chef Mickey and Crystal Palace breakfasts) This includes pop tarts, cereal bars, and granola bars. We use 2 of our snack options on the plan to get fruit from the hotel food court. This year we have the quick service meal plan so we will be able to get more snacks over the day so we can maybe use more for breakfast. It is definitely one way to save some money! Have a great time. Only 12 more days for my family and I.

 

[Kadee]

Hope you are brining your sweet tea. That is a hard item to locate in WDW.

My hubby LOVES sweet tea! The only place we found it was at the Trails End Restaurant in Ft. Wilderness. The good thing is its a buffet and very good "normal" food and at a great price (for Disney, anyway). If you REALLY love sweet tea, bring your own or bring the stuff to make it in your room with the hot water from the coffee maker. Good Luck!

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Hope you are brining your sweet tea. That is a hard item to locate in WDW.

Absolutely! Boatwrights and Columbia Harbour House are sometimes not the easiest to get to.

 

[Woozles944]

Cost cutting

We also don't eat big breakfasts. But we have taken protein or granola bars the last few trips. We are leaving in 10 days for a 15 day stay and have 3 boxes of bars (about 24 bars per box) that will go in our luggage. They also make good snacks for our son (8) between meals without buying ice cream bars, etc. Over 15 days that will save about $100 at 2 snacks per day! The luggage space is taken up with souvenirs for the trip home. We bring microwave popcorn and use the microwaves in the resort cafeteria, good for a snack to take back to the room after a long day. We also bring the Crystal Light 'on the go' instant drink mixes and add them to free water for many meals. At $2.50 for a soda, for 3 people for 15 days for say 2 times per day thats $225 versus a few dollars for drink mixes. We may even bring some instant oatmeal this trip as well! You can buy some of this at your resort, but you will pay a hefty markup. You are not alone in being finacially responsible.

 

[CuriousDeGeo]

This is EXACTLY what my family has done throughout all of our Disney trips over the past nine years. Every time I have a brown sugar pop tart now I think of being in my room before the sun has come up, getting ready for the park, and watching the resort tv channel. Zip a dee doo dah...tip for today!

 

[WishIwasThere]

We stay in moderates or deluxe resorts, so they have fridges. We hit the grocery store first thing and buy milk, yogurt, ceral, fruit juice snacks, granola bars, bananas, and OJ. That way the only thing we need for breakfast is coffee, which we usually buy a refilable mug for that. The other things such as granola bars and such we bring into the park for small snacks during the day.

 

[Raven66]

My family are not big breakfast eaters either. So when we go we just pack the light breakfast items as well. Pop Tarts, granola bars, cereal bars. And then I make my own trail mix and we take fruit snacks for little snacks while walking around.

It saves money so I say, do it!! Have fun on your trip.