Less Expensive Alternatives

[TakeMeThere81]

As a spinoff to Kelly's Price Increase thread: I wanted to solicite your best dining advice readers...instead of forking out the cash for the super expensive(and getting more expensive) character dining/signature dining...what do you do as an alternative or to stretch your dining dollars while still enjoying a magical dining experience at WDW??

 

[TakeMeThere81]

For example...to quote Captainkidd:

"My suggestion - Go to the Grand Floridian Cafe, Whispering Canyon, or Captain's Grille etc for a good breakfast at a decent price, then get to Epcot's character spot as soon as the park opens. You'll get more face time with the characters and 10x better pictures."

I want to add:

Eat breakfast at Kona instead of Ohana's. You will enjoy the same fantastic food, coffee and POG. Then hop the monorail and get to the park early to visit with characters.

Another tip...book dinner ADR's for the last hour of what is considered lunchtime...you will often still get a cheaper lunch price. At least that is what I remember.

 

[Lucky]

Some of the best TS items are available at CS locations, e.g. Tonga Toast at Captain Cook's, Zebra domes at The Mara.

 

[Korfar]

There are some very good QS places around. We like Columbia Harbour, Yak & Yeti, FLame Tree, Cantina in Mexico pavilion, the Chinese quick service in Epcot. If we aren't on free dining we don't do more than 1 table service because they are all way over priced. Save the money and find better QS locations.

 

[tinkerbell_S]

Earl of sandwich!

I swear by Earl of Sandwich. I know it's not in the parks - but if you want a good dinner - that's cheap - Holy cow their sandwiches are AH-mazing!! I crave them all the time! I haven't come close to finding a sandwich that tastes as good! And they're approx. $6.00 each I think!

 

[plaz10]

If you're going to eat table service - try for lunch. Almost always cheaper.

If you look at the menu you will find some lunch/dinner items for about 10 bucks (which is what a QS meal w/dessert will cost) at places like The Plaza and Beaches n Cream. Not saying their whole menu is that cheap but you can find some cheaper items.

Also at QS locations you can get kids meals which are cheaper (but yes smaller portions of course). At some QS meals they have giant portions (like 1/2 chicken & ribs) that my DF and I usually split.

If you're really looking to save - take a box of cereal and some paper bowls with you to your resort. Grab a bunch of spoons and then just buy milk every night. We don't even get a fridge we'll fill up the sink or ice bucket with ice and it keeps the milk cold until the morning. Or take some pop tarts/breakfast bars from home. Cheap breakfast!

 

[gnuts0306]

I swear by Earl of Sandwich. I know it's not in the parks - but if you want a good dinner - that's cheap - Holy cow their sandwiches are AH-mazing!! I crave them all the time! I haven't come close to finding a sandwich that tastes as good! And they're approx. $6.00 each I think!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Earl of Sandwich....we go here every time we are in DTD and this is our last stop before the airport on our last day!!

 

[tinkerbell_S]

love love love earl of sandwich....we go here every time we are in dtd and this is our last stop before the airport on our last day!!

me too!!!!

 

[LeeSeeBabe]

We try to get late lunches when we can (2:30 - 4:30ish). On those days, we'll do an early counter service breakfast and then have all evening for the parks.

Also, when we do trips around WS we will split snacks in a few countries. This helps to avoid the overly-full feeling that we often get when eating an "expensive" TS meal that you don't want to waste. It also lets us experience and taste all of the country offerings along with adult beverages, of course. While food and drink around the world does add up, it is something we enjoy getting to do more than filling up in one seating at a table service restaurant. (Mind you: I am the type that would have a breakfast and dinner ADR every day, however it's not financially feasible for us right now).

 

[sweetpee_1993]

At ala carte restaurants as well as counter-service, share meals. At a counter service we can buy 3 adult meals and everyone get plenty to eat. At ala carte you can split an appetizer, entre, or both! You could eat an appetizer as your meal. Like at Hollywood Brown Derby. If it weren't for my 15 yro who would take one look at that menu & order a $40 steak and/or my 13 yro who would spot the lamb and want that (it's also over $30), I'd be sooooo going for the cobb salad & famous grapefruit cake. I would likely order ice water w/lemon to drink. Those 2 items together come to about $22. :wave:

We often can save in snacking, too. At a pretzel stand we can get 2 pretzels and have plenty for the 4 of us.

Personally, with me forever trying to watch my weight, if the guys are eating a quick breakfast at the resort walk-up in the morning I'll grab an envelope of instant oatmeal (I always bring a box with me on vacation) & a styro-cup from the room. The beverage centers at the resorts have hot water dispensers and plastic spoons. I also do this with the instant Starbucks Via's. I can have my coffee & oatmeal and it didn't cost a nickel.

 

[LeeSeeBabe]

I also do this with the instant Starbucks Via's. I can have my coffee & oatmeal and it didn't cost a nickel.

This would be a fantastic idea if Hubby and I weren't obsessed with Disney Coffee (hopefully avoiding some of the naysayers with that comment because I am NOT joking!).

 

[disney magic 06]

All good advice, especially Earl of Sandwich. I would also recommend Wolfgang Puck Express at Downtown Disney, we've had some excellent meals there, very reasonably priced. And we pop over to the Hess station for drinks, chips etc to keep in our room.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

I swear by Earl of Sandwich. I know it's not in the parks - but if you want a good dinner - that's cheap - Holy cow their sandwiches are AH-mazing!! I crave them all the time! I haven't come close to finding a sandwich that tastes as good! And they're approx. $6.00 each I think!

I AGREE!! EoS rocks! I also wanted to add to the AK dining options, we LOVED Pizzafari! Awesome sandwiches there!

I agree with the breakfast in-room option as well. Sometimes it is just easier and less time-consuming to simplify breakfast for the majority of your vacation days. Then we'll book maybe 2 special breakfasts. Otherwise we do cereal and milk, fruit, toaster waffles, coffee ect(if we have a toaster in room which we almost always do).

Also great tips...we always order water with lime or lemon. Besides, you need to hydrate before/after walking the parks all day! Otherwise at a special dinner we'll have a nice glass of wine. But otherwise, we do not buy drinks besides the ones at World Showcase. We pack in water bottles and refill them.

We also pack in snacks. Granola bars and bananas or oranges make nice snacks for early on in the day, then we'll have an early dinner and a late night treat at the parks. That is usually sufficient.

As it turns out, I really love all of these tips for another reason...last trip DH and I had ADRs every day and by day 3 I felt like I was going to explode and let's just say gorging yourself with food doesn't exactly speed up the digestive system, kwim?...:lookaroun . So while food at WDW is a wonderful experience, it can be just as enjoyable at a more moderate pace.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I hear ya! Gorging isn't only expensive, it makes me miserably uncomfortable. I've warned Tracey that this next trip he's gonna be surprised how much he doesn't want to eat when it's hot outside. I cannot stand eating much of anything especially if it's hot food when I'm hot & sweaty.

 

[echovictor]

I've seen other posts on tip threads that you can order "meals" at CS restaurants without the sides and they will be less expensive than the posted price. Or you can order a double cheeseburger and then an extra bun (for a small charge) so you can share the burger. Has anyone here tried that? Is it possible? We aren't big eaters and usually employ many of the tips others have already posted. But I'd like to try the double cheeseburger trick on our next trip.


Oh and majorly echo the Earl of Sandwich comments. I'm actually taking my kid out of school early for our trip down so we can get there in time to hit EoS before closing! Definitely can't beat that quality for that price.

 

[harryk]

I swear by Earl of Sandwich. I know it's not in the parks - but if you want a good dinner - that's cheap - Holy cow their sandwiches are AH-mazing!! I crave them all the time! I haven't come close to finding a sandwich that tastes as good! And they're approx. $6.00 each I think!

And they give AAA discounts.

 

[echovictor]

And they give AAA discounts.

WHHAAATTT??!!!
You just made my day!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Not a AAA member but I will say that each and every time I approach a register I will ask about discounts. TiW? AP? FL resident? 99.9% of the time even if there's no discount the CM is at least mildly amused with my hopeful little voice and a conversation gets started about how it never hurts to ask. :wave: Then there's the times I'm surprised with a little bonus when there IS some small discount I can partake of! :sohappy:

 

[Matt and Kelly]

I swear by Earl of Sandwich. I know it's not in the parks - but if you want a good dinner - that's cheap - Holy cow their sandwiches are AH-mazing!! I crave them all the time! I haven't come close to finding a sandwich that tastes as good! And they're approx. $6.00 each I think!

My wife CANNOT wait to eat at Earl of Sandwich. We weren't able to stop there on our previous two trips but will make a point to do so this time around.

 

[Communicore]

I see people in the park who just purchase the bun and fill it with the toppings, such as mushrooms, onions, sauerkraut, and make that their meal. The toppings can also be had by themselves, as a matter of fact there are people who just ask for a plate, then fill it with mushrooms and smother them with ketchup or cheese sauce and eat it with a fork. Don't forget that the toppings bar also has tomato, lettuce, pickles and salad dressing is also at the toppings bar so you can have a free salad.

Also in Mitsukoshi you can get "expensive" cup-o-noodles for 99 cents and just ask for hot water.