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Disney dining on a budget people...


StaceyinLA
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I have been a Disney travel agent for about 6 months now, and I'm working on having some good info on hand. I tend to do a lot of bookings for families looking to stay on a budget. I'd like to have a list of your favorite counter meals on a budget (best meals to share, cheapest meals, most for your money, etc.), as well as any possible table service meals you can recommend on a budget.

 

I have some ideas, but I'd like to get a listing in one place so I can make a document to share with those families that really need to keep the costs down. Sometimes just getting there at all is a struggle, so the meals need to be really kept at a minimum.

 

Also, if you want to share a snack item that is a good value, or could serve as a light lunch, that would be awesome as well.

 

Thanks for the help!!

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We loved the places with the burger bars as they have a lot of toppings and it is a way to get in some veggies (lettuce, tomato, etc).  Not sure if it is "lega' but many places let us order kids meals for adults when we asked.

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Also, at Hollywood Studios, at Catalina Eddie's counter service, the sub sandwiches are big enough to share and feel you have had a full meal. The Writer's Stop is a cute little snack spot with lots of baked goods that can be shared -- giant cookies and muffins, etc.

 

It is also easy to split a box of popcorn among a family, so that everyone shares one snack.

 

And of course, you can ask for a free cup of ice water at any food counter, so you could go the whole day without purchasing drinks.

 

With the free dining plan, the absolute best deal we've found is eating at Wolfgang Puck's Café in Downtown Disney. It counts as a counter service meal, but there is a wait staff who brings the food after ordering. The portions are large enough to have leftovers to take back to the room, and it is so yummy. The best food I've had at the parks.

 

The last two times we have traveled during free dining, with the counter service plan. On the last day, we have had to purchase extra food and snacks in order to use up all of our points, because we do so much sharing. And we don't go hungry. We do pack breakfast items (granola bars, cereal, fruit cups, etc.) to eat in our room so that we don't use meal points for breakfast.

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There are some ideas in this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/483046-wdw-and-eating-cheaply/

 

Cupcakes in Starring Roles in DHS are the best! They're the size of your head and can be shared. $3.99, but that's the price of most snacks.

 

There are a zillion threads on disboards. You'll have to sort through the um enthusiastic savers who order double cheeseburgers and ask for an extra bun. ;)

 

ITA with Wolfgang Puck Express if you're on the dining plan! It's so, so good.

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We loved the Starlight Cafe at Magic Kingdom.  I always split my meal there with my daughter.

 

Animal Kingdom - Flame Tree Barbecue.  We get four full meals and split them 6 ways.  (Three teen boys and an 8 yo dd)  Nobody went hungry!  

 

Starring Rolls - In addition to the cupcakes, their sandwiches are HUGE.  I order one sandwich and an extra bun and split the meat to make two sandwiches.  

 

There used to be a bakery on Main Street in MK that had HUGE cinnamon rolls.  We split it three ways for a snack one day.

 

We tried a new place at Epcot our last time there - Electric Umbrella, I think.  They had a macaroni and cheese bacon burger meal that was EASILY split a couple ways.

 

We usually go during Free Dining (and our first stop is ALWAYS Wolfgang Puck Express for our first lunch!).  For us, that it the ulitmate in savings!  But, if I had to pay - the things above are the things I'd do.

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It's good to know that you don't have to buy kids' meals. They are (at least every time we've gone) all just meals in the computer. So we would get three adult meals, and the kids shared. Also good to know that a quick service can buy three snacks and two quick services equal a table service. A big bottle of water is a snack. I take my platypus in my backpack and fill it up with ice from the resort ice machine in the morning, then continue to fill with bottled water throughout the day. OTC medications are available at the aid centres in the parks. Renting a stroller from Orlando Stroller Rentals was way cheaper and more convenient than anything onsite. Oops. Not food related....

 

The Moroccan TS meal is HUGE. At the Mexican QS in MK, you can get a side of black beans as a snack.... Add cheese from the salad bar...

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Eat breakfast in your room.  We bring Pop Tarts, instant oatmeal, those small cereal boxes (get milk at your resort in the AM), granola bars, etc.

 

Starring Rolls...order one sandwich and a plain croissant.  There's plenty of meat on one sandwich to make two.

 

Casey's in MK...Little kids can split one hot dog.

 

Flame Tree in AK...huge portions.

 

Let me think about this some more.  "Disney" and "budget" don't ever appear in the same sentence for me. :lol:

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All of my places are stand in line and order places, whatever that is called.

 

We can split three of the waffle sandwiches from that place in Liberty square for our family of 5, three kids - two of whom already eat like adults!

 

Yak & Yeti was easily splitable.  A couple meals and some egg rolls is plenty.

 

The Epcot Mexican place is a good value - the nachos are HUGE!  Easily enough for two adults.

 

I thought the pizza at Pizza Planet was quite good and HUGE.  Two pizzas fed me and my three kids.

 

Don't forget about the free soda at club cool at Epcot!

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I don't know if this is helpful since we stay off site, but we stay at a place with free, hot breakfast and a fridge/microwave in the room.  So we fill up on breakfast so we go in full.  I bring a backpack with snacks, drinks, and lunch every day.  I buy some "special" snacks I wouldn't always get the kids at home so it still seems fun to them.  We then just buy dinner and maybe a fun ice cream or something.  It works well for us and we stay super low cost on food.  We also typically use points for the hotel and go during the homeschool days to get our tickets.  We really can do Disney that way for super duper low cost to us.

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In general, the food we had at AK was the best deal because it was healthy, shareable, and just good.  Also, in Downtown Disney, we blew out the rest of our quick meals at a little Cuban place that had a counter service and it was incredible.  They had a "fruit salad" that was huge.  I can remember that as we all split it, it felt like it was literally declogging our bodies of all that fried junk.

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We also would buy a carton of milk from the fridge in the gift shop of the All-Star resorts (not sure if all resort gift shops have a fridge, but I bet they do). And I do mean the gift shop, not the restaurant, which had smaller individual milks but not the big cartons. We kept it in our mini fridge in the room and used it in the mornings both for cereal and for the children to drink for breakfast. Once they had had at least a little milk, we didn't worry as much about what they drank for the rest of the day (we're normally big milk drinkers).

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We always eat breakfast in our rooms.  I have ordered from Garden Grocer and gotten cereal,milk, granola bars, bottled water, etc.  (we fly with 6 kids, so there is little room for groceries in our bags)

 

We always travel during free dining.  But, there are several places we love that we could share.  

MK-Cosmic Ray's-the 1/2 rottisserie chicken

EPCOT-Sunshine Seasons

 

Always drink free water.

 

I'll think of more later. :)

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 Also, in Downtown Disney, we blew out the rest of our quick meals at a little Cuban place that had a counter service and it was incredible.  They had a "fruit salad" that was huge.  I can remember that as we all split it, it felt like it was literally declogging our bodies of all that fried junk.

 

Bongos! They have both counter service and inside table service. We ate our Thanksgiving dinner there one year.............. love it!

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