Conference koolit::disney

    bring a portable bank.  ;-)
    
    we use fruit that we bring along for lunches.  sometimes sandwiches.
    lunches of poor quality [imo] cost about $10pp
    the one bargin lunch is the castle.  If you are going to eat in the MK,
    you will save money eating at the castle VS any junk food stand.
    
    as to paying, I had a negative experience charging to the room.  based
    on that, our hotel id's are marked for transportation only.
    
    you mention going to HHD.  one other place that's nice is Davy
    Crocket's next door. [or is it called trails end?]  We find it very
    relaxing after a taxing day on the trail, err attractions, to sit and
    tip a drink, nibble on some pizza while listening to the guy on the
    gitar.
    
    drinks cost an outrageous fortune.  we bring in cans with ice packs.
    call me cheap.  we take turns carring a back pack.  or put it into a
    locker.
    
    one other bargin [well, not cheap, but in comparison] is the baked 
    potatoe.  you can find them in epcot and MK.  good size and will fill
    an adult for about 2-3$
    
    ed

    Jane,
    
    A lot depends on your eating habits. For instance, do you plan to eat
    three meals a day or two and a snack? Do you plan on having one "big"
    meal a day?
    
    Hoop-Dee-Doo and a character breakfast will cost you between $150 and
    $175 depending upon which CB you do and your gratuity habits.
    
    Let's assume you do three meals a day.
    
    Day 1 - Dinner $60
    Day 2 - Breakfast in Room $20  Lunch $48   Dinner $60
    Day 3 - CB  $48  Dinner $60 (Character Breakfasts are filling)
    Day 4 - Breakfast in Room $20 Lunch $48  Dinner $60
    Day 5 - Brunch $48   HDD $100  
    Day 6 - Breakfast in Room $20 Lunch $48  Dinner $60
    Day 7 - Breakfast $35 Lunch $48
    
    That comes to about $800. It's very easy to spend $40/person/day on
    food so you really should sit down and get an idea as to how often you
    will eat and if there are any special restaurants you will frequent.
    A very flexible itinerary is helpful. 
    
    Let's say you want to go to Tony's in TMK, Coral Reef in EC, and Prime Time
    in MGM. These restaurants usually indicate the average cost on an entree
    and you can plan your meals expense much more accurately knowing these
    prices.
    
    I do suggest that you limit yourself to one big meal a day. Surround
    that meal with lighter, smaller meals. Also, don't do HDD the night
    before a CB. 
    
    Some days you may also sleep late and have a brunch thereby eliminating 
    lunch.
    
    That $800 could easily balloon to $1200 so plan accordingly. I
    personally feel that food is a not only the biggest expense but is also
    the most controllable expense.
    
    How you pay is a matter of choice. Would you overdo it if you used
    plastic or charged it to the room? I like to pay as I go. Traveler's
    Cheques always worked for me.
    
    You may want to stock your frig with juice, milk, cereal, muffins, and
    anything else you feel you may need. Breakfasts are cheaper and quicker 
    in the rooms.
    
    You may also want to bring a couple of Granola Bars to the parks for a
    snack rather than pay billions of dollars for a hot dog.
    
    Other considerations are (hmmmmm) Dole Whip and drinks. During the course
    of a day your kids may get hungry and/or thirsty. If you plan your day
    carefully these hunger/thirst pangs will hit around lunch/dinner time.
    
    These are just a few ideas that work for me.
    
    Mike 

    I suggest you book your character breakfast at the Polynesian.  
    We were there the first week of December.  Someone had suggested
    the Polynesian for breakfast and it was exceptional.  Before
    they realized that our breakfast was free, they handed us a bill
    for $35 (2 adults, 1 eight year old).  The breakfast was hot
    and cold buffet style but there was something about the quality
    of the food and the way they displayed it - we loved it.
    
    We considered going back for breakfast later in the week but
    ran out of time.  
    
    We stayed at the CBR, Barbados.  There was a fridge in our room
    stocked with their stuff.  I really didn't think their items
    in the fridge were that outragously priced but we only went
    to it occasionally.
    
    I do not have an answer to your question about what it will
    cost you for meals, I think it depends on your dining style
    and appetite.  I would bet that $1200 would be more than
    enough but wait for a few other replies before you decide
    what you need.
    
    Enjoy!  We did!
    
    Jeanne
    

    Thanks - keep 'em coming!
    
    My kids aren't great at resturant dining, so I'd like to keep it as
    simple as possible unless there's something great about the place
    otherwise.
    
    We definitely do not need three real meals a day.  From all I've read
    here and in Birnbaum, lunch sounds like a hassle at WDW.  Sounds like
    we'd do better to make sandwiches in our room and swim or take them
    with us and swim/play at other hotels within WDE.  We can all do with
    muffins and juice breakfasts.
    
    How is the food at CBR?  That's a food court type setup, right?  Would
    there be a problem if we came in with our own muffins to get coffee,
    etc.?
    
    We won't have a car at all.  Can we get groceries (bread, milk) within
    CBR and if so, how expensive is it?
    
    Are there some places that are better to visit at lunch than dinner?
    
    So if we get one free character breakfast, we can choose to take it in
    a number of places?  And some are better than others?
    
    Anyone else have bad experiences with charging to your room?  
    
    Thanks for all the great info!
                                                      

    The CBR food court is one of the reasons why my family loves staying at
    the CBR. The food court offers several cuisines and gives you many
    choices.
    
    My wife loves the Chicken Fajitas from the Bridgetown Broiler and my
    kids love the Italian Buffet. I don't have any personal favorite as I
    just like the idea that I have many options.
    
    The food court itself is very bright and cheery and the atmosphere is
    truly Disneylike.
    
    I'm sure you could bring muffins in there and just get coffee but if
    you saw what the Bakery has you may just leave those muffins in the
    room.
    
    You can buy some staples in the CBR gift shop and yes the prices will
    be high but it's cheaper than renting a car.
    
    My own personal experience can testify that lunch at Tony's Town Square
    restaurant is preferred over dinner....less choice at night and a bit
    more expensive.
    
    I guess you can ratew the Character Breakfasts by the characters and
    the breakfast ;*)
    
    That is, different hotels charge different prices for the CB and this
    is due to which characters "reside" at the breakfast and the type of
    foods served. Most of the hotels serve the same breakfast menu although
    you will find somedifferences. Keep in mind that a CB that features
    Mick or Minnie will be more expensive than one which features Goofy.
    
    Mike

    .2 - Mike, after looking at that breakdown, I think that the Food/Fun
         meal plan might not be a bad idea for when Wally and I go down.
         For 2 adults, 1 junior, 1 child for 7-days breakfast and dinnner
         each -- cost would be an additional $980.  This is for selected
         restaurants, however if we wanted to eat at a restaurant of our
         choice we would receive a $30/adult-junior, $10/child towards the
         dinner.  Decisions - decisions!
    
    April is to far away,
    
    

    Julie (and everyone),
    
    Please thoroughly check any plans before you commit to them.
    
    Concern #1 Cost:
    
    I know that the Disney Food 'N Fun Card Plan for 4-nights/5-days is
    $201 for adults and $58.40 for adults. This plan is extended when you
    extend your length of stay for any vacation package.
    
    Concern # 2 Flexibility:
    
    This plan does not include food from counter service facilities in
    the Theme Parks.
    
    The plan is for "select" Walt Disney World restaurants.
    
    
    Concern # 3 Time:
    
    If you go on this plan you need to make a note of which restaurants are 
    included and plan your sightseeing accordingly. I recall one noter
    mentioning how much time was taken away from his/her family's vacation 
    time because they needed to eat in certain restaurants every day to
    justify the cost.
    
    After one day on the plan you may find it not to your liking. To get
    the most for your money you also have to invest time.
    
    * * * * * *
    
    IMHO I prefer calling the shots as to where I want to eat. There are
    some days when I just feel like having one big meal and snacking the 
    rest of the day.
    
    What about those days when you have a planned meal in a restaurant
    outside the WDW property?
    
    I'm playing Devil's Advocate here but that's my job.
    
    Mike

>    Concern #1 Cost:
>    
>    I know that the Disney Food 'N Fun Card Plan for 4-nights/5-days is
>    $201 for adults and $58.40 for adults. This plan is extended when you
>    extend your length of stay for any vacation package.
    
    When I go in July with my 11-year-old nephew, I know that we will want
    to eat two "real" meals a day - especially breakfast!  Knowing that
    Mike isn't one of those kids who only eats hot dogs and hamburgers
    (although he loves them) and knowing that he loves to eat and try out
    new cuisines, the Food 'N Fun Card Plan seems like it will be much
    *less* expensive for us in the long run.  Since we both love a big
    breakfast when on vacation, we're not usually ready for a big lunch. 
    Therefore, we end up going out for dinner, which usually costs more at
    the restaurants.  And if we skip lunch altogether and have an early
    dinner, we end up eating two snacks - one some time during the day and
    one late at night.  Knowing our eating habits, the cost is pretty high
    going without a plan.  (Since I'm single and don't have to budget the
    same way parents have to, I have no intention of eating breakfast in my
    room - that's my idea of hell!!)
                                   
>    Concern # 2 Flexibility:
>    
>    This plan does not include food from counter service facilities in
>    the Theme Parks.
>    
>    The plan is for "select" Walt Disney World restaurants.
    
    I really hate the counter service stuff and actively discourage Mike
    from eating from them.  If we have a big breakfast and know we're
    having a full dinner, it's not so difficult to avoid them.  And, when
    I'm on vacation, I like to be waited on!!
    
    I thoroughly checked the list and almost every one of my "must eat at"
    restaurants was included on the list!  I'm willing to sacrifice a
    little bit.  (My only true concern is that we might not be able to have
    tea at the Rose and Crown; it's not clear from the literature.  And
    that is something we *both* really want to do!  We love it.)    
    
>    Concern # 3 Time:
>    
>    If you go on this plan you need to make a note of which restaurants are 
>    included and plan your sightseeing accordingly. I recall one noter
>    mentioning how much time was taken away from his/her family's vacation 
>    time because they needed to eat in certain restaurants every day to
>    justify the cost.
>    
>    After one day on the plan you may find it not to your liking. To get
>    the most for your money you also have to invest time.
    
    For me, I had already completely mapped out my sightseeing based on the 
    restaurants anyway!  (Seven months to go and I've already mapped out
    where I want to eat!!)  So, I've already invested the planning time (I
    did it before I read about the Food 'N Fun Card, too).  And we're going
    for two weeks so we won't be rushed to see anything.  We specifically
    planned two weeks at the World so that we wouldn't feel like we
    couldn't linger over a meal for fear of missing some attraction.
    
    And our plan is also to lose weight before we go so we can have a true
    eating vacation!!  I even promised him that if we really do manage to
    lose weight before vacation, then we'll have breakfast and dinner out
    and have lunches at places like Beaches and Cream!  (Yes, ice cream for
    lunch for an 11-year-old - that's why I'm an aunt, not a mother! ;-)
        
    * * * * * *
    
>    IMHO I prefer calling the shots as to where I want to eat. There are
>    some days when I just feel like having one big meal and snacking the 
>    rest of the day.
    
    In general, I agree with you, Mike.  However, this is one time when a
    Plan actually coincides with my "shots."  And if I remember correctly,
    we can have several character breakfasts, *and* have banana stuffed
    French toast at the Poly (forgot the restaurant name) *and* have
    blueberry stuffed French toast at the Yacht and Beach Club, which I
    know we would not do if we were "on our own."
    
>    What about those days when you have a planned meal in a restaurant
>    outside the WDW property?
    
    I have no days with a planned meal outside of WDW property!!  I
    considered the Hard Rock Cafe, but it doesn't really interest me that
    much.  That is the only place I'd consider outside of WDW.
    
>    I'm playing Devil's Advocate here but that's my job.
    
    And I'll play Devil's Advocate to Mike to give the moderation an even
    keel!!  ;-)
    
    
    Susan
                          

    Ahhhhhh yes. That's the type of discussion this moderator likes to see
    in this conference.
    
    Susan has her act very much together and makes some very good points
    regarding her decision on the Disney Food 'N Fun Card Plan.
    
    In her case she has determined how her two weeks will evolve and knows
    where she's planning to eat...and time is not a consideration 'cause
    she's going for two weeks.
    
    I wonder if Susan is willing to disclose the cost of the plan for two 
    weeks.
    
    Hmmm $201 for 4-nights per person would mean $804 for 16 nights or
    (gulp) $3216 for my family for my planned 16 nights. I'll pass. There's
    no way we'd spend an AVERAGE of $200/day for food down there.
    
    Anyone else care to join in the discussion?
    
    Mike_who_will_be_eating_buffalo_in_FW_in_183_days

    You all seem to be spending WAY to much money on food for some
    reason.  Maybe it's because you stay in the park.
    
    We went in November and spent between $50-$65 per day on food for
    2 adults and 1 child.  We ate a huge breakfast outside the park for
    $15-$18.  During the day we snacked at the parks for approx. $10-$17.
    We had a big dinner outside the park for $25-$30.  Granted we didn't
    eat in fancy 25.00 per plate restaurants, but that's the point.  It
    appears that people are asking for meal "budgets".  Are you there
    to spend a fortune on food?  Or see the attractions?  You can eat
    in fabulous restaurants Anywhere, USA, even your own home town.
    But Disney is only in a few places.

    How about some suggestions for good snacks to be found within the park? 
    Either low in cost or worth a higher cost.
    
    

    Re: .10
    
    Good point. I prefer to spend my vacation time a certain way.
    
    This means not renting a condo, not having to make beds, not having to
    do cooking and dishes. That goes for my whole family. 
    
    We work hard all our lives and spend very little time pampering
    ourselves, except when we are in Disney. That's the only time I live
    close to a "no holds barred" lifestyle. I'm sure others share that
    philosophy.
    
    You should neither pinch pennies nor overdo it when it comes to your
    food budget down there.
    
    I try to fall right in the middle.
    
    
    Mike

    As I said, I'm going there to eat!  My goal is to try every one of the
    restaurants on my list.  I have absolutely no desire to go outside the
    park.  Am I spending "way to much" for food?  Probably - but that's
    what this particular vacation is for!  We've seen all the attractions
    and greatly enjoy them (well, I haven't seen Splash Mountain yet!).
    
    I have to get back to some work - but I'll disclose costs at a later
    date!
    
    
    Susan

    
    You wanna try the Ponderosa.. I spent many a happy meal in there, 
    filling my tubby belly with as much as i could ram in. 
    
    Andy..B

RE: the last few....

This is exactly why I always stay at the FW trailers and always get a car.  You
have the best of everything. You stay on the park, you eat in the park, when
you want to and or you have that special list of places to visit, you have a
full kitchen for the meals that you don't care about and you have the car
to go where you want when you want and sometimes this includes a trip to 
eat outside of the park...anyways the kitchen alone pays for itself with a
breakfasts and lunches made in the kitchen and suppers eaten out or a steak
grilled outside.

But that's not why I'm replying...in response to the last question.  With 3
kids what we do is usually take a small backpack with us to the parks.  This
will usually have jackets in it if the forcasts warrents it or cameras...but
it always includes 3-4 juice boxes, PB crackers, fruit rollups, raisins, nuts,
etc to hold the kids over if hunger hits...sometimes it contains a few
sandwichs.  One of our favorite places to just sit and relax and have a snack in
the MK is to take a raft out to the island.  Usually not that busy out there 
say 1-2 o'clock.

-Jay

Jane

I reviewed my trip report (290.20) and consulted my notes and came up with the 
following specialized trip report for my family of 4 in April 1992 showing only
the meals we ate. 

We budgeted $25 per day per person plus the cost of the Hoop-de-doo Revue. We 
always treat the Hoop-de-doo as a separate budget item in our planning. So our 
total food budget was:

		Budget		Actual

Hoop-de-doo 	120.00		114.28
Other Food	550.00		428.88	

Total		670.00		543.36

(Note: Other Food does not include the cost of those things we brought with us.
 Only those items purchased at the parks)

We always carry cheese and crackers, fruit roll-ups, etc. with us in a backpack
for those times you just want something small to snack on.

You can compare the way you want to eat with the way we ate and adjust your
budget accordingly.

Steve

Day 1 - Driving down left at 3:00 PM

	Dinner - sandwiches we had made ahead of time; eaten on the road while 
		 driving

Day 2 - Still driving

	Breakfast - Roadside restaurant in Virginia

	Lunch - At a Burger King

	Dinner - At Pizza Hut in Daytona

Day 3 - First day at Disney;check-in;MGM 

	Breakfast - Denny's on I-Drive in Orlando

	Lunch - At our FW campsite with food we had brought

	Dinner - Backlot Express at MGM (Burgers and Dogs with French Fries or 
		 Fruit)

Day 4 - EPCOT day

	Breakfast - Cereal, juice, etc. at the camper

	Lunch - Peanut Butter sandwiches (we brought) and drinks from Wonders 
		of Life

	Dinner - Farmers Market in the Land

Day 5 - Magic Kingdom day

	Breakfast - Cereal, juice, etc. at the camper

	Lunch - Made tuna fish sandwiches from cans of tuna and small packets 
		of mayo we brought in. Drinks from a stand.

	Dinner - Tomorrowland Terrace (Steak sandwiches, salads. etc.)

Day 6 - Kathy and I in EPCOT; Kids in Wonders of World

	Breakfast - English muffins, juice, etc. at camper

	Lunch - Norway (Kathy and I) This was probably our most expensive meal 
	outside of the Hoop-De-Doo Revue (around $50.00 for the 2 of us)

	Dinner - Hoop-De-Doo Revue

Day 7 - EPCOT day

	Breakfast - Cereal, muffins, etc. at the camper

	Lunch - Yakatori House in Japan (Japanesse fast-food)

	Dinner - Ice cream at the Farmers Market in The Land

Day 8 - Discovery Island and MGM

	Breakfast - Trail's End Buffeteria in FW (Great deal $22 for 4; huge 
		    buffet)

	Lunch - Forgot to eat (too busy)

	Dinner - City Diner ?? in Pleasure Island (Pizza)

Day 9 - Typhoon Lagoon

	Breakfast - Trails's End Buffeteria Express breakfast (cheaper than 
		    full buffet; slightly less selection)

	Lunch - Peanut Butter sandwiches we brought with us

	Dinner - Crockett's Tavern in FW (Steaks, Buffalo burgers, etc.)

Day 10 - Day to leave and drive home

	Breakfast - Trail's End Buffeteria (This was too good to pass up)

	Lunch - Simple snacks on the road due to late (and big) breakfast

	Dinner - Denny's on the road

Day 11 - Still driving

	Breakfast - At the motel Continental breakfast included in room cost

	Lunch - Burger King on the road

	Dinner - A local Italian restaurant that we found a little off the 
                 highway

    Can I still get a refrigerator in by CBR room? (In addition to the
    minibar?)  I've seen references in other notes, but don't know how old
    they were.
    
    What's the best way to request it?  When?

    If you want a frig in your room and you already have made your
    reservations I'd have it put on my request NOW.
    
    If you haven't already you should call up the CRO and tell them you
    would like that put on your reservation.
    
    Then I would continue to confirm up to a week or two before leaving.
    
    You should confirm every time you cut your lead time by 50%. That is,if
    you make your reservations a year in advance you should confirm at 6
    months, 3 months, 6 weeks, and 3 weeks.
    
    It sounds a bit overprotective but it's good for your piece of mind.
    
    Mike

    More on the Food 'n Fun card.  We also wanted to take advantage of all
    the little extras you can get "free" on the Food 'n Fun card.  We've
    never been horseback riding, and thought that would be fun to try.  So,
    with two weeks, it seemed like a good deal.
    
    HOWEVER...
    
    The information I had, initially, on the Food 'n Fun card only listed
    the price for 4 Nights/5 Days - $220.  Unfortunately, the price goes
    *UP* the longer you stay.  By the time you're there 7 nights/8 days,
    the price is $385.  So that's $44/day for 5 days and $48/day for 8! 
    That's ridiculous!  If it stayed the same, I would go with it, but with
    the increased cost, forget it - for the entire stay.
    
    There is nothing in the brochures I have that says you must have the
    Food 'n Fun card for your entire stay.  It appears that you can have it
    for a portion of your stay, as long as you're on a plan.  My cousin is
    a travel agent and she's checking on it for me.  (I don't have the time
    or energy to do all the "leg-work" so many of you seem to do.  That's
    her job, so I let her do it!)  If I can have the Food 'n Fun card for
    only 4 nights/5 days, even though I'm staying 14 days, then we're going
    to do it.  If Disney changes their pricing structure (ha ha) on the
    Food 'n Fun card, then we'll do it.
    
    Note that if we're ca get it for just a portion of our stay, we'll be
    using if for the character breakfasts, Mickey's Luau, Chefs de France,
    Alfredo's, Land Grille, and another EPCOT retaurant.
    
    I've got to run, but I'll keep you posted!
    
    
    Susan

For us, and I suspect others, eating at WDW is part of the fun.  If we
can afford it, and are willing to take the hit on flexibility, we like
to include the meal plan with our package.  I like the way the new
Food 'n Fun includes breakfast and dinner, but not lunch, since we 
travel off-season when park hours are curtailed.  If we're on a budget,
we eat cheap and splurge on one or two dinners.

Two of my favorite values for the money:
  - Hotel character breakfast buffets (I stuff myself for energy and
    to reduce hunger at lunchtime)
  - Neon Armadillo (surprisingly good food at surprisingly good prices)

Bill A.

    
    We have reservations at the Wilderness Lodge, Does anyone know
    if refrigerator's are avilable for rooms here ?
    
    Jeff

    Lodge report is in the writting.  The Wilderness Lodge was
    breath-taking.  You felt like you were in a National Park.
    
    The rooms are a fair size with either a king size bed or two queen size
    beds.  They do not have refrigerators but have ice machines by the
    elevators.
    
    If you stay in the Yosemite Room, you will get a full kitchen, dinning
    room, living room, full size bedroom, and an oversize bathroom.  This
    room is sharp!  But again, it must be very expensive.
    
    Regards,
    
    Alan