[palmtrees]

my family and i are travling on a budget..what are some cheap places to eat in and outside of the parks? thanks!

[karliebug]

I don't have much experience with off site restaurants except that I have heard that Ponderosa has a $3.99 breakfast buffet that is supposed to be good. As far as in the parks go, we save a lot of money by ordering cups of ice water instead of soft drinks. That saves our family $10-$15 per meal. At counter service restaurants you can order a double cheeseburger and an extra bun and make 2 burgers out of it. You can split entrees and desserts. If you eat at places with fixin's bars (like pecos bills or Pinochios in MK) you can make a salad out of stuff on the fixin bar. If you are big eaters, you should try some buffets. Not cheap, but you can eat all you like. I don't think anywhere in disney is cheap to eat. If you bring a lot of your own snacks,etc. with you it cuts down on costs. We bring breakfast stuff like fruit bars,poptarts,etc. and bottled water.

[BuzzLightyear]

The tarils end buffett over at Fort Wilderness campground is suppose to be one of the better deals on Disney property.

[disyady]

At Downtown Disney try the Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express. Both have great food at reasonable prices. If you share entrees and sometimes just go with an appetizer - even the pricier sit-down restaurants can be fairly reasonable. Never order drinks at a sit-down restaurant - just have water. We save $10 every time our family does just that one small thing. Last August our family of 5 averaged $19 per person per day for food, snacks and beverages and we ate at a sit down every day but one. Not one of us felt deprived or on a budget. Have a great time!!

[mkstlowe]

I would also check out this link. Has some pricing and what there is to eat.
http://allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

[palmtrees]

thanks guys! that link was so helpful-mkstlowe!

[llama]

Keep in mind that most portion sizes at WDW are huge. Many entrees can easily be shared. Don't fall into the trap of ordering a way more food than you can eat. We routinely order three entrees for four people. Or my DH and I order 2 appetizers and one entree. We've never had a problem with getting an extra plate to divide up an entree.

[disneyguy]

I would say that the Biergarten is a good deal. We ate lunch there, and then didn't even eat dinner.

[E&B's Mom]

Originally Posted by llama

Keep in mind that most portion sizes at WDW are huge. Many entrees can easily be shared. Don't fall into the trap of ordering a way more food than you can eat. We routinely order three entrees for four people. Or my DH and I order 2 appetizers and one entree. We've never had a problem with getting an extra plate to divide up an entree.

I totally agree. We would have a small breakfast at the food court, then split a counter service meal for lunch, but save our appetites for a huge dinner. But, the portions are so big that dinner could be shared too. Unless you are huge eaters it should be easy.

[OffKilterFan]

we always split lunches. One of the most filling lunches are just the plain chicken strips. They usually come with lots of fries, so we fill up. For around $5 a piece, we can have a lunch (with water) for $10 easy. Not ideal for EVERY meal, but it does save money for a good dinner :D

OffKilterFan

[CaribBeachNut]

I believe the least expensive in WDW MK would be Cosmic Ray's or the other burger houses. Also, the Plaza just off Main Street USA is fairly inexpensive - depending upon what you order. When we go to WDW on a budget, we usually eat burgers, fries and nachos. Oh yes, don't forget those delicious and inexpensive Turkey Legs. They're a real budget stretcher!

[DisneyGimper]

Shoney's, near the main gate, has a good breakfast buffet every day. For the four of us, I believe we spent less than $25, including drinks.

[PrincessJill]

Originally Posted by disneyguy

I would say that the Biergarten is a good deal. We ate lunch there, and then didn't even eat dinner.

Also, I know Biergarten is cheaper at lunch than at dinner. I'm assuming this is true for most other restaurants like it, but I don't know for sure. We always eat lunch there and stuff ourselves. :) Then we're only hungry for a snack by the time the parks close.

[chastmastr]

We went to the Brown Derby and had just the Cobb Salad and the Grapefruit Cake and loved it. :) (Those being the two main official Brown Derby original creations.)

[Cavey]

Off-site Giordano's Pizza gives you a lot of bang for the buck. It's West of Disney's "Main Gate" entrance.

And don't forget Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast! (East of Main Gate)