Now Im not one to disagree with folk (in fact I would do anything to avoid it)! But I did think the wording of the "Cheapskate" post was a little offish :-X ... therefore, how about for all of those families who do intend to take picnicky type food into the park to avoid paying for lunch, lets have some ideas of what we all take.
I personally struggle being veggie and with an autistic son who will only eat bread and chips, but some items we take include fruit wind ups, pringles, juice in bottles and individually sealed flapjacks.
What does anyone else take with them? We dont have a lot of space in suitcases for food!
water. fruit squash ,choc crepes, crisps, fruit winders, i usually go with 4 kids and hubby ,plus another family ,so usually there is about 11/12 of us.x
Last time i took crisps,cookies,dried fruit boxes and chocolate bars but didn't end up eating them as we had vouchers and pause gourmande so didn't really need any other snacks in between meals
We take some little sandwiches along from home, and a bottle of still water (because I think the water they sell in the parks tastes vile) and a bottle of sparkling water (because my husband thinks the sparkling water they sell in the parks tastes vile). When we stay in a hotel, we'll probably have some waffles and small snacks like that to eat in our room when we get hungry late at night, and some extra water to drink there.
I suffer from low blood sugar quite often, so I'll often take a little box of sweets with me, just in case.
It's just, when we drive up we get up at 3am, so obviously we're going to be hungry before lunch. We do still buy lunch and dinner in the park, so it's not like Disney is loosing a lot of money on us :)
And yes, we will take a croissant, a pain au chocolat and maybe a piece of fruit too each from breakfast, but again we will still buy lunch and dinner in the park.
When I have been to DLP on my own, I usually only bring a bottle of water into the park. I don't snack that much when I'm in the park and if I do want something to eat, whether its a snack or meal I will buy in the park. I love Starbucks coffee and muffins so I would buy them on my way through Disney Village.
My mum however is different. She is on a gluten free diet so she always has a stash of food in her bag. When we were there at Christmas 2013 she had gluten free biscuits, muffins or cake bars and bread in her bag. And like a typical Irish person she brought a travel kettle and teabags for the room
My son is an extremely FUSSY eater.... So we basically have to take everything with us for him ??? Pringles, chocolate buttons, fruit puree pots (he can't chew fruit unblended as he's disabled) fruit shoots, bottled water, mini chedders that kind of thing. We even take wheatabix with us as he can't cope with the consistency of bread/toast. And would refuse to eat their cereal.
We eat breakfast, majority of the time eat the snacks during the day until dinner time. But sometimes we can't resist a hot dog from caseys corner :) my son finally is able to eat the hot dog (not bread) just takes him a while and he's fine!
I always pack some bits in suitcase for back at the room, crisps, bottle of squash, biscuits, cereal bars, sweets all sorts so they have stuff to munch on when we are in the room. Very rarely take anything in the park tho. This may change on the next trip as we will have a 21 month old daughter with us so little munchy bits for her as she's very fussy at the moment with what she eats, so will take crackers, mini sorell loads and packs of mini cheese with us for her, no way I am buying a whole meal she wont eat for her lol
Having a family of five and staying for a week or two, it's really not practical to eat all the time in the parks. We usually hire a buggy and put a loaded rucksack on the back of it.
It will have at least a litre bottle of fluid each (usually from diluting syrups bought at the auchan at val d'europe), some rolls, some crisps and some fruit.
I always take from home the little real fruit gummy chews for the kids, cereal bars (granola usually, nice and filling), the little squash ems (concentrated cordial), fruit bars, boxes of raisins / yogurt coated raisins / fruitflakes. I basically try and take little healthy bits with us because I know how much rubbish the kids will eat if given free reign in the parks ;)
When we have breakfast we'll take a pain au chocolat and a banana or an apple to have a bit later on (none of us are really big breakfast people, in fact I can pretty much live on coffee until about 4pm ;D ;D ;D) so we'll stop for a snack late morning and I usually buy us all a drink at this point (the girls like the hot choc from Cable Car). Then we have late lunch or early dinner and use the healthier snacks I take with us to keep us going between rides. The kids don't like plain water really and aren't massive fizzy drink fans, and I find too much orange juice or whatever gives them tummy problems, so we tend to buy a big bottle of water and squeeze some squash into it to last the day, then refill it as necessary.
Some good ideas, I will be stealing the crackers idea! I steer away from taking chocolate stuff with us, I dont think I could cope with the sticky fingers on hard to wash costumes!!! Agggghhhhh!!! :o :o :o :o
We took a load of food with us when we went in Feb. We had a electric cool box which housed Butter, Cheese, Some yogurts, Wine ;) Water and milk etc.
We took a travel kettle and teabags and i also brought with me, mugs, wine glasses, cutlery and a bottle opener! haha
We then had a massive stash of Crisps, Cookies, Sweets etc to take into the park as snacks.
We also had cream crackers so we could have some cheese and crackers of a evening when we got back from the park if we had eaten early.
We did however take breadrolls from breakfast each day and make up cheese rolls for snacking.
I dont feel like i am a cheapskate for taking rolls to make up each day as i was spendingalot of money of lovely dinners every evening and drinks in the park through out the day. What with the cost of the whole holiday and spending money, im a bit shocked anyone finds this being a 'cheapskate'
I have previously been to the parks and spent money on lunches and dinners in the parks and this really does add up. I would rather save some money to buy more goodies to bring home.
Maybe some people have more money then sense.
The booking clearly states hotel+breakfast. Not, hotel+breakfast+snack+lunch.
So yes, I think it's ill-mannered to do so.
If you can't afford it, you should ask yourself if staying on site or even going to DLP should be on your priority list. :-\
Also, I do think snacks and such at DLP are waaaaay overpriced.
Its not that I can not afford it as I can - Its that I choose to take a few rolls for eating rather then paying near to £30 on a lunch when i will be spending £60+ of a evening on meals and drinks.
Some days i may well spend out and eat lunch in the park if i choose to do so. but where i can i feel that saving some money towards other items in Disney is more sensible.
each to their own but i really wouldnt count myself as 'ill-mannered' by doing so.
I agree DisneyMichelle, DS will not eat and breakfast and DD often decides that she is too excited to eat, therefore I feel it is perfectly fine to take a couple of bread rolls and pain au chocolat with us into the parks.
We tend to eat in Cafe Mickey or Inventions every night so certainly do not scrimp our way through the holiday and I do not consider myself at all ill mannered.
This is when we sat in Santa Fe. When in DLH, we do not take anything because we have a less rushed breakfast and the choice is greater which usually means the children will eat.
There are several hotel chains where if people do not want a sit down breakfast they will allow you to take a packed breakfast on the go, and this is how I look at it.
I've seen people filling their bags with whole trays of baked goods. Leaving other people in the queue behind them without bread or pastries.
It will go to a point that either breakfast will no longer be included (like in the US). Or that you will get a already prepared platter.
I'm not saying that you taking a roll or two for your child is anything like the example above. But still. If everybody did it...
I can't imagine there were any families left wanting for anything, whenever I have been there have been massive baskets litterally filled to overflowing with baked goods... but on a seperate note, each to their own opinions.
If everybody did it, then Disney would have their CMs act on it and actively forbid it.
I agree that making a whole packed lunch out of breakfast buffet goods is not done.
But I also agree that taking one item + one piece of fruit each from the breakfast is neither ill-mannered nor cheapskate.
I agree Hildekitten :D
We don't take anything from breakfast as I don't like risking being told off. However, I may wrap up a pain au chocolat or something when we go in September.
We usually take one of those teeny bottles of extra concentrated squash with us as my boyfriend doesn't like plain water. I have taken snacks with us before but didn't end up eating them.