food ideas for no-ddp

[jonahbear2006]

Ok, so my original plan has been totally re-vamped. My husband's 2nd job has just informed us that they are closing for remodeling for an entire month. This has caused us to have to cancel our DDP for our october trip. My heart sank and I almost cried real tears. DH says that I am just being silly and we can do happy things at the campground to eat. I am wondering how I am going to keep me and the kids nutritionally geared up for florida sun and parks from a cooler for 17 days. If anyone has done this please advise. I am wondering for 1. can i bring a crock pot and leave it on the picnic table with maybe a brick on it or something. will an animal bother it? We are bringing a microwave and toaster. We tent camp though and so we wont have a the benefit of a full kitchen in an RV. Any ideas for meals are greatly appreciated. We did keep 4 reservations that we couldnt bear to part with.

[DisneyMom12]

I don't know when you are traveling, but there is free dinning for 10/2-10/8; 10/23-11/5.

[lighteningqueen]

Sounds fun although I bet you spend a ton on ice.. How long are you staying?? If I were you could you borrow a mini fridge the med size one from someone or buy one? Thats what I would do.. I would think you could crock.You do have electricity there. I would put the fridge in the tent though.Just make sure it has air under and around it by setting it up on something.Also you could bring one of those toaster ovens, and do way more in it even toast.. I love mine.Instead of firing up the huge oven for a couple of chicken breast or chops I use it. You can pick one of those up used for really cheap. Sounds fun we love to camp, I have even brought a wok for frying sausage,eggs etc.

[lighteningqueen]

I thought you couldn't get dining at the RV park?? Hummmm friends will be glad to hear that if so.

[gerald72]

Free dining doesn't apply to Ft Wilderness

[hauntedmansiongirl]

That is going to be tough on you!

For breakfast, keep it simple- cereal and fruit. They sell milk at both Trading Posts, so that will be easy. Buy disposable cutlery as washing dishes will be a pain.

For lunches, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches keep the best. To save $ in the parks, buy double burger combos, pay 10 cents for an extra bun and share a meal between 2 people. Most places the portions are huge and you'll be full by the end.

For suppers, I think that the crockpot would work. Just make sure that it is nowhere that it could cause a fire- especially if you're gone all day. That would really ****!

Trails End Buffet also has take out. You buy a container for a certain price (it changes annually) and you fill it up and take it back to your campsite. When we were there, people would fill a container with meats and potatoes and feed a whole family from it. I'm not sure if Disney is kosher with it or if they've closed that loophole, but as of February 2011 when we were there we saw people doing that. They also have pizza to take out that isn't too ridiculously priced.

If you have a car you could run to the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken, frozen dinners etc. to microwave. A hot plate or camp stove could allow you to make pasta, kraft dinner, hot dogs, bacon & eggs, stirfrys etc. A griddle could let you do french toast, pancakes, hamburgers, steak, grilled cheese etc. My in-laws have an RV and swear by their George Foreman grill. They cook everything in there.

It's such a bummer that you can't get free dining with FW- especially when a full hook-up site costs almost the same as the values!

It'll be a challenge for you, but try to think of how much fun you'll have on the trip and the new memories you'll make everyday!Get the kids involved with planning and preparing the meals and make it fun for everyone. :mickey:

[DisneyMom12]

Free dining doesn't apply to Ft Wilderness

I had no idea :blush:

[tennantsrwe]

If you're traveling during the Free Dining promotion it may be more cost effective to just upgrade to a Value Resort. I think the difference is aroun $200 BUT you are getting free dining. Pretty sure it will more than pay for itself:mickey:

[ElenitaB]

October can be hot... you just never really know. With weather in the high 80's/low to mid 90's, I'm not sure how safe your food would be cooking all day in the crock pot. It's not the cooking but the sitting that I'd be worried about.

I'd also recommend one of the newer Foreman grills, like the Evolve. You can grill/bake/waffle, etc. with it (the best price I've seen is on the Penn-based home shopping network). It's pricey but a real multi-tasker. Also, are you going to have a car while you're there? That opens up a whole world of possibilities for you... like getting bags of salad, fruit and family meals at Publix or Target.

Our last trip we didn't have the DDP either, and made lots of food in the microwave (I brought along a microwave spaghetti cooker) and a small Foreman grill type gadget. (It worked out so well that I ended up buying the Evolve grill for the house.)

[Checkers]

If you're traveling during the Free Dining promotion it may be more cost effective to just upgrade to a Value Resort. I think the difference is aroun $200 BUT you are getting free dining. Pretty sure it will more than pay for itself:mickey:

You didn't say how many children you have, but I like this idea if you only have 2. Would at least be worth looking into. Magical Journeys would be a good place to start. Let us know what you decide.

[jonahbear2006]

I have 5 children and we already have annual passholders so getting free dining doesnt save me any money. We are there from October 15-31 so for the trip that I insisted on, I really cannot complain. Fort Wilderness is really our best bet so we arent going to upgrade. It would cost me a lot of money to get free dining so its not really helping me. Id end up at Riverside and we would only get free dining for a portion of the trip and be buying tickets I dont need. We do have a 14 passenger van we will have with us so bringing food and having space and a cooler will not be a problem. buying a mini fridge and an evolve are great ideas, I will look into that. We always bring the cool edge grill and it works well for cooking big breakfasts. I really know nothing about cooking with charcoal and it kind of worries me to have that going with me being the only adult and so many small hands. our first trip there we had a child bathe herself in charcoal from the grill and it was not hot but still scared me nonetheless. Keep the ideas coming this is helping me get my gears going and I really appreciate it all. I am remembering now how we got to dining plan in the first place with costs of driving to the walmart, ice, buying equipment to cook, storing food, planning, and then sticking to the plan and actually implementing it and then looking at how little we do save in the end. But with this extended trip, $2700 after tips is a lot of money to spend on food in 2 weeks. I feel Dh's thoughts on this matter. Food aside, I still prefer camping over the values. I wouldnt want to upgrade bc i see it as a downgrade. I dislike the location and I prefer my own bedding to a hotel bed. We also paid for the preferred loop so I wont have so much walking to do w the kids around the resort, not so many bus rides. Needless to say, we are at the resort we really wanted. :mickey: Again, I thank everyone for the ideas!!! Any other epiphany is welcome!

[Kairi_7378]

That is unfortunate that you have to change your plans! I can't really help you with the Disney camping, but my family went tent camping every year when I was growing up. Our trips were always 2 weeks long. Of those 14 days, we would eat out 2-3 times. (Usually once a week to give Mom a break from cooking and once or twice if the weather was too bad to cook outside.) Since you will have a car, you'll have access to lots of good non-Disney options for meals if you want to take a break or it pours. You will probably have to go to the grocery store every 4-5 days during your trip.

I'm not sure if the crock pot is a good idea... in all of the National Parks that I've been in, leaving a plugged in crock pot while you were off site was generally frowned on. (Maybe this is different at Disney?) MY parents did own a two-burner propane camp stove so Mom was able do cook that way without relying in the charcoal grill. With that we were able to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfasts. If you are going to grill, there are lots of things that you can make that aren't hot dogs and hamburgers (although the kids will love those too!) Corn on the cob and baked potatoes are good sides. My dad would roast carrots with butter and brown sugar to serve with chicken. You might also want to invest in a dutch oven, which makes it easy to heat soups or stews (your own or canned) on the campfire with little effort. I like the George Foreman suggestion, too.

[MNNHFLTX]

Wow, 17 days is a long time to try and plan meals to have at a campground. I'm sure it can be done though, and other posters have given you some good advice. Personally, I don't think leaving a crockpot unattended would be the best thing. Aside from the potential electrical/fire hazard, I wouldn't want to leave food out where someone else could possibly have access to it (call me paranoid, but there are a lot of strange people out there!) Since you are doing tent camping, I think the mini-fridge might be an issue too. You probably want to contact Fort Wilderness ahead of time and find out what their policies are on appliances such as a mini-fridge at a tent campsite.

[Katzateer]

Trails End is a good options for some of the meals. pricing isn't bad.

Would look on the Girl scout web site and look for outdoor cooking tips. Would worry about crock pot unattended- even at WDW there
are animals. I would have any food and cookware ( and most of your other items) locked in your car when you aren't going to be at your campsite all day. Just my experiences tent camping ......

Load up on dry foods and items your family loves before you go (we bring nuts, granola, cherrios and plastic baggies to carry snacks to the parks)

Have a great time!:thumbsup:

[Tink#64]

So sorry to hear the change in plans. But don't let that rain on your parade! It sounds like you are experienced campers & you will prevail & have a magical trip!

We are campers also & have camped for a week at a time & yes serving easy yet filling meals are a challenge. We also take along an electric grill, but have camped primitive (no water/electric hookups.

Some that we have done are: Smoked sausuage (cover the grill with aluminum foil) along with instant mashed potatoes, and any frozen microwavable veggie. Canned spaghetti & meatballs makes a great quick meal, maybe pair with salad, bread & butter & fruit! You can easily make chili or maybe a casserole before you leave home to warm in the microwave on one of your first days. Always hot dogs, burgers & brats! BLT's along with pork n beans makes meals. I like the thinner cuts of meat, weather it be steaks, chops or chicken, grills pretty quickly & pop some potatoes in you microwave, you can have dinner in 30 minutes or less! Any meat or bagged veggies can be frozen at home & put in your cooler to help keep everything else cold during your trip. We also like the tubs of barb b q, from the refigerated section, pop in your microwave. I just read a cool recipe idea about grilling a homemade pizza! Foil on the grill & then your dough (could even get the prefab deal) add your toppings & put it on the grill to warm! For lunch when travelling, we do alot of PB&J's, vienna sausages & lunch meats, velveeta & saltines! You can cook some burger on the grill & make some awesome nacho's! Take along tortilla chips, canned bean dip & canned cheese (I'm thinking of the Frito's brand), & salsa! With having a car to make grocery runs - Crossroads is so close - there's no limit to the microwavable meals to choose from! Everything from pot pies, to lasagna & anything in between! Non of these meals would take you anymore time that you would have to allow for a table service meal! I'm sure you can eat well without taking too much time out of your day. Check out some websites such as Pillsbury for some great meal ideas! Wishes for a very magical trip! :pixie:

[joonyer]

We have used a crock pot while camping many times through the years, including at Fort Wilderness. It's a great option for a hot meal ready to eat when you return to camp. We set it on the picnic table away from anything that could get hot or melted. We have never had any animals bother our crockpot with just the normal glass cover. I think the heat on the outside of the pot discourages any animal tampering, and we have camped in some campgrounds with very aggressive racoons.

And just because you aren't using the DDP doesn't mean you can't eat meals at the parks or other resort restaurants. WE have found if we are careful about what we order and where we eat, that we can spend much less paying OOP than the cost of the DDP. For instance at Cosmic Ray's DW and I can share a grillled chicken salad for lunch and both be plenty full (two full stomachs for the price of one meal). Of course if your budget has been severely cut, you can always prepare all your own meals (you can take food to the parks with you, sandwiches, etc.) and save a ton of $$$.

[lawgirl]

We have never done the DDP, always out of pocket. I find that if we are smart about where we go, we actually don't spend much on food. Is it an option for the kids to share meals?

[joonyer]

We have never done the DDP, always out of pocket. I find that if we are smart about where we go, we actually don't spend much on food. Is it an option for the kids to share meals?

Yes, anyone can share fixed plate meals, but not at the all-you can-eat buffets.

[Tink#64]

Not at the buffets of course, but we share alot of meals! DS's & I aren't big eaters, so lots of times I order a salad, fruit or breadsticks to accompany the meal & share with them! I think WDW portions are usually very generous!

It's very easy to scale back on meal expenses, after all these trips & enjoying several TS meals each trip, this year we had nothing but QS & we thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn't have to plan & make ressie's & we added into the mix some new QS's that we'd never tried! I have to say, a very positive experience! We never spend what I budget for food, alot of the reason is that I share with DS's ALOT! Always too much food, not going to carry leftovers around, so rather than throw it in the trash, we share! A great excuse for an afternoon Dole Whip or Mickey Bar! :bar:

[jonahbear2006]

Not at the buffets of course, but we share alot of meals! DS's & I aren't big eaters, so lots of times I order a salad, fruit or breadsticks to accompany the meal & share with them! I think WDW portions are usually very generous!

It's very easy to scale back on meal expenses, after all these trips & enjoying several TS meals each trip, this year we had nothing but QS & we thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn't have to plan & make ressie's & we added into the mix some new QS's that we'd never tried! I have to say, a very positive experience! We never spend what I budget for food, alot of the reason is that I share with DS's ALOT! Always too much food, not going to carry leftovers around, so rather than throw it in the trash, we share! A great excuse for an afternoon Dole Whip or Mickey Bar! :bar:

This, along with ALL of the things that were said, is very good information. Its comforting to know that this can be done. i will see if a hybrid of all this flies w the dh. what do u normally budget per person per day

[Tink#64]

I budget approx. $25.00 per day per person. That allows $10.00 each (my DS's are 14 & 15 & this year noticed that most QS combo's - not including drink ran in the $8.00 range) for lunch & dinner & a snack. Then I take that amount & add in if I know we are eating more than counter service, for that day it would be more like $35.00 per day. We NEVER have spent what I've budgeted for food! But we make up for it in shopping! lol You can look up the restaurants that you are thinking are thinking about & see the menu's & the prices, it helps alot in budgeting!

We always eat breakfast in the room, I pack one suitcase of food for breakfasts & snacks, we eat while get ready in the morning, it save gobs of time & money! We're not big eaters, so we all carry packs with snacks, anything that won't mealt or crumble, granola bars, cereal bars, cheese & crackers, slim jims, candy, etc! I buy these things a little at a time pre-trip & I know it save us alot! I also carry a water bottle that I refill throughout the day. We do purchase the refillable mugs, it's a good value for us, as usually lunch or dinner is eaten at the Food COurt (or poolside) & that's an even better value! Once I did the math, & figured after day 3 we were in the black on the mugs! Now that we've been driving to WDW the last few trips, we bring more food & drinks with us. The economy has made it such that to enjoy what so many of us are used too, you have to find ways to cut corners! We're always just happy to be back in WDW & don't care that much about where we lay our head at night, hotel luxuries or the meals we eat, if they are decent, enjoyable & filling! I'd rather take home a new WDW t-shirt that I can wear for years than spend the extra on signature dining & a luxury hotel that one week! We're there for all the WDW magic & that oh so special family time! :mickey:

[jonahbear2006]

that is kind of what I came up with which is where my DDP proposal came in, in the first place, bc its just me and my 5 kids and they are $12 a day for either dining plan. I am $39 a day. I fear that I cannot feed them cheaper than this in the parks, and since we decided to keep our few favorites, which I added up just those few restaurants to end up costing us about $600 oop, I am finding a hard way to rationalize not getting DDP when its sometimes more expensive to feed them without it and since a snack is a snack is a snack , their table service ends up being free. ugh, haha. well maybe i shouldve just taken a shorter trip. :confused:

[Tink#64]

It sounds like you've really done your homework! It's expensive to eat out on vacation - I don't care where you are! It's unbelievable that we spend more on food for one week at WDW (or even on beach vaca's for that matter) than we do for a whole month at home! Best of luck to you & wishes for a very magical trip! :pixie: