Dining For Less at Walt Disney World

 Dining for Less Cha-Ching at WDW

For breakfast I suggest eating a granola bar or pastry in your hotel room, bring them from home or stop off at a local Target- 3200 Rolling Oaks Blvd
Kissimmee, FL 34747, (321) 677-3971) or Wal-Mart Supercenter- Kissimmee 3250 Vineland Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746,407-397-1125 for breakfast items, drinks, snacks and Disney souvenirs at a huge discount.

Magic Kingdom- I would grab some yummies at Main Street Bakery, for starters a Starbucks, Venti White Chocolate Mocha & a breakfast sandwich or a delicious house-made Disney sweet, you’re spending somewhere between $10 to 15 bucks. At DHS- Starring Rolls Café is my choice; my family might grab a croissant or apple turnover for under $7.00, any grab & go type of food. Over at EPCOT- Fountain View in Future World has Starbucks espresso and specialty beverages or just fill up on warm and tasty treats like Artisan breakfast sandwiches and house-made Disney sweets. While at the Animal Kingdom- try Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery.

*I would definitely save my largest meal for lunch, it’s usually less expensive during lunch hours and you could experience upscale dining without spending all your cha-ching, maybe try “Be our Guest” a quick service dining facility at Magic Kingdom with fine dining appeal, based off the popular tale Beauty & the Beast. Here you have a choice of three enchanted rooms & meals under 15.00 pp. Try the Speedy Salads and Sandwiches, Quick Quiche or the Chefs fave 8-hour-braised pork & for the little beasts, they’ll love Mickey meatloaf or whole-grain macaroni. Lunch time at DHS- 50’s Prime Time Café, it’s a stick to your ribs kind of lunch with a 50’s theme & fun lovin’ family humor. EPCOT-is a great place for Sushi, Sunshine Seasons- has an inexpensive selection, gourmet sandwiches, soups and salads, and wood-fired entrées. Animal Kingdom-Tusker House hosts “Donald’s Dining Safari Character Buffet” 11am-2:45pm, with the price being a bit steep at $30 to 59.99 pp, but it’s a character buffet with African influences and it will definitely fill up the hungry hubby’s out there.

*Dinner at Magic Kingdom, I would grab a combo-style meal at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn in Frontierland, they have a terrific “toppings bar” so you can make the simplest item on the menu go a lot further. I like the 1/3 Angus Cheeseburger-$10.79 served with fries or apple slices or the Taco Salad-$8.79 & add some hot cheese, caramelized onions or Pico de Gallo, yummy to my tummy. I particularly like to dip my fries in the hot cheese, always a late night family fave! At DHS- the Hollywood Brown Derby $15 to $29.99 per adult from 3:30-9:30pm. Enjoy a nice signature dinner with herb-roasted rack of lamb over buttermilk blue cheese-corn pudding, desserts & more. EPCOT- Rose & Crown Pub, fish & chips with a beer, simple & tasty! Animal Kingdom-Flame Tree Barbecue for none other than yummy barbeque.

 These are just a few suggestions for daily meals at WDW. By no means are they the cheapest for dining, but they offer a nice value for your money. Happy Eating*O*

Previously published on http://theadultsideofdisney.com/.

The Power of the PONCHO - making the most out of your rainy Walt Disney World vacation!

So I just finished my first blogging series ever - Gearing up to "Meet the Mouse".  No where in my series of articles did I mention bringing a poncho for rainy weather but I am sure glad that we did!  We usually visit WDW in July so we are well aware that late afternoon we will be greeted by a  rain or thunderstorm for a quick cool off!  Sometimes we would step out of an attraction only to see the grounds wet and lingering poncho wearers, only to realize we missed a quick hit.  Well this past vacation it was a different story!

We have just returned from a 9 day visit.  While I feel that I have almost mastered the new fast pass system I know I have mastered the POWER OF THE PONCHO!

It rained and rained and rained.  Not your quick "cool off" storm but I'm talking hours upon hours of rain for several of the days and nights that we were there! 

I interrupt this blog for an important announcement: BRING CROCS!  Yes I know sneakers are more sensible but read on!

Did the rain ruin our Disney vacation - no way!  I had saved for two years straight and worked to hard in the planning process to let this minor (ha ha) weather issue ruin our trip.  Here are some things that we did in each park that helped to keep us dry aside from the ponchos!

Hollywood Studios ranked very low on the SOAK-O-METER as most of the attractions are indoors!  We were able to use all our fast passes and view many other attractions without getting soaked.  This park is also very easy to navigate as it is smaller than the others!  We spent some good quality indoor time at the Animation Studio which I can't wait to blog about later!  

Animal Kingdom ranked moderate on the SOAK-O-METER.  We were able to stay dry on DINOSAUR and the Lion King show.  We also were able to not only stay dry but to see many animals on our trip on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.  Most of the animals were out during the rain!  It takes a while to get from place to place at Animal Kingdom and there appeared to be a lot of construction.  Take a detour to Kali River Rapids!  Hey you are already wet - why not take the plunge!  You will get soaked but by the time you get there, you already will be!  

Yup - that's us!!! On a dry day!

Epcot ranks SOAKED on the SOAK-O-METER!  Although most of the attractions are indoors, Epcot requires a lot of walking!  We were able to stay dry taking in all the attractions around Future World and the gift shops were a great stopping point as well!  Test Track closes in the rain but all else remained open.  When we explored the World Showcase we quickly became soaked - some of the walkways to get to the World Showcase (leading to  England and Mexico) had 6 - 8 inches of water!  Drainage issues?  The kids loved it and my hubby who wore sneakers did not (see CROC note).  Note: Great huge umbrellas that hold 2-3 people are sold right across from China in a small shop!

Lastly on our rainy park tour was the Magic Kingdom which is still magical in the rain but in my opinion it ranked SOAKED on the SOAK-O-METER!  But.. a happy soaking!  Many rides close making your wait times even higher for the others!  Some of the attractions that we were able to walk right onto were:  Hall of Presidents (a favorite), Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, and MIckey's Philharmagic!  These attractions are great and if you are one of the lucky ones you will exit the show and see sunny skies!  

Here is what happened when we exited Small World:

my favorite

It was actually a double rainbow!  Double the magic!

Rain or shine - Disney is such a magical place you will be sure to make the most of it.  But.. if you go during rainy season... don't forget the "power of the poncho".