Where to eat economically at each park?

[familyof5]

I'm sure this has been asked before, BUT...

Does anyone have restaurant or diner recommendations where we can eat somewhat economically at the 4 different theme parks?

Something that isn't TOO spendy, but would be good for adults and kids ages 8-12 with small appetites...

[mjm12000]

At the Magic Kingdom I love to go to either Columbia Harbour House or to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe they are both fun and have affordable counter service foods.

At Epcot if you can get reservations I would say Beirgarten or Le Celier

At Hollywood Studios my favorite is always the Sci-Fi Dine In Theatre the onion rings and milkshakes are worth it alone.

Animal Kingdom Tusker House buffet was really nice.

[rainbodragon]

i think counter service=economicalso..

MK - cosmic rays or pecos bills also caseys if you guys like hotdogs

epcot - sunshine seasons or electric umbrella (i havent done any other counter service so limited there)

DS - backlot express or if its really hot the abc commissary

ak - flametree bbq, ive also heard the cs next to yak and yeti is really good, but never tried it.

if your family arent big eaters i would stay away from the buffets and family style table services because they are really kinda overpriced.

[Mr. Smee]

I would choose any of those counter service and do the following: Order a double Cheeseburger and an extra bun (cost 50 - 75 cents) then make 2 sandwiches out of the double. Load up the toppings, and you are good to go.

[disneymom15]

Here's a few tips that I've learned.
*Instead of ordering a bottle of water, order a cup of ice water (it's free)
*At the counter service places that offer double burgers, order an extra bun and seperate the burger into 2. I haven't done it yet, so not sure how much the bun costs.

[Fastpasssteve]

In Magic Kingdom...
I liked the burger place in Adventurland. The burgers are good and one has a wide selection of toppings...cheese, onions, sauteed mushrooms...so much. One can really make a meal that will stick with you for a long time. I also think the roasted Turkey legs are a good deal.

In EPCOT...
I found the French bakery to be economical and of high quality. Wonderful sandwiches, quiche, fabulous sweets. Check it out!

In Animal Kingdom...
I do like the Flametree BBQ. Good value for your money. I also really like the Yak & Yeti counter service restaurant. Try the chicken...the sauce is very good...and the pork eggrolls are tasty...and a much cheaper price than their Table service counterpart.

[TinkerbellsMom]

EPCOT:

UK - fish & chips from the Yorkshore Fish Shop outside of Rose & Crown. Good serving size of 2 fish pieces and fries for under $8 - same quality of the restaurant, just at almost half the price.

France - agree with previous writer. The Bakery is a steal. DD & I always get the ham & cheese crousant (warmed up) - absolutely delicous for under $5. The other sandwiches and french bread pizza looked very good too. When you order, ask them to ensure it's hot.

Sunshine Seasons (The Land) - Very fresh food with a great selection and lg. servings. DH & I usually split the ham or turkey specialty andwiches as they are huge.

AK:

Love Flame Tree for the quality and price.

Yak & Yeti Counter - DD enjoyed the fried rice as her main dish and the serving was quite generous, so we helped her eat it (under $5). I thought the chicken salad with mandarin oranges (forgot the name) was over priced at this location ($10) as we found the same salad served at other locations on park cheaper.

There was also a store named _ _ _ Bazaar (blue building near Tree of Life & Flametree) that sold pre made sandwiches & salads at a decent price and looked very fresh. We actually met a couple that ate there and they said the sandwiches were good.

MK - another vote for Cosmic Rays & Columbia House. DH & DD usually share the chcken tenders and fried fish platters as the serving sizes for both are large.

[kakn7294]

In some cases the child's entree at a CS location is rather tasty and enough to fill up an adult looking for a smaller meal.

[eeyorepoohfan]

MK: Columbia Harbour House- most of the platters are plenty to share! My hubby and I ate there twice and for some reason we didn't share and had so much food left over! Pecos Bills for the double cheeseburger with fries (DH and I easy shared it and were satisfied for a long time).

EPCOT: Boulangerie Patisserie (French pastry shop) I saw they offered sandwhiches at great prices. Their desserts are AMAZING and around $3 or less per item . Also try Sommerfest for brats! My DH and I got one for a light dinner and intended to grab a snack later but never felt the need! If you each got one, I don't think it would be too expensive if I remember correctly. Electric Umbrella (I haven't eaten here) I believe has free refills and have salads, burgers, etc. Salads are usually large enough for 2 people as well!

Hollywood Studios: Backlot Express- free refills!!! And they also offer the double cheeseburger again for sharing or the nuggets.

Animal Kingdom: Flame Tree BBQ- Two people can easily and comfortably share the chicken or the rib plates. My DH and I shared one of each and left a lot on our plates again! Lesson learned And it was very tasty!

Downtown Disney: Earl of Sandwich- free refills and amazing sandwhiches and salads. When we were there in December it was less than $6 per sandwich or salad (they have wraps too) and were so yummy! Made to order! Sandwiches and salads were very large and could be shared too!

And who says you can't each get an ice cream for a meal?! We have done that a few times on our trips! We also packed snacks for the park, so sometimes we weren't really hungry for a big meal. This saved $ too!

[KylesMom]

And who says you can't each get an ice cream for a meal?! We have done that a few times on our trips!

That's half the fun of vacation!

Our favorite "economical" places (we're not on the dining plan):

* Columbia Harbour House (MK)
* Hot Dog Stands in Tomorrowland/Liberty Square (MK)
* Backlot Express (DHS)
* Pizzafari (AK)
* Liberty Inn (Epcot)

If you're paying OOP, LeCellier isn't really economical - the last dinner we had there (apps/entree/wine/beer/dessert/tip) came to $166 for the three of us . . . with our Tables in Wonderland 20% discount! This is the place we really treat ourselves!

[kakn7294]

And who says you can't each get an ice cream for a meal?! :bar

We also like frozen cokes and dole whip floats. Makes a great lunch on a hot day!

[TracyL]

In general, Disney's counter service places have a nice variety of choices at pretty reasonable prices. I would definitely cast my vote for Sunshine Seasons at Epcot (in the Land pavilion). Good food, great variety of choices, and some good options like hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and individual bakery items for when you don't want a full meal. If you're adventurous eaters, Tangierine Cafe and Yakitori House are also good counter service options on the World Showcase side.

At Magic Kingdom we usually eat at Columbia Harbor House or Pecos Bill's. Another option is The Plaza -- what's great about The Plaza is that you can sit down and have a nice table service meal without paying typical table service prices. Great sandwiches, salads, and of course ice cream! Be sure to get a reservation, though.

I agree with others that if you have light eaters, the buffets are not a great value. That said, though, when you do a buffet, you know exactly how much you're paying since it's all-inclusive (assuming you don't order specialty drinks/alcohol). The buffets have wonderful food -- far and away the best buffet experience I've ever had -- and some include characters. Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom or Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios are good. Maybe think about splurging for one meal with all the money you saved on the others.

[TheDuckRocks]

Here's a few hints if you would like to experience a table service restaurant.
Lunch is less expensive than dinner.
Share! I have done this many times, with my sister, my granddaughter, my daughter and my husband, at different times and many different restaurants. In general Disney meals are huge, a sirloin steak usually is in the 10 to 12 ounce range, easily enough to share. Often times a dessert is big enough for the entire table, the brownie sundae at the 50s Prime Time Cafe comes to mind and the pot roast is surely enough for 2.
Table service restaurants that we have found to be less costly or shareable are:
MK - The Plaza Restaurant, reasonable and the same menu for lunch and dinner.
DHS - 50s Prime Time Cafe and Sci Fi Dine In are both very shareable.
Epcot - Beirgarten for the lunch buffet.

[minnie-mouse]

We love Cosmic Rays in MK. There are so many options to eat. If you are on a really tight budegt, I suggest bringing a cooler with sandwiches to the parks. Or buying lunch out at the CS restaurants but packing your own snacks and water bottles, even juice boxes for the kids.

[familyof5]

Thanks everyone for the great tips and suggestions! This is our first trip to DW and with so much to offer, I thought I'd ask the "experts"...I'm glad that I did

[i'm grumpy]

I haven't read all the posts but I'll second Pecos Bill's, Cosmic Ray's, Harbour House, Pizzafari and Backlot Express. Epcot's Liberty Inn has hot beef and cheese and BBQ pork sandwiches.

[MKFD43]

I would choose any of those counter service and do the following: Order a double Cheeseburger and an extra bun (cost 50 - 75 cents) then make 2 sandwiches out of the double. Load up the toppings, and you are good to go.

Rocking good info, we did this last December. Really helped out monitarily. This sort of economic dining has enabled us to add an buffet diner on our next trip in August.

[Goofy Texan]

You've got some great suggestions so far. I do have one bit of advice for saving money on food at Disney that I want to add.

Only buy as much as your family will eat. Avoid throwing away food, it's wasted money. Start out by buying 3 meals and sharing them with 5 people. If at the end of the meal, the food is all gone and you want more, then buy something else!

Enjoy your trip!

[AmandaChan]

I would have to agree on the columbia harbor house. They have plenty of options for kids and adults, from the hamburgers to hummus sandwiches. My husband and I ate here last year and we wished we would have split a meal. DH got some kind of sandwich and I got a hummus sandwich, both of which come with chips. I didn't realize they came with chips (they don't skimp out on them either) and I accidentally got a side of fries. The portion sizes were generous and it wasn't really pricey. I recommend here!

As for other counter service places just keep in mind you can get a child's meal for yourself as an adult. I've seen other people do this and with a burger and fries it is usually enough to fill anyone. If I didn't want a burger or chicken and fries every meal I would probably do it more often.

[i'm grumpy]

Pizza Planet is nice when it's not busy.