Advice on restaurants not on Disney property.

We are not buying the DDP because we are trying to go to Disney and budget our money. Has anyone tried these restaurants and do you know if the area is safe? We are planning on renting a car and traveling with my parents, my husband and one 9 year old daughter. We are staying at POP.
1. Beef O Bradys S. John Young Prwy, Kissimmee
2. Portside Pub at Lighthouse Key Resort, Irlo Bronson hwy, Kissimmee
3. L Italiano's Chicago Pizza Kissimmee
4. The Bistro Rest at Melia Orlando Suite Hotel, Celebration
5. Kook Sports Bar, 1900 Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista
6. The Outback Steaks and Seafood, Lake Buena Vista
7. Aldi's - I know this is a grocery market, but was wondering if anyone went to one in the area. I saw online they sell beer and wine too!
Thanks for all your help. Sorry for the long list.

I don't know about the offsite places. But just in case you were thinking you had to have the DDP to eat at Disney restaurants, I wanted to mention that you don't have to have the dining plan to eat at Disney restaurants. Some are more budget friendly than others, of course.

We never eat off property but a friend who goes often raves about Miller's Ale House in Kissimme. Can't offer any help on your list of restaurants but I think as long as you stay off International Drive (which I hear can be a rough area), you'll be fine. One restaurant you list is in Celebration which is owned by Disney. As SBETigg mentioned, there are places to eat in Disney which are budget friendly.

There are many places to eat other than you mention and all seem to be in a normal, vacationers area......our daughter took us to several places while she was in the Disney college program....:mickey:

I have not eaten in any of those particular restaurants, but I do eat off property when I have a car. I've never felt unsafe. Don't forget you can eat at Downtown Disney for less too. One more tip, you can buy beer and wine at the Hess Gas stations around WDW.. but they have a huge selection of wines at the Winn Dixie (11957 South Apopka Vineland Road) and if you sign up for their discount card it can be really cheap.

Having the fridge at POP means you can have some food in your room for snacks too.. While at the Winn Dixie picking up some wine and snacks... we actually bought a BBQ Chicken, a baguette, cooked shrimp, a bag of salad greens and the lady at the deli gave us dressing and cutlery. Made for a lovely dinner on our balcony that night and chicken sandwiches the next day. No kitchen required. Of course, there was only two of us and we get tired of restaurants for every meal.

i haven't eaten at any of the restaurants on your list-ive eaten at outback before, just not in orlando. when we're eating on the cheap, we usually eat at the POP food court. the fresh made sandwiches are very tasty and quite big.

the one place we usually go to off site is sweet tomatoes. if you are not familiar with it, it is a salad bar restaurant, also has many soups, potatoes and pasta. it's under 10 dollars for dinner. it is located on apopka vineland rd/hwy 535, just outside downtown disney. there are a ton of restaurants in that plaza, and also a publix grocery store.

be sure to check online for coupons. sweet tomatoes often has them and i know outback has one right now for $10 off dinner

Also, you may find yourself spending more in gas and time traveling off property. There are a lot of counter service and even some sit down meals that can be affordable on Disney property. For example, the Plaza Restaurant has good sandwiches at decent prices. Beaches and Cream has great burgers and other options for a good price as well. Epcot has great options for different, less expensive counter service options. If there is a place you really want to go to off property, then go. But, you do not need a meal plan to eat at the places on property and you also must weigh in if the cost of gas and the time you will be giving up is worth going of property. Either way, you will have a great vacation!:mickey:

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Originally Posted by idreamofdisney

We are not buying the DDP because we are trying to go to Disney and budget our money. Has anyone tried these restaurants and do you know if the area is safe? We are planning on renting a car and traveling with my parents, my husband and one 9 year old daughter. We are staying at POP.
1. Beef O Bradys S. John Young Prwy, Kissimmee
2. Portside Pub at Lighthouse Key Resort, Irlo Bronson hwy, Kissimmee
3. L Italiano's Chicago Pizza Kissimmee
4. The Bistro Rest at Melia Orlando Suite Hotel, Celebration
5. Kook Sports Bar, 1900 Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista
6. The Outback Steaks and Seafood, Lake Buena Vista
7. Aldi's - I know this is a grocery market, but was wondering if anyone went to one in the area. I saw online they sell beer and wine too!
Thanks for all your help. Sorry for the long list.

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Is this a list from a discount restaurant certificate website or coupon book? I got an email with a link to a similar list and I have to say that the restaurants offered weren't ones I would normally consider. "The Outback Steaks and Seafood" isn't the same as the national chain Outback Steakhouse. Beef O'Brady's is a chain here in Florida and is basically a "family" sports pub. They have burgers, sandwiches, wings, etc. Not bad, but honestly they vary by location in terms of cleanliness, service, etc. I have never been to the one you mentioned.

IMHO it can be very disappointing to drive off property, deal with local traffic and unfamiliar roads and end up with a mediocre (or worse) meal in order to save a few dollars. If you really prefer to eat off property (my DH does, so I do understand), I would recommend you take a look at the options in the Crossroads shopping center (near DTD) and also would recommend Sweet Tomatoes, as another poster suggested. Salads and veggies are your friends, especially after a lot of "vacation food."

Now that they have small refrigerators at Pop you may be able to save some $$ by keeping breakfast and even some lunch items in your room.

We love eating off property (on property too!). Here is a list of our favorites: Chevys Frsh Mex (at Crossroads-other poster mentioned Sweet Tomatoes-same area), Black Angus, LBVista (inexpensive steak), PUBLIX for groceries. I have also heard Millers Ale house is good, but never ate there. I would stay away from all buffets & I-Drive because of traffic. Get a good map & do your research before you leave home so you don't stop somewhere questionable because you are too hungry. (All Florida pizza is bad-I am from CHGO!)

I was really looking to save money and try something new, but the more I thought about it I began to wonder if it made sense. We don't know the area and I wasn't sure about crime rates etc. I live across the river from Manhattan in NJ and we do have great restaurants to choose from - so sometimes we are disappointed when we are on vacation. Many of our favorites here are not expensive, but we know the area and we know where we should not go! I thought it might be fun to try different places in the area, but factoring in time and gas money it may just make sense to eat at the parks. Thanks again. Have a great day!

Well, anything at Crossroads shopping center is perfectly safe and practically on disney property-it is directly across from downtown disney

As previous posters have said, there are good places at the Crossroads Plaza, also if you go under I-4, there are several restaurants on the other side of the highway. I Drive is a fine area (as far as safety) but there is a lot of traffic.

I don't know about off-site restaurants, but we do acquire beer for the room refrigerator from the Hess station just across from Downtown Disney to help cut some costs and so we can wind down at night after a long day. :beer: