Packing or Buying Snacks?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Packing or Buying Snacks?
7
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 9:46am

Hi Girls... I was just wondering what everyone thougth is better to do.

andrea1.gif picture by ascherm 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2006
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 10:07am

I have no personal experience with this service, but here are a couple of delivery services I have seen people talk about: GardenGrocer dot com and WeGoShop. You might could check out their websites while you wait on someone with some been there, done that experience. I have also read that some people ship a box of snacks directly to the hotel which might be a good option. Then, you can buy milk in the gift shop of the hotel (I think this is cheaper than getting it in the food court).

Charis

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2004
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 10:17am

No experience here, but we plan on packing snacks for the room. I figure I can use that room on the way home for stuff we buy there. I'm going to pack as much as I can (my kids are snackers) so we don't need to buy as much.

Christine

Rock Stars
Avatar for laurieh88
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 10:44am

We've always packed snacks and then used the extra room for souveniers on the way home. It's worked well. You can also mail a package of snacks to the WL before your stay, have the box ready for you when you check in. I haven't tried that, but it sounds like a super idea.

When we stayed at the WL, there was not a fridge in the room, but that might be different now. ???

Laurie in OH, mom to

Alex, 12 years old
Julianne and Leah, 10.5 years old
Audrey, 3 years old

WDW visits in 1973, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006!

LAURIE IN OH, Mom to:


Alex, 1

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-10-2006
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 10:57am
I just came back about two weeks ago. I packed food in an extra suitcase (stuff for breakfast, etc.). It was a waste as far as I am concerned. We were all on the dining plan. But the second day, we realized that we werent' needing our snacks and could have bought bagels, etc. for breakfast. And the snacks I brought, the kids were so stuffed from lunch and then dinner, they didn't eat in between meals. We brought it all home but I still think I should have just skipped packing it. But that is our experience. I had four kids with me, usually they eat me out of house and home. I am going back in Nov. with my oldest son and his girlfriend and I am not bringing any food with me.
Avatar for laurieh88
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 11:32am

That makes sense! I hadn't considered the dining plan. We've never been on it, so we need the breakfast items and snacks. If I had eaters (my kids are picky and eating is at the bottom of their "to do" list!), I'd sure look into the dining plan. It sounds great. As it is, we've never even had an ADR - we just eat when the kids are in the mood, and something quick.

Laurie in OH, mom to

Alex, 12 years old
Julianne and Leah, 10.5 years old
Audrey, 3 years old

WDW visits in 1973, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006!




Edited 3/30/2007 11:32 am ET by laurieh88

LAURIE IN OH, Mom to:


Alex, 1

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-21-2007
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 12:22pm

Hi Laurie,
FWIW, my family sounds like yours in that eating is a low priority (well, except for DH, but...) so it didn't make sense for us to get the dining plan, either - probably wouldn't pay for itself. We've also never even made ADR's before, although we did end up waiting standby for a few TS places last time we went (seven years ago): Biergarten, Alfredo's, SciFi...that's it as far as I remember. So this time I have made SOME ADR's (for about half to 75% of the days), and figure if I'm organized I can always cancel them later if needed.

The ones I made for Breakfast (CP and DB) are mainly (1) to secure early entrance to the parks (i.e. to make ourselves get there!) and (2) because DS8 NEEDS milk in the mornings and I have no experience with keeping that in the room! (We plan to experiment with dehydrated milk for cereal...but not sure how that will go...also I hear they sell it in the gift shops, but not sure how expensive...and we don't think the $10 per day for the refrigerator is worth it just for milk!)

Also last time something that worked REALLY well for us was to pack a TON of trail mix/power bars (leftovers from an aborted hiking trip at the time!) ...it was GREAT to just grab a handful of those each morning and distribute among everyone's fanny packs, then they were there with no waste of time for us to munch on while waiting in lines, during shows, parades, etc without any interruption of the itinerary, and gave us energy. We didn't even bother with breakfast at that time (DS wasn't there, but we traveled with DHs 3 teenaged/grown kids at the time)!

Hope that helps! Oh, DH is also planning on bringing a coffee 'kit' for the room (no refillable mug for us, either!)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-10-2006
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 1:39pm
I loved the dining plan. I wanted to try some of the fun restuarants and it sounded like a lot of food for the price. It was (too much). My husband was all for sitting down as was I (I love making plans to ADR were no problem for me. However, three out of four of my children, hated having to sit down for a meal. They would have rather of been in the pool or the parks. But, they did have fun once they were at the restuarant and it gave us time to regroup (and have a drink!). But every family is different. I know my 18 year old son is going to love it in November. He is a huge eater (skinny but eats a lot). Have fun.
Tracy