MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 I usually take drink mix packets and our own water bottles into the park to cut down on soda consumption and save mama some $$$ on water and such. I take crackers, granola bars and things of that nature for them to snack on, I'm just wondering if anyone has any neat ideas on other kinds of snacks that their kids love while visiting the parks? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doodlebug....Cherie 461 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 i used to by boxes of cheez-its, teddy grahams even their favorite cereal and put them in snack size baggies. Saved a bundle and it was stuff they liked :'( Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 We had grapes and cheese with crackers. I also packed apples, which they enjoyed. They also really liked the Clif Bars I brought. Oh, and GORP. I make my GORP with raisins, mixed nuts, and SunSpire candies- like M&M's but no colors or flavors made from crude oil. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 We had grapes and cheese with crackers. I also packed apples, which they enjoyed. They also really liked the Clif Bars I brought. Oh, and GORP. I make my GORP with raisins, mixed nuts, and SunSpire candies- like M&M's but no colors or flavors made from crude oil. :)what kind of cheese did you pack? My kids love the cubes but I'm not sure they would hold up in the heat. I'm curious as to what type of bag you carreid all your stuff in? Did you use ice packs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 It was those BabyBel Cheeses from Laughing Cow. We had a soft-sided cooler we brought in. I had a stroller and it just stayed under there. I don't remember any ice packs. BUT, this was November, so it wasn't very hot that day. Actually, it was around 78 F - perfect temp for a day at MK! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Another thought - Frozen water bottles - they keep food cold early in the day annd then are nice to drink once they thaw Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momoffive aka Loretta 34 Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 We also take water bottles for everybody. We bring the flavor packs too. Bought the bottle lanyards a few years ago and we still use them now when we go for hikes or the zoo. Everybody gets a bottle and they can refill it from the water fountains in the park. I am grossed out by public fountains so I try to find a remote one, I like the ones closer to the first aide stations, and I usually clean the fountain before I let the kids fill their bottles. My son has autism and this lanyard came in handy too to carry his new Disney pal. We found that he behaved better at the parks if he brought a stuffed animal to "show around" We have learned to let him spend his spending money on day one to pick out his park pal. Poor park pal gets a noose around it's neck (the lanyard) and DS then wears it arond his neck, no leaving it behind on any rides. I'm hoping we are past that this year though! We have always had a stroller or two with us so we have always had a place to put a soft sided cooler. I bring a baggie of ice each day, and several wash cloths if it is warmer weather. A cool wet cloth on someones neck is a cool relief in the heat! Ok I need to get back on topic, LOL..... Snacks kids love the uncrustable PB&J sandwiches and they tend to be more filling than candy. My kids can easily down 2 now but at $5 a box I can deal with that when a hot dog is what $3 or more. They can stay in the cooler until ready to use. Go-gurts travel well and the kids like them. For school days I freeze them at home and by lunch time they are thawed and ready to eat...but frozen is good too. Baby carrot sticks and or celery sticks, bring a little peanut butter to dip them in. Just need a baggie full of those, you can even put the peanut butter on the celery ahead of time, try them with cream cheese too. Long pretzel sticks for the little kiddos, but everybody will eat those. Can't wait to see what else is mentioned! Always looking for new ideas. I don't know how we are going to do it this year, was't planning on bringing a stroller. Gonna have to be a back pack. My other son is a diabetic so we will have to have food with us for emergencies plus his meter and supplies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 All awesome ideas, I had trouble last year with my cooler and dry ice, I had read that people were able to keep foods frozen all week with a good cooler and dry ice but my melted in like 2 days, I'm sure I didnt do something right however. I have one of those little plug in type coolers that was great for keeping things cool, not really cold but cool enough to keep them from spoiling. This year I have a little fridge that I'm bringing. We decided to stick to a tent for one more year at least but we didnt by a utility trailer to haul all the stuff so this year I can bring the fridge! I've been looking for sometype of bag to carry, something big and will hold a cool temp :dance: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Retired and Happy (Ken) 101 Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Our son had never eaten a sandwich before trying a PB&J his older sister brought for her kids. Now he eats them almost every day, and we always carry plenty of jars of the mix when we travel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momoffive aka Loretta 34 Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Where would you buy dry ice? I never thought of that. Does it really help? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 The Walmart here sells dry ice, you have to be careful with it because it will burn.. (as I found out the hard way) I'm going to educate myself before our next camping trip and figure out how to keep it from melting, someone said wrap in newspaper.. We are taking the kids camping for memorial day weekend in Tennessee so that will be my first attempt, I'll let you know how that goes :wiz: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mgsmom 9 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 We take an insulated lunch box into the parks with fruit (sliced apples pack real well and are refreshing) and snacks. I found some little frozen ice packs at Walmart for $1 that are roughly the size of a deck of cards. Works well keeping things "cool". Also, I second freezing the Go-gurts. DD thinks it's ice cream. :banana: We also put a wet washcloth in a baggie and stash it in there, in case someone needs a cool cloth to the face or neck.Rice Krispie treats hold up well to heat without "melting". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OrangeBlossomMama 4 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 The Walmart here sells dry ice, you have to be careful with it because it will burn.. (as I found out the hard way) I'm going to educate myself before our next camping trip and figure out how to keep it from melting, someone said wrap in newspaper.. We are taking the kids camping for memorial day weekend in Tennessee so that will be my first attempt, I'll let you know how that goes :wiz:Dry ice typically lasts only a day unless you have a large amt (more than 10 lbs). You can also get dry ice at Publix when you get to the Fort. Best bet would be to use the refreeze blocks, or frozen bottles of water and let them thaw. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OrangeBlossomMama 4 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 We also make our own trail mix, with my girls' favorite treats (dried fruit, PF goldfish, etc). I also second placing everything in snack size bags. Makes life easy to pass them out and everybody has their own. At least in our case. My girls are at their "MINE!" stage and not a big fan of sharing. We'll also take mandarin oranges in the cups, grapes, apples and pretty much any fruit. And cheese sticks. Oh goodness, we can't live without the cheese sticks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MicknMin...Holly 54 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 For those of you that like cheese, WalMart sells Mickey shaped cheese by Sargento! I'm not sure what the price is, but my daughter didn't think it was too bad. We also used to freeze our water bottles like MomofFive and then carried them into the parks when the kids were little. It worked out great, and if you got super hot, you could always take the frozen bottle and hold it up to your forehead (or whatever) and it helped to cool you off! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 what kind of cheese did you pack? My kids love the cubes but I'm not sure they would hold up in the heat. I'm curious as to what type of bag you carreid all your stuff in? Did you use ice packs?You can get freezable containers at Wal-Mart in the same area where they have canning jars - serving pitchers, etc. They are called "E-Z Freeze" made by Cool Gear International and run about $3-5 each - depending upon the size.I use them in the hot weather to carry cut up veggies or cut up fruit, cheese, etc, when we go into the parks. I wrap the container in a dish towel before throwing it in my back pack to help insulate it. It usually keeps the food cold for about 5-6 hours.I also carry the Lance cheese & crackers or peanut butter crackers. I prepare snack bags with peanuts or trail mix, cheetos, whatever - it just depends on what I have on hand.Crystal light packets and a 12oz water bottle are a must! Just throw your favorite flavor(s) of C.L. in a ziploc bag & throw into your backpack.It's amazing how much stuff you can fit into a good backpack. If you can justify the cost, Columbia Northwest makes insulated backpacks that have sleeves with gel packs you can freeze. From what I understand, they are around $100. If you would use it for other events it might be worth investing in. Because we live so close to WDW and have no kids, a cheap backpack works just fine for me.Snacks & drinks can break the bank at WDW, so the more you can carry in, the more $$$ you'll keep in your wallet.Good luck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mgsmom 9 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Snacks & drinks can break the bank at WDW, so the more you can carry in, the more $$$ you'll keep in your wallet.I agree!!! And they are super-savers when you're standing in line and somebody's cranky... and I'm not talking about DD :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BuckeyeFortMama 43 Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 I have found that if you chose a back pack or messenger bag that has a pocket for a lap top that the extra padding will keep your water bottles (we use vapur water bottles with sport tops-because your can freeze them flat and they take up virtually no space when they are empty) from thawing too quickly. It is like a cooler in the back pack. Stick your cheese or M&M's in the same pocket and they won't melt. PS I have 4 kids under 8 and I am still carrying diapers and changes of clothes so my space is limited but snacks and cold water is essential to keeping everyone happy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 I have found that if you chose a back pack or messenger bag that has a pocket for a lap top that the extra padding will keep your water bottles (we use vapur water bottles with sport tops-because your can freeze them flat and they take up virtually no space when they are empty) from thawing too quickly. It is like a cooler in the back pack. Stick your cheese or M&M's in the same pocket and they won't melt. PS I have 4 kids under 8 and I am still carrying diapers and changes of clothes so my space is limited but snacks and cold water is essential to keeping everyone happy!Good tips!!! I see this is your first post!! WELCOME!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 We pack what ever snacks everyone wants (chips, crackers, veggies, cookies, etc). The key being we always have a stroller to push the soft side cooler around in. We also take sandwiches and drinks (pop, water, caprisun). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 glad to see that this thread is still going strong! On our last trip we did a combination of different things. We froze our water bottles (we camp with a little fridge and freezer at FW) at night and used those to cool down a Coleman soft sided cooler. We packed alot of fruits, soda for mom and dad and flavor packets for the kiddos. I also packed some ham/cheese for sandwiches and those round flat bread things that sara lee makes now are perfect! Take up much less room than bread and you dont "squish" as easily. I can attest to the amount of money we saved when we do this compared to buying in the parks. The one day I didnt take snacks and drinks (Hollywood studios) I ended up spending almost $300 bucks. Needless to say, we went to walmart that evening and stocked up for the rest of the trip! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 We always tend to be snack poor (ok not really). My theory is for every dollar you spend on snacks at walmart or the grocery store you save $4 or $5 over buying them in Disney. I can either pack it and enjoy a week at Disney or buy in the park and be lucky to be there for 4 days. The kids don't really know the difference because we always buy them special treats from the grocery store. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 We always tend to be snack poor (ok not really). My theory is for every dollar you spend on snacks at walmart or the grocery store you save $4 or $5 over buying them in Disney. I can either pack it and enjoy a week at Disney or buy in the park and be lucky to be there for 4 days. The kids don't really know the difference because we always buy them special treats from the grocery store.How many kids do you have Jeff? I don't think I've seen that anywhere yet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64 Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Just two (6 and 3).. I should probably update my info and add a trip count down and that stuff (ok I am being lazy). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doodlebug....Cherie 461 Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Just two (6 and 3).. I should probably update my info and add a trip count down and that stuff (ok I am being lazy).It's Michigan, I know I have already gone into hibernation mode :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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