The Park Snacker (tales of a culinary cheap'o)

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

HAHAHA....BUT...

I am on team Parrott Bay with some fancy OJ!

Great idea! Daughter seriously dislikes Florida water.

beef jerky is a good one! We've done a fish cracker snack mix before...although it is possible, just possible, that I put too much garlic in. Would help us if we ran into some vampires, but probably off putting at meet n greets. Next time, light on the garlic!!!

Garlic is a natural anti-viral.  With all the germs you encounter at WDW, extra garlic is not a bad idea at all.

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

Our youngest has low blood sugar so I never know when he will go pale and weak in a ride queue on me.  I take small bags of peanuts, granola bars, and cheese or peanut butter cracker packs in my backpack.  We carry water bottles that we refill and the Minute Maid drink drops (no artificial color - hard to find those water flavorings w/out it).  We do usually eat at least one meal a day in a park restaurant or drive into Kissimmee to eat. 

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Other than the camera bag, we don't carry anything around either.  But I do sneak an Atkins bar into my purse.  Low carb, lots of protein and vitamins, and tasty!

Gwen, I would be careful about eating too many of those Atkins bars.  They are full of artificials made from petroleum (crude oil) which are a known carcinogen.  They also cause neurological problems, including anxiety.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Thanks for the info, Marty.  But I've been eating 2-3 per week for 12 years now.  I can eat just so many eggs -- really dislike them and do everything I can to cover up the taste.  

[Lou... 3,118]

Gwen, I would be careful about eating too many of those Atkins bars.  

They are full of artificials made from petroleum (crude oil) which are a known carcinogen.  

They also cause neurological problems, including anxiety.

 

But are they any worse than the hundreds of other highly processed foods we eat every day?

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

But are they any worse than the hundreds of other highly processed foods we eat every day?

 

Most all artificial flavors are made with petroleum products.  So I'd say no.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Most all artificial flavors are made with petroleum products.  So I'd say no.

And artificial colors and most preservatives.

 

When I took all those out of our diet, my son that the doctors said would definitely need to be on meds for his ADHD became a calm, friendly child with no more impulse issues.  He suddenly had the self control to be able to make good choices.  I realized that it is so worth it to avoid those harmful additives, if it could give him the best chance in life to succeed.

 

Which is one of the reasons why - to get back to topic of the thread - we bring all our own food into the parks.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

When I took all those out of our diet, my son that the doctors said would definitely need to be on meds for his ADHD became a calm, friendly child with no more impulse issues.  He suddenly had the self control to be able to make good choices.  I realized that it is so worth it to avoid those harmful additives, if it could give him the best chance in life to succeed.

 

Marty, that's great!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We eat no highly processed foods, and not many minimally processed ones either. It's surprisingly easy to cut these out of one's diet but takes a fair amount of planning. It's the same when bringing food into the parks.... planning is the key, or else you end up spending more money and eating food you would prefer not to eat.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

planning is the key

I agree, but sometimes i get carried away with the planning.  This is just the planning I have done for food for the first two days of our vacation:  

 

Thursday Drive to WDW

 

Breakfast (eaten about 8:00am at Orangeburg, SC Rest Stop on I-26 east): Homemade Pumpkin Muffins, Individual sized juice drinks (choice of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, Tropicana Orange Juice, or Dole Pineapple Juice)

 

Morning Snack (eaten in car): Homemade granola bars, water

 

Lunch  (eaten about 11:30am at Florida Welcome Center on I-95 south): Bologna sandwiches, potato chips, water and free OJ

 

Afternoon snack (eaten 3:00pm at campsite): Homemade peanut butter cookies, water

 

Dinner (at campground): Pulled Pork sandwiches, macaroni salad, cupcakes

 

Friday: Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios

 

Breakfast (eaten outside gates of Animal Kingdom): Bacon Muffins, choice of juice

 

Snack (in Animal Kingdom on benches on the Discovery Island Trails): Pop-tarts

 

Lunch (Sunset Blvd., Disney’s Hollywood Studios): Turkey & cheese wraps, pretzels

 

Snack (waiting for Indiana Jones Stunt show): homemade oatmeal cookies

 

Supper (waiting for Fantasmic): Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, chips 

[Lou... 3,118]

I agree, but sometimes i get carried away with the planning.  

 

 

Whatever it takes, Marty.

If you're happy, I'm happy for you.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Wow! That's impressive Marty.

I'm the complete opposite of a planner. But with it being nearly impossible to get a table at any Disney world TS Restaurant without a rezzie and the new FP+ I'm having to learn to plan. And having to plan my families daily activities really, really, really, SMB!!!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

But with it being nearly impossible to get a table at any Disney world TS Restaurant without a rezzie and the new FP+ I'm having to learn to plan. And having to plan my families daily activities really, really, really, SMB!!!

 

It depends on the time of year you visit.  We were there for two weeks last November.  I made only two ADRs before we got there, and that was because we had a group of 8.  

 

Every evening we would say, okay, where do we want to go tomorrow?  And I would pull out the computer and make our ADRs and FP+.  Never had a problem getting what we wanted.

 

We will be at WDW for three weeks in October, and I don't plan to make any ADRs or FP+ before we get there.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I've made 2 for our 3 November weeks.  One was California Grill.  We normally ask to just to up to the lounge, but last year it was busy and we couldn't get in.  It's very possible it was because it had just opened after a lengthy refurb, but I made the ADR just in case.  The other was for Garden View Tea, which is always a hard one to get, no matter what time of year it is.

 

Beyond that, we're winging it too.

[Beckers 1,136]

My brother is struggling to get ADRs, but they are a party of 7 and are going during November for free dining.

They got one for Garden Grove and 7:35 in the morning. I told my mom they were crazy cakes for even booking that early with 3 kids and no car, and it's not on the dining plan (pretty sure they are now canceling it!)

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

It depends on the time of year you visit. We were there for two weeks last November. I made only two ADRs before we got there, and that was because we had a group of 8.

Every evening we would say, okay, where do we want to go tomorrow? And I would pull out the computer and make our ADRs and FP+. Never had a problem getting what we wanted.

We will be at WDW for three weeks in October, and I don't plan to make any ADRs or FP+ before we get there.

We basically go twice a year. Christmas and the first week or two of June. And there is no way your going to get into O'Hana, California Grill, Sci-Fi grill, etc, the night before.

I wish we could go during the slow times but with a wife as an educator that's not going to happen.

[Lou... 3,118]

And there is no way your going to get into O'Hana, California Grill, Sci-Fi grill, etc, the night before.

 

 

If you can take "no" for an answer and the possibility of wasting an hour or so of your time, you might still be able to get in.

We just show up and take our chances. The majority of the time, we do make it in. If we don't, hey, we're at WDW, go somewhere else.

But if you don't try, you'll never get in.

And some people seem to be luckier than others using this approach.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

This comment will tick off half of you, but here goes.  

 

As the head of a family of 7, with the other 6 being female, there is no way I will take a chance and just "show up" hoping to get a table in a restaurant.  Hell hath no fury like a bunch of hungry women.  I either have an ADR for a sit down place, we plan on a counter service place, or we are eating at the camper and that meal was planned long ago and all the supplies are on hand.  We don't "wing it".  I value my peace too well.   

[Beckers 1,136]

This comment will tick off half of you, but here goes.

As the head of a family of 7, with the other 6 being female, there is no way I will take a chance and just "show up" hoping to get a table in a restaurant. Hell hath no fury like a bunch of hungry women. I either have an ADR for a sit down place, we plan on a counter service place, or we are eating at the camper and that meal was planned long ago and all the supplies are on hand. We don't "wing it". I value my peace too well.

I'm with you.

I think a term that would be useful to you is "hangry" I don't recommend You ever call one of your females hangry but it's a great term.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I'm with you.

I think a term that would be useful to you is "hangry" I don't recommend You ever call one of your females hangry but it's a great term.

 

I do use that term.....even about myself.  But I agree with you, I should abstain from using it to describe my ladies.  

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

This comment will tick off half of you, but here goes.

As the head of a family of 7, with the other 6 being female, there is no way I will take a chance and just "show up" hoping to get a table in a restaurant. Hell hath no fury like a bunch of hungry women. I either have an ADR for a sit down place, we plan on a counter service place, or we are eating at the camper and that meal was planned long ago and all the supplies are on hand. We don't "wing it". I value my peace too well.

First of all I find it quite humorous that you think your the head of the family. We all know its INC who's in charge.

Second. As the head, lol, of a family of 4 there is no way I'm winging it either. Hangry women scare me!!!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

First of all I find it quite humorous that you think your the head of the family. We all know its INC who's in charge.

Second. As the head, lol, of a family of 4 there is no way I'm winging it either. Hangry women scare me!!!

 

I would expect you, of all people, would humor me.  

[LONE-STAR 370]

To be honest my girls do very good when hungry and we like to wing it. But there is only 3 of us.

[Lou... 3,118]

As the head of a family of 7

 

First of all I find it quite humorous that you think your the head of the family.

 

Ditto

 

 As the head of a family of 7, with the other 6 being female, there is no way I will take a chance and just "show up" hoping to get a table in a restaurant.  

 

Thanks for warning me that my life was in jeopardy when we were picking a restaurant to go to at the BW and didn't have a rez.

It's ok folks, his 6 ladies dealt with the hunger pains and we all survived.

 

If you can take "no" for an answer and the possibility of wasting an hour or so of your time

 

If you can't accept the two stipulations in red, a last minute walk-in is not for you.

 

When we decide to go to a WDW restaurant, it's usually at the last minute or only a few days before we go. Most times it's a group of 4 to 6 people and we seldom have a rez. We'll wing it because after a while you learn where you have a good chance of getting in or not at the last minute.

 

Your chances do diminish if your group is larger than 4.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

 

Thanks for warning me that my life was in jeopardy when we were picking a restaurant to go to at the BW and didn't have a rez.

It's ok folks, his 6 ladies dealt with the hunger pains and we all survived.

 

 

I figured that dining with you, a Disney "big wig" VIP, would give us Fastpass access to any restaurant on property.  To be honest I was surprised we had to use the front entrance of the ESPN Club....I assumed there was a back door for people like you to avoid the paparazzi.  And now you're telling me that we were winging it??

 

  :panic: