Best Values if You Don’t Have Dining Plan?

The best value TS meals when you are not on the dining plan are at non-buffet restaurants. The character buffets, in particular, are overpriced and geared to those on the plan. Pick restaurants with a la carte offerings and you will come out ahead (particularly if you don’t eat dessert at every meal or are inclined to share dessert).
 
Colossal cinnamon roll at kusafiri at AK is big enough for 2+
Tatchos at friars nook at MK is a good snack for 2 or a cheap meal
 
You have not said how many in your party. We split for 4 people the meat platter for 2 people at Polite pig in DS last year and still had food left over. Great combo of meats. yum
 
I've never had the dining plan. I have brought protein bars from home, but I love to have the chance to eat Disney food. Here are some of my favorites:

Magic Kingdom:
QS: Fruit & Waffle sandwich from Sleepy Hollow. Less than $10 and big enough for 2 to share; this makes a great on-the-go breakfast.

TS: Colony Salad at LTT. Huge portion size, and very refreshing on hot days.

Polynesian:
You can get Tonga Toast at Captain Cooks for 2/3 the price of Kona Cafe.

Animal Kingdom:
QS: Yak & Yeti- we fed 3 adults & 3 kids with 3 entrees & a side of egg rolls.

In general:
Character Dining is cheaper for breakfast.
Order a kid's breakfast from QS- it comes with sides like fruit and can be as much or more food as the adult entrees for a cheaper price
 


Sanaa at kidani village is worth the trip on ak day and u can watch the animals for free! Lunch and dinner food quality is phenomenal in our opinion on par with a signature restaurant at 1/2 the price or less. At breakfast you order at the bar and pick up your own drinks and take a number so no tip is involved. The prices are on par with standard qs breakfast but the food and setting is again a cut above!

also pizza at via napoli and satuli canteen are on our bargain eats list.
 
TWe like the chicken and waffle sandwich at sleepy hollow. It’s big enough for 2 to share. Also the plaza in MK has decent pricing. We also like the Wave and Contempo Cafe for MK days. In HS... Sci Fi. Backlot Express also has unlimited refills. Sanaa breakfast. I’ve heard you can order a side of taco meat at Pecos Bills and make your own taco salad from the toppings bar. In AK we like Yak & Yeti. There are tons of options at DS. The food trucks, Blaze pizza, deluxe burger ( def big enough to share). If you have time you could Uber or Lyft off site and save tons. Sorry this is so randomly typed. I’m using my phone with one hand. 🙈
 
Rather than specific meals/snacks, here are strategies for saving $$:
Kid's meals for adults
Shared meals
Entree without sides
Appetizer + dessert, no entree
Table service for breakfast and lunch, counter service for dinner
Research menus before you go Disney Menus
Use Mobile Ordering to make your selections without the rush at the cashier stand

Pack:
Small plastic sandwich box and/or baggies for leftovers=evening snack or next-morning breakfast
Flavored drink powder for free ice water
Snack packs and bars

The biggest difference for us is the 3 full meals with gourmet expectations DP mind set vs. 2 quick meals plus a special snack and more time for rides OOP mentality. When we don't build our days around getting full value from the DP, we move much faster. Nothing wrong with building a Disney trip around food; it's just not a priority for every trip.
This is all great advice, except for suggesting TS for breakfast and lunch but not dinner. TS prices for lunch have been the same as they are for dinner for a few years now. You are not saving money by going TS for lunch vs dinner anymore. So if you want yo have a sit down meal a day that’s not breakfast, it does not matter whether it’s lunch or dinner your cost will be the same.

That said, we found the Wave at CT a great value for breakfast. Several meals at 50’s PT can be shared as well (we always share when eating there, the portions are just huge). We also eat TS often and share appetizers and entrées among adults for lunch...we save money by sharing and are completely satisfied without stuffing ourselves or leaving food on our plates (we hate waste).
 


So here we go...

Appetizers for meals, everyone sharing.... You really have to check the menu's to see whats offered, then match it up to your family's need's... Plus you have to take kiddo's into consideration... what will they really eat... and then not letting everyone get to the " Hangry" stage...

T-Rex - They have the same offering pretty much, The beef Nachos are a favorite 17.99 ... as well as the Chicken cobb salad 19.50 ..as well the half roasted chicken meal 21.99 is easily shared, we do get a extra side of mashed potatoes... and the Boneyard buffet... is Chicken and ribs with fries and coleslaw 29.50 more than enough for 2 people to share... As well the Trassic Trio 29.50 - shrimp and scallops, shrimp skewer, and steak with rice... We haven't order the last one in a while so I think its easily shared. We eat here with our sweet DGS often he is really into Dino's... We do get him a kids meals...

Tutto Italia - Antipasto appetizer platter - 30.00 it is full of lots of yummy appetizers, and this is one of our fav's to share then split dessert... the tiramisu 12.00 or the Cannoli 10.00 is really nice to top off a meal... Throw in a Glass of wine and your good to go....

Again... spend some times checking through the menus, this is your best bet... this way you are prepared for a table service...

Main Entree Sharing - TS offering's...

We have found that it is pretty dang easy to share meals at most restaurants in WDW, and that the portions are large... We always tell the sever that we would like to share the meal, and in most cases they have split it in the kitchen... a few times they will bring a extra plate and let you do the dividing up... Just remember to tip as if everyone order a meal... the server should not get the short end because you want to share a meal...

Tutto Italia - Spaghetti 24.00 or the Tortiglioni 26.00 are very large portions and super easy to share... Pasta is very filling, keep in mind dishes like this...



Snacking while waiting in line, breakfast bars, granola bar, mixed nuts, raisins- yogurt cover raisins- dried fruit, cheese sticks/ baby bells/ pickles and olives, carrot and celery sticks, pepperoni ( DH's fav) are all good snacks... When DD was little I had a insulated lunch bag that we would bring into the parks, with a freezer pack to keep things cold... each day I would fill with different stuff so that we did not get bored with the same snacks each day...

Snacking at the pool - same thing I bring snacks to the pools for the kids and us big kids to snack on... as well as adult beverages which can save quite a bit... and Mom and Dad deserve some vacation drinks too...

Tips

Cooler in the room filled with drinks, and room snacks... I try to keep the snacks interesting and different so that we are not eating the same thing for the whole trip...

Small insulated lunch bag or cooler to take into the parks.... We have taken our insulated lunch bag with us whenever we travel, I like the standard size as it fits into the backpack easily, we have been through several different ones, as a matter of fact I am looking for a new one right now... We did add in a upgrade and a slightly larger style to our travel gear and I looked for something a bit bigger, and leak proof... than a standard lunch size we went with a Arctic Zone tote, the price was right around 30.00 or so and so far it has done very well traveling ... as well as a insulated bottle and insulated bottle carrier and it has a padded strap... which we have used for large water bottle's, or stacked small water bottles or soft drink can's, juice boxes on top of each other and of course wine bottles... I can't remember the brand, but is does fit neatly into a standard backpack or my day bag tote...

Freezing water, and refilling water is a way to save... on bottled water which is so necessary while vacationing...
 
It comes down what do you consider for your "value." If by value you mean "cheap but filling," then I would be looking at flame tree, yak n yeti quick service, fish n chips from the pub, and Brown Derby Cobb salad, and others that have cheap dishes.

If by value you mean "best quality for the money" look at signature dining, nice table service, and lounges but don't focus on the big main entrees, look at the apps and other entrees. As mentioned above, the Brown Derby cobb salad is huge and not expensive; we can do drinks for two, split a salad, have a soup/app each, and be out of there with tip for under $80. For me, that is a good value for a good food and drinks (if we didn't like the drink, we could be at $50.) Look at the non-steak options at Le Cellier, apps and soups at Chef de France, most stuff from Nomad lounge, apps and other dishes from Tiffans, etc. This is what we look for for value.

As someone said above, you may find you spend less money by using the dining plan because you actually order what you want. Yes, generally a character meal does cost more out of pocket than the dining plan. However, we have found that in the totality of the vacation, we spend less, waste less, and feel better because we do not feel the obligation to maximize our dining plan money we have already spent. Sometimes after walking all day in the Florida sun, you want a $20 salad or a $25 chicken pasta instead of the $50 steak and potato. Add in a dole whip with a Harbour House lunch and a granola bar for breakfast and I just spent $75 for the whole day, while feeling better and enjoying, instead of maximizing, my money spent on food. This is why we went away from the dinning plan completely. We save money and have more options.
 
Buffets, even the non-character ones, are expensive. If you don't think you'll get your money's worth then skip them. Some people like to fill up at a buffet and skip another meal, but I don't.

I thought San Angel Inn and Sci Fi Dine in were nice choices for TS because they had some cheaper entrées or you could fill up on a few appetizers. Geyser Point had reasonable portion sizes (small), which means their prices were lower. At Disney I tend not to take my leftovers with me, so I hate to pay for food that I'm not going to eat.
 
Even if you don’t have a vehicle, uber is great option to offisite locations. Miller’s ale house & sweet tomatoes are very reasonable in price

Animal Kingdom:
QS: Yak & Yeti- we fed 3 adults & 3 kids with 3 entrees & a side of egg rolls.

Yak & Yeti TS has huge portions, easily can split an entree. If you sign up for Landry card will get priority seating (no ADR needed) & they may still have a credit/BD promotion. Card also works at TRex, can’t recommend the food there though unless you factor in a clamoring kiddo.
 
Posting without reading previous replies, sorry if this is repetitive!

We seem to be in the minority here, we don’t feel like Disney portions are huge and would be very hungry if we split them, and on that note kids meals at most places are not a great option for the adults in our group either, so keep that in mind with my answers. In general, although the signature food is very good in our opinions the portions are lacking for what you pay so save for one or two exceptions I would knock all those off the good value list.

MK - Columbia harbour house, food is good, prices are reasonable and portions are big enough to keep you full. My personal favourite is the tuna sandwich. Plaza Restaurant, near QS prices for good “not fancy” food.

Epcot - We’ve unintentionally missed it the last few trips so might be different, but I think Tangierine Cafe is a good bang for your buck.

DHS - Brown Derby at lunch has a few good sized and reasonably priced entrees, I find this to be a much better choice for us than the QS options in that park that are either gross (IMO of course) or not great value (hello Docking Bay 7).

AK - Satuli Canteen is fantastic, reasonable prices for the quality and size.

Resorts - The Wave breakfast buffet is IMO one of the best value meals left in WDW. Boma breakfast is slightly more expensive but also deserves a mention there.
 
We bought higher calorie snacks like turkey/beef snack sticks, nuts, breakfast pastry bars to pack for the bus stop, gatorade, filter water bottles and various other snacks for breakfast/parks. We've never done it, but thinking about doing a grocery delivery for fruit, other drink items that we don't want to take on the plane.

We usually order QS lunch and dinner and about 4-5 table service meals. The table service, we go to Rainforest and Yak Yeti using our $25 birthday credits from the Landry's membership. We order 3 or so $10ish apps at places such as Le Cellier, and along with the bread service, it's tasty and cheap.

MK
Our Be Our Guest order will likely be Chip's Delight off the kids menu grilled cheese sandwich, turkey noodle soup, green beans for about $9 (?), vs. sometimes splitting a ham sandwich for $17ish. We often order sides of fries at Cosmic/Peco Bill's and put cheese on them from the toppings bar. Sleepy Hollow chicken waffle. We tend to favor the seafood combos at Columbia Harbor, to split. Pinocchio's has breadsticks/sauce for $5.

AK
Flame Tree's pork fries is a good one, as mentioned, for something like $7 and essentially the size of a meal. We like the chicken combo at Satuli - not because it's cheap, but because it's pretty good for QS. There was nachos for something like $8 near the carni rides in Dinoland. We get lots fried rice at Yak Yeti counter service, but I think they've steadily raised the prices for those, maybe over $5 now. Breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks are relatively cheaper at something like $5-7. Bought some discounted Starbucks cards to load to the app, along with the discounted Disney cards for dining.

HS/others
We split the various footlong pork/chili/bacon mac n cheese hot dog combos for around $13 at Casey's, Cosmic, Dockside Diner, etc. $10 chicken nugget meal at various places like ABC Com., seem cheaper than the now $13-$18 burger combos. Rosie's fried green tomato sandwich. Huge funnel cakes at Epic (used to be at Oasis Canteen).

EP
Sunshine Seasons has good size sandwiches for about $10. We buy various food items such as ham croissants, cheese rolls, pizza slices at the France Patisserie for $4-6. Sandwiches in Norway for under $10. Sometimes walk to the Boardwalk for items such as footlong corn dogs for like $5-6 (been a few yrs since we've been there though).

Disney Springs
Can walk to the Hess station by the AMC end to buy whole pizzas for cheap, 2 liters, fruit, microwave dinner items for the hotel dining hall. Earl of Sandwich has good prices for their sandwiches. We've split pizzas at Wolfgang Puck Express.
 
I haven't seen this mentioned yet.... but if you're looking for a break *and* a meal, consider Trail's End at Fort Wilderness campground. They have a
Fried Chicken 8-Piece Meal (Serves 2 to 4)
served with Cornbread and your choice of two sides: Coleslaw, Cowboy Beans, Macaroni & Cheese or Mashed Potatoes with Gravy $23.49

Take the boat from MK or Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge..... just a short walk from the dock. Sit outside on the front porch and eat it, take it with you or make a picnic. Excellent value.
 
We have breakfast in the room. I pack instant Oatmeal and use hot water from coffee machine. I also pack bagels. Use the toasters in the food court. Sometimes my daughter & I will split a side order of scrambled eggs to have with bagel.
Lunch & dinner are mostly CS with some TS sprinkled in. Sci Fi, Trails End, The Plaza for lunch. Also The Brown Derby for lunch is a great deal if you like Cobb Salad. Great deal for $18 and it comes with bread service. For about the same price you’d pay for QS meal.

We haven’t used the DDP in years. At first we put what we’d pay for DDP on a gift card and use that for dining only. We also found at the end we had quite a bit left. We still use a gift card solely dedicated to dining, it just makes it easy but now I know how much to load.
Some of the things that save us money and make the DDP not suited to us are we prefer water at meals, don’t order a dessert at lunch, and rarely at dinner. Not that we don’t eat desserts, we just prefer to have a selection, for example at Kona Cafe we like to go downstairs and pick up a Dole Whip for dessert.
Often I share a dessert. On the DDP you have to get the dessert at the place you’re having your meal. Also I don’t need dessert plus a snack daily. I found at the end of our trip I had a lot of snack credits left. So the last day I’d be buying Mickey rice crispy heads and anything else I can take home with me.
 
If you do want a character meal, consider a late breakfast at somewhere like Crystal Palace. We would have a light breakfast (protein bar, etc.) in the room or on the way, do rope drop and get a lot done, then have a big "brunch" at a character meal place. Dinner would also generally be light on those days (even something like easy mac or sandwiches bag in the room).
 
I haven't seen this mentioned yet.... but if you're looking for a break *and* a meal, consider Trail's End at Fort Wilderness campground. They have a
Fried Chicken 8-Piece Meal (Serves 2 to 4)
served with Cornbread and your choice of two sides: Coleslaw, Cowboy Beans, Macaroni & Cheese or Mashed Potatoes with Gravy $23.49

Take the boat from MK or Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge..... just a short walk from the dock. Sit outside on the front porch and eat it, take it with you or make a picnic. Excellent value.
Trail's End is probably one of the cheapest buffets at WDW. This one also qualifies for the 10% off w/ Chase Disney Visa card. We like to go to the campfire sing a long on our non park nights - so could be paired with that or another activity at the Fort or just for the boat ride. Think we last went for the breakfast.
 
We’ve always felt BOG for lunch was a pretty good value. We also usually do Flame tree BBQ, La Hacinenda San Angel, and Katsura Grill.
 

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