First World Torture

[captain_slinky]

I would be *miserable* if I were a member of one of those families that packs their own lunch in to Disneyland, eating a dry PBJ on healthy 7-grain bread while other families are enjoying corn dogs and churros all around them. Any "Disney On A Budget" book that suggests such a thing, I instantly know to disregard any opinions expressed in that book. The ideas expressed in such a book are NOT ways to create a cherished memory that you want to relive over and over again, they're ways to check off the "We Took The Family To Disneyland Once" item from their "We're A Perfect Family" Checklist.

I know that many people have to pack food with them wherever they go due to various food allergies and intollerancies, and I feel very sorry for them :(

Comments

[yshaloo]

My friends are at Disney this week, they've purchased some sort of meal package. They had the same package on their honeymoon and told me that they ate themselves silly on some really great food and didn't use all of their "points" or whatever each day.

If/When I ever go again, I'll definitely be budgeting one of those meal plans into my trip.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

The Disney *World" dining plan is incredible, the Disney *Land* one not so much (from what I hear)... not sure if they've equalized the difference yet, but the biggest difference was that Disney World gave you very flexible *points* that could be used for anything from candy to seated dining which gave you a great deal on pretty much whatever you were buying, but the Disneyland version is a series of vouchers that list the exact menu items you are allowed to get with them, making it a good deal only f you decided to redeem your vouchers for the most expensive items on each list PLUS you had to use your vouchers as described - two "Snacks", one "Quick Meal" and one "Sit-Down Meal". So at the end of the day you might be stuck with your sit-down meal voucher and have already used up your other vouchers on food you didn't actually want :(

I still need to do maths, but I *think* the best bet is to pony up the extra money and get an Annual Pass - 15% to 20% off all your in-park purchases :)

[aurora77]

At Disneyland, it's 10% off dining for the normal passport and 15% for the premium passport. It doesn't pay for itself at a rate of discounted spending of $100 per person per day until the 14th day for the cheaper pass (gives 10%), and the 27th day for the more expensive pass (gives 15%). I don't spend near that much in the parks, even with merchandise. The cheaper pass would save on tickets, if you're going for 10 days or more, and the more expensive pass if you're going for 15 days or more. The cheaper pass might be worth it with the discount for 8 days.

If you have a large group, I wonder if you can just purchase one single passport and have that person make all the purchases to get the discount.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Indeed you can! I've even used the AP of different people in our group to get the discount, the only time they care about the photo on the AP matching the person who uses it, is when you're getting in the park (and even then it's barely a concern).

I'm thinking of the "Long Game" discount, spreading the benefits over the course of two different stays of 5 days per stay, considering that many local area hotels also give discounts to annual pass holders (The HoJo, most specifically)...

[dagna76.livejournal.com]

We've had two instances where cashiers wanted my teenagers I.D. in order to give her the 10% discount on her pass. Luckily, Daddy was close by to fix things, but she will be spending some time alone this trip, and Im a little concerned. It's not like she's using a credit card. Maybe the cashiers were wrong.

[aurora77]

For trips like that, I bring in a snack bar. I can have a quick snack if I get hungry while I'm stuck in line or holding down a spot for a show or something like that. Just enough to take the edge off until I can get to real food. Gives us more flexibility on when we eat.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Now don't get me wrong - granola bars, nuts, beef jerky... you should bring plenty of SNACKS to keep you tied over for "The Main Course"... we usually end up eating two "Quick Meals" and two "Snacks" per day, and doing only one (or on a really long trip, two) "Sit-Down Meals" per trip. I plan a lot of our trip around what foods I intend to eat :)

[plumxxjam.livejournal.com]

So glad I'm not the only one who plans trips around what foods they want to eat!

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Well really it's an integral part of the full immersion storyline of the park! The sights, the smells, the tastes... going without eating any of the food there is like having a brand new coloring book and fresh box of crayons, only no yellow crayon!

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

Food is a very important part of any trip. No reason Disney Land/World would be any different. I still remember the taste and smell of the churros I ate when I visited Disney Land the first time. Food you don't eat on a regular basis is always a treat to be cherished.

[dagna76.livejournal.com]

We have always said that we would do this in order to save a little money. But we've never had the follow-through. The foods are half the appeal. We leave in two days, and I've already planned all my treats out. Im going to try the muffaletta sandwich ;0)

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

OoooOoh, we did the Muffelatta last year it was SOOO GOOD... and it comes in a Jack Skellington coffin (if you order it as a meal - usually you have to ask for it specifically)!

[dagna76.livejournal.com]

Yay!! Is it the same coffin that the popcorn comes in? I plan my trips around meals too. Ive been rather ashamed of that until this post. Its really good to know that Im not the only one, so thanks for that. One more day until we take up residence. We're going to have a couple breakfast & probably pizza or chinese at the hotel, but NO WAY are we not getting our fill of Disney food while we're there!

BTW, Castle Inn is handing out discounts if you stay while they're renovating. AND I noticed that they are no longer on the LMT.com list after December. I think it's because they've improved so much and plan to raise prices next year. Everythings really nice now. New furniture, microwave & fridge in every room. The floors are still uneven, but hey, so are we. We've been collecting the discounts & saving them for next years trips.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

LMT.com? I know we've discussed this before, but... what is that again?

Way I see it, the food is an integral part of the multi-dimensional Disneyland storyline. Every restaurant, every food cart, every smell, every taste - it's all just another layer of a story that could only be told in a totally immersive setting like this :) Going without having the food is like watching TV with the sound muted!

And I'm not sure if it's the same coffin or different - wasn't able to find the popcorn coffins last year for some reason :/

[dagna76.livejournal.com]

LastMinuteTravel.com We've been averaging $57-$76, depending on the season. We also got a pretty decent deal at the Stovall Inn. They had the best continental breakfast by far, but no way were those beds queen size! Castle even has brand new mattresses! I dont blame them for not renewing their contract.

Your description of Disneyland food was eloquently put & so true! Im really hoping to find the popcorn coffin. Its supposed to be our Fantasmic treat tomorrow night!!

[dagna76.livejournal.com]

Im not sleeping tonight xD

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Dedicated a post to you in the Disneyland community :)

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, PERFECT TREAT For with Fantasmic (even better than the Prefered Seating Box-O-Munchies, imho)! Slightly warm to take the chill off the night, compact, not messy at all, and it comes with your ultimate Halloween Disneyland Swag!

(Last year we went with the Halloween Popcorn Bucket which was *cute*, but no Coffin)

And thank you for the reminder - LAST MINUTE TRAVEL! Bookmarking it now, just in case ;)