I know many people love Buffets due to the variety of food available and of course the “eat as much as you want” philosophy but before you think this is about lowering your portion sizes or another health food article let me assure you it is not.
Our last trip to Disney World I planned out several nice buffets for my family. Cape May Cafe, OHana (hybrid buffet), Tusker House, etc. I was finding out that even with all that yummy food my little one was to busy watching all the stuff going on or bouncing off the wall from all the excitement that she wasn’t eating much. Same thing with our infant, there were always people walking around, events going on that neither one of them wanted to eat.
We have decided since we goto Disney World so often that it is better for us to get a Tables in Wonderland Card instead of using the Disney Dining Plan. If you want to read more check out this article Tables in Wonderland vs. Disney Dining Plan. So when we were going to the buffets we were getting socked with a $10 – $15 meal for our 5 year old and she was maybe eating a few bites. What a waste!
After a few experiences like that I went online to the Disney World Dining Reservation page and cancelled the rest of the buffet meals and opted for places where you can order off a menu. Places like Whispering Canyon Cafe, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, and Via Napoli. The food is just as good, cheaper, and sometimes portable. If we knew we were going back to the room or if the food was portable like the picture above we took what she didn’t eat with us.
Quick Tip – Pack Ziplock bags to put left over or extra food in to munch on later.
While it is highly unlikely you can avoid every buffet scheduling a few per visit will help you not feel so guilty if you have a picky eater like we do. For a full restaurant listing check out our Disney World Dining Guide Section and Resort Dining.
Related articles
- Disney World Quick Tips – Try something new (chipandco.com)
- Disney World Quick Tips – Save money by packing a lunch (chipandco.com)
Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.
Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.
Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel
For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!
My wife and I went to Japan (where they cook in front of you). She ordered off the grill, and I ordered sushi. It was a bit cheaper, but just as fun. Plus, I got to eat all the veggies she didn’t like.
For the counter service places, usually I’ll stand in line, and order one adult meal and one kids meal. Sometimes the kids meals are as big as the adult meal!
We usually eat one character breakfast just for the characters lol. But our son didnt eat much there, we found it to be a lot cheaper just to order a breakfast from our resort (POP) and split it between the 3 of us. It was a huge money saver. For lunch we just bought the cheap 2 pieces of bread at the food court (POP) and got the free Peanut butter and jelly 🙂
We ONLY do breakfast buffets, and then only one or (rarely) two. My kids are always more willing to eat a good meal of breakfast foods than they are anything else. And with the fresh fruit, eggs, etc. to go with the bacon and waffles, it can be healthy, too! Our favorite thing to do is eat a bit in the room, then book a later breakfast at Crystal Palace. We get a little MK under our belts, then go visit Pooh and friends — by then we’re hungry! For all other meals, we do quick service — we eat when we like with no set times to adhere to. (I can’t tell you how many sit-down meals my kids have slept through at Disney over the years; what a waste.)
Makes so much sense!