This is our comfort-zone while staying off-site ... assuming, of course, that we have a kitchen:
- Big breakfast at the house or condo ... we might go out to breakfast twice over the course of a week.
- Late table service lunch at the parks, which serves as a respite from heat and walking, and offers a chance for us to refresh. We might not eat all that much, but I'll always down at least two big glasses of iced tea or water.
- Light dinner (or heavy snack?) upon returning to the house or condo. This could be a frozen pizza, sandwiches, etc.
Just about none. We pack almost all of our own food. On our last trip, which was very long, I think we bought WDW meals twice.
Just my own opinion, but I don't get the "we refuse to cook on vacation" thing. If you were talking about spending 2 hours a day slaving over a hot stove, sure, I get it. But we "cook" easy and simple things that require just about no work. Crock pot things, things we can just stick in the oven and let bake while we sit and relax, etc...we only cook once every 3-5 days and cook enough to last. Clean up is just as easy...the dishwasher. If we're packing a dinner for WDW, I doubt we spend 15 minutes getting it ready...probably far less. It saves us a fortune. We spend 70%+ less than most people. Our way is unique, I know, but it works fantastic for us.
I feel the same way. I enjoy cooking at home, and I don't want to eat substandard food on vacation! What I often do is prep food at home so cooking on vacation is very quick and easy. Ideas:
- Prepare all the stuff for a breakfast casserole at home: Brown /crumble sausage, chop peppers ... package this together in a ziplock with hash browns and cheese ... add a note saying, "Add six eggs, bake 350 for 45 minutes". At the condo, it'd take all of five minutes to put this together and pop it into the oven. I make a baked oatmeal that works similarly.
- Chop all the stuff for a good soup or maybe beef stew ... package together with spices folded up in a bit of aluminum foil ... add a note saying "Add six cups of water", and it's ready to pop into the crock pot.
- My family loves chili fries, and they're a good heavy snack ... I'd make chili at home, freeze it in a ziplock ... at the condo, just bake French fries and top them with the homemade chili and cheese.
- Similarly, I always make homemade spaghetti sauce in big batches and freeze it ... that's a good meal that only requires boiling noodles.
- My family loves tacos, and we almost always take them on vacation ... I'll cook /freeze the meat at home, then at the condo, we only need to chop the vegetables.
- Homemade lasagna freezes nicely.
I always take paper plates and disposable aluminum pans on vacation -- less to wash.
I'm from Canada and I think partially because I'm not use to the heat I just want to eat fruit and drink water all day long. Then when dinner rolls around we're ready for a TS or QS meal. This year we are staying 11 nights, and I currently plan on booking 1 TS lunch at MK and 4-5 TS dinner's at HS, AK, Epcot and disney springs.
I'm from the American South, so you'd think I'm used to the heat, but I am like you: in the Florida heat, I want fruit and water during the heat of the day. I don't want big meals three times a day at Disney.