Thanks for your replies, everyone! I figured you all were the experts! We're bringing a lot (LOT) of cooked frozen meat on our next trip, but we're not camping... we're staying at the Boardwalk. (Don't laugh...). We're going to be in a DVC Studio Villa, and the mini-fridge has the tiniest freezer compartment that hardly anything bigger than a box of frozen waffles fits in. So we were looking for an alternative way to keep the meat frozen in the room, since we'll be staying for a week and because of food allergies and an autoimmune condition, need to bring our own food. I'm thinking we can keep one day's worth of meat "thawed" in the fridge, one day's worth in the tiny freezer compartment, and keep the rest in the cooler, rotating it each day.
For those that rotate ice- how often do you do that? Once a day? Once at breakfast and once at dinner?
I do not know if this possible - you would have to write Disney (perhaps their special diets people?) and ask... but....
Bell services at the resorts have freezers (and fridges). I know this because our Garden Grocer delivery sometimes includes frozen, refrigerated, and normal things. The frozen things are held in a freezer, the cold in a fridge and the rest just held.
I wonder if, since the requirement is due to special dietary needs, you would be able to make arrangements for Bell Services to hold the frozen items for you and e.g. each morning or evening you retrieve the day's worth for the fridge in the room ? If you pre-packaged everything by day it would make it even easier.
Another option which is a variation: I use Techni-Ice reusable ice sheets and find they work VERY well at keeping things cold:
http://www.techniice.com/ The sheets take a bit of work to get them primed, and they need to deep freeze for a few days for maximum effectiveness. If you were to have a bunch of them (say three days worth) and you rotated them with Bell Services freezing the two days worth you are not actively using, that might also be a solution. And it may be more feasible since they are freezing the ice sheets not actual food. TechniIce also sells excellent coolers intended for keeping things cold more effectively and for longer than normal coolers (see their website for info). Yeti coolers are also apparently very good. I can;t speak to which is better, but online reviews and comparisons may give you an indication.
Like I said, I do not know if they would actually do this, but it can't hurt to ask and if they say yes it seems it would solve your problem. They may also have other solutions/suggestions that would work.
Some other ideas that avoid the frozen issue altogether: hit the grocery store for fresh meats and then prepare them using the microwave or e.g. a crockpot you bring. Package the leftovers in containers and store in the fridge -- they will last a couple days. Of course, that option shifts the preparing of food to during the vacation instead of before, which may not be desirable. But something like a crockpot makes it much easier -- dump the ingredients in, turn it on, and hours later there is a nice meal and leftovers waiting. If we were driving I know this is an option I would use, as it is much easier and safer to prepare my own meals with multiple food allergies. At home we are able to get fresh chicken breasts and ground beef and beef stewing cubes that are in vacuum sealed pouches which last much longer than normal fresh meats in the fridge (they also are freezer ready as is if desired).
SW
. Do you use special freezer cold packs? Change out ice every day? Tips and suggestions welcome!!
