Does anyone here actually make dinner in their villa?

[starry_solo]

In a studio, heat leftovers from the park or get a frozen meal from the marketplace

 

[pearlieq]

Breakfast has worked out well, but nothing more than that and snacks. I tried a trip where I planned to cook each of our dinners at the villa. I lasted about half the trip until the plan was scrapped and we swore "never again!"

It was just too depressing. I really enjoy food and eating out and having the same things that I could make at home took some of the fun out of being on vacation. And cooking and cleaning up also being part of my vacation? No thank you very much!!!

 

[Mumof4mice]

DH once made ribs with all the sides for a dinner party for 16 people at a airbnb condo near DLR. Other than that we almost never cook on vacation. The kitchen is woefully under used - for cutting up fruit and storing milk and cereal only.

 

[Dean Marino]

JUST us.... I refuse to let my Dear Wife COOK, on vacation . So, nope . SHE gets a vacation too . And no laundry .

All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.

 

[bakerworld]

When we had kids we'd cook - if you can call it cooking (cereal, M&C, PB&J). Now, even home we don't cook much. I live mainly on salads and DH is into homemade soups or chili or skillet meals. I eat when I get home from work and he likes to each before he goes to bed = each his own. Even when we had kids he worked days and I work shift work so family meals only happened for 'specials' - we felt it was more important to avoid DC.

 

[Jennasis]

We like to bake a sheet of cookies and serve a big crudite platter as kids run in slo-motion through the villa.

 

[lovin'fl]

Nope, never. We are all about dining out on vacations. Maybe did and eggs an bacon breakfast once...just once, early on in our DVC ownership. But we do eat breakfast stuff...bagels, cereal, granola bars, oatmeal...and snacks and drinks. We used to bring a bottle of rum and get the refillable mugs to fill with diet coke for rum and cokes.

 

[bumbershoot]

So, she buys key limes at the grocery store and bakes a pie each time we go down.

I would like to travel with you guys.

JUST us.... I refuse to let my Dear Wife COOK, on vacation . So, nope . SHE gets a vacation too . And no laundry .

OK so I should back up.

When i say that I cook, I mean that when we travel as an extended family, the MEN cooked. The women sat around chatting. THAT is what made it a vacation for the women. (and getting to sit around after dinner playing Lego Minotaur with the sons is what made it vacation for the men)(also, not having to get up in the morning and go to work)

Not sure what it's going to look like now, with just one husband in the extended group. Perhaps my teen son will step up and cook with my cousin's husband? Probably; spaghetti and omelets are within his expertise.

 

[jodifla]

Of course we use the kitchen.

Breakfasts are eggs, bacon, pancakes, bagels, o.j., etc. So we are full when we hit the parks.

Typically we eat a nice late lunch in the parks.

For dinner, we often use the grills. Steak, burgers, fresh Florida seafood. Paired with a salad and rice.

We save a lot of money and eat well.

 

[quandrea]

We cook all breakfasts and one meal (at least) per days. Most snacks too. It’s one of the parts of the trip I love most. My family gets really sick of restaurants pretty quick.

Easy stuff like chicken Alfredo, tacos, spaghetti bolognese, grilling, sandwiches, chili mac. Lots of salads and fruit and vegetables. I bring my own knives. I do a lot of baking too. My daughter has a peanut allergy and can’t eat most of the sweets in the parks. This allows us to have treats. Bring my own muffin tins too! All kept in the owners locker.

 

[VinnieT]

We did eggs and bacon when we go to Vero. The problem when we are WDW we never have a car so we are stuck eating there since most of the stores on property do not have much.

 

[seelyt2]

We've done frozen chicken strips w/ BBQ sauce for the kids, frozen pizza, baked ziti and garlic bread, etc. We purchase sandwich makings and chips for lunches, and New Hope Mills pancakes, as well as bagels, English muffins and donuts for breakfasts. I've been known to bring along a box of coffee cake or cookies to make to snack on. We eat about half-in, and half in the parks. We usually pick up salads, fruits or vegetables from the resort stores on site. It's a nice compromise for everyone.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I’m not sure if this is a silly question or not. Does anyone cook in their villa? If so, what are you making? We take an afternoon break and I want to make our dinners, but I also kind of feel like once I get there I might feel too tired and lazy. What is your experience?

Yes, if we're there for more than a week-end. When we come with the "brood", quick and simple, store bought rotisserie chickens with Caesar salad, micro steamed vegetables. Taco's/burritos w/ cheese, sour cream, onions, salsa etc. and Spanish rice (as easy as Minute rice and salsa) Frozen bag of shrimp, butter, lemon, garlic and white wine, easy scampi w/ linguine. Sauteed chicken tenders, add a little garlic, 1/2 and 1/2 and Parmesan for a quick Alfredo. We use the resort grills, typically located by the pools, marinate during the day, grill at night while having drinks and appetizers by the pool. Add microwave baked potatoes, salad and wine!

And we always do breakfast in the villa.

 

[BillPA]

If bagels in the toaster counts, then I do cook. If not, then I guess I don't.

 

[Morgan W]

Yes! We always cook in our villa. We often make dishes that revolve around pasta and chicken!

 

[LPnerd]

Breakfast has worked out well, but nothing more than that and snacks. I tried a trip where I planned to cook each of our dinners at the villa. I lasted about half the trip until the plan was scrapped and we swore "never again!"

It was just too depressing. I really enjoy food and eating out and having the same things that I could make at home took some of the fun out of being on vacation. And cooking and cleaning up also being part of my vacation? No thank you very much!!!

I plan well ahead of trip, make simple hearty meals, lots of breakfast choices, Publix grocery store will deliver now, and their rotisserie chicken and fried chicken are both so good. I plan two meals around that protein. we park hop, take a break late afternoon, for lunch pool nap, whatever then go back to whatever park has magic hours . everyone pitches in, there's usually between 6-10 of us. Even when it was only the 4 of us we saved about 300 bucks a day on food easy.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Publix ...fried chicken .

Sinfully good, reheats well in the oven too, but they make it at lunchtime and if you can pick it up just as it's coming out, it's so juicy, crispy and perfectly seasoned! YUM

 

[tb1972]

No, I never cook on vacation!

 

[Brian Noble]

In a typical week-long vacation, we'll eat dinner in once or twice. Usually, that's more "assembly" than "cooking," but there are nights when no one is really in the mood to go Out. Yet. Again.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW usually makes a one pot meal:
Stew
Soup
Lasagna
As we usually stay in studios, these work out great for reheating in the microwave.