Why exactly is it cheaper to eat at lunch time?

[ellisjay]

Hi, Ive finally booked a couple of ADRS! Left it late I know but I got what I asked for so they must be abit slow just now?!
Anyway,Ive booked Rainforest Cafe at AK for 12.30 and Coral Reef for 5.50pm (not same day lol :tounge: )

Just wondering though..why do they charge you more at dinner than at Lunch for the same food??! I now don't know wether to cancel the 5.50pm coral reef reservation and see if I can make it for lunch time instead? The kids are 10 and 5 (the 5yr old can get abit grumpy when faced with hunger AND tiredness) Do you think we'd be best having an early breakfast in our hotel room,getting to the park at opening time..do the must do rides straight away..then have an early lunch,say 12ish..then go back to hotel for a swim,nap ect..? Then just have a light meal/snack later on and stay for fireworks.

I think ive talked myself into that, any advice?
Helen x

[FLGirl-UKNow]

Lunch menus are typically a little bit different in that the offerings may be lighter fare and the portion sizes are smaller. Also most people don't eat quite as much from a buffet at the lunch hour as they do at the dinner hour. Believe it or not time is also considered when setting price. You typically sit longer at dinner (taking longer to eat, enjoying the people you are with, etc.) so you pay more for the 'table' and food.

[hayleyandhilda]

i think that you don't really eat as much in the day time as you too hot and preoccupied

[lynneandnick]

the menus vary a little, the lunch menu normally has lighter choices on it

[loadsapixiedust]

There is often not much difference in the choices at lunch and dinner so it can be more economical to make lunch your main meal. WE find that if we have a lighter breakfast we are ready for lunch at midday and then just have a snack later. If we have a bigger breakfast we'll just have a snack lunch and our main meal in the evening.

Some restaurants don't have a gap in service so you can eat lunch as late as 5.50pm or as early as 12noon. It can be nice, especially in the hotter weather, to have a sit down meal around midday and be refreshed for later if you plan a long day. We've often found that timing lunch for just before the parade is good as it means you are not immediately doing rides on a full stomach.

[nbodyhome]

That is normal in the US, to have a lunch menu that is cheaper (and a little smaller) than the dinner menu. If you go to a buffet, generally they'll add on a carving area at night.

[donrobo]

we dined at crystal palace for a tea with the characters pooh,tigger etc on first week and loved it so the next week we tried to book again and couldn't get in for tea but lunch.It was cheaper and it was exactly the same menu as it was buffet style.
Next time we'll be doing that again!!!

Ohh the answer to your question.....errr..i don't know!!!!

[MrB]

We did as you are thinking (well most days). Early breakfast, parks, lunch, swim, light dinner. Othertimes Breakfast, Lunch , Park, dinner. When its hot it works for us and we still do a lot.

[madjock]

We generally have a big breakfast, get to the park do what we need to do then back to the hotel for a snack, swim/rest and then we're ready for a nice meal early evening.

Last year we did the dinning plan. We knew we would never manage 3meals a day so we planned lunch and dinner. We found that the dinning plan made lunch times very, very busy especially the counter service places so you may want to bear this in mind.

[ellisjay]

Thanks for everyones advice/experience,I;m gonna have a think bout it before I do anymore ADR'S I think
Helen x