CR>BM> *In* Park restaurants?  Lessee:
CR> Where would you eat, inside the parks, if you were on a tight
CR> budget?
Good question, Chet!
First, there's the short answer: don't.  Eat a big breakfast before you
get there.  In mid-day, when the heat and the munchies coincide, get
your hands stamped and go back to your hotel for lunch and a nap (as
needed).  Return for the evening and finish the day with a late off-site
dinner.  Not so much fun, but a *whole* lot less money.
To save money on inside dining, in general, I recommend having a late
lunch. The portions are sometimes a bit smaller, but still ample, and
the prices are generally much lower than the same fare at the dinner
hour.
Some of my favorite lower cost meals include:
At the Magic Kingdom: Frontierland's Turkey Leg Cart, Tomorrowland's
Lunching Pad, Fantasyland's Pinoccio's Village Haus, and Main Street's
Crystal Palace (a buffet).
At Epcot: The take-away windows at Japan, China, and Mexico, in that
order; and the muncherie (whose name I forget) at Innoventions.  Rumor
has it that the old Odessey Restaurant may become a McDonalds--sad but
true.
At Disney Studios: the Back-Lot Commissary next to the Honey I Shrunk
the Kids adventure (Handwiches), Sci-Fi Drive In (uninspired food, great
atmosphere).
At all: nearby resorts often have better offerings and prices,
especially at the food courts, and are usually much less crowded than
Park restaurants except for breakfast.
Disney isn't a place to go looking for inexpensive anything.  If you're
bound and determined to spend your meal money inside a major Park, you
should expect that half the cost of your food is going for the
atmosphere.  Normally this bothers me, but that atmosphere is a big part
of why I go to the Parks.
Happy dining!
()_()
 (_)  Bruce (frugal gourmand) Metcalf
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