Honestly, how can you possibly afford to eat in Disney??? (LONG)

[curlyjbs]

I was researching the menus of restaurants in the parks and resorts.(trying to start planning our food budget) Well, let me tell you, the prices are insane! We are a family of 5. water alone I (I know bring your own) @ $2.50 is already over $10, lunch at...lets see....Liberty Inn (Epcot) average adult: $10-12, aver. child: $3.25 We are talking $35-40 FOR LUNCH - and this is counter service! Tony's Town Square (MK) adults $15-20, Kids $5, again we are talking $40 - for counter service. I did'nt even check sit downs. Don't get me wrong I know it's vacation. Let your hair down, get crazy but come on. I love reading all the trip reports but when I hear people talk about their ps "here" and a ps "there", lunch and dinner @ the California Grill etc. I think WOW, Rockerfellers? Must be. It costs around $50 person per day just to walk through the gates. (I know I'm not telling you anything you don't know already - just let me vent) tack on another $25+ for a charactor meal, or sit down for lunch, maybe one for dinner....not to mention snacks (I know, bring your own) and you are talking about a lot of $$$$$$$. And that is just 1 day. Some visit 4,5,6 or 7 days. I don't get it. I know Disney is not a charity. I just want to be able to feed my kids something besides peanut butter crackers and juice boxes (seems to be a fav. on this board) EVERY DAY.:eek:

So tell me, what's the secret, how do you all do it? <IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused"> :)

P.S. If you are one of those "Rockerfellers" please don't take offense.

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[ReneeA]

My husband and I both enjoy the challenge of Disney on a budget. :)

We bought one of the Brita water bottles with the filter built in, and just filled it with water from the fountains (we don't mind sharing one bottle). I've also heard of people bringing in powdered drink mixes to add to the water (KoolAid or Crystal Light, etc).

As for the food...we usually stay off-site, so we stop for a breakfast buffet on the way to the parks in the morning. Shoneys' had a huge buffet that was only around $5.95 for adults. It filled us until late afternoon. We usually stop for snacks late morning/early afternoon. Then, we try to get in at the end of lunch hours at a sit down restaurant. The prices are significantly lower than dinner, the menus are very similar, and they give you as much food as dinner. We typically paid around $35 for two adult meals. That doesn't include appetizers or alcoholic beverages, though. There have also been suggestions to split meals, which Disney is happy to do for you. My dh is a big eater, so that's not really an option for us :)

If it ended up being a late night, and we were hungry after the parks, we stopped for fast food or got take out pizza on the way back to the hotel.

I enjoy staying off-site for a lot of reasons. I like having the freedom of a car; we enjoy Universal & IOA, and Seaworld is also wonderful. As much as I like Disney's restaurants...there is a wonderful selection offsite, and the prices are more reasonable. Since we don't have children yet, we don't take time off to nap.

ReneeA

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[Lewisc]

Some thoughts:
1) Many people do have money to spend on vacation. Some people earn more money than you and me, save money or sacrifice other expenditure (drive an older car, don't go out to diner etc)
2) You don't have to buy water. Water fountains are free as is ice water in restaurants.
3) A good budget idea is eat breakfast out of the parks (many offsite hotels offer free breakfast).
4) Have a late lunch so you get some disney meals.
5) Eat diner offsite. Don't spend any more than you would at home (That can be anything from McDonalds, Sizzler, Olive Garden, Outback etc.)
6)Although prices for food at Disney looks expensive it's probably no more unreasonable than popcorn at a movie theater or a hot dog and beer at a Yankee game.
7) Somewhere I read the average family goes to Disney once or twice and doesn't care how much they spend.
But yes, 3 meals a day at Disney is expensive.
Another budget idea, go fewer days.

[This message was edited by Lewisc on 03-14-01 at 11:14 AM.]

[curlyjbs]

Boy I sound like a whiner. <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_redface.gif" alt="red face">

We are staying offsite, with free breakfast buffet and I know we can eat at all those off site places.........I guess I just read all these boards too much and start thinking that the only way to enjoy Disney is to "keep up with the Jones'". sigh

Well, we're going to Disney, and none of us will starve. That's all that matters!

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[Judy from Boise]

If you aren't a big eater, order a children's meal.
Since our cost of living is lower in Idaho, so are our wages ( MUCH lower than Eastern States), but I think the value you get at Disney is good. We just stick to the budget by eating twice a day, not ordering drinks or dessert.

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[ReneeA]

I didn't think you sounded like a whiner!! Just wait and see, all will work out, and not cost as much as you think.

ReneeA

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[Jen]

We are also a family of five, non-Rockefeller types. You have to face it, if you want to eat in the parks or do character meals it can be expensive. We look at it as a series of compromises. We would love to stay on-site but if we did that we would be eating PB&J all week. So instead, we stayed off-site at a motel that offered a complimentary breakfast buffet.($102 per night). We packed snacks and water but we do that no matter where we go.

The other compromise we made was to take an indirect flight to Orlando that was cheaper than the direct one. It still beat driving.

We would also pick up Taco Bell or whatever on the way back to the motel for our afternoon break.
We ate at the tables by the motel pool and the boys liked these "pool picnics".

By doing these things we were able to do three character meals and a couple of counter service meals and still have enough for the occasional ice cream bar or churro.

[LisaRay]

Well first let me say that Tony's is not counter service it is a sit down place. I am not sure about Liberty Inn though.

We like to have breakfast in our room on many mornings. This is cereal and muffins or whatever else you like. Then we have a counter service lunch at say Pecos Bills (MK) which is one of out favorites this is about $15 for 2 adults and one 9 yr. old.

Then maybe have dinner at Chef Mickeys which is about $60 + tip. So we average $100 a day and that is never a problem. Once in awhile we have a breakfast at the food court for $10 too in case we get tired of cereal.

With that said we have also had trips in the past which we ate only 2 or 3 sit down meals all week and every thing else was counter service. The counter service food isn't bad and if you spend alot of time at Epcot they have the most variety.
:)

[hansolo]

If you stay at a hotel that includes breakfast, you can eat so much in the morning,you can hardly walk (Make sure you undo the your belt before). This way you don't have to eat lunch. Since the breakfast is free, bring a large purse at breakfast and drop some bagels (wrap them in napkins before) and bring them into the park with you, make sure your spouse covers for you so no one else can see you. Think about the money you'll save. Just think by the end of your vacation you will be full of carbs and when you return from your vacation everyone will think you had a great vacation because you'll be 10 pounds heavier from eating 10 bagels a day. When your neighbor asks you what you ate on your vacation, here's your answer: "I ate a lot of stuff, let's just say we used a lot of dough."

Just remember to enjoy your vacation!
:D

[yoopermom]

While watching the Travel Channel special on Disneyland Paris last night, my husband turned to me and said, "Did we really have a GREAT meal at WDW considering the prices?" We stayed onsite, and it did really contribute to the cost (since we ate three "squares" a day and I planned way too many sit-down meals). So, for this trip, to satisfy him and my SF (who's diabetic and needs to eat on a very regimented schedule), we're staying at HIFS. This will allow us to have a big free breakfast (including taking as much back to the room as you want for later on, snacks, etc). We're going to plan on a late sit-down lunch in the park (this will be the big budget-shooter for the day!), then a cheapie supper on the strip or at the hotel (A+W, Pizza Hut right there, cool!). I would also highly recommend looking at Deb's site where the menus are posted (somebody help me, is it www.wdig.com?). (http://www.wdig.com?).) Our biggest, most expensive disappointments came from me not realizing that the restaurants I had planned were *not* to my family's taste. (I'll never live down the Coral Reef debacle we experienced.) The one thing I would NOT do is "starve" yourselves to save $$. I seriously think one of the main reasons my DS got so sick on that trip was because we changed his eating habits. Good luck!

[LisaRay]

Ok, I can't seem to shut up!! LOL

I thought of something else I think is good to keep in mind.

The past 2 trips we took were for my DH's conferences and so his meals were paid for by the company. We thought that is would be the perfect time to try some new places and eat alot more sit down meals. Only paying for one adult and one child and DH was "free". However, we found that we didn't care for it. We felt more tied to a schedule of PS's and it wasted alot of our park time. Plus we were unimpressed with several of the well talked about places (LeCellier for one).

I think next trip we are going back to only 2 or 3 sit downs for the week and they will probably be character meals. I can eat a good steak in my hometown area any old time and not use my vacation money. This may change when the kids are grown.

Also you will find that with all the great snacks that are around you might not need 3 big meals a day.
sorry I rambled!!

[Beverly Lynn]

I rob a bank before each of my trips! :D I hope I don't get caught now!LOL

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[DeDixie]

We eat breakfast in our room ( pop tart, granola, oatmeal - I bring a hot h20 dispenser, instant breakfast, cereal ) basically I figure this costs us $0 as I would need to buy food if we were home.

Then we take a snack in our hip packs to have either late morning or in the afternoon. I use crackers, cookies, etc.

We try to have our sit down meal at lunch -- it's less crowded and less expensive than at dinner, yet we get to enjoy the different themes. Plus we get a nice break. We don't order any drinks (just water)unless it's included- and try not to over order. It's not like at home where you can take the leftovers. We try to share meals as our girls are not big eaters. If we eat from counter style - we order lite, then get a snack later if someone is still hungry. You don't need to order everyone fries, etc. You can get free ice water at the counter rest. if you order food.

We take a mid afternoon break then grab dinner at the hotel food court before we head back out. I know at the Dixie food court we can all eat for a total of $20.

We purchased the resort mugs which give us coffee,, tea, etc in the morning -- and we get soda and lemonaid for dinner.

I have found that you can keep your budget low, if you plan ahead. We don't do one of the expensive meals every day - but at least every other. If you have a big lunch, you will not want a big dinner.

My food budget at always come in way lower than I planned - yet we never ate off site, and had lots of nice meals. We have been to Disney 3 times in the last 3 years.

Let me know if you want more details.

DeDixie

[Katie]

We are staying at HIFS, which offers a free HUGE breakfast buffet! I am hoping that carries us thru to dinner, with maybe a light snack at lunch. We are going in June, so the heat will be intense, and we tend not to eat much when we are hot! We are a family of 5.

We usually go back for a midday break(of course, we have always stayed on site..but this year we are trying to be frugal and staying at HIFS). I hope the midday break is feasible, not staying on site! Anyway, we go back swim, rest, and then eat out of the park, a sit down meal.

I started the rewards programs the day after Christmas. I already have 45.00 in GC from Red Lobster, 20 GC from OliveGarden, 50.oo on my beenz card( basically a debit card worth 50.00..that I can use anywhere!!) and 25 gc from Applebees! I still have over 2 months to keep clicking!!! I am hoping to feed us for dinner for the 10 nights we are there at least 50% from Reward benefits!

We will eat one Character Meal..at Chef Mickeys, because my KIDS love it! The food is okay..but the atmosphere is terrific. We will put over 100.00 that night in food...and that will be our BIG DINNER FOR THE WEEK!

AT HIFS, i will also have a refigerator and mircrowave. WE will stop at the store arrival day and stock up on snacks, and drinks!! My DH plans to tote around a backpack full of H2O, and snacks for the little ones. Last time, we had a stroller to store all of our goodies in..but we have graduated out of the stroller!! He says he will carry a backpack to carry the stuff! NOT ME..too hot!!

anyway,good luck

Katie

[shamrock30]

I think it all a matter of priorities. My spouse and I could, but don't chose to, waste the time and money by purchasing a lot of food at Disney. If you look at it as a deprivation, it will feel like one. We look at it as common sense and more vacations per year!

We always get an off-site room with a refrigerator and eat breakfast in our room. We often pack lunch in a small insulated bag in our backpack, and ALWAYS carry water, sodas, and small snack items. The excess can be stored in a locker. We ocassionally eat at the counter service restaurants, and maybe have one sit down dinner per trip. We don't feel like we are missing anything especially in the Magic Kingdom, where the food is mediocre at best <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="razz">

[DisMN]

Agree with Shamrock..........and part of OUR priorities IS the sit-down restraunts.

Part of our vacation IS taking the time for those slow, expensive and delicious dinners!

We don't have the mindset that we must see and do everything in the parks so we're pretty much in a relax mode......which helps at the nicer eateries.

It does depend on what's important to your family. Food/fine dining may not be top priority to you and yours..........

[Sharmaine]

The whole Disney food thing mystifies me too.

Just can't see myself spending $100-$150US /day on fast food. So I won't. I guess an awful lot of people think otherwise, in order to keep the Disney food venues going. We're maybe staying onsite (waiting for those first AKL reports to come in to decide for sure), but even if we do, we'll eat mostly offsite. Can't think of any reason on to.

[babus]

As a family of 4 we ate for $100 or less every day. We ate at the PO foodcourt for breakfast for about 15 dollars. Then we ate at counter service at the park, about $20, and ate at the foodcourt again when we got back around 8pm for another $20. On some days we had character breakfast for $50-$60 dollars and ate until we were stuffed. Had ice cream bars and popcorn in the park at 4pm and ate at the foodcourt again at 8pm. On one day we had a very light breakfast of doughnuts and cookies and coffee at the foodcourt and then had a late lunch at Crystal Palace at about 1pm. We were full until 8pm and back at the foodcourt. The foodcourt vcost us no more than the local Mc Donalds and in my opinion was much better. It can be done. I always find I am not as hungry on vacation(too much to do) and always lose 5 pounds by the time I get home. could be the no snacking between meals, helps.

[stan]

As mentioned by an earlier writer, we ate breakfast in our room (bagels, cereal, milk (had refrigerator), juice, cheese, fruit) and then tended to have a bigger sit down lunch or counter lunch and then usually had dinner at the resort food court or at a counter. For a family of 4 (5 days) our total food budget came to about $250-$300, so my sense is that even being very cautious with food and snacks, you will need to allocate $10-$15 per person per day on food. But I will say our two big sit down lunches were very nice and very reasonable (about $35-40 for the four of us) and really were wonderful experiences. So, my advice is to have lunch if possible at the nicer places you may be thinking of. It might be considerably less than you think and still offer a wonderful experience.

SC

[WhenYouWishUponAStar]

Our family is always on a budget when vacationing at Disney, but I'll ditto what some others have already said. We stay on-site but usually always rent a refrigerator for in the room, however, a cooler filled with ice will work just as well. We buy breakfast groceries at the beginning of the week and always eat in the room before heading out to the parks. Sometimes we've even taken a cheapo toaster along with us...I felt like a fool at first knowing I had a TOASTER in my suitcase but when I realized how much $$$ it saves us, I don't feel foolish anymore. We carry snacks and drinks to hold us over until a bigger meal, say a late lunch or dinner either on-site or off. We try to bring coupons or discounts with us and go to places like Red Lobster, Outback, etc. By the way, we are a family of 4 and we never feel deprived by doing it this way. Hope this helps you :)

[curlyjbs]

great responses! Again, if you are a "rockerfeller" please don't be offended. I guess everyone just does what they can do.

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[goofymom/pop]

We have done the family of five trip several times. We stayed off site with a free breakfast buffet, and only ate lunch in the parks on occasion.On average at counter service it is 6.00 per adult and around 4.00 per child, I eat a childs meal. Most days we went back to the hotel for a break and a swim and stopped at Wendys for salads, burgers etc. We had a few character dinners lined up ahead of time so we budgeted for those nights. There are also alot of good restaraunts in the crossroads area that are cheap for dinner.

This years plan began last June we are staying off site at HIFS with free breakfast and free kids meals all day long.

I bought the kids all the little goodies they might want over the last year, goggles, mister fans, hats, sunglasses, disney pins for trading, mickey toothbrushes, splashballs, etc. so they dont ask for them on the trip. they each saved their own spending money for the trip and they only get sovieys they can afford.

We are planning two character dinners this trip, at a cost of around 100.00 dollars for five of us.
wheww thats alot but we will eat cheap another night or two.

Free dinner at the Rainforest with a test drive at GM.

We will eat at the hotel at least two dinners on off park days, and the kids eat free those days.

I always buy my passes months ahead of time so they are paid for, same for the room, and airline tix.....

I know it is a very expensive trip, so far my costs have been, $854.00 for room for 7 nights, 200.00 for car for 7 nights, $920.00 for 5 airline tix, park passes eeeekkkkk....$1000.00 for 2 child 4 day park hoppers, one adult 5 day park hopper plus, one child park hopper plus , and one adult 4 day park hopper. We have some days on old passes to even everyone out. And we usually budget 100.00 a day for food. So yes you are right this is the THE expensive vacation and I wish I were a Rockefeller. Friends of ours go and stay at the deluxes with ultimate park hoppers and spend away....but we cant do it and save all year just for this trip..alas I could take a family of 5 to Cancun for 4000.00 air, food, alcohol, and activities included. And no LINES either....hard choice....hmmmmm but I love disney.

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[Lynn CC]

There's only 3 of us and we go each year for atleast 10 nights. We have noticed in the past couple of years that prices for food has gotten expensive. It is also expensive here on the Cape. I spend an average of $200.00 a week for the 3 of us if I cook and pack meals.

Last month we spent a little over $1500 on meals in WDW, but that is a big part of our trip. DH loves to try different places and old favorites.

Some suggestions would be to split meals or just order appetizer and dessert. Sometimes we skip lunch and just have ice cream (it's vacation afterall :D )
Last year we went to Beaches and Cream and ordered "The Kitchen Sink" This sundae could easily feed your family for lunch! So skip, it!
It's something the kids will always talk about ;)
We have a picture of the time we skipped our lunch and ate that Sundae, it's HUGE! and so much fun.

You could also bring along your own little cereals and just buy milk, and get bowls at the food court.

I'm sure you'll get some great ideas here, mine were just some fun things we have done over the years.

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[curlyjbs]

Oh my god, the kitchen sink! I had that when I was a kid but I think it was Disney Land not world. wow, Thanks for the memory! :)

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[worm761]

just a little note of thank you to all of you that have posted your food budgets. i am the one doing all of the planning for our trip. (first one for everyone but me although i dont remember my trip. too young) i was planning a budget of $100 a day for food for me and my ds. i am not a big eater but i do have to eat often because i have low blood sugar and get weak if i dont. so thank you. you all just cut my budget considerably. and my sister will be happy when i tell her too!!!!!!!!!!!!
angela

[kbp13]

Get a cooler (or an in room frig which would be much more convenient) and have in room cereal. then go back to the room for a swim and resting and make sandwiches. It really is great resting in the mid day going back to the parks well rested and looking at the folks leaving after a long day is amusing when you're not them. Save the money for a special meal. take a few snacks in a fanny pack to get you through the day. Granola bars or the like are good, the hunger which strikes unexpectedly is usually the most expensive (value wise anyway).

Kurt from MI

CB 1995
Vero/ASMov 1999
DVC joined 1999
OKW 1999
HH 1999
Disneyland Paris 2000
Vero/DCL/BW 2000
HH Dec 2000
AKL Concierge/DCL Magic July 7/Vero July 2001

[mikesmom]

When we stayed offsite we always had a breakfast buffet that kept everybody going well past noon. My family is not into the early entry thing (like to sleep in a bit on vacation) so we rarely ate breakfast before 10 am. Now we are DVC members so we cook a big breakfast in the room (they have full kitchens). With the big breakfast, everyone wanted lunch about 2 or 3 pm, which is lunch prices but obviously substituted for dinner.

Disney meals are LARGE, you won't want three meals a day, and unless you are a big eater, you won't finish the meal. I recommend splitting one, or doing appetizers, or if on site with a fridge, take leftovers to the room.

Also there are healthier, filling snacks available. In MK for instance, there are stands with fruit, hot sweet or regular potatoes, and turkey drumsticks. IMHO a very substantial lunch can be made there for much less than a sit-down restaurant.

[Tiggerkeeper]

I guess it is all in how you look at it! The "Rockefellas" we ain't! And who are the Jones'? We eat one meal in the park when we go to WDW and that is usually lunch or maybe a character breakfast. We take a small microwave and come back from the parks for a break and fix dinner then go out again. Simple as that. The kids (who are now teenagers) always help plan the meals. Yeah, I agree, it is expensive to eat in the parks and I often wonder how people with large families and average incomes do it. But we have made budget eating part of the adventure of the trip. I'd much rather spend my money on something fun!

Melissa

[musical2]

First since we are staying at Old Key West, we are going to eat breakfast in our room each morning we go to the parks. Then we snack at late morning and have a large sit down lunch sometime around 2:30 - 3:00. Many times you get the same foods for lunch, but just less expensive. If you get a buffet lunch like at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom or at Akershus or Biergarten in Epcot you can eat all you want and pay lunch prices in the afternoon before the dinner seatings. Then we have a late evening snack.

Bart

[Mic]

I feel your pain! We are a family of 6 that just returned this morning from a 5-day trip to the "World" and food was a major expense. We took my sister and nephew along on this trip, and had planned on budgeting a little better out of consideration for her wallet(and mine could use some, too)but it is sometimes hard. Since we have 4 children, the AP discounts at certain restaurants were great, but they are no more. We still find Tony's in MK to be reasonable, since I can order something from the kids' menu ($5)and add a salad($3). We usually do sit-down meals, but on this trip we ate in America in Epcot(forgot the name, but it is counter service)on Tuesday night. Since the restaurant only serves chicken tenders and hot dogs as kids' meals, the CM suggested we order the DOUBLE cheeseburger meal basket w/out the cheese, and purchase an extra bun for $.70, since DS, 8, wanted a hamburger. DH ate the other burger, and DD's(12,10,&6)ordered kids chicken tenders($3.25)that included a drink, so entire meal was @ $20. That is our personal best for on-site meals! Also, at Rainforest Cafe in AK, my sister ordered a child's pasta and a salad, and was able to use my DVC discount to get 10% off that. LeCellier in Canada is good for large portions, so DH and I split a steak($22)and each order a salad($3)and kids order from kids menu($5-6.50)for a total bill less than $75 for dinner, which is good at WDW for a party of 6. I agree that counter service for a large family is quite expensive, so we budget $150-200 per day for our family for breakfast in the room, a snack in the park, lunch(sit-down) and dinner(sometimes big, sometimes small). Another trick...while at OKW on this trip, I packed some spaghetti noodles and a large plastic jar of Ragu sauce. I drove to the Olive Garden at Crossroads and purchased a large salad that feeds 12(included dressing and 12 breadsticks)for a quick in-room dinner. Having the stove in a 2-bedroom was sooo nice, but we have also combined this salad ($12.95)with a pizza(@$10)for an inexpensive meal in our room when we were staying in a studio. Just check out all the menus on Deb's site, and you will find a few that are reasonable. Spoodles is reasonable for lunch, as are a lot of restaurants on-site, so make lunch your big meal, and counter service or in-room pizza can be dinner. Sorry so long...I hope this helps!

[Bete]

Always remember eating breakfast and lunch out will be cheaper then dinner. This is true if you're at Disney or not.

Going for groceries is a must if you want to save on eating costs. Taking fruit and snacks in a back-pack will help in the parks. Noone has died from drinking the water from free fountains in Disney parks. We use the entertainment coupon books alot. You can buy multiple books to save for 5. Most of the coupon places will be off-site.

For Disney meals, I found ordering vegetarian to be cheaper. Splitting meals or getting meals off the child menus all work very well, too.

The one bonus you get from eating a meal at a Disney park is the convenience. You get a well-deserved rest, a good meal and you save time not going in and out of the parks. You will probably lose at least an hour going to an outside eatery if you plan to go back to the park. I rather have that hour extra every day because it adds up to at least an extra day per each week you are there. You make choices and compromises and there are no real secrets out there for saving money on meals at the parks.

You have to offset the time factors and ambiance of eating at a Disney place versus not doing so.

We usually compromise and the parks that we want that extra time we eat there and sacrifice at other parks on other days.

On our best day we will eat an early buffet for breakfast outside of the park. We will take snacks, drinks and fruits to carry us through the day at the park in a backpack. We will eat a late lunch in the park which is on the light side. After the park closes we will go outside to eat a meal if we are still hungry. Eating late meals is not the most healthy but again it's all a matter of compromise. I'm real keen on not losing too much park time. Good luck. I don't find anything wrong with eating peanut butter sandwiches every day if you are on a strict budget. It's only for a week or two and it won't kill you.

[Lisa P.]

I can so easily agree with much of this, especially what Shamrock30 wrote. We use many of the same strategies mentioned. IMHO, sometimes the nature of these boards (frequented by many ravenously addicted Disney fans ;) ) encourages heavy spending when it comes to Disney. Anything Disney is sometimes presented as inherently better than anything similar but non-Disney.

Our own varied experiences at WDW restaurants have been good but we've clearly paid more for specially themed, unique surroundings, convenience and time-savings. Mixing offsite with onsite stays, enjoying fully-equipped timeshare resorts (with kitchens) and camping in a pop-up are all ways that we cut expenses in other areas.

Our annual vacation budget could afford us a week of real splurging at WDW per year. We choose NOT to do that in favor of more vacations elsewhere as well, longer trips and extra weekends away throughout the year. Like some others here, we are very fortunate, very blessed and we know it.

It's easy to compare yourself when you see on these boards that some people really do drop a bundle on deluxe WDW splurge trips with all the trimmings, whistles & bells. But remember that the vast majority of people everywhere in the world will never ever afford even one frugal trip in an entire lifetime. If you are blessed to be able to do a budget trip, count yourself fortunate. :)

Some of those who take the deluxe trips cannot afford them, choosing for various reasons to finance them and increase their debt load. If you are able to avoid debt for your trip(s), count yourself doubly fortunate.

Those who can easily afford deluxe trips without sacrifice are a tiny number of people. They are fortunate to enjoy that financial blessing but that doesn't automatically make their enjoyment of the trip (nor life in general) any better than your enjoyment of your frugal trip. It may... or it may not. Also remember that some people who enjoy deluxe trips have waited decades for the privilege. Others who enjoy them now may find themselves with less privilege in years to come. Things are usually not as they seem, especially on a bulletin board! :) ;) :D

[Biyanna]

We eat 2 sit down meals a day at WDW. Hubby & kids love character meals and fine dining. We load up at the character breakfast buffets, skip lunch and have a fine sit down dinner or another character meal. Now, our small children don't understand the loading up concept so we usually pack a couple of PB&J sandwiches for them at lunch time.
As for, how can we afford it, well I clip coupons. Yesterday I saved 42.00 at the grocery store. That 42.00 went into our Disney savings acct. We also save change and put away money each week for our vaction. After we pay for everything whatever is left is spending money and food allowance.
Some people don't want to spend that kind of money on meals. And that's fine for them but we look forward to the restaurants at WDW. So it's a priority to us. Many restaurants are attractions. For example we dined in Mexico and the man made lake and volcanos were so beautiful. We forgot that we were inside a building. Our table was right next to the lake. The view was wonderful. While we dined, the clouds rolled in and a lite amount of thunder quietly twinkled through the sky, all while we watched others take boat rides around the lake. Priceless!!!! :) :) :)

Biyanna
AS Sports 1/98'
AS Sports 1/99'
AS Sports 1/01'
AS Sports 1/02'
Will hubby ever let us stay anywhere else? :rolleyes:

[Belle5]

LisaP,
Well said! So many things we do or choose not to do through the year, we do with our trip in mind. For example, we may say, "If we do this such and such ourselves, that's a Disney meal paid for. If we don't do such and such, that's a night in our hotel." We try to pay for our trip through the year by prepaying where ever we can, so that the only thing left for us to pay for when we arrive at WDW is our food and souvies. My husband won't eat anything but Disney meals while we're there. He has "the bug" so bad he would take any WDW resort food court meal or any Disney theme park counter service meal over any "outside the world" (even a highly regarded) sit-down restaurant costing the same amount. I think it's something they put in the water down there...

[Bill From PA]

We just got back from PO Riverside on Sun. We bought a soft sided cooler and a frozen product called Breakfast Pockets,two dozen, which are egg and cheese in a large wrap shaped like a shrimp roll. We froze two quarts of milk and took along a pack of small cereal boxes. All this fit in the cooler. DxL has a microwave in the food court which I used on the breakfast wraps. We didn't pay for a breakfast all week. The empty cooler we stuffed with Disney purchases.

Bill From PA

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

[Julia M]

as I am planning our first family trip to the "World". We will be going 12 days, and eating alot of special meals and doing alot of special things. I would like to add, however, that this trip is probably one that will not be repeated for another 3-4 years, so, yes, I am splurging. We're not Rockefellers, but dh is an engineer and does okay. As a comparison, our vacation last year was a week in Gold Country (we're in CA) at a friends condo (we payed the cleaning fee) We brought meals from home to bbq each night and took small, either free or inexpensive day trips. The entire week was about $300! Had a great time, too! Our trip in April is looking like it will be at least $5000 and maybe closer to $6000. I guess the point I am making is that you may be reading about a trip that will only happen every few years.

Despite this being a spurge trip, we are eating b'fast in our room, and we generally do not by alot of souvenirs. I bring along a couple of snacks, and each of us will have a water bottle. We have about 7 sit down meals planned for 12 days-the rest are counter service. I am splurging on what seems important to me, and budgeting on the rest.

I have been saving for almost a year. We have a change jar, and every time I get an "extra" check (someone owes me money, I participate in a "focus" group, etc) I save it and buy travelers checks. The kids have received Disney dollars as gifts, so we won't spend much on souvenirs for them.

Once again, very informative thread for me-thanks!

First trip: July, 1983
Second trip: April 17-20, Dixie Landings
April 20-28: Orange Lake COuntry Club

[greatbooks]

Several of you have mentioned these as budget savers, but are either of these practices frowned upon by CMs? I have been browsing the child's menus and so many state "for children 11 and under". Maybe it is easier at counter service than table service? I need to save $$, but don't want to feel guilty. I definitely have to draw the line at leaving with extra food from a buffet table for snacks later on.

[LeahA]

My husband and I came up with a great plan to budget our money. We both get an alloted amount of money per day for our food/drinks. It's up to us to spend within that certain amount. So, say we both get $40.00 per day. I have the power to spend my $40.00 anyway I want. If I want to skip breakfast and have a light lunch,or, if he wants to have a few drinks with dinner, we know what we have alloted to spend for that day. We know that dinner will be our only sit down meal, inside or outside the parks, depending on how much money we have left.

Our ds-4, get's his share of money, that we control, but, with him, we order alot of ala carte items, we don't get him alot of kids meals, he doesn't need anymore toys, and he's the one kid in america that doesn't like fries with his meals, so we just get him the main course.

Our budget is about $100.00 per day. $40.00 for dh, $40.00 for me, $20.00 for ds.

[Jomrog]

I brought a cooler and kept ice in it. We had cereal that we brought from home for breakfast and did fairly well by having two meals/day. We found that the big turkey legs were a meal in itself! They were very tasty too! The turkey legs cost about $5.00 each and big enough to share. I brough pop tarts & snacks to keep in the room but found that we weren't there often enough to eat them. LOL! The only other thing that I felt was worth it when staying onsite was the refillable mugs. They are also my favorite souvenier. If only we could get ALL hotels to offer these mugs.

Joanne
http://www.tripletsrus.com/disney/images/mowgli-monkey01.gif

[Debbie]

We have 5 kids, so we usually do the counter service thing, where getting a kids meal is absolutely no problem. However, when DH and I went in January 2000, we did the sit down meals for a change. Because I wasn't often hungry for the meals (they are big!), we usually ordered an apetizer and an entrée to split. We never got the feeling that the CM's frowned on that, in fact they were quite helpful when (one time-with the kids) they suggested that one meal would be too much for the 11 yo. In that case, we ordered one meal and a side of fries for two of them (11 and 12) to split. And I often order children's meals at CrackerBarrel, so why not at any other restaurant? At Rainforest, they had 2 "dimensions" of kids meals. The regular size and a slightly larger size. They were mmm-mm good!

Oh, and don't forget that when you are budgeting, you can count on the grocery budget that you are not presently using at home! :D

Enjoy!

<font color=green>Debbie °o°</font color=green>

debbie@disneyinfo.com
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offsite-'85
CBR-'90
FWHomes-'94
FWHomes-'97
HIFS/BC-'99
Dixie Landings-Jan. '00 (just the parents)
HIFS/Dixie Landings-Aug.'00

[CapeCod53]

I may get jumped on for this, but I don't think the the cost of food at wdw is so outrageous. My DD is home from college for spring break this week. The 2 of us went out for breakfast at a little local place, tea, juice & a hot meal cost us $20. Last nite we along with 15 yr old son went to Pizzeria Uno's. 2 beverages, 2 desserts, 3 burger platters cost us over $40 with tax & tips. Checking the prices at Roaring Forks & Whispering Canyon Cafe(WL-we'll be staying there) & Pecos Bills in MK, we cd get the same meal cheaper in wdw!!! The Northeast is pretty expensive & I realize we live in a semi-tourist area(10 minutes to Plymouth, 20 min to CapeCod)
We only eat out 1-2 times/month so a trip to wdw every 2-3 years is a chance to splurge a little. We still bring breakfast things & have 1 hot breakfast only (collapsible cooler so we don't even spend the money to rent refrig) bring picnics to the water parks & actually look forward to eating off-site at Olive Garden, etc because there are not many chain restaurants around here. We still only order 2 entrees for the 3 of us & the 3rd person(usually me) orders a fruit plate or salad because the quantity is so huge! When the kids were little we ordered 2 kids meals & 1 salad for 3 & had plenty of food.

FtW homes 88/99
CBR 90/91
DxL 94/97
Disney Institute programs 3nt/4day 97/99
WL 99/summer 2001!

[jenfur]

I have a family of 5 and we live on an income of $25,000 a year and we had a great time . We decided which Disney restuarants I definately wanted to eat at - They were Cindy's breakfast , Coral Reef and Rainforest Cafe . The breakfast cost $15 for Adults and $10 for kids (approx.) so , whenever I had $10 left over from groceries or anything I put it up for that particular thing . The same with Coral Reef , I looked at the most expensive entree and saved enough for each individual . It easier that way beca use you just see $20 for Dh not $100 for a meal . For Rainforest Cafe I used gift certificates from Mypoints and milesource (these are great for saving for disney or getting something else for free and putting the money you would have spent on it for disn ey). We stayed at ASMu and we ate pizza a few nights . We took our own breakfast (pop tarts , cereal , packages muffins) - we each carried a small bag with snacks ( peanut butter crackers , cheese nips , cookies , chips any small snack food ) so we only h ad to worry about eating and paying for it once a day . We stayed 5 nights and only took $400 with us and came back a little change . All I know is that if my family can go and stay onsite , anyone can .ˇˇ

[pgjam]

I know there have been a lot of replies but had to add my $.02. we do the opposite of many people. we eat a big breakfast in the parks & either skip lunch or grab a little snack & eat dinner. Either way we only eat 2 meals. There are 5 of us & it is expensive to eat out all the time. I have found that Breakfast all over the world is consistently very good and pretty reasonable.We especially like Tony's. We also eat quite a few dinners at Dixie Landings because of the variety & price. We are DVC members so have access to a refrig. I pack water bottles & each night fill them half way & freeze it. Fill it up in the morning & you have COLD water all day. Good luck. Peggy in PA

[ReneeQ]

My husband and I are DVC members, so we always have at least a microwave and refrigerator in the room. The last trip I went with my best friend and her 2 kids. We had breakfast in the room every morning (brought everything from home.) We usually didn't stop for lunch, just grazed on snacks from our backpacks all day. The kids are too excited to stop and eat a big meal during the day. We had fruit and crackers, not just junk. Also brought our own water bottles and filled them at the water fountains.

For dinner we would have a sit down meal, but if you're creative it doesn't have to cost a fortune. We had dinner at Cinderella's Castle one night and I think only spent $30 for the four of us. Both kids always wanted the kids meals, but probably could have split one. No problem, the kids meals are great, so the adults just helped them eat them. The adults each ordered a salad and a bowl of soup from the appetizer menu. And with the two baskets of bread, we were all stuffed.

If anyone was hungry in the evening, we had desert in the room (cookies and milk, etc.) brought from home.

Don't do a lot of character meals if you have small kids/light eaters, as you have to pay for them all anyway. Go to restaurants where you can order from the menu. When the littlest one wasn't hungry, we didn't order her anything. She might just eat a piece of bread, but at a character meal she would have still been .

[Jen D]

I've enjoyed reading this; we are planning our first full-scale trip for the fall for 2 adults and a pre-schooler; we are flying and probably won't rent a car, so we will probably eat on site and won't have a cooler. We will be there six nights-- I just wonder-- at $10 a night for the fridge, plus the food to stock the fridge, won't we do just as well with grabbing continental breakfasts from the food court? And using the refillable mugs for drinks?

I am planning $100 per day for food-- but not $100 EVERY day-- some days we will eat VERY frugally, but then we will make room for a charcter meal, HOPEFULLY California Grill (for 2) on our anniversary, and maybe one or two other sitdowns (at lunchtime.)

[lisapooh]

Tony's is a sit down restaurants not counter service. The prices you are quoting for Liberty Tree look like those for lunch at Liberty Tree Inn in MK also not a counter service restaurant.Their prices are not out of line for a nice restaurant.
There are ways to cut costs if you want to,
But frankly if you go to a baseball game you pay as much or more for drinks. We went to Cirque De Soliel in Miami last weekend and it was $3 for 20oz bottle of soda. Same thing at the Renaissance Fair at Viscaya today. Water was the same.
If you are concerned about the price of water use the water fountains. That's free.

Pooh Bear

[This message was edited by lisapooh on 03-17-01 at 06:43 PM.]

[robinb]

Jen,

First of all, Welcom to DIS!

Secondly, a refigerator is not worth the extra $10 IMO. You can either (1) bring a collapseable cooler or (2) arrange for a 30 minute grocery stop with your shuttle from the airport (Tiffany Towncar will do this for you) and pick up a styrofoam coller there. If you buy a styrofoam cooler make sure to get the ones that are straight up and down |_| and not \_/. They pack better and are usually made of thicker material. I would replace the ice in my cooler twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Things kept really cold!


-- Robin

[Tink42]

We also flew and did not rent a fridge. I took down a collapsible cooler, filled with snacks and checked it as luggage. Used it as a fridge and packed souveniers in it on the way home. Saved me the $70 for a fridge.

We like to eat breakfast in the room not only for budget reasons but also because of time issues. We have two teens and it is easier to feed them something quick in the room and then get going than to wake them earlier to go somewhere to eat.

[horseshowmom]

Most of our trips to Disney have been made as a family of five (the two boys are grown now). We usually stayed 2 weeks.

We always stayed offsite to save money (often renting a house). We ate breakfast and dinner "at home". We either ate at a counter service restaurant for lunch or went back to the house for lunch and a swim to cool off.

Because we generally went every year or so, it helped us prepare. The kids saved their money during the year (between birthdays, Christmas, and other things, a pretty fair amount of money passes through a kid's hands). They were responsible for their own souvenirs and any meals bought in the parks.

Twice we took my SIL and her kids with us. My husband's parents gave all of the kids "vouchers" for Christmas good for a certain amount of money redeemable just before we left in May. The kids loved it!

When everyone kicks in it makes for more trips for everyone! We also had everyone wear a fannypack for their snacks (which we bought at Wal-Mart ahead of time) and water bottles (which we refilled at the water fountains when they were empty). It also gave them a way to keep up with their money and disposable cameras.

Most of those years I didn't work outside of the home, so our funds were limited. (Since I'm a teacher, they're still limited!LOL) Some friends of ours went for 4 days on the package that included meals and everything and spent more than we did in 2 weeks. They talked about how much better it was to be able to do whatever they wanted and eat wherever they wanted, but I kept thinking that we had 2 weeks instead of 4 days (and we always did Sea World!). BTW, they've never been back, since it was so expensive. To each their own, I suppose.

[jgates]

Realistically, these ideas can be applied towards any vacation if you are open minded.

I always try to stay at a Fairfield Inn (free continental breakfast-normally a pool) and pay for it with Marriott Certificates I receive from rewards programs. I always book with my Marriott Rewards card so I also earn points from the free stays towards future stays. I also don't believe in loading up my purse with the breakfast bar food, but since I am a diabetic I usually do grab a small donut or muffin or orange to keep in the room for later in case my blood sugar is running low. The last Fairfield I stayed at had their juice machine open all night along with the coffee which was really a benefit for me! Hampton Inn & Holiday Inn Express & Comfort Inns are also good in the breakfast respect but you can't get gc's from Rewards programs for them.

I just started trading coupons and plan to help cut my grocery bill. I am going to be more rigid in banking this $$ for trips (and a 4-year degree for my son starting next year-AGH!)

We religiously do Rewards Programs. Our 7 nites @ Courtyard in WDW Village cost us $65 cash out of pocket and we earned enough points for a free nite at a Fairfield. They were kind enough to supply a fridge at no charge for my insulin. (Good thing too because we had a/c problems for a couple days!!) For a 3 day trip to South Bend in May I have $50 for a nice meal at Damon's & $30 for TGIFridays. This gives me enough extra pocket change for THE meal at Tippencanoe which sets me back a little for Prime Rib for 4! We are staying free for 3 nites @ Fairfield from my Marriott card so no breakfast charges & I have about $70 worth of gas cards left so the weekend should be cheap. Even if you don't get restaurant gc's - ones such as Kohls can be used for the kid's clothes they need anyway & decrease out of pocket cash. WM & Target gc's can buy your film, pop, film developing, sunblock, etc.

We always drive so I just purchased a "mini" cooler that plugs in the car for $35 at Target. I also spent $10 on the adapter for a motel room. It's not the larger $80 one I wanted but....it will cool 6 or 8 cans of pop or maybe 4 20 oz bottles. I can buy these at at lot less than $1.09 per bottle you end up spending at the gas stations on the way to anywhere. We can also buy water for about .35 a bottle at Kwik Trip vs. the pricey ones on the road. I figure it won't take long to recoup my investment.

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[jojr]

My family takes many trips to WDW. I know that food costs are high(so are costs at all theme parks). I am not a rockerfeller type but I do not do some of the things suggested on this board. Bringing a large purse or bag to stuff food from a "free breakfast buffet" is totally disgusting and causes all us to pay higher prices for our food. As a person who has worked in the food industry, people who do this "stuffing of bags" cause problems for the bottom line.
Just some FYI.

PS- Do you really think those so called free breakfast buffets are free!! Think what your per night rate would be without it!!

[Shelly S]

I will have to agree with Capecod. I don't find the food to be overly expensive at all. The fast food usually runs us about $8-$10 each including soda. We spend that going out to dinner all the time. Places like Ruby Tuesday's, TGI Fridays, Ground Round, Friendly's and other chains near us charge about $6-$9 for a burger and fries and that doesn't include the soda. The buffets at WDW are a great value as you can really fill up. I just can't believe that everyone thinks the food prices are so high, of course I do feel that the bottled water prices are crazy so I am thinking of trying the brita filter this year.

Shelly

[cottontail]

Great post,thanks for all the great tips. I have been saving for 5 years to do this trip, because of the difference in our money.
If you are a Canadian you have to multiply all those prices by approximately l.56 and sometimes more, therefore every $l0.00 U.S. is really $15.60 in Canadian dollars, every $100.00 U.S. is $156.00 Canadian etc. Also if we put our charges on Visa they add another 2% on top for service charges.

Debbie.

[chris1gill]

I think our family is on the tightest budget of all!!! We always stay in a 1 bedroom unit at OKW or BWV's (dvc members)... We stay for 12 nights.

We have our normal amount of groceries delivered for that timeframe (about 175.00)... Our last trip we spent an additional 300.00 for Disney restaurants over 13 days, the trip prior we spent 142.00 for the same time period for onsite dining... We just did quick lunches basically & 1 character dinner at Liberty Tree....

BUT I should say, when we had only 1 child, and I worked, those trips WE SPLURGED for 7 days at a time... I'm sure we've been to every sit down restaurant onsite... We actually don't enjoy eating out THAT much... so the DVC 1 bedroom units have worked out great for us. Without cooking our own meals, we could NOT afford to stay for 2 weeks at a time! More like 4 days LOL...

[This message was edited by chris1gill on 03-21-01 at 04:30 PM.]

[crowbirds]

You don't say where you are staying but if you have not booked yet think about a private villa, so you can make your own breakfasts,and snacks, eat your main meals at places like Shoney's, Ponderosa, or Perkins, and only eat in Disney for light lunches, or maybe just one special meal. We did this on our last visit, the only sit down meal we had was in the Rose and Crown, and we only did that because my friends daughter is there on College Program.(Say hi to Laura from Manchester if you happen to go in there).we like the villas not only because theyr'e economical, but the one's we've stayed in have all been beautifully furnished, spacious, and with a shared or private pool.
have a lovely time. :) ;) :cool:

[Mary S]

JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WE TO LOVE WDW! WE HAVE BEEN EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND PLANNING TO GO THIS YEAR ALSO. HERE IS HOW WE HAVE SAVED MONEY TO DO THIS. WE BRING BREAKFAST FOOD FOR THE HOTEL ROOM(WE ALWAYS STAY ON PROPERTY AND THIS ALSO GETS YOU TO THE PARKS EARLIER).ON OUR POOL DAYS WE MAKE LUNCH IN THE ROOM AND EAT IT POOL SIDE, THE KIDS LOVE THIS! I ALSO PACK A GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL. WE HAVE MADE BURGERS AND BRATS TO EAT POOLSIDE. BUT ON NIGHTS WHEN ITS POURING RAIN IT WAS NICE NOT TO HAVE TO LEAVE THE ROOM FOR DINNER! THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF OUR TRIP WE ALSO ENJOY DINING OUT AND NOT JUST FRUGALLY. SAVING MONEY ON A FEW MEALS AFFORDS YOU LUXERY ON OTHERS.

[Tigger2U43]

We have been to Disney twice and stayed at CRB once and PO another time. We have rented a car there. On the first night we went to the store(I recommend you find the nearby Walmart or Publix instead of Goodings Supermarket)and bought 2 Styro coolers. We also bought Cereal, juice, milk, poptarts, ect. for breakfast. For lunch we brought bread, jelly, and peanutbutter. We also bought snacks and soda. Have breakfast in the room. Take a break from the parks and go back to the room for lunch. All you are left to worry about is dinner. If you travel just outside of Disney there are many places to choose from that are a better value and have better food.

[mickey7861]

If you plan your meals at places like Tony's and Liberty Tree then you'll pay big bucks. If you use counter service the cost is not astronomical. There are some nice counter service places that offer more than burgers and fries. Columbia Harbor House and Cosmic Ray's are two of our favorites. Getting a meal at a counter service is around $6. Some things cost alittle more but the average is $6. That brings the $$$ down quite a bit from the buffets and sit down restaurants. We usually eat breakfast in our room (donuts, danish, cereal) then have lunch at a counter service. If your hotel has a food court that's another good option for lunch. Then we eat a nice dinner most nights.

[Tiggerlover91]

The way DH and I are able to afford it this year is with the purchase of the Discovery Magic Package. Some will say that in reality we did pay for our meals, but eating at the California Grill is about $30 more for each person than what the magic wishes are costing you. ($32-$34 a person) I've heard of 2 people eating at the Grill for about $100 or more....BEFORE tip!! :eek: (WOW!!) With the two magic wishes DH and I will use a peice that's $74 for each of us and tip is included. ;) I think the smaller the family, the easier it is to splurge. :)

IT'S ALL ABOUT DISNEY!!

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[jgates]

We definitely did breakfast in the room, but I couldn't do PB&J for lunch-sorry Tigger!!! But, seriously if you go to any of the buffet restaurants try to find a coupon book first. We picked up one that had Ponderosa coupons in right in the entryway of Ponderosa while waiting in line. Everyone else stood there ignoring them and the 5 of us (3a, 2c) saved $3 off the bill. Not a fortune, but hey-every bit helps. Plus the food was great and we were stuffed.

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