More For The Money

[soft_spell]

OK, I know I'm crazy, but I am trying to keep a dinning budget of $20 a day. DBF and I are going for 7 days in May (college break). I explained to him last night (after researching menu on allearsnet.com) that we could probably do $200 per person for the whole trip. He said, "Come on, you can do better than that."
Please help....For those of you who have already been to WDW, where can I get plates with huge serving amounts that we can share every now and then?
And do regular everyday fast food joints exist on property?
Thanks and happy planning
Michelle :flower1:

[Forever42]

Well, do you have any table service restaurants planned?

After that, one of the best things to do is make sure you go to the counter service restaurants with toppings bars. These really save us when we're trying to eat cheaply! Pecos Bill and Cosmic Ray's at MK have the best, IMO.

Other things you can do, for example, is to order a double cheeseburger at one of these places and ask for an extra bun (70 cents). The chicken wrap at Pecos Bill's is large enough to share, after filling up at the toppings bar.

There's also Trail's End for a cheap buffet, it's $11 at breakfast or lunch, and $17 at dinner. They also have a soup/salad only option for about $5 less.

[MrsJ Henry]

Many of the counter services have large portions. I think you will have a hard time with $20 a day but I'm sure it could be done if you set your mind to it. there are a few McDonalds ... one in EPCOT and one in AK I think.
There is one in DTD. Maybe others can help with this. I don't know where there are any more.
Try going over to the budget board. They have some great ideas on how to cut cost down! Good luck

[Lewski709]

I don't think you can do it, unless you eat 2 meals a day and share. If you can do it, you won't eat well. Part of making the trip, for me, is eating. I wish you well, I know how tough it is on a college budget. :(

[randyl]

I agree. It is tough in a college budget and I also wish you well. I am HIGHLY doubtful that you can do it for $20 a day. A simple hamburger meal with fries and soda is about $8.00 plus tax. A bagel is about $2.00 and coffees are about $2.00 a piece. I honestly don't think it is possible. Speaking for myself, I can always find bargain airfare, room discounts (AP, codes, etc) but one thing I haven't ever been able to find bargains on are meals and passes.

[bdcp]

I think $200 for 7 days is a great deal. Why is your DBF so intent on you "doing better than that". If he thinks he can do better, tell him to research it himself. Let him discover what you're talking about.

If you do pastry and coffee and/or juice for breakfast and eat counter service for the rest without snacks, that's about as cheap as you can go, short of bringing your own. My personal opinion is on vacation, I don't want to be making any meals. I don't do laundry either unless it's an emergency. Another option is to eat a large breakfast at a buffet and dinner counter service. You can bring snacks and do that in the evening. That's still more than $20. Someone with the name, Steve something I can't remember and I can't search now since that's not working swears they did WDW on $18 or something per person. And that was pretty cheap for eating out. His posts were/are in Budget Boards.

I just can't imagine going without Mickey Ice Cream or another Disney snack, not to mention a Margarita from Mexico in Epcot. Food is such a big part of the experience. Hope you can work this out.

[Mom to Jordan]

I think 20.00 a day would be very tough.I would recomend however taking some of your own food to cut back when you can. Breakfast in the room at least would help a lot. Snacks that you can carry in your fanny pack and even a cooler with cold cuts and bread in your room for a quick dinner. Good luck and have fun.

Jordan's mom

[robinb]

We usually spend $40-50 per person per day. $20 would be cutting it to the bone. I think you'll be lucky to make it through WDW on your $200 pp budget. A bottle of Coke is $2.50! Still, you can cut corners here and there. Stop at the grocery store on the way into your resort/hotel and pick up some food and a cheap styrofoam cooler. A cooler will keep anything cold as long as you change the ice twice a day. If you're staying at a Disney resort you can both share a refillable mug (all you can drink coffee & soda for your stay at the resoort) and use the microwave and toaster. That way you can stock up on Cheesy-Mac, microwave popcorn, pop tarts and bagels. You can also buy or bring cereal and Ziplock or Glad plastic bowls to eat from. PB&J's are always economical and a Ziplock square container keeps the sandwich from being squished in your backpack. A water bottle will each will keep you hydrated. {{shrug}} I wouldn't want to do WDW that way ... but then again my poor college student days are far behind me!

[denecarter]

You can save a couple of $$ per meal if you request the free ice water instead of a soda. Neither DD nor I are supposed to have caffiene... plus, I just prefer water to soda. We've been suprised at how fast the savings adds up. Also... DD and I are both big eaters. Buying two full counter service meals (entree w/fries) is usually too much food for us. We often cut out one of the orders of fries.

[dwkwootton]

There's alot of great strategies for dining well at DW on a budget, many already suggested here. No matter what, $20.00/day is so far of a stretch that your trip will likely cease being a vacation. Hopefully your DBF isn't really sitting back and throwing the kind of attitude at you that your post suggested. Maybe he could get a simple part time job, 1 or 2 hours per week between now and your trip so that the price of meals won't even be an issue.

[bobcat]

You need to post this on thebudget board. I for one think it can be done and in fact have done it without sacrificing. You can bring breakfast items with you, pop tarts, granola bars as they pack easily. You can pick up juice/milk in the hotel gift shop and even get a box of donuts for a good price if you wish. Counter service can be done for less than $10, even cheaper if you like the kids meals. Turkey legs are $5 and I can't eat one myself. We rarely buy soda in the parks only with a meal and drink water the rest of the time. Check out the menus on www.allearsnet.com AK has a meal deal plan that for around $12 you get a full combo meal and coupons for a snack and a drink to use later in the day.

I do suggest that even on a budget trip you pick one sit down place you would like to try, lunches are less expensive, and add that extra amount into your budget. That way you don;t feel like you are short changing yourself.

[dwkwootton]

Not sure if its a great idea to advise the OP to play with the rules to achieve this $20/day thing (food is not supposed to be brought into the parks and kid's meals are supposed to be ordered for kids).

[Forever42]

Not sure if its a great idea to advise the OP to play with the rules to achieve this $20/day thing (food is not supposed to be brought into the parks and kid's meals are supposed to be ordered for kids).

Actually, you are allowed to bring food in the parks, and anyone can order kids' meals, as long as you're not at a buffet. We do both all of the time.

[lillygator]

I didn't think you were allowed to bring meals (ie sandwhiches etc) into the park...snacks in a diaper bag yes....

[Forever42]

I didn't think you were allowed to bring meals (ie sandwhiches etc) into the park...snacks in a diaper bag yes....

Oh, sure, as long as you're not bringing an elaborate dinner, they don't really care that much. :) Sandwich, fruit, chips, drinks, no one cares about that.

[randyl]

Yes, we have brought snacks (Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, granola bars, etc) for our son when he was small. Never the type of stuff and/or enough to make a meal. Now that he is older (6), we don't bother. I don't think I'm much different than anyone here in budgeting between $175 - $200 per day for food for me, DW and DS (6 yo).

[dwkwootton]

It doesn't matter to me personally if someone brings a granola bar into the park. Was just mentioning that it isn't allowed, and it isn't. Sure, the CM's aren't going to flag you if you don't push it and go overboard. Same with ordering from the kid's menu. They will let you do it but you are supposed to be 11 (that's why the counter service menu states "for children age 3 to 11" above the kid's meal).

[randyl]

I don't think I ever told anyone the the time when this group of people brought beer into MK. We were relaxing over near Liberty Square at the fence along the walkway near where they sell (or used to sell) the baked potatoes. All of a sudden, this group opened up their soft cooler, passed around cans of Budweiser beer and proceeded to hang out drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. I thought it would be a matter of seconds before a CM would come over and talk to them but it never happened. Sorry to get off subject.

[crisi]

dwkwootton - can you provide a cite where bringing in food is not allowed - you seem fairly sure. IIRC, Disney removed the "no outside food" signs years ago, and it doesn't say anything in the park maps. I also believe DISers have written Disney on this topic and been told "go ahead."

[dwkwootton]

crisi ~ just from being there so many times. Didn't notice that the verbage was removed. An earlier post said that granola etc is ok but meals aren't, so if there is verbage somewhere to clarify what amounts of food or items of food are/aren't allowed, I'm not aware of it and (sincerely no offense intended) am not interested enough to search for a cite with the info. My point is that I think the OP is going to have a real tough time with $20/day. As simple as if one of them wants a cup of coffee mid morning or a soda mid-afternoon but can't cause it would blow the budget or if lunch has to be a hot dog reserved for Mickey's Little Friends to allow enough $ for dinner that evening, to me it doesn't sound fun or practical.

[chobie]

I see people eating their own food all the time at WDW. However, my best freind was escorted off of Dinseyland property for having "an excessive amount of lunch meat".

To, the OP I say bring your own breakfast snacks and lunch and try to have a decent dinner here or there.

[CheshireVal]

You can do $20 a day if you eat breakfast in your room (pop tarts, nutrigrain bars, etc) and if you plan on eating no snacks. Such a shame that food at Disney has to be so expensive. :(

[crisi]

Well, that's kind of it. Disney, in true Disney fashion, doesn't provide amounts. They've backed off on "no food" probably because it simply isn't a good idea to enforce it (diabetics, people witch specialized food needs, small kids). Thus they have no policy. The do have a policy on coolers.

To the OP - $20 a day for two people is probably lower than anyone I've seen manage - around $20 a person is about as low as I've seen people manage. Not that it isn't doable - particularly if you bring in food, but leave that out of your budget. Personally, I like Cliff Bars for those days when I can't get away from my desk at work.....

I traveled around Europe in college, living off bread, jam, sausage and cheese for six weeks.

I don't find food at Disney to be expensive - its cheaper than at the baseball stadium in my city. Cheaper than our local amusement park. But it will be more expensive than eating at home. Don't count on the McD inside Disney to have the same pricing as the ones outside Disney. If you have a car, there are much better values offsite.

[sanibelover]

We were just in The World in November and were behind many people in the bag check line with coolers (large)and tons of food. I even commented to my husband - this is vacation, why would you want to lug all of that stuff with you to save a few bucks?????

The CMs never told anyone they couldn't bring in the copious amounts of food these people were hauling...........

[randyl]

crisi
I find Disney food to be the same, and sometimes more, than the food at our stadium (Fenway Park - yes we are the WORLD CHAMPIONS!). A hot dog is $4.50, a draft light beer is $5.50; a steak tip sandwich is $9.00, bottled water is $4.50. I do find the kids meals at Disney to be a great bargain at $5 or $6 or so. When we do our summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, kid's meals are no less than $8 to $10. I do find that Disney food prices are competitive with other resorts. On vacation, you expect to pay a little more. And as typical, some things are a bargain and some things are a rip off.

[crbalb]

While $20 a day may be difficult - I think you can definitely try to get close. At AK, DH and I can share the chicken at Tusker House. Sometimes, we do get the meal deal with it - he gets the extra coke and I get the ice cream. The Plaza Restaurant (MK) and Mama Melrose's (MGM) have affordable prices and we often split something, especially at Mama's. Being DVC members, we usually do eat breakfast in the room, so we only purchase L and D. For counter service meals, we frequent Peco's Bills, Cosmic Rays, Pizza Planet, the fruit stand at MGM. When on a budget, buffets and character meals are just too expensive. Good luck!

[jsmla]

VERY poor DS and college buddies took a trip last year to WDW & Universal last year. They had a choice of economizing on food or staying off-site (at WDW) and they chose to cut back on food. These are big guys, serious eaters. They stayed at the All Star Music and did not have a car. Here's their successful eating strategy.

Pack one (they had 2 for 4 boys) checked piece of luggage with non-perishables. This included peanut butter, jelly, vaccum packed tuna, bread (a loaf of bread will fit into an empty soda fridge pack and not get crushed), cookies, trail mix, pretzels, crackers, pop-tarts, dried cereal, mayo & mustard packets, microwave popcorn, cocoa and kool-aid mix, juice boxes, Zip-loc bags, plastic plates, cups and utensils.

Pack one carry-on soft-sided ice chest with cooler stuff. This included fozen bottled water, vaccum-sealed packages of deli-ham and cheese, frozen containers of yoghurt and tangerines (I made them take those :D ). If you don't have a fridge you can keep stuff cool by filling up Zip-locs with ice (double bag) from the hotel ice machine. Several small packages of deli stuff works better than one large one.

They supplemented this with fruit and milk purchased at the food court or resort shop.

They ate in the room, drank water and brought snacks into the park. I don't reccomend this diet for most people. It would definately get to me but they LIVE on junk like this in the dorm and they were only at WDW for 3 1/2 days.

DH and I save $$$ by sharing meals in the parks. Although this wouldn't work for DS and friends, we find the portions at most of the counter service places plenty enough for the two of us. In the MK we like Pecos Bill's and Cosmic Ray's. (You can split the double cheeseburger meal by paying <$1 for a second bun and both places have great toppings bars.). At Epcot we like sharing meals at the Cantina San Angel and Tangerine Cafe. For a splurge we will split the French Menu (lunch only) at Chefs de France (maybe ordering a second cup of the soup.) You can also do the burger thing at the counter service in Innoventions. Like others have said, the chicken dinner at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom is good and enough for the two of us. Also, Earl of Sandwich in DTD has huge sandwiches for around $5. With chips added we can both make a meal out of one of these. We don't usually eat in the park at MGM. For the most part, we eat breakfast and dinner in the room and save our dining dollars for lunch when the prices are lower in the sit-downs (We like splitting meals at Chefs and Le Cellier.)

Eating out is definately fun at WDW but you don't have to do so in order to have fun. I'd rather eat PB&J at Disney than steak at home!

HTH,
Jennifer
Who remembers what it was like to be 20 and broke. It was GREAT!

ps You CAN bring a cooler packed with a full lunch (no glass) into the water parks. This can save you lots if you're like us and are always hungry and thirsty when swimming.

[gigi1313]

i'd change my seven day trip w/$20/day for food into a five day trip w/$40-50/day for food!

[soft_spell]

Thank you all so much for your ideas! This has been very helpful. And from the looks of things they really should make a reality show called Eating For Under $20/Day/Person At WDW. I really don't think it will be hard, and if it doesn't work, oh well, more than anything I will enjoy trying. I think it will make our trip interesting. It's all about doing what you have to do to survive and most of all have fun! Sure, it may cause some stresses, (especially if your are going as a couple, everyone knows that) but we also all know that most of us who look back and tell our children about how we tryed to do a week trip to Disney on $700/person from Utah, all we do is laugh. My DBF just really needs a trip, he is going into Astro Physics, tons of stress, plus I enjoy doing this. Planning is one of the best parts.

Ok, enough about that, here's the plan.
Day one: Plane day, pack luches from left over lunch meat and things while emptying out fridge. (so the fridge wont be rotting of old food) Also, pack less clothing and little bottles of toiletries to save room for things like pop-tarts, granolas, crackers, etc. Then go get a mug to share for $11.99
Rest of the Days:ie, get up early, don't shower (jk), and head to caffeteria and have a large breakfast ( most expensive item around $5.50+tax), take some snacks to eat inside park (I know, I know, but sometimes you've gotta take the risks, I mean really what are they going to do), then around 4 or 5 grab a bite from counter services (maybe share, I can go days with hardley eating anything, plus I'm not picky), then maybe get something else later in the evening to share or eat more snacks(if we run out go to grocery store)
Other example: Wake up whenever and head over to Trails End (I love buffets) stuff ourselves tell we can't breathe, then same thing follows, snacks, sharing, and counter services.
And remember, water is your best friend, we have the packs with the huge water pouch.

I know this is weird, but it will work, it has to or else we could just stay home.
Well, see you in May, keep an eye out for the couple with the packs, flip-flops, and the dreds. And thanks again everyone, seriously.

[robinb]

Ok, enough about that, here's the plan.
Day one: Plane day, pack luches from left over lunch meat and things while emptying out fridge. (so the fridge wont be rotting of old food) Also, pack less clothing and little bottles of toiletries to save room for things like pop-tarts, granolas, crackers, etc.


You are allowed 2 carry-on bags each, so you can pack an entire suitcase with goodies. Don't forget the PB&J! I like the squeezable jelly containers for travel. I have also heard of people checking sealed coolers (with wheels) filled with snacks (not iced stuff, just dry goods).

Then go get a mug to share for $11.99
Rest of the Days:ie, get up early, don't shower (jk), and head to caffeteria and have a large breakfast ( most expensive item around $5.50+tax),

Your biggest savings really comes at breakfast. Pop-tarts, cereal, bagels, english muffins, etc. You can buy milk and juice at the resort and keep it in a cooler. If you don't bring a big cooler you can purchase a collapsible cooler for less than $20 that will fit in your luggage. If you're staying in a moderate resort (or better) Disney now provides free refrigerators.

[tarheelmjfan]

My suggestion, go with the frame of mind that this is a budget trip, and you're going to do whatever it takes to be able to go and have a good time, but take good notes and lots of photos. If your DBF is studying Astro Physics, make sure you hang on to him, then use those handy notes and photos to remind him of the sacrifice, and make him spend the rest of your lives making that up to you, with all the extravagant trips he takes you on later. :tongue: Seriously, have a great trip, and happy planning. :)

[PrincessCandaceMarie]

Hello ~

Yes, I think your budget can be done....here are a few things I do to save money (when I have to, or when I want to....) and still enjoy good food at Disney!!!

* Buy the sipper cup at the resort and that saves money for soda, coffee, etc.

* At the All Stars and POP you can get toast (under $1.00), fruit ($2.00 - $3.00) and yogurt ($2.00??) for bfast and be full.....*if you're looking for bfast under $5.00 per person*

* At lunch, try Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney, most things are $6.00 or so and really good.....or try Wolfgang Puck's and do a few sides, for a nice lunch under $6.00 - $7.00 per person

* If you're at Epcot, check out the Land for lunch/dinner, they have great values

* If you're at MK, go to Cosmic Ray's and take advantage of the soup/salad combo, it's like $6.00 and if you order without the chicken (on the salad) it drops to like $4.00, or go to Pinocchio's Haus and use the topping bar, order side of fries for .97 and top it away with cheese, mushrooms, everything! YUM!

Just a few things, hope they help!

[jsmla]

If you're at MK, go to Cosmic Ray's and take advantage of the soup/salad combo, it's like $6.00 and if you order without the chicken (on the salad) it drops to like $4.00, or go to Pinocchio's Haus and use the topping bar, order side of fries for .97 and top it away with cheese, mushrooms, everything! YUM!
Great idea! We love gooey cheese fries!

Jennifer

[cobbler]

We just returned from a 9 night trip and I didn't account for all the food, only what was put on CC (which was 90% of our food purchases) and my family of 4 spent 635 for the 8 days we were there. That boiled down to 20 per person per day. And we had character meals in that as well.

Again I am probably not accounting for 50-75 we bought with cash and that is a high estimate at that.

[skiwee1]

crisi ~ just from being there so many times. Didn't notice that the verbage was removed. An earlier post said that granola etc is ok but meals aren't, so if there is verbage somewhere to clarify what amounts of food or items of food are/aren't allowed, I'm not aware of it and (sincerely no offense intended) am not interested enough to search for a cite with the info. My point is that I think the OP is going to have a real tough time with $20/day. As simple as if one of them wants a cup of coffee mid morning or a soda mid-afternoon but can't cause it would blow the budget or if lunch has to be a hot dog reserved for Mickey's Little Friends to allow enough $ for dinner that evening, to me it doesn't sound fun or practical.\

I've been to WDW many times also. The sign that used to warn of no food allowed in the parks was taken down years ago. It doen't even say it in the park brochures anymore.

[drp4video]

My daughter and I can do disney on $20 per day. We split meals. For example, she will order chicken fingers and fries, and I order a side salad. You get four chicken fingers. She eats two and the fries, while I put the other two in my salad. We each get a drink.

[anabelle]

We have done it for about $15 per person with snacks. You have to have a Mickey Bar! I see a lot of people bringing in small coolers or backpacks with lunch items. We have been told many times that you are allowed to bring in a cooler as long as it can fit in a locker. Since you are in college, I bet you are used to spending your money wisely. If it were me, I would pack some sandwiches and snacks in my backpack for the week, but make a PS for lunch at some nice restuarant and splurge one time. :earboy2:

[Grumpy92]

I would suggest Beaches & Cream, Roaring Forks, Food Court At POR.

In the Parks Tangerine Cafe, Plaza Restuarant, Columbia Harbor, Rosies

I think you will find it tough on that budget. If you can $30 a day might work better.

Check out the menus and prices at the following site:
www.allearsnet.com/menus/menu.htm

[PrincessTrisha]

Buy the refillable mugs at your resort - other than at your resort, drink water.

In the MK, try either Cosmic rays, Pinochio's haus, or Peco's bills. You can each order the burger (but order with no fries save about $1.50) and load up on the toppings - mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

In MGM, try the Pizza Planet, order 1 pizza and salad, and share between the two of you.

In AK, buy a child's meal deal coupon - use it at Pizzafari, order the pizza (obviously), and get a popcorn to share. Get the bottled pop or water and save for another time since you can share the child's drink with lunch.

In DTD, both the Earl of Sandwich and Wolf Gang Puck's express are good deals. At the earl, the sandwiches are fairly large and you can add on a soup to make it a meal for 2. At WGPE, they have some decent pizza's (and fairly large).

In Epcot, well, I find this place difficult to save money because there is just so much good stuff to eat.

If you are not big eaters, you can also substitute snacks for lunch or dinner (popcorn is pretty filling as is ice cream). Bring your own breakfast supplies, you could also bring along some meal replacement bars (like slim fast or atkins advantage) and use them for breakfast. Oatmeal is available at most resort food courts for around $2.60 which makes a hearty and filling (although sometimes bland) breakfast.

[jellydisney]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this already, but you can save quite a bit of money by not ordering soda, coffee, etc... Just drink tap water. Not sure if Disney offers tap water though, they might only sell bottled. So I would bring a water bottle and fill it up at the drinking fountain.

[wimom02]

My son and I ate for $20 day or less on a trip to Disneyland a couple of years ago. My husband was staying at the Disneyland Hotel for a convention, and we tagged along for a budget 5 night stay. I brought quite a bit from home and did not have a car. We never left Disney property. I did not know that we had a fridge in the room until we got there. We had instant oatmeal and Mickey Mouse juice pouches for breakfast, tuna lunch-to-go kits + pringles+apple sauce or PP&J for lunches and Pasta Anytimes for a couple of dinners. I bought milk from the resort store. We had our own little snacks in our fannie bags. I brought Disney fruit snacks, M+M's, pretzels, etc ready in snack bags. I looked for items on sale and coupons while shopping for a few weeks prior to the trip. My son noticed the price of a single Disney Juice pouch in the resort store was $1.75, and we bought our whole box for $1.50. We had a blast!!! We did eat at one Character meal at Goofy's Kitchen (with my husband's meal being covered by work). My husband was wined and dined at the convention, and we played in the parks and pool

We have gone to WDW with much bigger budgets and spent more on food. You can have fun and enjoy your trip while on a tight food budget. Just plan ahead and enjoy what you do have - a week of fun!

[MrsPete]

Sure, you CAN eat for $20 per day. But you'll have to bring groceries for the room and plan your other meals very carefully. Here are my best tips:

1. Drink lots of water, which is free. Sodas will eat up your budget quicker than anything else, and they provide no nutritional value. Water is also much healthier. Any counter service place will give you a free cup of ice water (even if you're not buying a meal).
2. Do not be tempted to buy the overpriced resort soda mug. Instead bring your own canned sodas. Look at it this way: One mug will cost you about $10. For that same $10 you can get four 12-packs of soda on sale at Eckerds. Can you drink 48 sodas in a week? I can't.
3. Carry your own snacks at all times. A few of the Lunchables aren't bad -- nachos, for example -- and they're easy to tote in a fanny pack. A budget of $20 will not cover Mickey ice cream bars.
4. One buffet per day is probably a good idea. You need one "good meal" each day, and a buffet will fill you up so that you can "skimp" on meals throughout the rest of the day. You can also predict the exact price of a buffet meal.
5. Kids meals are the best value, and there's plenty of food for me there. Be forewarned though: they'll be repetative and they won't give you any vegetables. Some of the Epcot kids' meals offer a bit more than the standard chicken nugget meal.
6. Consider ordering an appetizer for a meal.
7. Split a double burger for two people. Pecos Bill's, Cosmic Ray's, and Beaches & Cream are good bets.
8. You can get free meal vouchers by listening to the speel about buying into DVC.
9. A well-planned meal voucher can easily feed two people (or it can be a total waste of money if it's not planned).
10. You can order pizza to your room. That's the cheapest possible meal on Disney property.

That's all that comes to mind right away. Could I feed two people for $20 per day at Disney? Sure I could. I wouldn't like it, but I could do it.