Food prices anxiety!

[jrandall]

That's what my cousin and his family does. They make it a point to do:
(2) - Character breakfast for experience and photos.
(2) - Table service dinners for unique themes/settings.
(#)- A few park snacks for the 'only at Disney' snack experiences.

Lunch is always quick service, breakfast and snacks are typical items they get from Gardn Grocer, etc. For them it's 2 adults and 2 children, they stay under $1k each trip for food.

This is pretty much what we are going to do I think.

 

[mombrontrent]

We don't set a budget, just use our credit card and pay it off after. We have a family of 5, me, DH, DS15, DD12, DD8. We can eat at for about $100-$125 a day and that includes 1 TS and 1 QS meal and an occasional snack. We eat breakfast in our condo and buy snacks and bottled water from Walmart. 3 of us are vegetarian/vegan and those items are usually cheaper on the menu than meat items. Also we almost always order water and very rarely order dessert (usually only if it comes with a kids meal). Not just to save money we just always drink water anyways and are not dessert people, would rather have a sweet treat in the afternoon maybe. We usually split meals as well. My DH and son might split a couple apps or an entree and app. I myself often order kids meals or I will share a regular meal with one of my girls. My girls often just share an app or order a coupe sides to share (vegetarian and don't like most kid offerings like mac and cheese, pizza ect). So breakfast in room plus drinks, snacks about $20, QS lunch or just snacks $20-30, TS dinner $60-75.

We also never eat at buffets or character meals but are doing HDDR this time, really want to see the show. Oh and we don't drink alcohol either so that is a money saver. In May we are planning to eat at Yak and Yeti, T-rex, Sanaa, Raglan Road, 50's, BOG lunch, HDDR and have reservations for Beaches and Cream and Sci-fi but may cancel those two as the timing isn't really working with my panning.

 

[jo-jo]

www.distripplanner.com

Plug in all the places you want to eat and snacks etc... at the bottom it will give an OOP price

That really is a great site.

OP, where are you staying?

If you are driving, you can bring along breakfast stuff and snacks to bring into parks. I'm assuming you will have strollers with the young ones. When I went with my grandkids we had a small cooler with a juice box or two, a few string cheese and some banana muffins. Only a grandma will fly to Disney with homemade mini banana muffins for grandkids. That wasn't to replace a meal, but for those in between times.

 

[MichelleB]

If doing a character meal, consider doing breakfast or lunch rather than dinner…..they're cheaper.

 

[jrandall]

We are staying at AKL in a 1 bedroom villa which is nice because it has a kitchen! So I do plan to eat breakfast there. I think it will be easier too with the kids. Except I do plan one character breakfast and maybe the Boma breakfast. I just don't know if we will make it back to the room for lunch. So lunch will probably be our TS or QS unless we go back out at night or eat at the lodge. I am planning on mostly half days at the park but the thought of having to make lunches does not make me happy haha! I am planning on bringing lots of snacks for the kids and drinks with us since we are driving and will need that anyway. The thought of paying for drinks for a week scares me and we drink water so bottled water it will be!

 

[MichelleB]

We never go back to the room for lunch either! It's just such a hassle to go back right at the time the little ones are insisting on food. Easier to go by the seat of your pants on that meal! Sounds like you've thought of most things. We're DVC also and the villas really help with food costs. We've even fixed dinner in before if the kids got tired. I think those are some of the most relaxing nights.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I think its possible, we are paying for a family of four all adult meals..We have four sit downs scheduled, Ohana, Sci-Fi,Via Napoli, Rainforest-breakfast..We arrive on Saturday and staying 8 nights..We are bring some things for most breakfast in the room, but everything else will be counter service and snacks..I have a budget of 1200 and I believe this will be plenty for food.. I have looked over prices at Debs and did it on the higher end, I will also have extra money but I don't think I will need it..We don't eat three HUGE meals a day, we can even have a soft pretzel and cheese for lunch and be totally fine after having cereal and fruit for breakfast and then a big dinner or vice versa....Good luck

 

[DCDisney]

Not sure if you are just planning or have already made ADRs but the buffets with kids your ages is a good idea. To maximize on those without disrupting as much park time is to do the latest possible breakfast seating. You do something simple in the room for breakfast--oatmeal, pop tarts, bagels, granola bars, etc that you bring. Then your buffet will be at around 10:45. If you get to the park at opening you can get a bunch of rides in quickly and then be ready for a big meal--which usually will include breakfast and lunch foods at that time. After that I do our FPs and we hit the resort for a break and swim. At the resort you can usually do an inexpensive QS meal--sharing an adult meal can go much farther for the kids than kids meals. Then at the park in the evening we do a snack--lots of good stuff is easy to share--funnel cakes, big mickey pretzel, popcorn, etc.

 

[Nancyg56]

You can plan some of your CS maelas to split if you look at the menus. We do often, order one meal and split it. Check out th menus and see if any of them work for you.

 

[Asherry25]

We eat breakfast in the room before we leave for the parks (yogurt, fruit, bagels, etc.). We prefer to bring lunch in to the parks each day (turkey sandwich, PB&J, etc). This way, we can stop and eat when we're hungry. Eating what we've brought not only saves a boatload of money, but also a boatload of time. Takes us under 30 minutes to eat our packed lunch...takes way longer to stand in line to buy lunch, find a seat, and eat. We usually eat on the early side, do a few more rides, and then go back to the hotel for the afternoon.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Disney is Disney so your anxiety is warranted. I warned my wife before I took her for the first time the sticker shock is incredible. Since Free Dining wasn't offered when we went for our honeymoon we decided to put $1000 on a gift card. We stayed 8 nights and spent it all. Two of us did a TS each day plus the QS breakfast and snacks. We brought our own munchies and adult beverages to lower the cost. We now plan $500 per person so we can eat like we're on vacation at Disney. It's expensive so be prepared for sticker shock menus.

Free Dining is a great deal for Disney.

 

[capegirl]

I just look at it this way. When we leave Disney property, everything we buy will seem like a bargain!

 

[jrandall]

Not sure if you are just planning or have already made ADRs but the buffets with kids your ages is a good idea. To maximize on those without disrupting as much park time is to do the latest possible breakfast seating. You do something simple in the room for breakfast--oatmeal, pop tarts, bagels, granola bars, etc that you bring. Then your buffet will be at around 10:45. If you get to the park at opening you can get a bunch of rides in quickly and then be ready for a big meal--which usually will include breakfast and lunch foods at that time. After that I do our FPs and we hit the resort for a break and swim. At the resort you can usually do an inexpensive QS meal--sharing an adult meal can go much farther for the kids than kids meals. Then at the park in the evening we do a snack--lots of good stuff is easy to share--funnel cakes, big mickey pretzel, popcorn, etc.

This sounds like what I plan on doing. I really am thinking we will not eat a lot with all the activities going on. I have one ADR at Akershus at 10:30 but no others so far.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

I have a co-worker that "tours" QS restaurants at the resorts. Each resort has unique dining options at their QS joints. Just head to the chosen resort QS experience after or in the middle of park time. You eat for $ (instead of $$ or $$$) and it can always be something different. You have to research menus and plan accordingly. No ADR's required.

 

[newestkg06]

With two toddlers, if yours are like my youngest, they will probably not need their own meals very often. It seems like my 3 year old manages to subsist on goldfish and yogurt. And if they are younger than 3, you don't have to pay for them for buffets (if they do have big appetites). I would look into doing an Amazon prime box of snacks or Garden Grocer and you'll probably need to spend less on the kids in general.

 

[jrandall]

Honestly, I feel silly saying it is giving me anxiety but it is! I think it's the prospect that my "plan" could go one way or drastically change with a few last minute decisions and it could be another $500! But this is vacation so I have to just tell myself that

 

[jrandall]

With two toddlers, if yours are like my youngest, they will probably not need their own meals very often. It seems like my 3 year old manages to subsist on goldfish and yogurt. And if they are younger than 3, you don't have to pay for them for buffets (if they do have big appetites). I would look into doing an Amazon prime box of snacks or Garden Grocer and you'll probably need to spend less on the kids in general.

Yes all my kids don't eat for some reason, even the 8 year old so at least I can save money with them! I know if all the kids were older I'd be in a different situation so I should be thankful for that. We are driving so will probably stop right before we get there to get things like milk and yogurt.

 

[Lakegirl]

We stayed at AKL as we'll and the QS there gives you so much food! I always ordered off the kids menus and lots of times when my DH ordered Ts we would split adult meals.....they give you so much food!!! If we were really hungry we would order an app and 1 meal and split them both and walk away fully satisfied!!
We also brought breakfast cereal bars and such so we didn't have to eat breakfast out. Good luck and don't stress.....your going to be at one of the most magical places in the world....Enjoy!!!

 

[senadler]

My thought is that many typically break even on the regular dining plan with a combination of TS and QS choices. Since the plan is about $60 per adult and $20 per child I think you can use that as a good guide with adding a little bit for the two youngest. Keeping in mind that doesn't include tips for TS, you probably need to factor a little for that as well.

 

[4under4]

You have gotten a lot of great advice from PPs, so I won't add much except to ask are you going sooner than you should? A vacation should not cause severe anxiety, so if it does perhaps you will feel better if you wait another 6 months or year and save so you can eat the way you want. Perhaps your decision is based on wanting to go while the 2 youngest are under 3, and that's an important consideration certainly, but if you will be stressed the whole time about watching every little expenditure, then it may not be worth it in the end. Alternatively, if you rent a home offsite you can cook/eat as you would at home (even packing lunches) which would incur no significant cost increase in your budget. Then use the extra savings of the reduced cost of "off property" to put towards a couple special meals that will mean a lot to the family. Don't get me wrong, I love staying on property, and know what a thrill it is. But we have rented in the past in order to take our dogs and it really didn't "ruin the magic" for us at all. We still had a great time, and loved the extra space / private pool. Whatever you decide, make peace with it before you go so you don't stress while you're there. That really will ruin your magic!