5 days and $300

[Belle4mygrl]

We are considering cancelling our dining reservations to save money. Do you think it would be possible to for 5 of us to eat $50 a day? or am I delusional?

I am thinking of alot of sharing CS meals (double hamburgers, chicken breast nuggets for me and the little one, buying 2 drinks and the rest water once those are gone) and eating sandwiches for the other meal. I thought of bringing PB&J and turkey wraps with fruit and veggies for the other meal.

 

[WantToGoNow]

The only way I think you could do it would be to bring most of your own food. For a counter service meal for a family of 5, you are doing good if you come in under $30.

 

[Belle4mygrl]

Yes, I always bring snacks from home and I would bring donuts, granola bars, and fruit for breakfast.

So, $50 is do-able? For the past several years, we have been to disney with Free dining. We never had to watch what we ordered.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Sorry - think you're delusional! I see in your signature you have a teen boy -- he could probably eat $50/day by himself!

Seriously, you'd have to do a lot of eat-in-the-room meals. When my family was there in May, we ate mostly CS meals and for 4 of us (me, husband, 7-yr-old, 3-yr-old) we usually spent about $30/meal. That included some sharing and I often drank bottled water we brought and gave my preschooler juice boxes we brought. We ate lots of snacks, too, between meals. Lots of Dole Whips, popcorn and Cokes. For a family with 2 teens and 2 adults, I think $50 is really pushing it. Maybe $75/day would be more do-able.

Have a great trip!

 

[Mike2023]

I dont think one person could eat all day at disney for 10 bucks. would be very very hard.

 

[Belle4mygrl]

Sorry - think you're delusional! I see in your signature you have a teen boy -- he could probably eat $50/day by himself!

!

I know on both counts.

 

[Debbie-TN]

Even if you took something for breakfast and ate only CS, it would probably be $15 to $20 per person per day. CS meals are at least $7 without a drink. We always just ask for a glass of ice water.

 

[taymaesmom]

We eat very frugaly when we are at Disney and I think your family of 5 could eat 1 counter service meal each day for $50. Its doable if you watch what you are ordering. We often share meals or I order a kids meal since they usually come with a drink and 2 sides. When we go to Disney our total budget for a day is $120 and with that we eat 2 CS meals, at least one snack and drink extra a person, that usually even gets my dd's a souvineer too.

We eat breakfast in our room everyday too, I bring pop tarts, danishes, donuts and fruit. We also bring lots of snacks.

 

[3boymthr]

I'm thinking the only way you could do that is to eat entirely out of your room. $300/wk is only half again what I spend on groceries without being on vacation.

As a family of five we had the DDP and after the fact I added up our costs. I spent over $50 at every CS meal and I had two under 10 (our least expensive CS bill was $52.34). Even after removing the cost of the deserts my receipts still total over $40/meal. I'm willing to bet that even with you splitting meals with your toddler if your teenagers eat as much as mine does your bill would be over $50 without deserts.

ETA - DH was sick all week so wasn't up to eating at a usual "guy" level either. He only ate about half what he normally does.

 

[Karlzmom]

Yes, I always bring snacks from home and I would bring donuts, granola bars, and fruit for breakfast.

So, $50 is do-able? For the past several years, we have been to disney with Free dining. We never had to watch what we ordered.

I was shocked at how much food cost when we were at the world in Sept! Amazingly, all meals were big $$$, even when we weren't beign over the top....heck, we spent more that $30 at the hotel marketplace on a couple of drinks, and a few snacks! Consider that a double burger at Pecos Bills is a bit over $8.

I'd check out allears, they have the menus posted and you'll be able to "price" your meals a bit.

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

A couple of things that I find help a lot on the food budget. I bring Oatmeal packages to make in the morning and eat for breakfast. We usually supplement the oatmeal with fruit and we also buy the mug and use it to refill for our breakfasts primarily. Also, when trying to save some major money we bring lemonaide packages to add to bottle of water. You can order the bottles of water at Costco for about 8.00 for 24 bottles (free delivery unless you are at a convention resort and they charge). We also bring snacks from home (pkgs of cookies, pnut butter crackers, fruit snacks, peanuts, etc). You could eat breakfast in your room, eat snacks that you bring from home, drink water or water with lemonaide mix (or other flavors you bring), eat one counter service meal and share what you can, and order a pizza for everyone to share for dinner. You might come close, but I don't know if everyone will be satisfied (especially the teenagers) and full. You would need to watch the posts here to find out what the largest counter service meals are. That will help too. Good Luck!

 

[Mouseturtle]

stick with the dining plan, it would be WAY too stressful to do $50 a day!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

If you are trying to save money, you can, but I just don't see how you could eat for 50.00 a day for the whole family unless you packed a lunch and only ate one meal out a day. Our lunches, for five, ran about 67.00 a day and the dinner at a CS place would be about the same. We each had a dessert though, so you could save there.

 

[Nadjalu]

No way can 5 people eat on $50 per day. Now if you meant $50 per meal then that is a different story, maybe, if it was QS.
But I think you meant 2-3 meals for 5 people for 1 day....nope, not even gonna come close. Food is too expensive down at DW. Stick with the DDP you will save money.

 

[chrisw127]

I think it would make for a pretty stressful vacation. Will you have a frige in your room? That might make it easier.

I notice that you have almost 11 months before your next trip. Is there anyway you can save/earn a little extra before you go? Garage sales? Ebay?

Good luck!

 

[bicker]

We just got back and our bill, for food only, was a bit more than $600, for six nights, and that was just two of us, and we always split an entree at sit-down restaurants, and it was always the vegetarian entree (which is typically a little less expensive). That total includes one bottle of wine and two mixed drinks, total, but also reflects our 20% Tables in Wonderland discount.

 

[jamstew]

I've always budgeted $30 per adult, per day for food (counter service) and snacks, even having breakfast in the room. Sometimes it comes out less & sometimes a little more, but I've found it to be a pretty safe estimate over the last several years.

 

[vinotinto]

Look at the menus in allears.net and add up the cost of what your family would order each day. Are you staying in a condo? Then you can definitely make breakfast and dinner in the condo, and use the $50 for lunch/snacks, while you are at the parks, and would probably not feel limited by the budget.

We made breakfast in our room (not a condo, but it did have a fridge), and ate out the rest of the day. I brought chocolate milk, cheese, bagels, fruit, yogurt, and peanut butter from home. If you have at least a fridge in the room, you could bring milk, cereal, fruit, yogurt for breakfast and bread, cheese, cold cuts, lettuce, tomato, peanut butter, jelly, fruit, saran wrap, and make sandwiches for everyone at lunch and use the $50 to purchase dinner at a CS.

 

[princessmom29]

I do not think it is doable unless you are planning on bringing your own food in for one meal and splitting meals for the others. one CS meal in more than $10 most palces so in order to get in under $50 you would have to share.

 

[golden6911]

I doubt it - unless you eat only groceries you buy or bring from home.