6 people 5 days can I keep food under $600?

[mousy_in_canada]

Do you think that we can keep dining under $600 for our family of 6? 4 of them are kids the oldest is 10, so she will have to pay adult rate but the rest are younger. Last time we went we stayed in a home away from home and cooked 2 meals a day this time we are staying in AKL and will only have a fridge so we can have a light breakfast but that is about it. I have no problem sharing meals to help with costs wondering if I should plan on more money for food however?
opinions please

 

[scanmom]

I would get the dining plan. It would be a little over $600.00 (I am assuming you are staying 5 nights/6 days), and you could eat anywhere you wanted, have plenty to eat, and not worry about the costs!! And the kids could even get mickey bars every day!!!!!

 

[LiteBrite]

Ok, crunching some hypothetical numbers here...

$600/day for 5 days averages out to $120/day. Let's say you assign $25/day/person to each of the "real" adults. That leaves you $17.50/day for each of the four kids. Your 10yo will only have to pay adult prices if you go to buffets or all-you-can-eat places. At any counter service or regular sit-down restaurant, she'll be allowed to order off the kids' menu.

I think this is doable, if you're careful. Assuming we're not counting the cost of in-room breakfast groceries in your total, you can definitely do it if you don't have to have a table service meal every day. You could probably have a couple of them, if you're willing to eat counter service all the other meals. You just have to average $120/day. Some days you can go higher, and when you eat only counter service in a day, you'll probably be lower. Order ice waters for everybody at every meal, share desserts and appetizers if you want them. Bring snacks from home (crackers, fruit rollups, etc.) that you can carry with you instead of buying snacks in the parks.

It's doable. Of course, another option, if you don't want to have to watch every penny on your food budget, would be to go for 2 rooms at a value resort, which would free up a lot more funds. You could probably even afford to do the dining plan that way, but assuming you'd rather stay at the nicer resort and spend less on food, you can do it if you're very careful.

 

[LiteBrite]

I would get the dining plan. It would be a little over $600.00 (I am assuming you are staying 5 nights/6 days), and you could eat anywhere you wanted, have plenty to eat, and not worry about the costs!! And the kids could even get mickey bars every day!!!!!

I believe for 3 adults and 3 children it would actually be $735. Still not too much more than $600, if there's $135 extra available for the budget.

 

[TwingleMum]

I'd call and check on the price of the dining plan if near $600 I'd go for it and that way its paid for and no worries about telling a kid they can't have that or no Mickey bar etc...

 

[mousy_in_canada]

It's doable. Of course, another option, if you don't want to have to watch every penny on your food budget, would be to go for 2 rooms at a value resort, which would free up a lot more funds. You could probably even afford to do the dining plan that way, but assuming you'd rather stay at the nicer resort and spend less on food, you can do it if you're very careful.

thanks for the tips, I think I can keep it under that per day, and some days we may go off site for a meal, we always carry snacks anyway.
As for getting 2 value rooms.. well the reason I am staying here is that I WON This trip from a radio station so we are staying for free for 5 days at AKL and we get PH tickets but can't add the dining so that is out, just trying to figure out the spending money and the other costs involved.
Thanks!

 

[LiteBrite]

thanks for the tips, I think I can keep it under that per day, and some days we may go off site for a meal, we always carry snacks anyway.
As for getting 2 value rooms.. well the reason I am staying here is that I WON This trip from a radio station so we are staying for free for 5 days at AKL and we get PH tickets but can't add the dining so that is out, just trying to figure out the spending money and the other costs involved.
Thanks!

Ah, now I understand! Congratulations on winning the trip - how exciting!

I'm sure you can do it - we have taken lots of "shoestring" trips to WDW when funds were tighter than they are now, and ate on even less per day than you're talking about, and still had a wonderful time. I'm sure with 4 little ones you're very experienced at stretching a dollar.

Hope you have a great trip, and let us know how everything goes.

 

[Schachteles]

WOW, congrats on your win! I wish I had that kind of good luck!

I think that you should be able to keep it under that as long as you aren't planning on too many TS meals. I know when I am up and moving around that much I am not that hungry anyways.

ENJOY!