A family of 4 CAN eat for $75 a day! This is how we did it....(LONG)

[JenniferW]

I'm impressed with sticking to a budget. Thanks for taking the time to review/post all those places; it's helpful for us planning and we appreciate it.

Jenn

 

[Disneymomofsix]

Drinking only water really helps. For the past year, whenever we go out to eat, we offer the kids a deal--if you order water, we'll give you 50 cents when we get home. Our oldest is nine, and they all think this is a great deal. I'll continue this at Disney--we save lots of money this way! We'll most likely buy mugs at the resort and tell them they can drink pop there.

I am doing something similar with mine. I'll buy the older ones a mug at the resort. If they want anything besides water to drink at the parks, it comes from their money that they have saved for souvenirs. They agreed, and I think it will save on arguments and whining.

 

[NvrBnToWDW]

I know this thread is from last year, and I noticed a lot of people asking about budgeting food at WDW, so I decided to bump it. I know I'll get a lot of comments on our lack of fruit and veggies, but hey, it was our first try at this, and it was quite overwhelming. And besides that, it's DisneyWorld!
Well, anyways, this year we will be returning in May and I'm going to try a $100 per day food budget. Mostly because now DSs are 12 and 10 and because we're going to eat at a few more table service restaurants. We've chosen Planet Hollywood, Sci-Fi, 50's Primetime, Trail's End and Whispering Canyon. I look forward to reporting our daily menus and seeing if we were able to stay in the budget. And hopefully they'll be more greens and reds in the report!

 

[HunnyPots]

I know this thread is from last year, and I noticed a lot of people asking about budgeting food at WDW, so I decided to bump it. I know I'll get a lot of comments on our lack of fruit and veggies, but hey, it was our first try at this, and it was quite overwhelming. And besides that, it's DisneyWorld!
Well, anyways, this year we will be returning in May and I'm going to try a $100 per day food budget. Mostly because now DSs are 12 and 10 and because we're going to eat at a few more table service restaurants. We've chosen Planet Hollywood, Sci-Fi, 50's Primetime, Trail's End and Whispering Canyon. I look forward to reporting our daily menus and seeing if we were able to stay in the budget. And hopefully they'll be more greens and reds in the report!

Hey OP - I really appreciate you reviving this thread, as I must have missed it the first time around.
Your family sounds a lot like mine; we share a lot of meals, even though my kids are older now. I sometimes just "mooch" off everybody else, since I am the least picky of the bunch and I hate feeling too full at the parks anyway.

Don't worry about what some people thought of how you fed your family. You're on vacation; you do whatever it takes to keep everybody fed and happy. I can just imagine the meltdowns my son would have had when he was little if I'd even tried to suggest he eat something besides chicken strips on vacation! Actually, I'm not so sure it'd be much easier now at 15, lol!

Our post-vacation tradition is, as soon as I can, I make a huge pot of vegetable soup that we eat off of for two or three days! Kind of puts everything back in balance!

Have fun planning your next trip. I'll look forward to reading your next report!

 

[MOMOFMNM]

thanks to the OP...

I have a similar idea with my budget...seeing as though we are staying at SOG we can not get the DP which we had last year for FREE...but we are saving HUGE $$$$ by staying there so that was dh's compromise...

anyway I have it down to about 510 for 7 days for 5...yes FIVE!!

Last time at WDW we hardly ate...as a matter of fact, we are not a "big" eating family and left WDW last year with 12 YES 12 CS credits...
I am one who believes (As a weight watcher gal) that you should only eat when hungry til satisfaction. My dh agrees with me and YES we have our snacks but honestly our snacks ended up being our MEALS!!! We had THAT much food!! We share a lot of meals, the girls can split two kids meals and be happy..we are just as happy with a pretzel and a great parade (or ice cream and Spectro) as we were at CRT!!! Seriously...But I do love those rice crispy treatS!!

here is my plan

50's pt 60.00 plus 30 snack day 1
Garden Grill Lunch 85.00 plus 30 snack day 2
Cosmic Rays 35 plus 30 snack day 3
CP 85.00 plus 30 snack day 4
Tusker house 35 plus 30 snack day 5
CS meals day 6 60 total for day
Day 7 early flight home breakfast at Kona or Ohana if budget allows

this total is 510...I tried to include tip when neccessary but I am not on that STRICT of a budget and we eat breakfast in room every day...we can get tax free items at AAFEES if needed and eat at SOG if budget gets tight...
even with three TS meals for FIVE of us!!

we talked and all agreed that we spent TOO much time eating and missed a lot of stuff...we hardly saw ANY of WS and ANY of MGM and we were there in SLOW season last year

the girls said CRT was fun but they are not DYING to go back, once is enough for them...they were kinda miffed that they did not actually EAT with them...

anyway to give you an idea of what we did was we also get bottles and refill with water and take crystal light to go lemonade packs with us...besides, I hate diet coke anyway YUCK!!! Now if they had Pepsi that would be totally different!!
I really think my budget sounds good for our family but it will be ok if we go over too but I would like to try NOT to go over..

besides the girls get about 80 disney dollars and they are happy with that amount (for now)

thank you for showing us it can be done!

 

[Kath2003]

Hi OP,

This thread has inspired me. I was getting worried about the cost of eating in the theme parks this summer (2 adults) but I now realise it's not going to be a problem. Aside from 2 TS meals we have booked, we will only be eating counter service and it was nice to know that not everyone feels the need to have a soda with every meal (I'd rather have $2 in my pocket and drink ice water) and that we can easily share meals. We're two 21-year-old girls, considered average eaters in the UK but could easily split a WDW-CS portion and still be full (we're 5'4"/130lb and 5'6"/145lb) so it's good to know we're not the only ones doing it!

Roll on the double-cheeseburger with an extra bun!!

 

[La2kw]

Have you considered the dining plan...it seems that for a family of four would only be $90 a day and you wouldn't have to share any meals?

It's $37.99/ day for the adults and the 11 year old. The 9 year old would be $10.99. That adds up to more than $90/day- about $115/day.

 

[La2kw]

It's $37.99/ day for the adults and the 11 year old. The 9 year old would be $10.99. That adds up to more than $90/day- about $115/day.

Oops, I didn't realize this was such an old post.

 

[drogerstn]

This type of food budgeting is why I have not been able to justify the Dining Plan for our next visit. We always have a cooler for drinks and sandwich items. On some days, we take a midday break back at our resort room and make sandwiches for lunch.

 

[kimberlym4]

I'm sure this is posted somewhere else so forgive me but what is the DDE? Can it be used if you aren't staying onsite?
Thanks.

 

[Pluto's Honey]

Dde--disney Dining Experience

Save 20% At Most Table Service And Some Resort (like The All Stars) But You Must Have An Ap.

Weird Question...is Tea The Same Cost As Sodas At The Park/restuarant?
Great Thread I Was Going To Try And Stick To 150.00 For 4.

 

[NancyIL]

Thanks to the OP for bumping up this thread! I'll be at WDW in 2 weeks with my 15-year-old son, and I have a food budget of $70/day - although I'm hoping to spend less. I have the DDE card, and have one table service reservation made for 5 out of 7 days - mostly at lunch time. I have a few all-you can-eat places included, such as Biergarten and 'Ohana, so that should fill-up my son nicely, Also planning on stopping at the grocery store on the way to WDW to pick up cans of pop, granola bars, and other breakfast-type items. We're staying at the Swan, and Tubbi's is closed for renovation...so no food-court meals. That's ok, since I never found the food there to be that appetizing!

 

[kparc]

WE budgeted $100 a day for four of us last summer and it worked well for us also. We did a lot of the same things ...

• Drank mostly water (although we did occasionally share a soda)
  Bought the resort mugs!
  Ate breakfast in the room.
  Just ate a couple of special table service meals at lunch time.
  Shared meals and had a snack later. ( During the summer big meals weren't that appealing anyhow.

We never went hungry! Bigger meals would have been a waste of money and food for us!

 

[byoung]

Nice report.

 

[Grumpy'n'Goofy]

OK, this is totally OT but worth mentioning. For those of you who haven't read the OP's trip reports for her 1st trip to WDW, I recommend you do so. Her reports are nothing short of inspirational! They helped me remember what a vacation at WDW is really all about

Here are some links to the 1st few of her reports in the series:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=818218
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=821849
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=821891
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=822331

To NvrBnToWDW: tell Sci-fi Guy and Loudboy I said (Ok, they don't know me at all but I feel like I know them from reading your wonderful reports )

 

[maggs]

I admire what you have done but I dont think we could have stuck to a budget like that. None of us like fries. hotdogs or burgers. We are big on fish, veggies and fruit Im afraid so for us it is a matter of finding that food as cheaply as possible - not easy! We have been trawling through the menus and think we have found some good ts restaurants and counter servuce choices.
Well done on your efforts.

Maggs

 

[tinker&belle]

thanks to the OP...


Last time at WDW we hardly ate...as a matter of fact, we are not a "big" eating family and left WDW last year with 12 YES 12 CS credits...
I am one who believes (As a weight watcher gal) that you should only eat when hungry til satisfaction.

OT- Does anyone know if the nutritional values or WW points are available anywhere online or at the parks. Not that I will be trying to lose weight while at WDW, but it would be nice to not gain to much (I am on WW too, and hoping not to let ALL my hard work be wasted on the trip.)

 

[PaulaSB12]

I chose the dining plan, because of the ease of budgeting, a trip with meals for $37 dollars a day. I will be going solo so no sharing food (have a feeling the people on the next table wouldn't approve of me trying to share their food ) So as far as I can see. I get 2 meals a day and a snack and don't have to worry how much they cost.

 

[DebIreland]

OK, this is totally OT but worth mentioning. For those of you who haven't read the OP's trip reports for her 1st trip to WDW, I recommend you do so. Her reports are nothing short of inspirational!

I totally agree They're fabulous. I just went and read some of them there and am off now to search for the others. Wow!!!! What a great family.

OP, I love that you achieved to eat within budget. That's cool! We're not doing the dining plan because it would cost 125 a day and I reckon we can eat for less than that per day. It will be my mission.