Average Price of CS Meal

[Trina7020]

For 2 adults and a 3 year old and a 2 year old....

My kids typically share a kids meal in a normal restaurant so they will most likely share in Disney as well.

Is $25 a meal a good estimate. I realize that some maybe higher or lower... just an estimate.

I am trying to decide on OOP, DDP, DDDP

 

[bigbabyblues]

Here is a link to the menus for WDW:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm

We usually split 2 cs meals and have plenty (me, DH, DS6 and DS4)

 

[DCDisney]

It's hard to share kids meals at WDW because the protein part is very small ie 4 tiny chick nuggets. We always had plenty of sides but to get enough protein and a milk for each kid we needed 2 kids meals. If you include drinks and dessert you won't be able to get it for less than about $40. If there is some sharing you may be able to do $25. Places like wolfgang puck express were $70 for 4 of us. Yak and Yeti CS was $50 for 4.

 

[WETWHISTLE]

For many CS it was at least $30 for 2 Adults for us.

But it all depends on if you all get drinks, dessert, etc.

 

[Tricia1972]

I worked out our anticipated figures for our March trip in another thread. I'll share my findings here, which really only prove Wetwhistle's point. It all depends on what you eat when you go. Our group is 5 Adults, 1 Child and 1 Infant.

Pinocchio's Village Haus - Total $45.36 (Average 7.56 per person)
Figaro Fries $3.19, Figaro Fries $3.19, Sandwich $6.99, Sandwich $7.29, Sandwich $6.99, Kids Meal $4.49, Beverages (5) $10.45
Subtotal - $42.59
With Tax - $45.36


Backlot Express - Total $53.67 (Average 8.95 per person)
Sandwich $7.09, Sandwich $7.09, Sandwich $7.09, Sandwich $7.09, Kids Meal $4.49, Beverages (5) $10.45
Subtotal - $50.39
With Tax - $53.67


Wolfgang Puck Express - Total $44.72 (Average $7.45 per person)
Flatbreads (3 x $9.25) $27.75, Kids Meal $4.49, Beverages (5) $9.75
Subtotal - $41.99
With Tax - $44.72

Flame Tree BBQ - Total $44.45 (Average $7.41 per person)
Sandwich (5 x $7.29) $36.45, Kids Meal $4.49, Beverages (5) $10.45
Subtotal - $51.39
With Tax - $54.73
DDE Discount ($10.28)

Earl of Sandwich - Total $48.14 (Average $8.02 per person)
Hot Sandwiches (5 x $5.75) $28.75, Kids Meal $3.95, Beverages (5) $12.50
Subtotal - $45.20
With Tax - $48.14

Artist's Palate - Total $43.07 x 2 (eating here twice) - $86.14 (Average $7.18 per person WITHOUT beverages)
Adult Meals (5 x $7.29), Kids Meal $3.99 (No Beverages - home resort will eat in room with soda there)
Subtotal - $40.44
With Tax - $43.07

Really it depends on your group.

 

[Trina7020]

I think I am going to change my estimate to $40 for a CS equiv. to 2 adult and 1 child


Thanks!

 

[Luv2Roam]

If DH and I eat at a WDW counter service I can figure dropping at least $20.
And don't think it is just Disney. I figure the same at Sea World and USO. And that is basically a McD's combo-type meal.

 

[Tomh]

I heard a lot of horror stories about how expensive it was going to be to eat a WDW, and was really worried. Then, I saw a link to the menus with prices, and compared them to what I pay to eat at my local regional park (a Six Flags) and low and behold, Disney counter service is no more expensive than my local Six Flags.

When I take my family to McDonalds (myself, DW, DD19, DD13, and DS4) it usually costs me about $30 - $35. I don't mind paying a bit more to eat in the park, I expect that. It certainly isn't as horribly expensive as I had feared it would be.

 

[Brian Noble]

We have 2A2C. We don't order dessert. Bottled water with the A meals. We normally pay cash. The range is from about $25-$40, with most being on the bottom half of the range---we've only hit $40 in a few WS locations.

I usually spend more for less at my local amusement park (Cedar Point.)

 

[septbaby]

For 2 adults and a 3 year old and a 2 year old....I am trying to decide on OOP, DDP, DDDP

Generally speaking having a child in the mix makes the DP a much better value. Keep in mind your 2yo can share for free and she can eat off her own plate for free at buffets. For your family the nightly cost for the basic DP is: $86

If you had 2A & 2C CSmeals a day you'd probably spend $60-70 each day including just drinks and entrees for two adults, no desserts. Snack items or adult desserts would be additional.

The question comes in how do you want to eat on vacation? Do you mind paying each time? Do you want the convenience of the plan and having meals pre paid? Do you want to take your children to TS character meals? Disney can be done on lots of budgets, just have to decide which you prefer.

We were a family of 2 adults and a 5yo. We were on the DP and loved it. I can't see doing Disney on site w/o it, but that's just my preference. We ate a TS meal each day (Narcoossee's (2TS), Coral Reef lunch, Chef Mickey's late bfast, Boma, Hollywood & Vine dinner). We only had 5TS credits so we paid OOP for the little one at Narcoossee's(his meal was under $10) and for the adults at Chef Mickey's.

We shared a lot of counter service meals. Often if you order the combo meals or platters you get a lot of food. Generally speaking we ate CS this way: my nephew and I usually split a combo meal or he got his PB&J kids meal . My mother got her own meal, but anything on the table was fair game to be shared.

If you decide to do a TS meal daily the DP is probably your best bet. Here is a possible "cheap" character meal day:

Breakfast at Chef Mickey's or Hollywood and Vine: $63 OOP with tax included
CS meal and snack shared by the 2/3yo: $4-7
CS Dinner for the family: $30 including tax
No snacks included on this day
You can round your OOP cost to $100, more than the DP and you still didn't get 2 of the snacks you'd get on the DP. You also paid taxes that are included in the $86 fee for the DP

Honestly, the Deluxe plan is probably more food and restaurant time than your little ones need. With that plan you probably want to have 2TS meals per day and that may be asking a lot of any 2 and 3yo and the parents who have to keep them "happy". There is so much to do at the parks and resorts I'd give them enough time to do those things rather than sitting it in restaurants or even worse, restaurant lobbies.

Sorry for such a long post, but I could almost see the wheels churning for you in your post and just wanted to share our experience and churn some numbers for you!

 

[LizinSTL]

I heard a lot of horror stories about how expensive it was going to be to eat a WDW, and was really worried. Then, I saw a link to the menus with prices, and compared them to what I pay to eat at my local regional park (a Six Flags) and low and behold, Disney counter service is no more expensive than my local Six Flags.

When I take my family to McDonalds (myself, DW, DD19, DD13, and DS4) it usually costs me about $30 - $35. I don't mind paying a bit more to eat in the park, I expect that. It certainly isn't as horribly expensive as I had feared it would be.

Yes, it's comparable to most theme park/amusement park type counter service prices. The difference is you go to 6 flags for the day/afternoon and go home so you only spend that $50 for lunch once in a while. You don't get McDs 2-3 times a day for a week @ $30-35 per meal. The reason people express horror at the menu prices is the cost when you add it up at the end of the trip! When you are a captive guest, having used Magical Express with no rental car and no access to offsite dining, the $50 lunches get a bit tiresome.

That said, there are ways to control costs while dining at Disney!

 

[beroh2253]

If you take Tricia's prices and divide by 5 for 5 adults, most seem to be less the $10 per person for each CS.

 

[NMW]

3 years ago we went without a dining plan. When we bought CS lunch for the 5 of us it was about $45-$50. However, we did not buy kids meals anywhere because my kids did not like th choices, so that was the price for 5 adult meals. We ate CS lunch maybe 3 times that trip in 3 different parks (AK, MK, and Epcot) and it was the almost exactly the same at all 3 places.

If you think that's expensive you should try feeding 5 people at a Phillies or Yankees game. It's like $95 for 5 people!

 

[Tricia1972]

If you take Tricia's prices and divide by 5 for 5 adults, most seem to be less the $10 per person for each CS.

That's about what we found, and kids are just under $5.00 each.

 

[YesMickey]

For my family of 4,(see below), it costs us $98/night to be on the DDP. We have done it 3 different times now and on average our TS meal ends up costing that much. Therefore our CS and snacks were basically free. Remember desserts at WDW run about $3.50 apiece. By far our favorite CS at all of WDW was at the Sunshine Seasons in the Land at EPCOT. There are great grilled and rotisseried meats, grilled veggies and rice pilaf. These meals cost apprx. $9.50 and they have a dessert counter made of top quality pastry chef desserts that run about $3.50 apiece. When my family ate there one day a few weeks ago, our bill was $45+-. That was basically free for us because we ate at Coral Reef that night and that bill came up to about $95+-. The DDP is still a deal if you go to the right places. BTW at Coral Reef that night the kids both got Grilled Mahi Mahi and loved it. Grilled Mahi Mahi for the kids. Unbelievable.