Disney vacation food budget

[GatorMama]

We'll be driving down Sat and leaving Monday (a week and a half later). Total of 10 days. Just DH, me and DS (1.5)

I have $200 aside for the two ADRs we have (Artist Point and Chef Mickey's breakfast).
$100 for groceries (cooking as many meals as possible and taking lunch into parks

$100 for Quick Service/Fast Food (6 times in the plans- we plan to share an adult entree or order from the children's menu and supplement with snacks we will bring with us)

$100 "just in case" Is that pretty do-able? Reasonable?

 

[saysib]

Subbing to this as DH and I have just been having this very discussion over dinner!

 

[TinknBellesMom]

I think you could probably do the $100 for 6 quick service meals. Ordering a larger adult meal and as well as a kids meal would be about $15 or so. Would that be plenty of food for the three of you? It would for us (if we weren't feeding my 2 girls.)

But I'm not so sure you can do $100 for groceries for 10 days, that's only $10/day. What do you normally spend per week for groceries? Speaking of, have you added in your regular grocery budget?

 

[GatorMama]

I think you could probably do the $100 for 6 quick service meals. Ordering a larger adult meal and as well as a kids meal would be about $15 or so. Would that be plenty of food for the three of you? It would for us (if we weren't feeding my 2 girls.)

But I'm not so sure you can do $100 for groceries for 10 days, that's only $10/day. What do you normally spend per week for groceries? Speaking of, have you added in your regular grocery budget?

We normally spend $100/week on groceries, but we shop at the commissary... MUCH cheaper than Target or Publix (the two stores closest to our resort). The only reason I'm thinking it will be $100 or less (that we spend THERE) is because I'm buying anything that doesn't need refrigeration before we leave. I also planned meals for items that I already have in my stash (cereal, pancake mix, spaghetti sauce and pasta, etc).

 

[GinnyEmma]

Groceries are high down there. You might take a few staples if you are driving. Lol, posting while you were. The kid's meals are pretty nasty. The nuggets are the small processed, not strips. Just so you can plan. We'd sometimes share, and maybe grab an extra snack, later. Fruit is about a buck, or you could just take filler in, if it is necessary to cut to that point.

 

[ilovemk76]

We'll be driving down Sat and leaving Monday (a week and a half later). Total of 10 days. Just DH, me and DS (1.5)

I have $200 aside for the two ADRs we have (Artist Point and Chef Mickey's breakfast).
$100 for groceries (cooking as many meals as possible and taking lunch into parks

$100 for Quick Service/Fast Food (6 times in the plans- we plan to share an adult entree or order from the children's menu and supplement with snacks we will bring with us)

$100 "just in case" Is that pretty do-able? Reasonable?

For us this would not be enough and we are not feedig a young child too. DH and I usually get either two just the main item (burger or the like) or one meal with fries to share and a second main item. We are not snackers so we don't get ice cream, cupcakes and the like in between meals. Once or twice during the trip we get popcorn.


For the two ADRs you should be able to figure out how much that would be by looking at the menu and adding in tax and tip.

As another poster stated, food is expensive near WDW. I would up that budget too.

I would do $150 for the CS and $150 for the food plus bring the extra $100.

Are you not going to buy any snacks in the park? What about drinks? What about junior and a stuffed animal?

 

[thelobstershanty]

Buy your groceries at the super Walmart--much cheaper. We have a home right outside of WDW so we are familiar with the area grocery chains and their prices. The majority of locals shop at Super Walmart, it is MUCH cheaper and only about 15 min from WDW. Take 192 to rte 30 heading towards Clermont it is on right hand side next to Lowes.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

We budget about $1000 for food and souvenirs but also have 2 older children than you who eat more, and DH and I could not share a meal. 10 days is a long time for just $500, we only go for 7 days. I guess if you are good at being super frugal that could work, but I personally wouldn't be able to stick to it.

 

[AllesonWonderland]

Our first trip to Disney we spent $475 on food. That included front row HDDR tickets and breakfast at Chef Mickey's, all our groceries, and a CS meal per day. Our kids were 6 and 9 and we did some meal sharing. Ate breakfast and dinner at the townhouse and had snacks packed with us each day at the parks. We were there 9 days, did most of our shopping at Walmart the first day, but did have to pick a few things up at a (pricey) store near Windsor Hills. I think I may have packed some snack things like beef jerky, etc. So, I definitely think your budget is doable. Have a great trip!!

 

[weich1001]

I think $500 overall it is more than reasonable for 10 days--especially when you are cooking meals and eating out very minimally.
Best Wishes!

 

[GatorMama]

I should probaly also say that only TWO of those CS places are at Disney. one is at SeaWorld (wher MIL has an AP for the discount and might even cover our whole meal). The rest is just regular fast food (for which I have coupons). We will limit ourselves to one soda a day that we'll share and drink water the rest of the time. We all have water bottles and are ok with water... Need to keep hydrated. I have a boatload of snacks for the trip that we will utilize too. I've been looking at sale ads for publix... But I know some things can change between now and then... And that was an atl ad...I did show my SIL my list and she said 100 should be fine for what is listed and she shops at the publix down there weekly so she is familiar with prices.

 

[AshtonsMom99]

$500 should be very doable esp since your lil one wont eat much at least not enough to cause a dent in your budget...

 

[eliza61]

I think $500 overall it is more than reasonable for 10 days--especially when you are cooking meals and eating out very minimally.
Best Wishes!

uHmm I've got 2 concerns. She has 200 dollars for 2seperate meals. one of them is Artist point which is a signature restaurant. The cheapest item on the entrees is 29.00 bucks. so 58.00 dollars for entrees. Add another 12.00 for a appertizer and another 4 bucks if they have soda, more if they have a adult beverage. this is not including any thing for the daughter nor the tip. So she's close to 100 bucks on one meal without any food for her daughter and drinking water. so unless they are going to artist point and really have to watch what they order, I would bump up that.

I'm just the type that I hate going to a restaurant and saying well I can't afford to order an extra dessert or a glass of wine because it will blow the budget.

Now after that 200 bucks, she's only got $200 dollars for 10 days for 2 adults? whew, that's going to be seriously tight.

100 dollars for how many meals? and how many full dinners. Maybe because I've got 2 sons, after you buy some ground beef, maybe some cheap chicken. that's you're 100 bucks.

I couldn't do, not really sure I would want to. That means a ice cream cookie sandwich could throw off the budget.

 

[Madison'smommy]

I think so.... when we go I pack food and try to only buy perishables... By packing spices, snacks.... etc... saves alot because I would have used coupons on most of my stuff at home.

Have fun!

 

[Karabee]

The above comment was my concern as well. I usually budget at least $150 for a signature restaurant to include an app, 2 meals, 2 adult drinks plus tax and tip. It adds up quickly.

 

[eliza61]

Op, you say you're going to split cs meals. Do you do this at home? The reason I ask is that IMO, very few cs meals at the world were big enough to share and EVERYONE be satisfied. Some were definitely too big for me but whenever my dh and I tried to share, some one was always hungry 30 mins afterward and sorry granola bars for snacks do not last my dh until the next meal.

So for example we'd go to Earl of sandwich at dtd get a sandwich and split it but dh would have to buy a side of soup or fries. well by the time we add on its maybe a dollar or 2 less. Might as well get his own sandwich and be full.

 

[GatorMama]

We've considered the prices of meals at Artist Point. I did a "mock" total by looking at the menu (which I know is seasonal, so it could change) and choosing the items we'd be most likely to add to our "bill" I also budget for tax and tip... there AND Chef Mickey's. If we get a dessert, we'll share. We won't get an appetizer since we haven't been able to finish our meals when we ordered apps there in the past. Our son won't be with us for Artist Point, but we wouldn't have ordered anything for him anyway. We're lucky if he eats a bite or two of any one thing.

 

[GatorMama]

Op, you say you're going to split cs meals. Do you do this at home? The reason I ask is that IMO, very few cs meals at the world were big enough to share and EVERYONE be satisfied. Some were definitely too big for me but whenever my dh and I tried to share, some one was always hungry 30 mins afterward and sorry granola bars for snacks do not last my dh until the next meal.

So for example we'd go to Earl of sandwich at dtd get a sandwich and split it but dh would have to buy a side of soup or fries. well by the time we add on its maybe a dollar or 2 less. Might as well get his own sandwich and be full.

When we go out to eat, yes, we have shared meals without it being a problem. We almost always share when we eat at Busch Gardens... actualy... I can't think of a time we DIDN'T share.

 

[eliza61]

When we go out to eat, yes, we have shared meals without it being a problem. We almost always share when we eat at Busch Gardens... actualy... I can't think of a time we DIDN'T share.

I always ask 'cause I find that people can be disappointed when they think they can share at disney. I always think if you don't share at a cs type meal when you're out, its really not feasible to think that it will be successful at disney.

 

[GatorMama]

I can't think of much at home that compared to CS... Panera Bread maybe? We don't share there... because we don't like the same kind of meal. I always want something a little lighter (soup and salad) and he wants something thick and heavy (broccoli cheddar- EW! and a turkey panini). Oh... and we do eat all of our meals (except chips- we save them for later) there, but we feel terrible afterwards... so worth it though. I practically lick my bowl clean. Is it fall yet??