DW on $40 a day...?

[Glennwood]

DW and I, inspired by the TV show $40 A Day, where a woman travels from city to city, eats three meals, and stays below $40 a day, plan to try this at DW. We'd like to have one full service meal per day. Suggestions?

 

[oogieboogie]

Breakfast: Breakfast platter at food court - $5.69, Refillable mug of coffee - free (you already bought the mug)
Lunch: Kona Cafe - Asian Noodle Bowl - $12.99, Pot Stickers - $6.99, Water - free
Total: $19.98 + $1.30 tax + $3.83 tip = $25.11
Dinner: Casey's - Grand Slam Hot Dog - $3.89, Fries - $1.99, Water - free total: $5.88

Grand total: $36.68
If you add a Mickey Bar add another $2.50 - total: $39.18

 

[ADisneygirl]

Do you mean $40 a day for both of you?? I think that this will be a challenge especially for two people AND at Disney! Even if you both ate light and ate breakfast and lunch at a food court, I think you would spend over your $40 a day. I know me, DD and DS coughed up $40 bucks at breakfast in Boma at AKL eating the breakfast buffet.

That girl who does this on tv is eating for one and if you watch, she is eating at off the beaten track places. Disney overcharges because they have you there, a captive audience. Unless you want to go offsite.

If you meant $40 each to spend then I think it is do~able, but not easy.

 

[BethR]

That girl who does this on tv is eating for one and if you watch, she is eating at off the beaten track places. Disney overcharges because they have you there, a captive audience. Unless you want to go offsite.

Yes, but did I read somewhere that she has done this at WDW? Anyone know?
BTW that "girl" is Rachel Ray and my husband, who has never cooked a meal for us in the almost 25 years that we have been married watches Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals - and believe me, it's not for the recipes.

 

[SnowyPrincesses:)]

I would suggest looking at the menus and the reviews of Disney restaurants at Allearsnet.com The reviews are helpful by letting you know where the portions are large and meal splitting an option. The menus are also fairly complete with prices listed. The menus are listed by parks and then by restaurants so you can essentially plan your whole meal plan before you get there and be fairly accurate at what the cost will be.

Deep Sigh, Can you tell I spend too much time here?

I wish I could put the link but I'm not sure how. Let me know how you make out, maybe we can share ideas!

It may not be as fun as a total splurge but I bet you can do it just fine and if you're at all like me the fun is also in the planning.

 

[cherylp3]

ok - doing this for 1 person - not including tax or tip:

Breakfast at Roaring Forks:

Fresh Fruit Cup - $2.99
Assorted Yogurts - $1.99
Soda: 1.99
subtotal 6.97

Lunch - Cosmic Rays
Grilled chicken sand. 6.79
soda: 1.99
meal total: 8.98

Sub Total 15.75
Dinner
Rose & Crown
Harry Ramsden's, The World's Most Famous Fish & Chips
$14.99
soda: 1.99

Total 32.73

Also many times I've seen Rachel just order a soup instead of a meal or just an appetizer as a meal. Also if you order from counter service you can order from the childrens menu.

 

[cherylp3]

Rachel went to Orlando

The places she went are here http://www.foodtv.com/food/show_ad/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9947_20558,00.html

She didn't even eat on disney property and she split the fondue with a family.
Also note the fondue place is up in Casselberry. They are very good but its a 1 hr drive from wdw.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Rachel Ray's $40 a Day is for one person, so I say Yes, you could do $80 a Day for two. The three of us, in 1999, budgeted about $100 a day for food and looking quickly at my proposal for later this year, we can do about the same - even going to a character buffet.

 

[luvthatduke]

Here's the link to the menus:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

To help with keeping in our food budget
I took the time (a lot of time),
to look at every menu in every park,
and cut/pasted the info into my WP.
I didn't do it all at once, just a little at a time.

I now have about 29 pages (whew!), but guess what?
It will help take the guesswork & arguing out of the meal decisions.
DH & I have agreed that if the restaurant is NOT listed,
then we don't eat there - no discussion allowed.
And, because the menus are there for us to look at,
we can make our meal plans based on what we really want.

Yes, I know - my compulsive planning is both a blessing & a curse!

 

[Leota]

I could do $40 a day for myself with a sit-down. I could not do $40 a day with a sit-down for my 16 yo DS. lol It depends on what & how much you like to eat. I think I'd even be hard pressed to do $40 a day for DH, he likes his steaks.....

Also, Rachel could Tip a little better, some of her tips are pretty insulting. I like her & love watching her shows, but come on with the tips!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I also rely on Deb Will's (allearsnet) menus to make my budget. I look at the choices, think of what the family would pick or take an average of all items to come up with a number.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I guess you could always get a package, add the dining option on for $35/person/night and spend the extra $5 for breakfast.

 

[PrincessCandaceMarie]

It can be done! I even can do it for $25.00 too!!! *give or take a few cents here and there* Enjoy!

 

[christinadei]

I know I could do it for $40 a day per person. The allears.net website is really helpful in planning meals and prices.

 

[Alice28]

I think I could easily do it, because rarely do I buy breakfast; I usually bring granola bars from home. I usually buy a banana at the hotel's food court and maybe a milk, or just refill my refillable mug (which I count as a souvenir not a food item) with diet coke or coffee.

So, I could easily picture myself doing something like this:
Breakfast- piece of fruit- $1.00 or $1.50

Lunch- chicken strips & carrots at Columbia Harbour House in MK & soda- about $9 with tax

Dinner- Prime rib dinner at Kona cafe with water- $25.00 with tax and tip

Snack- $5.00 for ice cream or popcorn and a drink. Or, skip the snack and get an alcoholic beverage with dinner.

I can think of endless ways to spend $40 on just me for a day and feel quite satisfied. I could easily do a light lunch, but go to Whispering Canyon, Ohana, or Cape May for dinner for about $28 (with soda, tax and tip) and pig out!

I can't wait to go again someday! I am not sure my husband could do the $40 a day; probably, since he's not a breakfast eater, nor a big lunch eater, but boy does he love a good steak and martini.

And Rachael Ray DOES seem skimpy with the tips sometimes, doesn't she. She also often eats more than I would in a regular day...but it's fun to watch!

 

[mrsmiller]

BethR
I thought my husband was the only one!!!!!

Linnette

 

[Deesknee]

rent a car eat large meal outside of disney property.

 

[stich626]

I am a huge fan of the show. Hubby and I find it very useful in our travels. Seems we are always on a budget. Neither of us are big breakfast eaters so that helps out alot. I always tend to spend too much on beers in Epcot!!! The Rose and Crown does me in. lol

 

[disneysteve]

Do you mean $40 a day for both of you?? I think that this will be a challenge especially for two people AND at Disney! Even if you both ate light and ate breakfast and lunch at a food court, I think you would spend over your $40 a day.

Last trip in November, the 3 of us (DW, DD-9 and I) averaged $20/person/day for all food, snacks and beverages. We ate breakfast in our room. Lunch in the parks and dinner either in the parks, offsite restaurant or one nite prepared in our condo. Actually, the trip before that we averaged under $17/person/day. So $40/day for 2 is definitely possible.

 

[MEM]

There was a thread similar to this about a year ago. I suggested Rachel spend the day at Epcot, beginning with coffee and a pastry at the Fountain View Cafe. Then late-morning drink (free) at Ice Station Cool (making sure she tries the Beverly!!), lunch at Cantina de San Angel, midafternoon snack of a rainbow kaki gori in Japan, dinner at Tangierine Cafe in Morocco and a glass of wine in France during IllumiNations. Rachel seems to like to try food she can't get at home so I suggested Epcot for the day. She will also avoid tipping by using only counter service. I recall the total was under $40.