Feeding Teenagers at Disney

[Nancyg56]

I agree completely.
4 years is just dreaming, not planning. I don't know what 4 months will bring, let alone 4 years. And in Disney time, it is warp time.
My best advice is to start to put money into a Disney vacation fund now. Fund it weekly or monthly as you can. Be consistent so you can afford your dream. The bottom line is you are going to need a lot more money than you think you will now.
Good Luck

Exactly. My cost 4 years ago is way lower than it is this time. Our dining options have changed. The plans changed. The resort costs changed. Ticket prices escalated.

Save for a year or two. Start then, what will the teens want then? My dgd told her mom she would like a different destination. Even last year we would not have guessed our Disney girl want to be a marine biologist and would prefer visiting marine wildlife preserves. For now. After 6 months interning at an aquarium and another year of school? Who knows?

Your teens preferences will be changed as well. They may still want a wdw trip, but may not and if you spend four years invested in making it happen you may be dragging kids who make you miserable

 

[lovin'fl]

I have three older kids and we've been to WDW maybe 15 times (DVC so we go a lot). I can tell you the places my kids like to eat. They love Biergarten, Boma for late breakfast, Yak and Yeti, 50s Prime Time, Beaches and Cream, OHana, Whispering Canyon and TRex/Rainforest. DS-20 likes more ethnic places than DDs and he liked places such as Sanaa and Spice Road. DDs not so much.

DDs are doing a graduation trip in May and they told me what ADRs to make....Biergarten, Beaches and Cream, Yak and Yeti, 50s Prime Time and Ohana. They actually had two for each day, four day trip, and I had them cut back to one dinner per day plus allowed them one TS lunch at Beaches and Cream. My mom and I will be there too but staying at another resort and I booked us four dinners: Tutto Italia, Whispering Canyon, Sanaa and Ohana with the girls on the last night. Also booked all five of us Boma breakfast on check out day but don't think the girls will make it over and back to their resort in time to get ME. Maybe we can Uber them back and forth????

 

[TwoMisfits]

With only 4 people and no parking fee as an onsite guest - get a rental for 2 weeks. Go to the cheaper buffets around (Sweet Tomatoes, Golden Corral, Ci Cis, etc) as a linner/dunch break and just let them eat. Also, use that rental to get groceries at least 1-2 times (one delivery probably won't cover 2 weeks if you are looking for fresh type foods, like fruit/bread/etc - they won't stay good long enough - plus, then you can not run out or try to stifle their eating if you get low)...

 

[KrazeeK120]

With only 4 people and no parking fee as an onsite guest - get a rental for 2 weeks. Go to the cheaper buffets around (Sweet Tomatoes, Golden Corral, Ci Cis, etc) as a linner/dunch break and just let them eat. Also, use that rental to get groceries at least 1-2 times (one delivery probably won't cover 2 weeks if you are looking for fresh type foods, like fruit/bread/etc - they won't stay good long enough - plus, then you can not run out or try to stifle their eating if you get low)...

That assumes there will be no parking fee 4.5 years from now.

 

[Nancyg56]

That assumes there will be no parking fee 4.5 years from now.

This is why I worry when people start planning so far out. Things change quickly in wdw lately when it comes to costs

 

[TwoMisfits]

That assumes there will be no parking fee 4.5 years from now.

Even then, feeding them $10 buffets for 4 is $40 (say $60 if they get no deals with some price inflation and taxes/tips). That's less than the cost of 1 buffet with tax/tip at Disney right now...even with parking, at 2 weeks of time, the car will pay for itself by meal 2 or 3 (since car deals are really easy to get in Orlando)...and the extra grocery stop or two would also be priceless.

Fill them up and then have snacks and cheaper meal options in the parks to not break the bank while feeding teens (which was the request). Now, free dining comes out, and with 4 Disney adults, that changes the calculus, but it's good to have an affordable plan to start from that can only get better...

 

[Hopefully]

Even then, feeding them $10 buffets for 4 is $40 (say $60 if they get no deals with some price inflation and taxes/tips). That's less than the cost of 1 buffet with tax/tip at Disney right now...even with parking, at 2 weeks of time, the car will pay for itself by meal 2 or 3 (since car deals are really easy to get in Orlando)...and the extra grocery stop or two would also be priceless.

Fill them up and then have snacks and cheaper meal options in the parks to not break the bank while feeding teens (which was the request). Now, free dining comes out, and with 4 Disney adults, that changes the calculus, but it's good to have an affordable plan to start from that can only get better...

Your suggestions will fill them up just not with good tasting quality food.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Your suggestions will fill them up just not with good tasting quality food.

Depends on the buffet - healthiest eating I ever do out in Florida is at Sweet Tomatoes. And again, the Op didn't ask for the most delicious way to do it (and that's subjective anyway - even my spouse and I disagree on delicious food - I could indulge in a heavenly mango salsa topped fresh cod every day, and he would be grossed out that there is fruit on his fish, and he could eat Thai Spicy Green Curry every day that I literally could not eat one bite of without crying...both "delicious", but to each of us, disgusting in turn)...she asked for a way not to break the bank.

Eating a single Disney lunch/dinner buffet per day for 4 Disney adults will run between $200-$250 (or more, especially by then) with tax/tip per day. Times 14 days and the Op is at $2800-$3200 just for a single meal a day. I think that is why she asked for best plans. I gave her one - you can disagree with it, but it is a valid suggestion and no less healthy than gorging on any buffet, Disney or otherwise. Buffets (and most restaurants in general) live by soaking everything is sweet, salt, and fat...so home cooking will almost always be "healthiest" followed by food closest to its original form (least doctored)...but then again, that also might not be the tastiest...