first trip in 11years...

[kywildwolf]

Hello all. My fiancee and i are coming to disney in june (we hope still).we are on a mega budget on getting there.we took the dinning plan plus since it will be us and 3 kids.we are wondering whats the best way to save money on breakfast since we will be using our qs and td for lunches and dinners? We hope to get down there still as we are paying on the trip still through a travel agency and have to have it paid for by april 25th. still owe $1307. We are a disney family that wants to see the world again =) We hope to since i havent been in 11yrs and my fiancee hasnt been in 5 years. and we will be bringing 3 kids as well who love disney the youngest of which has never been yet. so keep your fingers crossed and wish us some luck to get this amount paid for in 58 days to give our family the best vacation ever!!

 

[leadfootlevi]

Unless you're getting the dining plan for free, the general consensus is that you will probably pay less if you pay for your meals OOP and book your room with a room-only discount. Who eats 2 desserts a day plus a snack? Many meals are shareable, and you can order appetizers for a meal or two people can order one appetizer and one meal to share at non-buffet/non-family style TS restaurants. These are just a few of the many ideas people have for saving money on food at WDW.

For breakfast, we had garden grocer deliver some cereal, milk, bananas, muffins, bagels, cream cheese, mini donuts, etc., and we ate breakfast in the room most days. If you can, select something breakfast-y as your "dessert" on your QS meals, then save that item for breakfast the next day.

Share snacks if you can. One morning we brought 2 apples and 2 bananas with us to the MK, stopped at the bakery for one cinnamon roll, and had breakfast there with one snack credit. Everyone was satisfied and ready to ride after that! We tend to eat early lunches and early dinners, but we're also early to bed.

Good luck in your budgeting and planning. Have a great trip!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I have to agree with PP that going with the room discount and paying out pocket can make more sense depending on your eaters and your budget. We have done free dining in the past but opted for the room discount this time. We have one child (just turned 3) who would have to be on a plan (free if we pay rack rate for room but room discount is better for us) and he does not eat with enough consistency to justify paying rack rate for a room. DS7 eats but he is just as likely to not eat or to want to share. Anyways the point is, the Dining plan was great for us at a cheaper hotel and with good eaters. We still ended up with leftover credits though. Disney is really good about running numbers with you so you may want to see if room discount or free dining saves you more money. Also we do snacks and breakfast food from Garden Grocer as well. Happy planning

 

[mrodgers]

Unless you're getting the dining plan for free, the general consensus is that you will probably pay less if you pay for your meals OOP and book your room with a room-only discount. Who eats 2 desserts a day plus a snack? Many meals are shareable.....

My experience was way off from this. First off, we didn't eat anything out of the ordinary that we wouldn't eat going out to dinner at home (read as, we didn't go buying the most expensive just to "get our money's worth".) Our meals only (lunch counter and dinner sit-down) without counting the snack or dessert costs were over $1000. The dining plan when we went was $648 I think. The snacks we used for waters most of the week and bought about 10 Mickey Head rice krispy treats to take home to family members with leftover snack and left over counter service (few times ended up getting pizza at the resort for 2 credits rather than using 4 credits for 4 meals in the park which we traded 1 counter credit for 2 snacks.)

The second thing is, I don't know how everyone always talks of sharing meals. They certainly were not huge. If the counter service meals were shared, you would each end up with a mere 2 bites because 4 bites was about all the counter meals were made up of (thinking the most common mentioned, Cosmic Ray's chicken and ribs.)

Have to say, all in my family agreed, the mashed potatoes everywhere were to die for, thus they would have been impossible to share as no one could get enough of them, LOL.

 

[CapnKT626]

I also agree that my experience has been far off from this. We get the dining plan whenever we can. Meals are expensive at Disney and you can very easily spend over $100 on 5 people. It sounds hard, but at Disney...it's not. The snack options are really nice too. Also, remember that if you need water they have to give it to you free of charge. You can go up to any place with a soda fountain machine and go up to the counter and just ask for a cup for water. I do this every time I go there. They are required by law to give it to you for free. Don't pay $4 for a water bottle. Especially since you are going in June, you will want water constantly.

Also, if you are staying in a resort that does not provide refrigerators, you can get around this. Call your front desk either before your vacation or when you arrive and request for a refrigerator for medical reasons. Some people need a fridge to keep meds cold and they are required by law to give it to you and not ask questions. I would suggest finding a grocery store or a convenience store and buying some breakfast food to keep in the fridge.

Also, the extra points you have left over can be used on lots of snacks for the drive home or late night snacks at the resort.

Disney is worth every penny and I'm sure you'll have an amazing time I will be arriving for the college program a few days after you get there!

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Whether or not you get your money's worth on the dining plan depends on whether you have kids under 9 and what sort of table-service meals you choose. When we've had 2 kids between 3-9 and used the DDP, we've always come out ahead because we choose at least 2-3 character meals out of 7 and the kids' OOP pricing is more than the one-night cost of the DDP for them. My kids would never share a meal even if it were enough for them to share because they don't like the same things.

OP, we will often take breakfast food to eat in our room - Pop-tarts, granola bars, Nutri-grain bars, or even a box of cereal and disposable bowls and spoons, and I buy milk at the food court or resort gift shop. We do like to vary it a little and get a hot breakfast every couple of days, either paying OOP or doing a later-morning big breakfast buffet with a TS credit (like Crystal Palace, Tusker House, etc) and then just snack in the early afternoon and use a CS credit for dinner.

Hope you've made your TS reservations - they do fill up quickly these days! Have a terrific vacation!

 

[kywildwolf]

Whether or not you get your money's worth on the dining plan depends on whether you have kids under 9 and what sort of table-service meals you choose. When we've had 2 kids between 3-9 and used the DDP, we've always come out ahead because we choose at least 2-3 character meals out of 7 and the kids' OOP pricing is more than the one-night cost of the DDP for them. My kids would never share a meal even if it were enough for them to share because they don't like the same things.

OP, we will often take breakfast food to eat in our room - Pop-tarts, granola bars, Nutri-grain bars, or even a box of cereal and disposable bowls and spoons, and I buy milk at the food court or resort gift shop. We do like to vary it a little and get a hot breakfast every couple of days, either paying OOP or doing a later-morning big breakfast buffet with a TS credit (like Crystal Palace, Tusker House, etc) and then just snack in the early afternoon and use a CS credit for dinner.

Hope you've made your TS reservations - they do fill up quickly these days! Have a terrific vacation!

Yeah im afraid all my kids are perfectly healthy but have huge appetites. Theres no way they would share them. Yeah i was thinking cereals etc cheapo mini donuts etc possibly for breakfast. i live in kentucky and those are often times cheap.our ts reservations are already made for sure! And a huge thanks to everyone here for your advice. im like everyone else in the worls just trying to save a dollar and make thier family happy! =) Im just praying to get it paid for in time. i have 58 days to go and so far its not looking as good as it did to begin with. Im gunna die inside if i dont get to take my kids.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We usually take an electric skillet with us on vacation & cook breakfast in the room - pancakes, ham/egg/cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs & bacon, etc. Not every day mind you - often, it's just donuts & milk

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

How old are the kids? We just went away with our 6 year old and we found she did not want to sit down for meals everyday. She would have rather of been on the go or swimming! Less time sitting and eating the better for her! I agree with others to price it out w/o the DDP.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think something else to look at right now might be ways to save money NOW in order to try to save your trip.

Maybe consider:

Skipping a week or two of buying groceries. Most people have at least two weeks of food sitting on the shelf just because it's not our favorite, or just got forgotten or whatever...EAT IT.

Cut out anything you can. No eating out. No clothes or other purchases that can wait. Pack kids lunches (and adults) to avoid lunch money.

Work any and all overtime if that is an option or offer to do extra jobs such as baby sitting for neighbors etc.

Sell stuff on e-bay or craigs list or have a garage sale.

Maybe even drop cable for a few months.


Breakfast in the room is easy. Cereal, pop tarts, muffins, juice boxes, fruit.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Skipping a week or two of buying groceries. Most people have at least two weeks of food sitting on the shelf just because it's not our favorite, or just got forgotten or whatever...EAT IT.

I wish I could convince my wife to try that. I think we could survive for about 75 straight weeks

 

[ZehnJahren]

Also, if you are staying in a resort that does not provide refrigerators, you can get around this. Call your front desk either before your vacation or when you arrive and request for a refrigerator for medical reasons. Some people need a fridge to keep meds cold and they are required by law to give it to you and not ask questions. I would suggest finding a grocery store or a convenience store and buying some breakfast food to keep in the fridge.

Hate to tell you this, but the medical fridges (for MEDICAL REASONS) are tiny. You aren't fitting much in there at all - certainly not groceries. I wouldn't suggest this anyway - what if you took a fridge from, you know, someone who ACTUALLY HAD MEDICAL PROBLEMS WHO NEEDED THE FRIDGE (do you think there's an unlimited supply? Really!).

The dining plan may or may not save you money - make sure you've looked at the menus of the places you have ADRs for. That way, you'll know exactly what you really need $$ wise to eat, and decide whether the dining plan is worth it. It's your money, after all.

Finally, most places I ate while there were easily sharable. My mom and I shared a few meals - notably at Cosmic Ray's and Columbia Harbor House, and many assorted treats. If you're a big eater, that wouldn't work - but if you've got three kids I'd bet two of them could eat off one chicken nugget plate. I also take down a box of granola bars, because it's a great breakfast and snack for me and keeps me going when I'm not quite ready to stop running around yet - you might bring some snack mix, poptarts, even beef jerky (another favorite) and save some money.

 

[momtosam]

We ship a box of snacks and breakfast items to our resort ahead of time. We usually just pick up a half-gallon of milk at one of the Hess stations on property. You will also be able to use snack credits for pastries, rice krispie treats, etc. We usually ate a simple breakfast of cereal or cereal bars and then packed lots of snacks for the morning in the park. (I carry a back pack in the parks.)

Have a great trip!

 

[MariDisney]

Also, if you are staying in a resort that does not provide refrigerators, you can get around this. Call your front desk either before your vacation or when you arrive and request for a refrigerator for medical reasons. Some people need a fridge to keep meds cold and they are required by law to give it to you and not ask questions. I would suggest finding a grocery store or a convenience store and buying some breakfast food to keep in the fridge.

I missed where the OP noted that someone in her party had a medical condition.

 

[Marionnette]

Yeah im afraid all my kids are perfectly healthy but have huge appetites. Theres no way they would share them. Yeah i was thinking cereals etc cheapo mini donuts etc possibly for breakfast. i live in kentucky and those are often times cheap.our ts reservations are already made for sure! And a huge thanks to everyone here for your advice. im like everyone else in the worls just trying to save a dollar and make thier family happy! =) Im just praying to get it paid for in time. i have 58 days to go and so far its not looking as good as it did to begin with. Im gunna die inside if i dont get to take my kids.

Here's something that can help you with your payment dilemma right now.

Call the travel agent and ask if the agency charges a change fee. Disney doesn't charge one if you have more than 45 days until your trip, so don't let her tell you than Disney will charge you. They won't.

If the agency doesn't charge a fee, then have the travel agent remove all of the extras from your package...dining, hopping, waterpark fun & more. Basically everything but the room and base tickets with a minimum number of days on them. This will drop the amount of money you have due when you are 45 days away from your trip.

Then, when you have the money together, call her back. Add the dining plan to the reservation if you still want it. You will have to pay for it when you add it on but Disney doesn't charge a change fee when you decide to spend more money with them. You can add the dining plan to a reservation as late as 72 hours prior to arrival, although I wouldn't wait that late if I could pay for it before then.

You can also wait until you arrive at Disney to upgrade your tickets with more days, hopping or the waterpark and more addon. This would give you more time to save for any of those.

Hope this helps with your money crunch! Enjoy your trip!

 

[nmb1dsnefan]

Great advise Marionette!!! I didn't realize you could do that! I will have to remember this for our next trip.

 

[tink2dw]

If you haven't checked out Mouse Savers for WDW discounts please do!!! She has all the deals!! www.MouseSavers.com and one the best place to check out when planning a trip!

And there is a list of free things to do at Disney and discounted things to do!

On the Money Saving, cut out coffee at expensive coffee shops, at $5.00 or more that's a saving of $25. a week.

Don't buy any Happy Meals or fast food till after you get back, only eat at home.

Ask everyone to give up meat twice a week and have a zucchini lasagna or a hearty vegi soup over noodes or rice, or vegi pizza. You save money not buying meat. Or breakfast for dinner??

Some ideas to get you thinking on what can be cut out to save money!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Here's something that can help you with your payment dilemma right now.

Call the travel agent and ask if the agency charges a change fee. Disney doesn't charge one if you have more than 45 days until your trip, so don't let her tell you than Disney will charge you. They won't.

If the agency doesn't charge a fee, then have the travel agent remove all of the extras from your package...dining, hopping, waterpark fun & more. Basically everything but the room and base tickets with a minimum number of days on them. This will drop the amount of money you have due when you are 45 days away from your trip.

Then, when you have the money together, call her back. Add the dining plan to the reservation if you still want it. You will have to pay for it when you add it on but Disney doesn't charge a change fee when you decide to spend more money with them. You can add the dining plan to a reservation as late as 72 hours prior to arrival, although I wouldn't wait that late if I could pay for it before then.

You can also wait until you arrive at Disney to upgrade your tickets with more days, hopping or the waterpark and more addon. This would give you more time to save for any of those.

Hope this helps with your money crunch! Enjoy your trip!

This is great advice!! The only other thing to do would be to downgrade your hotel if that is a possibility and they have availability.

 

[MichiganKris]

I agree with the pp, cut out all the extras at your 45 day mark, then you can add them back in as you get the money. I brought pop tarts and breakfast bars for breakfast, then we split 2 CS with 3 people for lunch, and then all had their own TS for dinner. This worked out well, using snack credits if we got hungry during the day. We had 3 snack credits left on our last day, so we picked up 3 snacks to nibble on in the car as we were leaving Orlando. The dining plan worked for my family last year, we did save some money, and it is nice not having to worry about what you are going to order at the restaurants, or having to tell your child they can't have the ice cream or pretzel that they want. It is definately not the money saver that it used to be and you need to look at the prices at the restaurants you will be going to before you decide to add that back into your reservation.

Good Luck! I hope you end up being able to go and have a great time.

 

[JennyWren]

We ordered pop-tarts, fruit and bottled water from GG. We saved time and money by eating in the room while everyone else got ready. Also if you take a bottle of water with you to the park, you can always refill it and it saves a snack credit for something more desirable (Dole Whip...). Also on the DP, you get dessert with the counter service, many places you can get a piece of fruit or a bottled juice for dessert. We would do this then stash it in a tote for later. Also, the TS portions were so big in many places we didn't have room for dessert, we will order something that will travel well and have them box it to go and this makes a great late night snack or a really indulgent breakfast the next morning.