Food budget for the week? $$

[joe-aka-papabear]

Staying onsite at SSR but not going to disney parks. What would you budget for a family of 4 which includes 2 boys 6 and 13. Want to do Raglan 1 night and another nice dinner at disney springs as well. Most breakfasts in the rooms as well as lunches on pool days. Were thinking somewhere between $800-$1200 for the week.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

That sounds like a good budget to me for the week. There are plenty of affordable options in the area. Will you have a car? You could also check out restaurant.com as they often have House of Blues in Disney Springs certificates.

 

[Marionnette]

Staying onsite at SSR but not going to disney parks. What would you budget for a family of 4 which includes 2 boys 6 and 13. Want to do Raglan 1 night and another nice dinner at disney springs as well. Most breakfasts in the rooms as well as lunches on pool days. Were thinking somewhere between $800-$1200 for the week.

$800 would probably be little tight unless you're cooking in your villa almost every night. That's just a little over $100 per day for a week-long visit. Once you add in tips at TS locations, you'll end up spending at least that amount just on one meal. My husband and I went out to dinner last night at an Italian chain restaurant. Just the two of us. One drink each. Appetizers and entree. No dessert. Cost with tip was $90.

I would lean toward the $1200 budget and hope to bring money home.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Staying onsite at SSR but not going to disney parks. What would you budget for a family of 4 which includes 2 boys 6 and 13. Want to do Raglan 1 night and another nice dinner at disney springs as well. Most breakfasts in the rooms as well as lunches on pool days. Were thinking somewhere between $800-$1200 for the week.

Raglan Road with 3 "adults" and 1 "kid" with just entrees will cost about $100 ($25/adult, $9/kid plus tax and tip). If you want to add drinks, apps, or desserts, you're probably looking at $150.

Another "nice" Disney Springs meal will also run about $100-150 (Raglan Road is one of the cheaper ones, so I'd take what you spend there and double it).

So, 2 dinners will be about $250. If you go to normal chain sites the rest of the week ($12-$15 entrees, $6/kids), you should budget about $60/dinner for the other 5 nights out, if you again skip the "extras". So, you'll spend $550 on dinners out and can probably easily grocery shop for less than $250 to have lovely breakfasts and lunches...BUT..."most" of these meals in the room are not all, so if you decide to have 3-4 of these out (especially on Disney property) or you decide to have lots of drinks, apps, or desserts, your total might be a touch low.

I'd probably budget $1K and plan half lunches out, an "out" adult drink per adult per day (since I always have alcohol bought for the room - way cheaper, and all breakfasts in...

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Someone mentioned restaurant.com if you're trying to be budget-friendly, and I wanted to add checking groupon. You might find a deal close to you. We found one for Earl of Sandwich (in DTD at DLR) before we left, and another one for the Johnny Rocket's in Anaheim just across the street from our hotel. Neither are "fancy," but we saved money that way for a nicer sit down dinner at New Orleans square.

 

[joe-aka-papabear]

Raglan Road with 3 "adults" and 1 "kid" with just entrees will cost about $100 ($25/adult, $9/kid plus tax and tip). If you want to add drinks, apps, or desserts, you're probably looking at $150.

Another "nice" Disney Springs meal will also run about $100-150 (Raglan Road is one of the cheaper ones, so I'd take what you spend there and double it).

So, 2 dinners will be about $250. If you go to normal chain sites the rest of the week ($12-$15 entrees, $6/kids), you should budget about $60/dinner for the other 5 nights out, if you again skip the "extras". So, you'll spend $550 on dinners out and can probably easily grocery shop for less than $250 to have lovely breakfasts and lunches...BUT..."most" of these meals in the room are not all, so if you decide to have 3-4 of these out (especially on Disney property) or you decide to have lots of drinks, apps, or desserts, your total might be a touch low.

I'd probably budget $1K and plan half lunches out, an "out" adult drink per adult per day (since I always have alcohol bought for the room - way cheaper, and all breakfasts in...

With all the good info and advice , I am wondering if it would be beneficial to do the dining plan. It would be $1445.36 for the DDP. We will end up buying mugs anyways while we are there and eat at Disney Springs at least twice. Something for us to think about.

 

[TwoMisfits]

With all the good info and advice , I am wondering if it would be beneficial to do the dining plan. It would be $1445.36 for the DDP. We will end up buying mugs anyways while we are there and eat at Disney Springs at least twice. Something for us to think about.

It wouldn't really be $1445.36 - you have to add in the 18% tip on all sit down locations. Per day, for the regular DDP at the cheaper sit downs, for 3 Disney adults and 1 kid, based on $25/entree, $8/dessert, and $3/drink and $11/kid meal, you would be paying an extra $23.22/day or another $160 in top of the cost for about $1615. If you do the $50 buffets (like Chef Mickey's dinner), you would add $31.50/day or another $225.

And note, in my budget, I had you eating out every night and 1/2 of your lunches AND getting alcohol and still staying around $1000 with no looking for deals...all alcohol ($10-$12/drink) would also be an "add" on your budget that I included in mine...

But it depends how you want to vacation. I hate being stuck in to a schedule of meals every day (I usually book onsite meals the day before when I see weather, what park I want to do, how we feel, and knowing I won't give away $60 in missed reservation fees, etc), and I only do 2-3 per trip max, sticking to any favorites that are open (if we miss, we miss - offsite meals are better if you know where to look and you go in Magical Dining month - my budget fits getting 3 course meals at some of the best sites in Orlando during that month)...

 

[halfpintpeggy]

With all the good info and advice , I am wondering if it would be beneficial to do the dining plan. It would be $1445.36 for the DDP. We will end up buying mugs anyways while we are there and eat at Disney Springs at least twice. Something for us to think about.

I've no doubt you will save quite a bit by NOT being on the DDP.

 

[joe-aka-papabear]

With all the good info and advice , I am wondering if it would be beneficial to do the dining plan. It would be $1445.36 for the DDP. We will end up buying mugs anyways while we are there and eat at Disney Springs at least twice. Something for us to think about.

We ended up not doing the dining plan, and came in just under $1260 for all meals and snacks for the week for 4 of us. (airport food included). The following is a quick breakdown of the week.
$165 groceries
$485 5 dinners out (millers ale house,raglan road, 2 nights @ splitsville 1 w/ bowling, steak and shake)
$40 pizza delivery dinner
$150 1 lunch w 4 mugs and 2 snacks @Resort
$260 theme park lunches/snacks/mug 4 days (legoland,seaworld, aquatica, busch gardens)
$85 breakfast out, 1 mickey'ds, 1 wolfgang puck express
$60 airport food , misc food
We made dinner in the room only 1 night, that being our first night. We bought a rotisserie chicken and made grilled chicken salads and had leftover salad stuff for the night we ordered pizza in the room. Breakfast in the rooms were basic, bagels w/cream cheese,scrambled eggs, toasts, waffles. 2 pool days we brought cheese ,crackers and pepperoni with a bunch of fresh fruit for lunch.Bought lots of snacks and waters to bring to the parks.
Hope this helps for those trying to plan.

 

[LJSquishy]

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