Food Budget

[Ashes8380]

I was wondering how much I should budget for meals. We're staying at Pop Century, and will probably eat 2 counter service meals, and 1 sit down restaurant meal each day. I'm going with a friend, and we're college students on a budget, so there will be no extremely expensive meals, but we are considering a character breakfast, maybe a meal at WS in Epcot, perhaps dinner at the boardwalk or another resort one night. I just want to know about how much to budget (ex. $XX for counterservice, $XX for sit down meals...). Thanks for all your help!

 

[Musky]

I would budget approximately $10 for each counter service meal (including drink and tax) and anywhere from $25 and up for a sit-down meal. You can do it a little cheaper than that if you eat your sit-down meal for lunch and have counter service for dinner. If you look on www.allearsnet.com, you'll see there are menus posted for all of the restaurants (both sit-down and counter service) with all the prices listed. You should be able to get a very good idea of what it's going to cost you from that info.

Becky

 

[jann1033]

check the connections thread about the food vouchers (top of the budget board) if you are on a budgetand don't mind planning gahead to where you will eat. if you are planning on mostly counter, you get more for your money ( drink ,dessert entree with side, tax and tip for 11.75, probably enough for your larger meal of the day)

 

[vettechick99]

That's about how we will eat except some mornings we'll just eat breakfast in the room (we have a kitchenette at BCV). But I'm alotting $150/day for us b/c we like to have cocktails with our dinners, and that really adds up. And sit-down dinners in general can be really expensive ($20-30 entrees/buffets). For example, I know we won't walk out of CG without spending $100.

If you can plan on $100-150 a day for the two of you, I think you will have enough. It really just depends on your eating habits. Like the other poster mentioned, check out the menus on AllEars. Will help you a lot!

 

[Amirah95]

I agree with Vettechick...budget 100 bucks a night. If you don't spend that much then look at it as extra money. And look into the vouchers...they help too.

 

[crisi]

Your best bet is to check out the menus at www.allearsnet.com and find out what will be "typical" for you. We can spend $100 a day per person - disneysteve spends less than $18 a day per person.

Alcohol isn't covered on the menus there, but most college students are too young to drink nowadays. If you aren't, plan on $5-8 drinks.

 

[lovesdisney44]

I really suggest eating a late lunch instead of a dinner out also, if you're in the parks.

My DH and I with our 2 kids do this every trip. We eat at about 4:00 p.m. (It's also alot easier to get a PS for this time frame.) The meal is the same as the dinner, with maybe a little smaller portion size, and a lot less $.

Then we just usually "snack" like a dessert or something small at the counter services later on in the evening.

 

[Musky]

If you are going to do this, be sure you check with any restaurant you are planning on eating at to find out when their dinner hours start. I believe most WDW restaurants are charging dinner prices by 4:00. I think you'd be better off to make your ps for 3:30.

Becky

 

[jann1033]

there was a post not long ago on epcot hrs. you might be able to do a search for it..lecellier and chefs( maybe others those were the 2 i was interested in) stopped lunch at 2:30( chefs) -3( lecellier) we also eat the main meal at lunch and if you are not adverse to splitting( we got plenty of food for 2 adults) used to vkl vouchers...got a really good meal for $32 at lecellier, rfc and bd. then we used the q/c for dinner or just did some kind of counter and spent a total of $600 including snacks ( lots of snacks)for 2 adults ( mostly a light breakfast, big lunch and light dinner) for 9 days...had budgeted less but those stinkin treats put us over!

 

[hercamore]

DD and her two college GF's are going to be at Pop Century 2nd week in Jan.

They all eat like birds tho and are budgeting about $50 a day which i doubt they will spend.


herc.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Eat your sit-downs at lunch--it is a nice respite from the day--the meal is much less expensive, and you can just snack your way through dinner.

I find that with the sit downs--I am still full even at dinner time, so I can budget less on the meals that way.

If you stick with drinking water at the meals--perhaps limit your sodas to one a day or something...you can get away with a $20 sit down lunch, and $10 or less on counter service for breakfast and either lunch or dinner. In theory--you could get away with $50 per day. Remember your food weaknesses and budget accordingly--I always have to have pastry/sweet from The Boulangerie/Patisserie in France at EPCOT--nothing beats a French confection. An extra $5-$10 per expected indulgance would be good (be it a beer, glass of wine, or coffe + baked good, pretzel, whatever).

You can get creative--I saw elsewhere that you do not have to order the "meals" at counter service restaurants--you know the burger and fries meal. So you and your friend can maybe buy 1 meal and then just buy a 2nd sandwich.

I know at the all stars you can order a pizza--I assume this would be the same at Pop--you can split a pizza in the evening.

My breakfasts---I never ever order the big meals, my breakfasts are usually a grain item and a fruit--now these are pricey at WDW--but you can eat breakfast for less than $5 bucks as opposed to nearly $10 when you order a platter. If you are driving--you can always stop at Publix on the way (in my mind I know where it is, but unfortunately cannot recall the directions)--you can get some cereal bars, perhaps some boxed OJ (refridgerated kind) and put in the cooler and your own fruit--and you'll have breakfast daily for pennies of what it would cost.

As far as character meals--do them at breakfast (this is the only real breakfast meal I do eat--and we like Crystal Palace with Pooh) or for dinner---breakfast about $16, dinner about $26--before tip. Pricey, but for a single person a character dinner could be much cheaper than dinner at EPCOT for example.

Happy planning--I miss the days of college and going without kids--though I do love going with my kids