Food costs - we're over average :(

[ncbyrne]

After reading all the posts in this forum, I'm wondering what we are doing wrong! Many posters say they eat one "nice" sit down meal a day and spend on average, per day, $100 for a family of 4! Just for DH and I it's more like $150+ a day! Dinner, at a "nice" sitdown (e.i. Bistro de Paris, Le Cellier, Brown Derby, Fulton's Crabhouse, Portobello Yacht Club, Flying Fish, Narcosse's) costs us over $100 just for two for one meal! Even counter breakfast in the parks or Boardwalk can cost $25! Lunch is a variable depending on the day, the park, hunger at lunchtime, etc. Snacks, including sodas, and an evening trip to Ghiradelli's or Boulangerie Patisserie for coffee "and" after Illuminations, fireworks, etc. is another $20-25 for the two of us. And of course, there's the tip to include too!

 

[Eeyore2U]

I think those that eat sitdown 4 and counter service in a given day for $100 are calling where they sit after counter service a sitdown meal.

It could be they think the buffets are a "nice" sitdown.

ncbyrne, we eat at many of the same places. Go to a real sitdown, have apps, drinks and an entree it's WAY more then $100.

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi.. I agree with you.. I don't think some people are telling the truth! or maybe they are not keeping track.

For myself and DD9 it was easily $40-50.00 for a sitdown meal and if I was having a alcoholic drink then more than that.

Lunch at a counter service was easily 20.00 +..

I budgeted 125.00 a day for the two of us to include meals and snacks and drinks inthe parks... they add up!

There were still some days we went over this budget...

Try not to worry about it too much, have some kraft dinner at home and don't skimp when you are at Disney

>>^..^<<

 

[danny1649]

Spend a $100 or give or take $10 and only two of us. We have at least one sit down meal a day not a buffet and sometimes split meal since I'm diabetic.This includes our snacks and drinks and tips.I don't see how a family of four could get by on $100 a day budget.

 

[ducklite]

We're also in the $125+ per day for two adults category.

And I agree with Mitch, a buffet isn't what I consider "fine dining".

To some it is, and if that's what they are happy with, that's great for them!

Anne

 

[CamColt]

Now you all have me curious. We never pay attention to the cost of our meal and just sign away. Plus we are always there with other people so it all sort of blends together. Our next trip is just the 4 of us and I am going to try to really keep track of our meal costs. This should be interesting.

 

[Rxchalk]

We decided instead of worrying about a $125 a day budget for food, we would just go with the silver add on plan and use the wishes for food. It costs a little more but what the heck, we are on vacation.

 

[Peggy Sue]

We too average 125+ a day for two adults. We enjoy Flying Fish, Fultons, Artist Pointe etc...and a meal at these establishments, with wine, is easily close to $100. and most times over.

We eat breakfast in our DVC villa..and have a light counter service lunch most days.

Disney dining has improved so much over the past few years..we really enjoy having a nice dinner each evening.

 

[skiwee1]

You are average in my book! We spend over $200 a day and that is two adults and one 4 y/o. The 4 y/o doesn't eat anything but Uncrustables so it is more for my mom and myself. I cannot imagine eating for $100 a day or less. We always do at least one nice sit down or character meal a day. We also utilize room service quite a bit. We stay at the Poly and the room service food comes from Kona's. Yummy!

 

[Steve P]

Maybe 'sit down' means a table in the food court at the Land pavillion at Epcot ?? .

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

We are in the $100++++ a day price range also and it is just the two of us. It is rare if it is under. We don't eat out much when we are home, so while on vacation, we REALLY enjoy ourselves.

 

[Desi]

OORRRRRRRRRR,
Your like me, and we eat breakfast "in". To me breakfast is breakfast, how good can an egg and toast or cereal be, wheather in your room or paying 7.00 per person for it. Lunch at McDonalds, and THEN use those nice connection vouchers for a very late lunch, having paid 11.25 ea. for them. Trust me, it can be done on 100.00 a day. Stock up on junk food & bottled water at walmart, and take it with you. Or if your lucky and have older kids like us, leave them at the condo, buy the "big vouchers" @ 30.00 ea. and you and the husband have a wonderful dinner at a very nice resort for 60.00 for both you!
I'm the Queen of, "thrifty BUT FUN"

 

[crisi]

We can spend well over that as well, but I think $100 a day for a family of four with a sit down meal (a real sit down meal) can be done.

This is what I'd guess they are doing: Going to "second tier" restaurants. They are still "nice" (although not as "nice" as the restaurants you mentioned). So you are talking San Angel Inn and Marrakesh and Le Cellier - Mama Melrose's or the 50's Primetime - CRT or Rainforest Cafe. Have your sit down meal at lunch - where almost all these restaurants have an entree in the $10-$15 range (it might be a sandwich, but you do get a waitress). No appitizers, no desserts, no liquor, and even no pop. And maybe even split a meal or two.

Breakfast in the room (I think a lot of people eat breakfast in the room), and fast food for dinner - the kids split an order of chicken fingers.

(We take our family of four to the local Rainforest Cafe a couple times a year - and seldom spend more than $60 after tip. But the kids have a kids meal, my husband and I will get a burger.)

 

[Alice28]

When I posted on a previous thread, I think I said about $100 or $120 a day for our family of four- but our #4 member was only 2 and often ate off of my plate or split a meal with his 5 year old brother. But sometimes he got his own meal too. Truly, these are how are days were:
Breakfast- in room- I bought Fruit Loops, milk, grapesbagels and cream cheese and Go-gurt at the store and we all ate this every single morning.
Lunch- I think we ate counter service every single day; we usually bought two adult entrees, two kids entrees (although sometimes we got 3 adult items and the kids split it) and drinks & it almost always equaled just under $30 (I kept all the receipts so I am positive this was the amount ) We ate at restaurants such as Cosmic Rays, the Land food court and Pizza Planet.
Dinner- We ate at Chef Mickey's, 'Ohana, Whispering Canyon, Cape May, Rose and Crown & Rainforest Cafe as a large family (there were 7 of us). Luckily for us, 3 of those meals were paid for by our parents, but the others equalled out to about $75 with tip. We just got sodas or iced tea at every place but 'Ohana and since my dad paid for that, I don't know what the cost was. Just DH and I ate at Shula's and Benihana at the Hilton and Shula's was approx. $140 with tip and Benihana was about $85 with tip. At these two places we did have alcoholic drinks and an appetizer too.

The only time we felt "cheap" was one night we didn't have a PS, had been go-go-go all day and just ended up eating at the Contemporary's food court for dinner. DH was very bummed about this, but the kids were beat and so was I, so chicken strips and a fruit plate it was. I truly believe that whatever you are comfortable with paying for your food budget is the right amount. I tend to be a bit anxious about spending money, but DH reminds me that it is vacation and to not worry about it. And he's right. I leave with just my mom in a few days and I really plan on slowing down and enjoying a glass of wine or a mai tai with my dinner and relaxing! And I agree with Casheww----eat cheaply at home the few weeks before and after and you even out your spending in the end.

 

[alexedan]

I too think 100$ is too low. DH and I spend that on a Saturday night in Richmond, Va for drinks, appetizers and entrees--not even dessert. Haven't been to WDW lately but I'd imagine for comparable quality you'd have to pay more. We're staying at the Poly in Dec. and other than I breakfast at Kona's and one Breakfastosaurus we're eating breakfast in and I plan on budgeting $200/day for DH DS2 and DS4 and myself. (I tend to spend a lot anyway and don't even care---especially on vacation! I also figured that since I work hard--full time-- and my kids spend the majority of their lives in daycare then I'm going to play hard too and not scrimp on family time together which is sooo important to me. I also think that because we never had vacation as kids--not for money reasons, dad was just too cheap!--vacation means alot more to me now.

 

[suzywindy]

My DH makes a chart with all of our PS and wish lists of places to eat. I then figure out about how much the meals will cost (by reading the current menus on Deb's board).

Then I start saving for those meals and put them in envelopes that DH makes - like CHEF MICKEY'S, etc.

I also figure on what Disney used to give you for your meal plan in a package - it was 50 a day for each adult and they would throw in an extra 5. So that was about 4 years ago. So even Disney figures on $110 for 2 adults a day back them. As we all know, prices have gone up since.

But I agree. It is all in the choices you make. We are staying concierge, so that also helps with the drinks, snacks, water, etc.

(We also have an envelope for a few Lapu Lapu's)

 

[dcgrumpy]

I usually estimate $150 a day for food, drinks and snacks. That's for 2 adults 2.5yo and an infant. We normally have a big breakfast. I never eat breakfast at home, but on vacation i have to have breakfast every morning. For lunch we usually get counter service, and sometimes share depending on what time it is. For dinner we have a sitdown or buffet dinner. We don't eat in any of the finer restaurants since having kids. I probably spend less per day than before I had kids.

 

[Disneyolic]

I'm budgeting on $150 a day for my family of four. That includes 2 adults, 4-yo son, and 2½-yo son. We'll be eating at some buffets, so the youngest won't be charged. The kids meals look pretty reasonable in pricing so I think it will really depend on how much me and my husband spend. We definitely have sit-downs scheduled for every day. Guess we'll see. I will definitely be writing everything down and posting later in November to see if this was do-able.

~DawnMaree

 

[becka]

I think it really depends on where you eat and what you eat and who you are eating with.

For example to one family a "nice" restaurant is the difference between counter service and Chef Mickey's. This does not imply that they think CM is "fine dining" but not everyone is looking for a foodie experience especially with kids in tow. CM is nice compared to queuing up for counter service burger and fries. Alcohol and desserts, etc. can really add up as well. I think that when many talk of $100/day for a family of 4 they are probably talking about those second tier sitdowns (which while they may not fine dining are still considered sitdown restaurants and are at least a few notches about counter service) with no alcohol/dessert, 1 counter service meal and maybe breakfast in the room. It is not unreasonable and doesn't even have to be very limiting depending on your personal likes and dislikes.

DH and I were not always hungry enough for apps and dessert and we are not really big drinkers. DH doesn't drink at all and I may get one drink at 2 or 3 of our meals over the course of a week at WDW. Even when we went to the "finer" dining establishments we didn't always have to spend $100 on a meal for two. We also are not huge snackers...we do drink lots of bottled water but walking around the parks all day just doesn't make me want to eat a whole lot. I didn't feel deprived at all.

We will be going in February with our DS for the first time. He will eat free at buffets but we will order him meals at counter service places. We will probably eat most of our breakfasts in our room just to save time and money. I think our $100/day food budget will probably stay the same even with DS in tow and I don't think we will feel limited.

 

[sue1013]

We spend between 150-200/day for food for 2 of us. If we go out to dinner at home its at least 100, so figure breakfast & lunch, snacks. When I go on vacation I'm on vacation no grocery shopping, no breakfast in the room, never would stay anywhere with a kitchen (hate to cook at home forget about it on vacation). The last time my 16 yr old son and his friend came with us, I did buy the vouchers to give to the boys (since they sure didn't want to be with us 24/7) then I didn't have to worry about them eating. I really don't know if they saved money it was just convenient. Some families go to WDW and spend lots on souveniers (sp) Most things my kids would buy when they were younger ended up in the garbage shortly after we were home.