$Food spending$

[ErinBoBerin]

Hi all,

I'm wondering what everyone's strategies are for keeping track of money spent on food while at WDW?

We are going in January (it's been 10 years since I've been, and this will be my DH's first ever time!). The dining plan doesn't really make sense for us because we're vegetarian and it seems like we won't get our moneys worth, but I'm considering it just to not have to worry about food. We have one table service booked for each of the 7 days we are there.

Any tips on how to keep track of food expenses in a low stress way? I would reeeeaally prefer just not to think about it while we're vacationing, but I know that will bite me in the butt later.

 

[smcabee]

We load set amounts of money at a time to gift cards and use them throughout our trip.

 

[ErinBoBerin]

We load set amounts of money at a time to gift cards and use them throughout our trip.

Ah that's a really smart idea! Thank you!

 

[LaidBackDad]

Use your magic band to charge meals back to the room then pay with the gift card at the hotel desk. They will print you an itemized list of all your purchases. Plus, using the magic band to charge gives you all the advantages of the DDP but none of the restrictions and you will save a ton of money.

 

[bumbershoot]

The dining plan doesn't really make sense for us because we're vegetarian and it seems like we won't get our moneys worth, but I'm considering it just to not have to worry about food.

Run the expenses. Look at menus here at wdwinfo.com and at allears.net, figure out what you're likely to order. That's so much easier as a vegetarian because you don't have the entire menu to work with. Easier to figure out what you guys might want that day.

Though of course if you're at a buffet it doesn't matter what you order; you'll pay the adult fee.

Do the menu items sound good? Are you more likely to have a salad here, a snack there, etc? Figure out HOW you want to eat, WHAT basic things you want to eat at the places you have picked out, and see if the dining plans allowances (and restrictions) make sense. Don't forget to include the refillable mugs you get with the dining plan. They do include coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, so even if you don't drink soda they might make sense. (though you can buy them easily without a plan)

If it doesn't make sense, don't do the plan.


FYI the breakfast at The Wave is very nice if you're ovo-lacto. If you ask, they'll even make up some grits without the bacon for you! They use Tillamook cheese, and all of their cheese but the most extra-aged-sharp cheddar (which isn't used in the grits) that Tillamook makes is safe for vegetarians.

 

[chris benton]

An important thing for us, is researching the food. It's gonna be expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't find some good values. And by value, I don't mean cheap, I mean fairly priced for good quality. You can pay a whole bunch for a lot of trash at wallyworld. Or, you can find a decent amount of stuff that is pretty decent for the price, considering the wdw premium.

And paying more to have the dp now than paying less when you are there, is not financially sound planning. Some people like to have meals paid for before they go, but if you know you'll you'll lose money, it's not the best plan from a monetary standpoint. It's all coming from your pocket in the end, no matter if you have to pay when you are there or not.

My opinion is to really research places to eat, and find the best value/quality. Most ppl agree on a decent number of places. Those are potentially your best targets for decent food for the price, instead of overpaying for trash.

 

[sharonabe]

I agree with the PPs. The best way to have true peace of mind is to go look at the menus, see what you'll probably order and do the math. Don't forget to include alcoholic drinks and the 6.5% tax on a la carte places. And don't forget snacks. This way you'll know ahead of time what you're likely to spend and you don't have to keep up with it once you're there. I've done this so many times I've lost count trying to see if any of the dining plans make sense for my family. It never does for MY family. On our last trip I was completely comfortable with telling my boys to order whatever they wanted, said YES to every snack they wanted, and we ate when and what we wanted for five days. I kept every receipt so I could check the math. We didn't even spend as much per day, per person as the QSDP would have cost us. Trust me, if you do the research and the math BEFORE you leave, you'll know if you'll save with the dining plan or if you'll be just fine paying OOP and about how much money you need to have on hand.

 

[3gr8boys]

I like to set aside what the dining plan would cost in a savings account. Then we eat what we want and charge it to the room (and, therefore, a cash back credit card) knowing that there is $ waiting to pay it off right away. It feels paid for and we don't have to focus on the prices. We usually have one TS per day- and like character meals

( I know that there is savings to be had using gift cards purchased at a discount and that lots of people go that route...it's just not for me.)

 

[CraigInPA]

The lowest stress way to keep track of what you spent on food is to keep the receipts and total them at the end of the night. That way you'll have a running total of what you've spent so far. By about the fourth day, you'll panic about the amount you've spent so far, but that is normal.

The dining plans make it convenient for people to budget for their meals, since it's all pre-paid. However, most people now find that the dining plans don't "save 25%" as advertised, because they don't order the most expensive things on the menu, don't seek out the most expensive snacks, and may not utilize the refillable mug as much as they might have. At best, most people are looking at a break even situation. Some people pay more for the dining plan than if they paid out of pocket.

My wife and I budget enough to cover the DxDDP cost per day per person, and are always surprised when we come home and total the receipts. The last trip we ate like regular people, and didn't always have an appetizer or dessert. We ate two counter service, and 19 table service meals (including Narcoossee's, Artist Point, Hollywood Brown Derby, and other signatures). Our ten day trip resulted in a "savings" over the cost of the DxDDP of $700+. That's a 31% savings!

 

[Anthony1971]

The lest stress is to order what you will eat and pay for it... No one can say what value is to you. If you love ice cream than ice cream is a great value.
It is very easy to keep track of what you spend as it will all be on your magic band and listed out at the end. Is this a good indication of weather it is cheaper to use the DP... well no as you have the tips as well and likely things you could not get on the DP. For us.... We made out on the DP when it was first introduced but even them it was not a huge amount of difference as we always ended up with left over credits and always agreed it was to much food and it still is for us over a week. We eat what we want where we want when we want or not of we feel like it and have never spent any where near what the DP costs... why because some days you want a steak in your case fish maybe? other days we want chicken... Unless you plan on ordering the most expensive thing every night you will likely loss out... If you are looking for peace of mind on that you will spend less and more likely half or less of the cost of the DP... here it is as with 98% of the people... on a side note places like Kona changed the menu and the most expensive item is now pork at 25.00 I do not see how you can make out on the DP period with prices like that.. Disney seems to moving towards lower prices and offerings at Disney owned TS I just don't see how the current DP can survive but I guess that was they include a drink that they now raised the prices on... love it... an 11.00 glass of a 7.00 bottle of wine...

 

[ErinBoBerin]

Use your magic band to charge meals back to the room then pay with the gift card at the hotel desk. They will print you an itemized list of all your purchases. Plus, using the magic band to charge gives you all the advantages of the DDP but none of the restrictions and you will save a ton of money.

I think this is exactly what we will do - thank you! I like the idea of just making one payment with money we've already set aside at the end of the day.

 

[ErinBoBerin]

The lowest stress way to keep track of what you spent on food is to keep the receipts and total them at the end of the night. That way you'll have a running total of what you've spent so far. By about the fourth day, you'll panic about the amount you've spent so far, but that is normal.

Hahaha, thank you. Good to know I won't be alone when that happens.

 

[ErinBoBerin]

I like to set aside what the dining plan would cost in a savings account. Then we eat what we want and charge it to the room (and, therefore, a cash back credit card) knowing that there is $ waiting to pay it off right away. It feels paid for and we don't have to focus on the prices. We usually have one TS per day- and like character meals

( I know that there is savings to be had using gift cards purchased at a discount and that lots of people go that route...it's just not for me.)

Good idea thank you! That will help give us at least a ballpark of how to we should expect to spend.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We order what we want, swipe the MB and pay the credit card bill when I get home. I do go to the front desk every few days to check the damage.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Go to www.distripplanner.com

It'll give you an estimate based on what restaurant you pick and compare it to the dining plan.

 

[3gr8boys]

Good idea thank you! That will help give us at least a ballpark of how to we should expect to spend.

For what it's worth, the DP cost we had set aside was enough to cover food and souvenirs

ETA- we enjoyed TS (including character) meals but did not order alcoholic drinks and rarely ordered desserts. All factors in predicting costs if you are going to make detailed estimates.

 

[ErinBoBerin]

For what it's worth, the DP cost we had set aside was enough to cover food and souvenirs

ETA- we enjoyed TS (including character) meals but did not order alcoholic drinks and rarely ordered desserts. All factors in predicting costs if you are going to make detailed estimates.

Hey this sounds pretty much how we eat as well. I would much rather over estimate and end up with extra money for swag.

 

[ErinBoBerin]

Go to www.distripplanner.com

It'll give you an estimate based on what restaurant you pick and compare it to the dining plan.

Okay this is awesome.

 

[sharonabe]

Okay this is awesome.

Be careful with this, though. It was not adjusted to include the alcoholic and specialty drink options. I know it's easier than doing your own math, but it's nowhere near accurate to the way my family likes to eat on vacation. The averages it uses are not my averages.

 

[Nancyg56]

I do not use calculators to figure out dinign costs for my family, I do my own math based on how we usually dine. For us, a dinign plan generally is sound, but it is not for many families.

OP- do not purchase a plan just to have dining money set aside. This works for people who probably are close to breaking even, but do not want any wild card spending for snacks, beverages, and food. It does not make sense for a family who is vegetarian and is not planning on a lot of AYCTE or character meals. For you, take the cost of the plan and load it on a gift card or two. Use one band to charge back only food to the room, and pay that bill every few days with the gift card. Use the other band if you charge back any other purchases. You can then track your food costs.