Help! Budget Advice Needed!

[kissesbykim]

The dollar store has individual drink packets for flavoring water (like crystal light) and they are sugar free...I just bought a bunch because my kids get sick of water really quickly and this gives them a little sweet fix instead of buying a $4 soda. We always bring in a water bottle each and throughout the day get free water from the food vender's to refill the bottles. Glow sticks from the dollar store are great too especially during night time events when all the other kids in the park have a glowing souvenir. I think they come in packs of 4 and your kids will like them just as much. There is a walmart 2 exits (I think ) north of Harbor on I-5 and I believe there is a Target on S. Harbor also. Subway and Taco Bell are right there and they are so cheep! My kids share a 6in, I eat a 6in and DH gets a footlong..dinner for $10. You can also get some popsicles to put in your freezer. That's the only way to keep my DS from throwing a fit when it's time to leave the park .

 

[mrsw94]

The dollar store has individual drink packets for flavoring water (like crystal light) and they are sugar free...I just bought a bunch because my kids get sick of water really quickly and this gives them a little sweet fix instead of buying a $4 soda. We always bring in a water bottle each and throughout the day get free water from the food vender's to refill the bottles. Glow sticks from the dollar store are great too especially during night time events when all the other kids in the park have a glowing souvenir. I think they come in packs of 4 and your kids will like them just as much. There is a walmart 2 exits (I think ) north of Harbor on I-5 and I believe there is a Target on S. Harbor also. Subway and Taco Bell are right there and they are so cheep! My kids share a 6in, I eat a 6in and DH gets a footlong..dinner for $10. You can also get some popsicles to put in your freezer. That's the only way to keep my DS from throwing a fit when it's time to leave the park .

You know, it didn't occur to me to put the drink mix in the kids drinks! They both LOVE lemonade, so I'm thinking if I do that, they might complain less! Great idea!!

 

[LisaCat]

We normally stay at the Ramada Main Gate or the Best Western (also across the street) so breakfast is covered. We usually do a main meal around 3 or 4 PM, sometimes a little earlier if we can get in on a lunch menu if the price changes for dinner. For snacks and drinks, a refillable water bottle and crystal lite/koolaid/name your brand drink packets ROCK. I've lived in CA all my life and still can't deal with the taste of our tap water in most of the state. LOL! Snacks I like to bring include Jerky, nuts and Cliff bars (they make "kid" Cliff bars now that are more fruity). You will want some snacks that not only have sugar/carbs but protein and fiber as well. Those are what make you feel "full". If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have a good price on Cliff Bars. They also have small packs of "fruit leather" that are really great for slipping in a pocket or small bag that are great when you need a sugar boost. On the glow sticks, Target Dollar Spot has packages of glow bracelets right now as well as a 2 pack of glow sticks. There is a tourist trap shop across from the entrance to the park that sells "Disney themed" stuff a LOT cheaper than the official park merchandise. You might check that out to get the kids something "Disney" without the "Disney price tag". Set a budget for souvenirs per child. Maybe even get that amount put on a Disney gift card for each kid and when it's gone, it's gone. That's what I do with my "pin collection allowance". Otherwise I will buy pins until the credit card screams.....

As you can see in my siggy, I'm doing TWO trips in the space of 3 weeks. The trip to WDW has been planned for almost a year. The one to DL CA was a surprise add on, but my friend and her son are going and he really REALLY wants me to go too, so I am tagging along. Darn. Another trip to DL.

 

[LavenderPeach]

My biggest tip that i think hasn't been mentioned yet is go to Troubadour Tavern and get baked potatoes! They are $6.29 and there are 3 different ones to choose from. We always get the BBQ chicken one because that way we feel like it's a full meal with chicken and potato. They're really yummy and I think one of the best bargains in the park. The only problem with TT is that they don't have water available. They will give you cups of ice though so you can add your own water. As someone already mentioned, White Water Snacks is also a good deal. They have big portions that are relatively inexpensive. Oh and if decide to splurge on a sit-down restaurant, consider going to the Carnation Cafe which is yummy and I think cheaper than the other sit-down places.

As far as splitting meals (if you think that would work for you), DH and I have split sandwhiches at Riverbelle Terrace. They come with baked beans, a choice of a side and pickle spear. Then we each got a snack later and that was cheaper than buying 2 meals and no snacks. We've also shared the chicken pasta dish at Pizza Port and added breadsticks or salad.

Oh and you can also think about getting a kid's meal for yourself (at counter service places), if you see one that looks good. I've gotten the kids turkey sandwich at Riverbelle Terrace and it was really good and enough food for me. It comes with fruit and a drink.

Definitely check out the link to the menus at allears.net so you can have a good idea of what they offer.

 

[ironpig70]

If you like tuna sandwhiches, then get the cans of chicken, make it just like the tuna.

Also with my kids I set a budget for gifts that they get at the end of the trip. So they can look all they want and let us know what they want but do not get anything till the last day.

Like mentioned the flavor packets for water come in many flavors and variety is the key

also there is Google Earth, which is a mapping program. You can put in your hotel address and zoom in and out and it has a layering feature so you can see where stores are.

 

[pixiewings71]

We take our own water bottles in, we like plain old water so we don't take things to add but a lot of people do. You can get cold filtered water in the First Aid Station and the Baby Station, we usually refill at the First Aid Station since we don't have a baby. We take our own snacks and eat our meal of the day between 2-4, if we get hungry later we grab a snack. We often share meals as well, DBF and I can share meals at most of the CS places, the only one we don't share 1 meal at is the French Market, and that's because we both love other meals there. lol There are plenty of ways to eat on budget, even if you leave and go to McDonald's on Harbor, which we've done a time or two. Just don't eat at Captain Kidd's whatever you do.....that place is so gross I do not understand how it's still in business.

 

[pixiewings71]

I also wanted to warn you, many of the meals at RFC are well over $20, when we eat there the girls eat off the kids' menu and DBF and I will share a Maya Combo, it's $25 and has ribs, chicken and shrimp, it's plenty for us to share but we also have an appetizer. We are members of the Safari Club so we get a free appetizer with our meal.

 

[heatherleigh]

Same here, we will be on a tighter budget than I planned on. I like the tips everyone suggested. We are going to supplement with snacks and drinks. We have also limited our sit down meals to one per day, and we are only doing one character meal.

 

[NVDisMom]

I know sharing seems like it sucks, but DH might be surprised by how big some of the servings are. DH and I share with each other and the girls will either get two kids meals or share an entree. Or each adult shares with a child if that works out better for meal preferences. Our budget places are White Water Snacks(Steak Nachos for DD11 and DH, Chicken Sandwich for DD13 and me), Ranch Del Zacolo(2 entrees split between the four of us. We like it all.), the soup and salad (1 soup and 1 salad in sour dough bowls between the four of us) place in CAdv, walk up window at Jazz Kitchen(we like it all!), Mimis on Harbor (definitely split everything here, it is so much food)and Subway(3 $5 footlongs is more than enough with chips and sodas from home) on Harbor across from Candy Cane Inn. We pack in ALL of our own drinks including water. We pack in crackers, granola bars, string cheese, fruit, etc. We do splurge on a churro or two and a brownie from Pooh's corner and an ice cream each while we are there. A hint with the ice cream - Get two double scoops and ask for two extra cups. You get four individual scoops of ice cream for way less money than buying it separately. Check the coupon thread that is floating around here for some other discounts too. One last note, we tended to each lunch around 11(usually in park after opening the park and gathering FP while riding as many rides as possible) and then dinner at 3(ususally out of park) when we left the park for our afternoon break with a snack somewhere in there in the evening after returning for evening rides and shows. Once in a while we would be hungry when we got back to our room after staying out late. Micro popcorn, crackers and cheese, even cup of noodles were darned handy as snacks before bed with a glass of wine of coarse. HTH

 

[Cagirl767]

Oh yes, I second splitting the snacks too. We split churros in half to share. Also, bring along little baggies for dividing up things like 1 popcorn into 4 baggies or candy from the candy store.

 

[lauri33]

we are taking our first trip in Nov to DL and on a tight budget. i figured you couldn't take any food/snacks/drinks into the park. Is it okay? or do you sneak it in. Are water bottles okay to bring in?

do they search your bags and purses?

thanks so much.
lauri

 

[pixiewings71]

we are taking our first trip in Nov to DL and on a tight budget. i figured you couldn't take any food/snacks/drinks into the park. Is it okay? or do you sneak it in. Are water bottles okay to bring in?

do they search your bags and purses?

thanks so much.
lauri

We take in water bottles every day and no sneaking is needed, we show the security CM's what we have and we've never had any problems. You can't take in glass and you can't take in a big huge cooler but you can take in a soft sided lunch size bag and that's not a problem at all. You can also take snacks in, we've taken lots of snacks and had no problems. They will go thru your bags/purses but I've never had anything confiscated, if you have stuff that can't go in they will direct you to lockers where you can put stuff.

 

[Bella_Tink]

Mickey shaped cheese slices? How cool!!!

 

[marciemouse]

Something that no one else has mentioned yet is to remember that your 2 and 1/2 year old can still eat off your plate should you opt to eat at any buffet places. We went to Storytellers for dinner once. I found it cheaper to get the buffet (which came with a drink) for my meal (at $27.99) instead of purchasing my own drink, entree, and a kids meal for our daughter. Probably not great if you're on a super-tight budget, but something to consider for those with children under age 3.