Hey, I just figured out I spent $450 on food for 10 days! With no PB&J!

[IowaGirl]

DH asked me last night what we spent on food, so I retraced our steps. I knew it was cheap, but I had'nt figured out we were that much under budget (I had budgeted $1,200 for 2 adults and 2 kids for 10 days and was worried I was being cheap) I thought 40 per person per day...wrong!!!
We went this last May, and it was 95 degrees, so we brought and drank lots and lots of water, so maybe that's why

The big key was having a hotel with a great free breakfast. (CI&S Calypso Cay Way). We really loaded up at 7:30 am, snacked from our fanny packs at about 11, and made sure we ate an air-conditioned counter service lunch every day, from about 1-2. With the park hours being so short, that was our break for the day, and it worked great for us. Plus the counter service gave us all the ice water we wanted.

We didn't eat dinner at WDW, we ate at Denny's, Super-Wal Mart cafe(needed a Wal-Mart run anyway), ordered italian food delivered, pizza delievered, McDonalds. We did eat dinner at the Nascaar restaurant twice when we stayed onsite at Universal. There were two nights that we did not pay for dinner because one night we had enough leftover Italian and pizza we ate that in our room. The other night the kids just wanted Easy Mac and to go to bed.

Counter service lunch averaged 30.00 per day for our family of four. I even added the mousear ice cream and the sundaes we indulged in, when we were late at the parks, but hadn't eaten dinner yet.

This may sound kind of bad to those that really love the food at WDW, and enjoy all the restaurants. We did do lunch at 2:00 at the 50's Prime Cafe the day we were at MGM, and that was 55.00 for the four of us. They gave us such an incredible amount of food that were still full when we left the park at about 8:30 pm, and then that was the night we ate easy mac and went to bed!

We don't eat out alot because our 5 year old takes an enormous amount of time to eat, so making lunch heavy and dinner light worked well for us.

Hope this helps somebody!

 

[jjsmom]

Congratulations IowaGirl!!!

Every single trip I try to figure how to cut meal expenses (I'm getting better each trip). Your thread has given me new ideas and refreshed perspective on eating in/around WDW. Thanks for the inspiration!!

P.s. I'm going to show DH your thread. Maybe I can convince him that we can afford to go this summer.

 

[singitalto]

I am so impressed!! GREAT JOB!!!

I was hoping to do the same thing when we go to WDW in Sept.

We are also staying at CI&S for 5 nights(after 3 nights with the $20.02 deal at the CourtyardDD, before 3 nights splurge at HRH) I was hoping to eat breakfast in the room at the hotels that don't have free breakfast, I just bought a electric cooler at Costco so we could keep the milk in it for cereal(and maybe cream cheese for Thomas's bagels)- for breakfast. I just hope I can have self control and not want to eat at too many restaurants. I 'm hoping to eat meals out of Disney to keep the costs down. I also have certificates for a Charactor Breakfast, and 4 connections vouchers I hope to use at Beaches and Cream for 2 meals.

I hope to be as good as you in Sept!!!!!

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................For a ten day trip we usually pack 150 packages of top ramen that we get on sale, so we only spend $15.00 for the whole trip! LOL! You did fantastic, and didn't really cut any corners. I really like to pick and choose my "good" meals so we will appreciate them. For a ten day trip we would do no more than five, three good lunches and two good diners and still get plenty of Disney flavor. But then again we are on the semi deluxe plan at $23.33 per person per day!!!
Congratulations, I think you have garnered a pat on the back, but make sure you use those savings for the next trip!!!


PS. We are staying at Calypso Cay in November, In fifty words or less can you tell us what it is like. No abbreviations, no text messaging, void in states with a void, winners will be picked at random!!!

 

[annie2871]

Tell me about the Nascar Cafe at Universal? Is it inside of the park or outside? I'm really interested in going there if you don't have to pay park admission to go.

 

[eeyore0062]

Boy, I can't IMAGINE only spending $450 for 10 days! We can easily whip through that in 3! Of course, we do like eating on property and can get Denny's and McDonald's at home. I guess when we go on vacation, half the fun is eating all of the interesting meals in different restaurants than what we could get at home. To each his own, though! I am glad it worked out for you!

 

[IowaGirl]

Annie2871

NASCAR Cafe was outside of both parks in the city walk area, which you have free access too.
It was right by the area where we met our boat to take us to the Portofino bay hotel. After our first day at IOA, we left the park, and I saw the big banner "1.50 draws bud/bud light" and I said were stopping.
They had kids meals, I had chicken strips both times and DH had pulled pork sandwiches both times i believe. Under 30.00 for all that.

YUM