How much does your family of 4 spend on food at Disney?

[My2CrazyGirls]

I know some people keep track of everything. I am curious what families of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) pay for food (OOP, no dining plan) for a week at Disney?

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

I know some people keep track of everything. I am curious what families of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) pay for food (OOP, no dining plan) for a week at Disney?

Anyone?

 

[rznhal]

we always plan on $100/day, which includes sharing meals and eating breakfast in the room.....that's why we switched to the DDP.....only costs a little bit more for us and we get our own meals and table service!

have you checked out the "disney on $40 a day" thread on here? VERY interesting!

good luck!

 

[vicki_c]

I don't keep track of total spending after the fact, but generally we spend about $200 a day for the 4 of us, if we have a table service meal. It probably averages out to that. I usually figure $1200 or so for a week.

My kids were 12 and 9 on our last trip.

 

[eliza61]

First let me describe my family.
1) I'm not eating in my room. Sorry but trying to balance 4 cereal bowls on a small table is not my idea of fun.

2) We don't share. We tried splitting meals per some suggestions here but it simply never works for us. even when my sons were little. I have had meals where there was too much food for me, but if I split it with my dh, it's never enough where we are both satisfied. So usually what happens is that I get a sandwich and split it but he still has to buy a side of fries and a soda. Well the savings comes to around $1.00! big whoo, might as well buy every one their own individual portions.

We budget 200 dollars a day. We enjoy ts dinners and dh and I will have a beer or wine with our meals.

 

[Nadjalu]

First let me describe my family.
1) I'm not eating in my room. Sorry but trying to balance 4 cereal bowls on a small table is not my idea of fun.

2) We don't share. We tried splitting meals per some suggestions here but it simply never works for us. even when my sons were little. I have had meals where there was too much food for me, but if I split it with my dh, it's never enough where we are both satisfied. So usually what happens is that I get a sandwich and split it but he still has to buy a side of fries and a soda. Well the savings comes to around $1.00! big whoo, might as well buy every one their own individual portions.

We budget 200 dollars a day. We enjoy ts dinners and dh and I will have a beer or wine with our meals.

Sorry I don't think this is abnormal. This is what MOST people do. After all it is a vacation.

 

[kappyfamily]

Our family of four with the two kids at 16 & 10 I budget for $150 a day.
Breakfast in the room, this time we have a 2 bedroom so we will order garden grocer for Bfast groceries.

Hope this helps!

 

[dvcdisney]

We average about $160-$200 per day for 2 adults, 2 children (one of which is 11 and has no problem eating an appetizer and an 8 oz steak meal and still be hungry). We usually eat 2 TS meals per day (usually breakfast and dinner, but on occasion lunch and dinner) and we have snacks in between.

We used to be on the dining plan but find that TIW works much better for us. We do spend a little more, but we eat what we prefer. We rarely eat CS meals. None of us like it.

 

[sharonabe]

For a CS meal, we spend about $30. The kids' meals include a drink, and DH and I drink water most of the time or share a soda. We only get dessert for a CS once or twice during the week since most of them are prepackaged and not worth the money, IMHO.

You can do breakfast buffets for $20-25 per adult and $11-15 per child. If you make those dinner buffets, the price goes up to $35-$37 for adult and $17-20 per child.

A TS where you order and they bring it to you can run the gamut just like anywhere else. Most of the kids' meals at a TS are under $10. Entrees for adults are $12-50 depending on where you are and what you want to eat.

 

[loveswdw]

Sorry I don't think this is abnormal. This is what MOST people do. After all it is a vacation.

I totally agree! I see folks on here all the time talking about splitting meals, even kids meals, and I think, "Are they eating the same meal I am?" I've never had a problem with "Too MUCH food" at WDW. We all get our own meals and everybody eats. Well, except for my DS3 who doesn't eat much anyway!

The only restaurant that we ever gotten enormous portions for everybody was Rainforest Cafe. I could've boxed up leftovers and we have had another 2 meals there. It was crazy! I would much rather they'd have given us half the food at half the cost!

 

[eliza61]

Sorry I don't think this is abnormal. This is what MOST people do. After all it is a vacation.

Really, I always read post where people rave about how big the portions are and how they have pop tarts and cereal bars in their room and I always think "my family are a bunch of pigs". LOL.

 

[dwfanatic]

We are 3 adults and 1 child (DS #1 is 15) and we plan for $200 a day, but if it's a day without a character meal, the extra $$ goes for souviners!!

BTW, eliza61, I totally agree with your last post- the dieting is for before and after the trip, definitely not during!

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

It is interesting to hear the different responses, thank you!

 

[rentayenta]

I think the portions are huge and we do share. I'm healthy and thin and prefer to stay that way. My eating style doesn't change because I'm on vacation. We eat well and don't do the DDP and no one goes hungry by sharing. We don't waste a lot either.

I'd say on average we spend about $150-$200 a day including groceries for the 5 of us. We like to make a nice breakfast in the villa before hitting the parks. We don't drink a lot of soda and bring our own water bottles in. After park snacks in the villa are a must too. My kids love to snack at night and by the pool.

That amount includes alcohol which includes a case of Guinuess and a nice Vodka with mixers. We usually do a TS and CS each day.

Our last trip was in 2009 and the kids were 12, 10, and 8 so we'll see how much the food bill goes up next year.

 

[Schmoodle]

We average $40/per person per day. That includes some grocery $$ for fruit, granola bars, etc. for snacking and sometimes we just eat those for breakfast. Usually covers one on-property TS, one CS, and one afternoon treat per day (just like the dining plan, but less expensive!). Some of us are bigger eaters than others and DD and I will share if we're not too hungry (DS is ALWAYS hungry). With two kids in early teens, we don't do fancy-fancy TS - I'd love to go to V&A, or even Blue Zoo, but wouldn't be worth the $$ to take them along. So Flying Fish is about as chi-chi as we get. One day I'll leave them behind again and do ALL the places I've dreamed of. That will be a much more expensive trip!

 

[sgtshovelhead]

I just got back from a 10 day stay two adults and two children ages 13 and 11. I kept track of my expenses to see if the DDP would work for us. We stayed in a 1 BR DVC resort and ate breakfast in the room all except one day, we went to the Wave that AM. We ate all lunches in the parks at quick service locations and ate at a table service restaurant each night to include Le Cellar, Chef Mickey's, Turf Club, and Wispering Canyons,, some of the more expensive restaurants. We would pick up snacks here and there. We averaged $160.00 per day not including tips.
We have used the DDP in the past and found it caused us to over eat, you get alot of food. Last time on the DDP my older daughter got sick 3 times from overeating.
When we go back we are again going to pay as we go as it works better for us. Hope this helps.

 

[AirGoofy]

I don't have the $, but it was the same as cost of DP. The last trip, we did not do DP. I remember when DP had gratuity included, and wanted to calculate if it was still a good deal. So, when I did the math, the cost was about the same (a little higher) as if we had purchased the DP. But, I found that we ate where we wanted, added alcohol at times, split meals where we wanted and did not split at others, and did not shove down those QS desserts each lunch because they were included. So, for about $20 more than DP, we had better dining experience. Thus, to answer your original question, take the DP cost for the 4 of you and add $20.

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

$200 to $300..Myself, DH and 2 DS(15,almost13) at this age they can really eat. Some days are closer to 175 if only CS but we are on vaca and usually eat 1 TS and have apps, soup,salad...big on snacks around the arks like almonds, dole whips..it adds up quickly. Thank goodness we have dvc for the rooms or the occasional cruise where it is all included!