How much to budget for meals?

[BethR9]

Yep. Like extra fries for example or any snack that would qualify as a snack credit.

It's a great value to sub the drink! We drink water mostly anyway.

That is great! We don't need that many drinks either but we for sure need extra fries! ;-)

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Use this site. It helped me a lot on my last trip and was pretty accurate.

http://distripplanner.com/

 

[wisblue]

Another thing to consider if you and your kids are not big eaters is the possibility of splitting things.

When our 3 daughters were small we would often do something like get 3 hot dogs for the 5 of us and cut them in half. I always told the kids that if they wanted more, I would get more, and I almost never did. So often, I see people with 2 small kids get a burger and fries for each of them and they end up throwing out more than half of each. A burger and fries at a place like Cosmic Ray's is a lot more volume than a burger and fries at McDonald's.

Even now, it is not uncommon for us to get 2 (or maybe 3) individual pizzas for 4 of us, or for my wife and me to split an order of 8 chicken breast nuggets. Lord knows we aren't going to starve and, especially when it's hot out, I feel better walking around with less than a full stomach.

 

[keepswimming76]

I always use this website... http://www.distripplanner.com/

I just did this today. It really helped me to figure out what to expect. Although I always overshoot with finances so I have a cushion! I'm planning on about $2,000 for a family of four for 9 nights. That is with about one TS a day and eating some breakfasts and and maybe a couple of lunches in the room.

 

[EdmondD]

What might be most helpful is a per person, per day amount. For us I aim for about $65. We bring stuff from home for breakfast and some snacks (string cheese, granola bars, etc) and we only drink water. We do not have a sit down meal each day but do like to get a fair number of snacks.

 

[Mikie]

What might be most helpful is a per person, per day amount. For us I aim for about $65. We bring stuff from home for breakfast and some snacks (string cheese, granola bars, etc) and we only drink water. We do not have a sit down meal each day but do like to get a fair number of snacks.

This is a good low-research approach. It's the cost of the dining plan per day and a majority of people say that the dining plan is more expensive than paying direct, so if you go with this amount, you're likely on target with a cushion!

 

[mindeola]

Last time we went as a family of 5 in 2014 we spent just around $950 on food in 5 days. This included our refillable mugs, a sit down meal every day, (not anything fancy, think rainforest cafe and 50's prime time) a qs meal every day, snacks and breakfast. We meal shared a lot, also if there were decent kids meals at a qs place I got those. It was an almost $500 savings on the dining plan for us. We're not heavy eaters in the heat so that helped us

This is pretty much us. Our kids are college aged though. I am expecting to pay around $1200 or so. I saved the amount of the meal plan plus $400 ( in case we go crazy! .

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I just did this today. It really helped me to figure out what to expect. Although I always overshoot with finances so I have a cushion! I'm planning on about $2,000 for a family of four for 9 nights. That is with about one TS a day and eating some breakfasts and and maybe a couple of lunches in the room.

We went for 10 nights and did a table service every night. Two adults, one Disney adult and one child. We got refillable mugs, didn't eat any meals in the room and we didn't share either. We spent about $2500 on food.

 

[sharonabe]

So you can sub with either a side or snack? Didn't know this. And can do the same with the drink? Awesome!

You can sub for anything that has the SNACK logo next to it; that doesn't necessarily include all sides. And yes, the dessert and drink can be used in this fashion.

 

[disneydeal]

One thing to consider is the heat of the day. You may not FEEL LIKE eating 3 meals. Maybe eat breakfast, snack and big dinner at an outside restaurant on a few days.

 

[Serenebean]

I'll echo the $15pp for QS meals. We just got back, 2 adults. Pretty much got basic stuff for lunch - burgers, chicken nuggets, tuna sandwich at CHH. We don't get the desserts with them (frankly because they are not that great and Id rather get a snack later on). I even got myself a kids meal one day (the chicken nuggets in DHS - which came with fries, a cookie and a small bottle of water...that was around $9 I think). We did a table service a night - one buffet and 3 regular TS, no character meals. We split an appetizer and dessert at Mama Melrose, both got an app at Coral Reef, and shared a milkshake at the Plaza - our most expensive meal was Coral Reef because I also got a glass of wine and it was like $118 including tax and tip for the two of us. Plaza was pretty cheap, coming in around $60 including tip. It sounds like you wouldn't benefit from free dining. Our dining plan would have been $509 (not including tips) - we spent about $530 which included all tips and got things we would have had to pay OOP on if we were on the dining plan.

 

[rastahomie]

Get the dining plan. Your meals are pre-paid and you don't have to worry about budgeting.

 

[aretha30]

We pull up menus and look for the most expensive item and multiply that by 4. We then multiply that by how many meals we need for the amount of time we are there. So it might by $15 x 4 = $60 for the average QS meal and we need 10 QS meals so we would budget $600. For the TS it depends on if it is buffet or not but you can easily figure out about what each restaurant will cost you. After we get the amount that we will spend we buy Disney gift cards at Target.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Personally was shocked at how much food/drink prices had increased between our October trip and last week. Some items normally $10 were $14. Drinks are now $3.29-3.69. I would budget $15 per for QS, more if not getting water. Figure about $5-6 per snack. Based on what we saw last week, the dining plan is a definite maybe for our trip later this year.

 

[Chrelaine]

I have the hardest time trying to budget for food because who knows what we will want when. I budget $50 for breakfast or lunch and $100 for sit down dinner, $200 total per day. We have just DH, myself and DD5 so it works out to about $67/pp/per day. Some days are over (character meals) and some are under (eating in the room for a meal) so it all comes out in the wash. We never eat out for three meals so I have a cushion for snacks. Personally, I prefer to over budget, knowing DD will never eat her full amount. It works for us.

 

[Dan Murphy]

was shocked at how much food/drink prices had increased between our October trip and last week.

Based on what we saw last week, the dining plan is a definite maybe for our trip later this year.

The Disney psychology is working. Raise the OOP pricing to a point where people jump for the DP. Then continue to lower the quality, variety and overall dining experience, as has been the case in recent years, with so many people locked in.

 

[sharonabe]

The Disney psychology is working. Raise the OOP pricing to a point where people jump for the DP. Then continue to lower the quality, variety and overall dining experience, as has been the case in recent years, with so many people locked in.

AND don't advertise anywhere what the plans cost! If you want to know the cost, you have to come to places like the DIS or price out a vacation online with and without the plan.

 

[Disneycolada]

I always use this website... http://www.distripplanner.com/

You can input your ADR's and pick a place for everyday of your visit and it will estimate your cost of food. It will show you what it would cost for the dinning plan vs OOP.

I usually figure it the way I normally eat. The way with DP (dessert, snack and mug) and see the difference. That helps me determine what I would be paying OOP normally and OOP like I would eat on DP.

Personally I never buy breakfast from Disney unless I doing a character breakfast. I ship from Amazon food for breakfast items or bring from home. That helps cut cost!

We use that calculator too! It's pretty accurate, and will even break it down- what you will spend on snacks, food, tip, etc.

 

[Disneycolada]

I just did this today. It really helped me to figure out what to expect. Although I always overshoot with finances so I have a cushion! I'm planning on about $2,000 for a family of four for 9 nights. That is with about one TS a day and eating some breakfasts and and maybe a couple of lunches in the room.

I'd say that is pretty accurate, we are a family of 4, usually stay that long- and spend that, and maybe even more...

 

[Anal Annie]

Family of 3 adults so perhaps not the same budget you were looking to compare BUT we usually spend about $40ish now on CS meals at say the MK (no alcohol) and closer to $50ish on CS meals in parks where DH can order a beer with his lunch. I noticed on our January trip that sodas & iced teas in some locations had already gone over the $3 mark so I'm done ordering anything but a glass of water now...drinks can really add up on these meals....