We are staying 9 days/8nights (November 1-9/13) and we are staying at SSR so we will do breakfast at home everyday but lunch and dinner will be eaten out plus a snack/treat of course!
How much is the average amount of money a family of 5 (2 kids over 10 and one just 9 + 2 adults) would spend on food per day? Do you think it would be over $200? We would do 1 TS, 1QS and a snack plus drinks everyday. If we would be over $200 it makes sense to do the meal plan - what do you all think??
Thanks
The answer is probably No. But you need to do the math to know for sure.
With the current design of the dining plan, you will only save more than a few pennies if you maximize it every day and every night.
You're on the right track with QS lunch, TS dinner, plus snack and drinks.
But you would also need to eat dessert with every lunch and every dinner.
Your 2 older kids will need to get expensive adult entrees every night.
And even the 2 adults -- must order expensive entrees from the more expensive restaurants.
Do you ever share? Do you ever order apps as your meal? Do you ever skip dessert? Ever drink tap water instead of soda? If so, the DDP may not be for you.
It's not just a question of whether it costs $200 per day to feed a family -- Also a question of buying the same things covered by the dining plan.
Dining plan for your family I believe would run about $215:
Here is a hypothetical way to feed your family of 5, for less than $215, without it feeling like you are skimping. Let's assume you are spending the whole day at Magic Kingdom.
Lunch at Cosmic Rays:
Adult 1: Rotisserie chicken + soda. ($13 before tax)
Adult 2: Angus cheeseburger + soda ($13 before tax)
Oldest child: BBQ pork sandwich with soda ($12.60 before tax)
Middle child: Adult portion of chicken nuggets with soda (($11.70 before tax)
Youngest child: kids meal, includes beverage and dessert -- $6
No need for a cruddy Cosmic Ray's dessert for others...
Because take a mid afternoon dessert break:
For the 5 of you, get to Dole Whip floats from Aloha Isle: $10 total, plus tax.
And get a couple of pastries from the bakery: Estimate of $9 for 2 large pastries.
TS dinner at Be our Guest:
Adult 1 Grilled Strip Steak - with garlic-herb butter and pommes frites $29.99
Adult 2 Rotisserie Cornish Hen - with roasted fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables $15.99
Oldest child Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop - with au gratin macaroni, seasonal vegetables and red wine au jus $21.99
Middle child (getting from kids menu) Grilled Steak
with seasonal vegetables -- with dessert and beverage included, $10.59
Youngest child -- with dessert and beverage included -- Whole-Grain Macaroni
topped with Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella served with Seasonal Vegetables-- $8.59
For the 3 people ordering from the adult menu, 3 desserts ($12) and 3 sodas ($9).
Total cost for the day before tax about: $183. With tax -- $195.
So saved $20 over the dining plan. Still got individual entrees at every meal. Still got sodas at every meal. The only thing you skipped was cheap QS desserts at lunch, you skipped 1 snack, and your middle child ordered from the kids menu at dinner.
Take the exact same set up, and add desserts at lunch (about another $15), add the extra snack (another $4), and if your middle child orders from the adult menu at dinner (another $15) --
So if you truly maximized every entitlement, the DDP would save your family about $15 for the day.