Is this enough $ per day...

[The Packards]

Hello! We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ages 10 and 12) and I have budgeted to spend $225 per day on meals and snacks while we are in Disney? Is this realistic? We will be eating mostly counter service meals with the exception of 2 character breakfasts.

Depending on how we do with our money towards the end of the trip will determine our souvinere money.

Any thoughts or tips for keeping within a daily budget?

Thanks,
Stacy

 

[ptrbryant]

Very generous budget!!! We always set aside about $90 a day for lunch and dinner for DH, DS8 and myself per day. We usually eat light items from the grocery store for breakfast and bring snacks with us, but we do one sit-down and one counter-service meal each day. I think you've got more than enough!!!

Karla B.

 

[powellrj]

that should be more than enough!! That would be $18.75 per person per meal!!

 

[maureen4200040]

Hi, The packards,

Your budget per day for food is what I would called more than plenty. Being from the U.K my budgeting for food gets less every year I travel to Orlando. On our last trip I got our food bill down to around $80.00 per day for 3 adults and 1 child. We ate 2 meals per day each, plus snacks and cereal and fruit for breakfast.

A lot of our meals were very big and could be share between 2 people. We had counter service, our hotel's all you can eat meals(paid with a buy one get one free voucher), Denny's & Wendys meals etc, and we also did a grocery shop at Walmarts, which was quite handy. The only tip I could really give you for saving money on meals is to search the internet for money off coupons for Orlando, they come in handy when paying for your meals plus save you plenty of $$$.

maureen4200040

 

[Misty89]

thats very close to what we are budgeting too.....family of 4 also, DH, ME, DD's 13 &5.
we are doing 4 character meals, and the rest counter.
cant compare to anything though cause this is our first time....but i would rather go with extra then not have enough ( extras can always go back in the bank


Tina

 

[dpayne1969]

Hello'
i was wondering about my budget as well since this is our first time at Disney.
We will be there 3 days and i have already purchased 20 q@c vouchers.
We will be at universal for 3 days as well and for that i have purchased 100.00 in hard rock cafe gift cards.
We also have a 75.00 gift card for Red Lobster while there.
My kids each have 240.00 they have been saving all summer.
There are 4 in our party.I only have 800.00 in spending money, do you guys think we will be ok??
This 800.00 is for food and taxes on my rental car as i booked with expedia and they said my taxes were not included for my rental car.

 

[Mad4Dizne]

Every trip (so far) we budget approximately $50/day per person; We have always come back with plenty of TC!!! We did utilize vouchers our last trip (thanks all you great Dizers!!!!) and found we spent nowhere near what we did on previous trips. We also many times found ourselves stuffed from a morning character breakfast and only had a few snacks later that day. Or conversely, if we were headed for O'hana's for dinner we had a few small snacks throughout the day; Have a wonderful trip!!!!!!! I think if you are used to restaurant prices in MA, you'll find WDW not bad at all.

 

[disneysteve]

Last trip, we were 3 adults and 1 child age 8. Our spending for the trip, including travel days, was under $17/person/day for all meals, snacks and beverages. That's definitely on the low end of what folks spend, but just shows it can be done. We spent only a little more for 4 than you are budgeting per person, so I think you'll be way under budget, especially if you are planning mostly counter service meals.

 

[Bugdozer]

WOW that seems like a lot to budget to me if you are doing counter service meals. We usually plan on $10.00 per meal per person so $30 a day for each of us. That would be $120 for 4. Even with the $30 a day a person there is still money for a snack or bottle of water. I personally don't find that counter meals are very exspensive.
You should be fine with that amount alotted.
Cheryl

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Bugdozer
I personally don't find that counter meals are very exspensive.

I agree. This is especially true since many counter service meals are quite large enough to share so you don't need one full meal per person.

 

[disneyfanz04]

Originally posted by The Packards
Hello! We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ages 10 and 12) and I have budgeted to spend $225 per day on meals and snacks while we are in Disney? Is this realistic? We will be eating mostly counter service meals with the exception of 2 character breakfasts.

Depending on how we do with our money towards the end of the trip will determine our souvinere money.

Any thoughts or tips for keeping within a daily budget?

Thanks,
Stacy

If that is what you budgeted...then stick with it...I have learned to budget high because the kids always want popcorn...we collect the buckets it comes in...mickey head ice cream bars...and whatever else snack they see...and when we are there, I usually let them have it, so if you have the funds...keep it budgeted that way, and if you don't spend it all, then the last day go to the shops and buy some extra suvineirs(sp???) Have a blast!!!!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by disneyfanz04
keep it budgeted that way, and if you don't spend it all, then the last day go to the shops and buy some extra suvineirs(sp???) Have a blast!!!!

Of course, just because you've budgeted a certain amount of money for your trip doesn't mean you have to spend it all. It is okay to come home with "extra" money. Use it to start the fund to save for the next trip.

 

[Bugdozer]

Originally posted by disneysteve
Of course, just because you've budgeted a certain amount of money for your trip doesn't mean you have to spend it all. It is okay to come home with "extra" money. Use it to start the fund to save for the next trip.

Hi,
I agree with this. I love coming home with some money for my next trip.
I use the envelope system. We are going in 36 days and what I did was put $70 in an envelope marked food with the day of week for everyday of our trip (me and 12yo son). We include the day we leave and the day we come back. When we get to our room we lock them up in the safe. Then each day I take out that days food envelope. Any money we did not use from the previous day gets added to that day and so on. If it adds up un spent we will splurge for a meal out at kids choice. I do not included our Chef Mickey PS, Candle light PS or our Liberty tree tavern on MVMCP. I use separate envelopes for them with the proper amount of money in them.
We never use all our food money and always come home with some-it goes right into the next trips fund I love the envelope system.

Cheryl

 

[canwegosoon]

I will ditto everyone else...you do not need a grocery stop, you can do breakfast lunch and dinner plus snacks on that budget for sure!!! HAve fun. Good for you budgeting all that money!!!