Non-Dining Plan Budget??

[vpack05]

How much should I estimate for 1 adult, 2 pre-teens, 1 young child and an infant? I know it's very subjective based on how much each person eats, but I'm just looking for feedback on other's experiences, please. We do have DDE and AP so hopefully that will take the sting off a little but I'm just getting very nervous about dining costs. We do love to eat and eat well.

Background: single mom, works part-time for radio disney (SO NO MONEY!! LOL).

 

[becka]

As 2 adults we used to budget $100/day for food and that was plenty for any snacks we wanted, drinks in the park and 1 counter service (usually lunch) and 1 sit down dinner each day. We always came back with a little extra but we liked the buffer. Since we are now a party of 2 adults, 1 3.5 year old and 1 12 month old I am going to budget around $125/day. DD will either eat free and/or eat off my plate for her meals and I figure an extra $25/day will cover DS and I figure we will still have some money left over.

Check out the menus on allearnet and try to get a feeling for where you want to eat and what you might typically order and start from there.

 

[vpack05]

Thanks!

 

[disyady]

We have a family of 5 (me, DH, DD15, DD10, DD10) and this past August we averaged $100 per day for our family. We share a lot and never buy drinks in the restaurants, so that helps a lot. We average 1 sit down and 1 CS meal each day, plus snacks. Hope that helps.

 

[vpack05]

We have a family of 5 (me, DH, DD15, DD10, DD10) and this past August we averaged $100 per day for our family. We share a lot and never buy drinks in the restaurants, so that helps a lot. We average 1 sit down and 1 CS meal each day, plus snacks. Hope that helps.

That really helps! I keep wondering how much my girls will average! Hmmm...I'll be glad if it's only $100/day! LOL....last trip was "DREAM TRIP" and we would spend over that in one meal alone!

 

[disyady]

We went in August and I find that the heat curbs all of our appetites. We used to spend more when we went in October or November. It's not ordering drinks in restaurants that really adds up - 5 x $2.25 plus tax and tip saves us about $15 at both meals every day (and we are from Canada so that $30 US is more like $40 per day x 7 days or $280 saved each trip just by drinking water in the restaurants!) My 3 girls also prefer to share meals because there is always SO much - that really helps as well. We have never ordered 5 entrees for any meal. I hope you have a great trip!!

 

[afcgirl]

When we go we spend well over $100 a day, maybe $150. We are 2 adults and 2 kids. We usually eat at a very nice sit-down restaurant for dinner and get at least one alcoholic drink (this is vacation after all) so we spend at least $100 just for dinner and drinks plus tip. We have counter service for lunch and a small breakfast. Lots of soft drink purchases since we go in July. The kids don't share meals because it is not worth the aggravation to us.

We think we will save a lot of money on the dining plan, so we are trying it in March.

 

[pbharris4]

Normally we spend around $1200-$1500 for 6 days in food, drinks, snacks for 2 adults and 2 kids (DD9, DD2). That includes taxes and tip. We're going for 10 days this year and DD will be an "adult" and DD2 will turn 3 the day before we get there so she'll be charged as a child now. We are DEFINTELY getting the Dining Plan when it becomes available to DVC members in January! We'll share a few meals and stretch it to cover most meals for the trip. We'll be saving a few hundred dollars.

 

[nbodyhome]

Just for myself (I have no kids), I normally can spend $12 - $20 a day on food eating very well. It just depends on what all you are buying - I don't buy soda, or too many snacks, and I usually have my own oatmeal packets for breakfast (and I buy the small skim milk containers). It depends if you do counter mostly or not - I do (I will get a slice of pizza at the Boardwalk, a smoothie at Earl, sometimes breakfast at Trails End, a childs meal at a counter service restaurant, etc.)

If I'm with my husband, we usually will do a nicer meal at least once - we live close by, so I normally am not on property for long (though I was for 8 nights early this month).

Denise