Planning for a trip - how much to expect to pay for food?

[eagerplanner]

Hey!
So I'm 100% new here because I heard this was the go-to place for questions.
I'm starting to plan a trip to Disney World for next year (yes, 2013 - I'm big on advance things), and I'm wondering about how much to expect to pay for meals? There are 5 in our family - 2 adults, 3 kids. I know it will vary greatly depending on the type of restaurant, etc. But is there a general average? Like $50 a meal? More? Just trying to get it all worked out.
Also, what are some good places to eat?
Thanks!
Kara

 

[loganpaulsmom]

It really depends .. Are u sit down restaurant people? Would counter service do? Would you do the dining plan? For 5 people I guarantee u will not b Paying $50 for a meal for your entire party.. Sit down restaurants vary in price as do the counter service.. What kind of food does your family eat that will definitely depend on the type of restaurants u choose.

 

[eagerplanner]

I'm really not sure. We are going to try to do only, like, 1 meal per day in the parks. We'll probably do like half and half - 2-3 counter service, 2-3 sit down meals. We're not especially fancy people, but I do want the food to be worth the price (if that makes sense? lol). We probably wouldn't do the dining plan because I'm not planning on staying on site.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Welcome!

I would recommend going to this website to check out menus: http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#res

As for prices, they really do vary from place to place. Are you planning on doing more Counter Service or Table Service? Are you interested in character dining or buffets? If you want to dine at quite a few Table Service places you might want to check out the dining plan.

As for my family, we normally only eat at 3 or 4 TS places and do CS the rest of the time. If you are looking to save money, you will probably want to eat at CS the majority of the time. One big tip I have is to order cups of water, which are free of charge.

Since there are 2 adults and 3 kids, I can price out a typical lunch/dinner CS meal for you. If both adults order an entree (around $9) and drink (about $2.50) and the children order the kid's meals ($5.49), then you are looking at about $40, not including dessert.

The prices for the table service meals are much more variable, but you will probably be paying over $100 for those plus tip.

Hope this wasn't too much info at once! Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[Lauralooneyfordisney]

I would first start at www.allears.net. Look at the menus for the parks there which give the price. You could pick out one that you think everyone would like for each day. You could also use the CS places that have large amounts of food so more than one person could share. There is a thread here on the first page that talks about large amounts of food. Our favs are Cosmic Rays, Pecos Bills, Flame tree BBQ and Earl of S.

 

[angierae]

I'm really not sure. We are going to try to do only, like, 1 meal per day in the parks. We'll probably do like half and half - 2-3 counter service, 2-3 sit down meals. We're not especially fancy people, but I do want the food to be worth the price (if that makes sense? lol). We probably wouldn't do the dining plan because I'm not planning on staying on site.

Menus are available at allears.net and will give you an idea of pricing.

For example, at Cosmic Rays, a counter service place, you're looking at $5.49 for a kid's meal, and $8-11 for adult entrees. That's counter service.

At, say, The Plaza Restaurant, for TS at Magic Kingdom, the kid's meals are $8.59 and for adults for an entree you're looking at between $11 and $15 for adult entries (more to add a salad)

However, at a buffet such as Crystal Palace (which has characters) you're looking at $40.99 per adult and $19.99 per child for dinner.

So it really is going to vary by what and where you decide to eat. But the AllEars menus will give you a good starting point.

 

[deakam]

I, when not on a dining plan, usually go with a basic budget of table service $35.00 per person and Counter service $15.00 person. This usually leaves me enough money in the budget to cover things like drinks and snacks plus tips. And yes I use the same amount even if I am getting kids meals. I like knowing that I have over budgeted just in case I need extra for something special.

Visiting the allears.net website will give you some insight into the prices--just remember that prices can change at the whim of Disney and they are higher all around during holiday seasons, including Easter.

 

[JennyWren]

I usually budget $75 per person per day. That being said, some days we go over and others we are way over (and occasionally we stay under)plus we stay on site and prefer table services.

 

[akclayton]

I agree with the rest in looking at the menus and prices on allears.net.

That's what I did when I was budgeting. We aren't going to do the meal plan and we are staying on property. If you are maybe looking into saving some money, you can take bottle water and snacks in from outside and even sandwiches. This could save some money.

There are good CS places. In MK, We like Cosmic Rays and Harbour House. At Cosmic Rays, DH and I can get the chicken and ribs plate which comes with potatoes and a veggie and we can share it and be satisfied. $15 for that. Harbour House has a variety of options and has nice amounts and good food as well. It's nice sometimes to get something other than a hot dog or hamburger.

allears,et will def. get you a general idea. Good Luck!