Want to keep food budget to $30/day for two adults for next trip...can we do it?

[swilphil]

How about just eat sandwiches, soup and hot dogs at home for a week BEFORE your trip? Then you can splurge a little more while you're in the parks. We will have breakfast food and sandwich fixings in our room as well, but I don't want to eat cold cereal and PBJ EVERY day for a week. I also don't want to be penny pinching the whole time I'm on vacation and feel deprived.

We will have some days where we won't even spend $20 on food, but other days we will probably spend $80-$100. One day we will have a big breakfast, and we will do the ice cream social instead of a full blown character meal for the kids. We will do LOTS of counter service and bring our own snacks/drinks into the park.

My plan is that our family of 4 will order 1 entree, 1 appetizer, and 1 kids' meal. We did that the other day at a local restaurant, and we had TONS of food. I'm sure on occassion we'll actually order 2 entrees. We'll probably also have some late lunches and just have a snack or dessert in the evening.

 

[slimplaw]

As mentioned previously, Tusker House and Columbia Harbor are 2 excellent choices. Another good choice would be Tangeriene Cafe in Morocco in Epcot. If you could purchase some Quick And Casual vouchers, you could use these. They cost around $12.00 and we were able to use them at Tangeriene Cafe for $18.00 worth of food, enough for 2 people to share. They are also good to use at Beaches and Cream. My DH and I went to the Spoodles pizza window on the Boardwalk once and had 2(large) pieces of pizza, shared a large salad and had 2 drinks for about $13. I am not sure of a place in MGM as we usually eat at one of the sit down restaurants there or outside the park.

 

[bobcat]

I too say it can be done! It may take some planning by researching the restaurants and knowing where you might like to eat and how much it will cost. Most counter service restaurants have meals for around $8 that include sandwich, side and drink. Many sit down restaurants have good choices for under $10 for an entree another $2 for a drink and include a tip and you can eat at a sit down restaurant. You can even eat at some of the buffets. Trails End lunch buffet is only $10 for an adult and has great food. If you bring drinks with you or prefer water even better.

WDW dining doesn't have to be expensive. Sometimes I think people get too caught up in where everyone else says you "have" to eat. We always have a small food budget, at least compared to what I see some people spending, and have never been deprived or hungry. You won't see our noses pushed to the glass. We splurge on a couple of places, eat at sit down meals during lunch, and eat from our stash at the hotel if we happen to be there when we are hungry. It's all about priorities and we all have different ideas about what is important in a vacation. My priority is not coming home with a bill for something I've already consumed.

 

[dalt01]

i reread the OP and it is one meal a day i was wrong there, but guess what, NO WAY, we go down twice a year and every time i try to save money and its always in the food area and it never happens. all you have to do is stop at one food cart and it blows the whole budget sky high, i know your not going to stop at one, bull, you are walking 6 to 10 miles per day if you are touring full time and your body will make you stop because it needs the energy, besides you just cant get a dole whip back home in Gumstump Arkansas. we are three, myself, dw, dd, 11. and try as we might we spend about 100.00 a day.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We don't stop at the food carts - ever. Most of them don't interest us at all, and we always are stuffed from the other meals to want the snacks.

It can be done, we've done it. It's ridiculous to assume they don't have more self control than that.

$30 for a meal is alot for 2 people, I think. We spent less than that several times on our last trip. We split meals at places like 50's PT and got out of there tax tip included for $20 - and ate GOOD. The meal sizes are enormous!!!! You could easily split at most sit downs and do it, and still have leftover.

All the countries have counter service that would easily be affordable for you, at Epcot, and they are better than your regular fast food fare. Splitting meals at most sit downs will also allow for your budget, and since they are all really big, you will get full on that alone...

I would eat out at lunch, and eat sandwiches and such for dinner, since lunch prices are lower.

Be sure and post back after your trip!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

If that's what you need to do in order to go to WDW, you can do it! Another idea for a change is to do a late breakfast at Trails End Buffet. IT's like 10.00 a person and you will be full for the rest of the day. With the 10.00 left over an icecream later should round out the day. We also enjoy a "snack lunch " sometimes. Share a turkey leg and then some nachos and a micky bar. Fun and well under 30.00.

Good luck and happy eating.


Jordan's mom

 

[HopperFan]

...that is absolutely is possible to eat ONE MEAL PER DAY FOR A TOTAL OF $30.00 for two people.

I just happen to be checking receipts and this is what we paid for VERY LARGE delicious salads that fed two -

Pecos Bills - Chicken Salad (unusal and good) $6.39, 32 oz coke $2.29 that is less than $10 and if we ordered two salads, which would have been too much food, it is still less than $20.

Mara - Caesar Salad $5.39 and Columbia - Garden Gallery Salad $6.39 when you add a sandwhich or fish or other item at @6-7 plus drink you are still at about $20 - we have eaten nice food and are full.

Our day at MK (open to close) with 3 kids (including two teenage boys) we ate at Pecos Bills and Columbia Harbour with each person getting an entree, and we spent a total of $79.82 for the day. No snack carts.

We stay all day long in the parks and WE DON'T STOP AT ANY OF THE FOOD CARTS other than an occassional mickey ice cream bar every other trip or so. We bring in water bottles which we refill at water fountains. Food is not the focus of our day in the parks. We treat ourselves to nice meals on arrival day, quiet days etc.

 

[dalt01]

ok, i'll concede that it is possible if you are on a strict budget to do what some of you are saying if you are willing to pass up some things you may want. but if we cant afford to get what we want we dont go. dont get a wedgie, im not being a snob ,we just dont go on vacation on a shoestring budget. which ever way you go have fun.

 

[JoeThaNo1Stunna]

It's absolutely possible and could be very fun. When I was around 12-13, we had to scrape by all year just to go. I mean I was fine eating PB&J, Ramen Noodles, and Kool-Aid all year in order to goto WDW. My dad would work about 15 hours of overtime a week and after about 6 months we were able to stay at the AS for 4 nights/5 days. When we got there we would have breakfast of something like a bowl of cereal, back to the room for PB&J and Rold Gold Pretzels, and for dinner two 99 cent sandwiches from McD's or BK. These were my favorite trips! It took so much effort, but those were the best memories of my childhood.

As I've gotten older, I've payed for my own trip and have moved up a little bit (around $30 a day per person), but it really doesn't make a noticable difference. I kinda liked back in the day going to the room and cracking open a Coke with a PB&J.

I payed for my entire vacation when I turned 18 with a job at a movie theatre and had a great time on a slightly higher food budget you guys would have.

The bottom line is it can even be fun to see how far you can stretch your money at WDW! I probably eat too much food when I'm not on vacation, but when I'm at WDW it really doesn't matter.

 

[TwingleMum]

If you haven't alrady you should post on the budget board. They have great tips and are a good source of information.

 

[arizonacolbys]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents...

I totally believe that this can be done. Some days may be less than your $30, and you might want to use the leftover money on a Mickey bar, or another meal the next day. Check out the AP discounts for lunch. I believe they are offered at many resort restaurants at lunch M-F, also at many sit-down restaurants at Epcot for lunch M-F.

We are planning on taking advantage of many of these discounts in Sept. We are going to try the Chinese sit-down - they feature a lunch sampler for 2 for $29.95 - 10% AP discount. We are also looking forward to trying Le Cellier for lunch with the AP disct. The Rainforest Cafe also offers this discount.

Many counter service restaurants have very good & filling food at WDW - we really love eating on the water in Mexico at the counter service restaurant. It's usually around $18 for the 2 of us to eat there. We stop there at least 2x every trip.

Good luck - I'm sure it can be done - let us know how it goes when you return - have fun!

 

[LYNSUE]

WDW on a tight food budget can certainly be done. If you go with the mindset that this trip is about the parks and the food is secondary, you will have no problem with the $30 budget. Besides, you will be doing yourself a favor (weightwise) by sharing your meals. Most food places at WDW have hugh portions and it can be romantic to share.

The next trip can be about fantastic dining. A chance to go to WDW even on a tight food budget is worth it.

 

[Hollymom1229]

Considering the sizes of WDW portions you can do this. If you go to a restaurant split an app, an entree, and a dessert. Avoid soda and stick to water. With tax and tip right around $30, just make sure to pick the more mid-priced restaurants.

 

[dalt01]

joe LOL

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by dalt01
ok, i'll concede that it is possible if you are on a strict budget to do what some of you are saying if you are willing to pass up some things you may want. but if we cant afford to get what we want we dont go. dont get a wedgie, im not being a snob ,we just dont go on vacation on a shoestring budget. which ever way you go have fun.

Nowadays, I'm like you. We spend easily $200 a day on food for a family of four. We stay in Deluxes. And if I can't do this, I'd rather not go. (I spend more on umbrella drinks in a week than Disneysteve spends on food for the week).

But back before I could afford to be such a snob (you may not be, but I freely admit to being a Disney snob - an onsite, Deluxe, sit down restaurants, wine with dinner, fly down and take taxicabs when its too inconvient to catch a bus Disney snob) I took entire trips where we would eat one sit down lunch for the whole trip, eat counter service the rest of the time, and not spend that much money (maybe a little more than the OP is talking about, but we never brought in sandwiches). I'm not a big park snacker - one Dole Whip for a week pretty much does it (and now those are too sweet). I can split a Cosmic Ray's sandwich and a large pop and leave feeling satisfied - total bill for lunch for two - around $10.00 - I guess I'm not a big eater. In fact, I just split that meal recently, not in the interest of saving money, but because neither my mother or I was up for a whole sandwich. I don't ever remember feeling deprived (hey, I was at Disney). But a lot of my ability to save depended on my traveling companion. My mother or my sister and I split meals easily. My husband and I never could - he needs the whole sandwich.

One thing I've learned from this board is that if your priorities are spending time in the park and you do this often enough to get an AP, and your priorities are not staying in a really nice resort, renting mouseboats, eating fancy meals, seeing Cirque, buying souvieniers - Disney vacations can be done much more inexpensively than I had imagined.

 

[tkyes]

We can assume that the original poster has been to WDW in the past year, she said they are trying to squeeze in one more trip with their APs.

If I had the chance to take one more disney trip on APs but had to do it on a budget I would jump at the chance.


One more Disney trip with cutting back on food VS. no disney trip at all - I'll take the extra trip anyway I can get it!!

 

[disneymom2one]

It can definitely be done. One poster mentioned the food carts. In 10+ trips to WDW (and many more to US/IOA) I don't think we've ever stopped at a cart. We (me,dh, and our eight year old) carry one backpack around. I throw a few bottled waters in as well as a few cans of soda or juice boxes. You can get cups of ice free anywhere and we just pour the soda over the ice. Not buying drinks saves major $$$ and is easy. And for snacks, we bring things with us - small cans of Pringles are great because they don't get damaged as the backpack is thrown around. We don't have "shoestring" budget trips either. But it just doesn't make sense to me to pay for things I can bring from home for much cheaper.

 

[Shelly D.]

Of course you can do it!

I agree with all the tips on this thread, and also the poster who suggested looking on the budget board. Those folks really know how to save some pennies!

We always make a trip to Columbia Harbor House in the MK. Even when we're not on a budget, it's a nice change from burgers and they have a very spacious dining room downstairs and upstairs.

I haven't been to Pecos Bill, but it sounds like the toppings bar could really take one entree pretty far.

At MGM we eat at the Backstage catering place. They serve burgers, but also have some sandwiches available if you want something different.

We also love Pizzafari at AK. It's counter service and I think we've spent about $6-$7 per person, so that would fit your budget.

I think the biggest way to save food dollars is to avoid the food carts! They are really overpriced. And try to drink water instead of soda. Most of the sodas start at $2, and that adds up so quick.

Good luck and let us know how it went!

 

[IvyandLace]

Wow!! I am so grateful for everyone's opinions and suggestions! Thanks...I really didn't think I was starting such an interesting thread, but DH and I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts!

This will make the fourth trip for me in 12 months and the third trip for DH in 12 months...and as much as we LOVE eating good food at WDW (Jikos being our favorite place!), I am currently disabled and our financial future is in question. However, we are like the above posters who expressed the view that we would rather go to WDW on a shoestring budget than not go at all!! Since we have PAPs, we are trying a very leisurely trip with many days spent at Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, and Pleasure Island...all those things that we always put on the back burner as we went "commando" to the parks! Not this trip!! We will be bringing food from home and are thinking of the following restaurants for lunch (thanks for all those who suggested any of the following):
1). Kona Cafe (10% AP discount)
2). Trail's End (10% discount)
3). Garden Grill (10% discount)
4). Nine Dragon's 2-person lunch menu (+10% discount)
5). Fresh
6). Plaza Restaurant
7). Tusker House using AKL meal vouchers
8). Yacht Club Galley (10% discount)
9). Grand Floridian Cafe (10% discount)
10). Cosmic Ray's Cafe Chicken/mashed potatoes meal

What I need to know now is this...how do I go about planning PSs for the above meals when I don't really want to plan out each day in advance?? If we get up and go to the water parks, should I just make lunch Pss for most days around 2-3pm (depending on when restaurants stop serving lunch)?? I don't really want to eat at 11am...especially if we eat breakfast in our room around 8am...I'm trying to 'spread" the food out and get the best benefit for our "good" meal of the day-lunch. Will we have a hard time getting in for lunch at the above restaurants if we don't make PS in early August?

Thanks again for all the advice...I really appreciate it!! The $30/day budget for food for DH and I is looking more and more "doable" because of you folks!

IVY

 

[tkyes]

If you have days you are pretty sure about I would go ahead and make some PSs.

I think if you are eating around 2 - 3 o'clock you won't have too many problems getting a PS the morning of. You have a lot of hotel restaurants on your list. I don't think those are incredibly busy during the day.