We did it again! Family of 4 eats for $75 a day. Read all about it, plus reviews!

[Conservative Hippie]

DH and I ate for about $50/day on our honeymoon--pre-DDP. We only had two TS, one at Chefs, and one at Jiko with a free meal voucher. So it was almost exclusively burgers and chicken strips. I WILL NOT eat junk for a week again!

 

[3princesses4us]

MODERATORS - Why do you let this continue? If people want to debate tipping, they should open a tipping thread. Better yet, they should do a search and read the millions of posts already written about it and leave this poor girl alone.
Oh please! Why should they close a discussion board for discussing. There's been no name calling. If the "millions" of posts on these 5 or 6 pages bothers you, make sure you don't open any that have the title "Can we pay for our kids out of pocket?"!

NvBnToWDW - Please ignore the people that have nothing better to do than pick apart your life. Thanks so much for having the courage to post again this year after being criticized last year. I'm sure you won't make that mistake again. We ate very similar to your family our first couple of trips to WDW and loved every minute of it. You might get more understanding on the Budget Board, but it has morphed into a board about all things budget related not just Disney. PLEASE, don't let these nay-sayers taint or steal your magical memories of your vacation.

Why are some of you more worried about "stealing this woman's magical vacation memories"(?) than about stealing from the waitstaff's pocket? They make a living on our tips. Just because it's our vacation does not give us the right to make their lives that much harder so we can enjoy our week more. We are pointing out our problems with her tipping system because we think it's dangerous for her to potentially encourage others reading this to try it out. Sure it'll save money, but at who's expense? That's all I want people to think of.

 

[momofdbsdc]

Thank you for your reviews!!! I have really enjoyed them!!!!

 

[hentob]

MODERATORS - Why do you let this continue? .

Because this is a calm, adult conversation. Nobody is being nasty. People are sharing opinions. Thank you Mods for seeing that.

For the most part, people are being very complimentary towards the OP.


They are replying to a post by somebody else that basically stated "If you don't have enough money to tip, you should still go out to eat and the waitress should just deal with it...after all, she is the one who chose to be a waitress, so she deserves to be under-tipped".

 

[Dorisk3]

To all the posters that just want to make nice- I thought a place like the Disboards was an interesting place for debate. I don't see any name calling, just people stating various opinions that don't agree with each other. I personally find it all very interesting! Sometimes debates arise out of informational threads- no big deal!
To the OP- good record keeping. I'll be honest with you- that would not be the road for me- but I know some folks (my husband is also really into being frugal) get alot of satisfaction on saving $$$. He is also maybe not a stellar tipper- we always debate about whether to tip on tax or not- and he is always surprised by "how much" 15% is on a good meal! (And like you, we order ice water alot!) Glad you had fun on your trip- your thread is quite popular! If you they ever have free dining again- like a previous poster said- you should consider it- you will love it- it includes tax and tip- and you can order a soda if you want- and for me it means I don't have to share dessert with someone who says they are full and then proceeds to eat most of it in one inhale!!!

 

[figgy4me]

We (2 Adults) usually eat this way. We do not get as many snacks, but eat a lot of counter service meals. Snacks are cashews/cheez-its/breakfast bars/etc. that we bring in our waist-paks. Sometimes we get ice cream or popcorn, etc. And yes, we do share a lot of our meals. Touring makes you hot, tired and we find that we are not that hungry. We just grab the counter service and keep on trucking. We usually take a day or two not in the parks and do Rain Forest Cafe at DTD, and sometimes Golden Coral/Ponderosa or Outback Steakhouse, etc. When we stay offsite, most nights are spent at a steakhouse, but we are not beyond picking up some bread and cold cuts and just heading back to the room and relax.

 

[Ears2You]

Thanks so much for your review! I really enjoyed it.

On the topic of tipping- I have heard before (don't remember where) that the amount of tip that is "acceptable" is also based on the region in which you live. I live very close to DC and usually give more than a 20% tip for good service, and a 20% for average service. But if other parts of the country a 15% tip is given for an excellent tip. I think part of this has to do with the cost of living in the region that you live.

On the topic of eating not so healthy at CS- You can also eat unhealthy at TS meals and vice-versa. You can also get heathly meals at CS. Just because you eat at a TS doesnt mean you are eating healthy, esp. with the DDP. When you consider that you are getting an appetizer, entree, and dessert with each TS meal you actually may consume more calories that way than if you eat at a CS meal. Just my opinion of course! I eat whatever I want when I am on vacation, esp. at Disney. Who cares! You are constantly walking everywhere!!!!!

 

[2nd childhood]

OP I'm glad you and your family had a great time at Disney. Sometimes it takes planning to make good memories with your children as they won't be young forever. Thanks for your reviews and record keeping.

 

[PIXARFREAK]

Something else I noticed as I was analyzing your daily reviews is that you ate a lot of snacks, desserts,pops and milkshakes, etc. which adds to the budget quite a bit. I suspect this may be because people were not full from sharing meals. This again, is something that people need to think about when deciding whether to do or not do the DP.

Tiger

I find meal sharing the best route so that I can enjoy a shake without feeling like I need to throw up after every meal

 

[vatmark]

I don't know why feeding a family of 4 at disney for $75 a day is being toted as being a remarkable feat? I could feed my family of 4 for that too if we ate all CS, shared meals, drank iced tap water and was stingy on tips. What is so great about that?

I think it's great that the OP gave us her opinions and reviews. I think the OP is entitled to eat however she chooses but I don't think it is realistic for most families.

As far as the tipping goes...I don't agree that one should be stingy in order to stay on their budget. These waiters and waitresses depend on their tips as part of their wage. They have families to feed as well. How many TS meals did the OP even have? Your telling me that the OP couldn't spare a few extra $'s to give a decent tip? I don't think it had anything to do with the OP not having the money. I think the OP just wnated to meet her challenge of staying at $75 a day. That's just my opinion.

The OP titled her post toting that she fed her family of 4 for $75 a day. I think that there is nothing wrong with commenting on not tipping adequately because realistically it would have not been $75 a day if the tips were appropriate. Why didn't the OP just title her post "My Dining reviews"?

Annie

 

[PaulaSB12]

I found this post interesting as how a family can eat well at a reasonable price. Personally I have gone for the ddp as I am going solo and can't share with anyone, will not eat cereal as I work for a cereal firm (Weetabix for these in the UK) and see enough of the stuff at work so its always something else for breakfast. As for tips I give the 18% tip but I don't like tipping I now that the waiters rely on them so pay it but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

 

[Dis31]

Thanks for the review, I love hearing how other families do their disney vacations. I'm sorry for all the negitivity you gotten, I think its amazing how so many other people fell the need to bash you for simply trying to give others advice and hope that you can do disney without going broke! Looks like you had a great trip and I dont understand the need to critque your choices or tell you how you what you should have done.

 

[Florida_Mom]

I find meal sharing the best route so that I can enjoy a shake without feeling like I need to throw up after every meal

So true! So true! Dessert first at Disney, that's my motto.

Actually, we have cut corners on some trips, and gone all out on others. You can get some pretty decent salads at CS places, and really bad food at TS (Rainforest Cafe at DTD...yuck. And the service was soooo bad. Not just one time, but after the third time...that's when we decided not to go back.) The turkey legs are good for a quick meal, we've even gotten the kids the peanut butter and jelly uncrustable sandwich from the Main Street bakery when they just wanted a quick something. We've also had a late breakfast (like 10:30 or so) and an early dinner, and maybe just a late night snack. It's vacation.

Thanks, OP, for posting!

 

[fakereadhed]

OP- thanks for the reviews!

To those who want to debate tipping or anything else and have an "adult" conversation, be adult enough to realize that the OP didn't post a debate topic. She was simply sharing her experience.

Apparently the DIS in DISboards stands for disagreement...even on someone's own experiences/trip report. :

 

[Tiger926]

Again, some people seem to be missing the point with the tipping comments. The OP posted in big, bold letters to draw attention to the fact that she fed 2 growing children and 2 adults on $75.00 per day. Once you read through her reviews, it's easy to see that this was accomplished with some lower tipping amounts, shared meals and eating in room. This may be misleading or confusing to some who are reading this post to see if they can indeed accomplish the same thing with their families. Several of us pointed out that the $75.00 amount may actually be a little more if average tipping amounts were used. Remember, this is an information board; therefore, I think it's important that these variables are pointed out in order to help people who are considering the DP and trying to budget meals for their family.

It shouldn't matter whether or not the OP ate ice cream for dinner, or shared a meal, on a personal level, but, since I believe the OP's true intention was to prove that indeed you can feed a family of 4 on $75.00 a day in WDW, these variables should be debated on here as they are part of the dining budget for most families.

I read her post as I read pretty much all posts on this board because the food is as much a part of our vacation as watching the fireworks and seeing the characters (I've grown up in a restaurant family my whole life). I pretty much knew when I saw the thread title that to be able to only spend $75.00/day for 4 people then they had to have eaten mostly CS, shared meals and eaten in room as we go to Disney a minimum of once per year and therefore know exactly how much food costs. For me, I didn't read this post on an informative level, but I'm sure lots of people who have read it would be reading it to gain insight into how they can accomplish this same thing.

I disagree with the people on here who have turned this into a tipping debate for the sake of tipping, but don't disagree with those of us who pointed out that the OP's amounts were lower and that actually helped her make her budget of $75.00/day. It's not my place to say whether or not this was right, but to point it out so that others who are using this thread as a point of reference that they may have to add a few dollars here or there as tipping amounts were lower.

Tiger

 

[lajones81]

Thanks for all the detail in your dining reviews. It's helpful to know which meals can be shared.

I agree! I love reading reviews! Thanks to the OP!

 

[ntink]

I am only 2 pages into this but I am getting so hungry just reading about the snacks at Main St. Bakery. I have yet to try anything from here and now can't wait to do so. We love the chocolate chip cookies at Staring Rolls in MGM. Did you try those and how do they compare? Thanks for sharing the details of eating on a budget.

 

[NvrBnToWDW]

I'M THE OP AND IT'S AMAZING WHAT THE DISCUSSION OF MONEY WILL DO TO PEOPLE! IF EVERYONE WOULD GO BACK TO THE OP AND R-E-A-D IT, THEY WILL SEE THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH WE SPENT EACH DAY UNTIL AFTER WE GOT BACK HOME AND I ADDED UP THE RECEIPTS . I ACTUALLY EXPECTED US TO SPEND BETWEEN $85-100 EACH DAY. THE $75 A DAY WAS NOT A GOAL, AND THERE WAS NO CONSPIRACY TO STEAL ANYTHING FROM ANYONE. WELL, APPARENTLY FOR THE 3 SIT-DOWN MEALS WE HAD I CHEATED DISNEY OUT OF A TOTAL OF $5.90. I GUESS NO ONE'S COUNTING THE $2400 WE SPENT TO GET THERE. MAYBE THE $2.39 WE SPENT ON A BAG OF CHIPS THAT WE CAN BUY AT WALMART FOR $0.88 WILL MAKE UP FOR IT. AND AS FAR AS BRAGGING OR MISLEADING PEOPLE, THAT WAS DEFINITELY NOT MY INTENTION. I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE NON-DISNEY EXPERTS HAVE SOME IDEA OF MENU COSTS. LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST AND IT WAS VERY HARD TO IMAGINE PORTIONS AND HOW OFTEN WE'D WANT TO EAT. ANOTHER FACT THAT MAY (HOPEFULLY) CLEAR THIS ALL UP IS THAT THE SINGLE PARTY WE WERE WITH INSISTED ON MATCHING OUR TIPS AT THE RESTAURANTS. THIS MADE EVERY TIP 20% OF THE TOTAL BILL. I DIDN'T STATE THIS BEFORE BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BECOME SUCH A VITAL ISSUE. LITTLE DID I KNOW!

 

[blueiis99]

to bad you had to resort to your last post.......some people just can't resist bashing others over stupid things.

"people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"

Thank you for your report's! I, for one found it informative....That's why I'm here on these boards anyway!

Don't let them get to you,, your doing just fine....keep up the good work

 

[hentob]

to bad you had to resort to your last post.......some people just can't resist bashing others over stupid things.

Again, I saw no bashing. No bashing what-so-ever. I don't even know if anyone was debating Just differing opinions.

Are we reading the same thread?