What is the best way to estimate meal cost?

[mmouse50]

I realize this thread is actually about TS but I have a question about CS - do you think that it would pretty accurate to estimate for 3 adults 1 child - 40 for breakfast / 100.00 for each lunch and dinner - 240.00/day for CS?

 

[bigbabyblues]

I realize this thread is actually about TS but I have a question about CS - do you think that it would pretty accurate to estimate for 3 adults 1 child - 40 for breakfast / 100.00 for each lunch and dinner - 240.00/day for CS?

Your breakfast estimate might be a little bit low, depending on what each person would order and if each person is getting their own meal (we tend to split a couple of bounty platters or something, but that doesn't work for everyone). Using the menus on allears for Coronado Springs, adult breakfast meals run from $7.59 to 10.59 each. Kids meals are $6.59-7.59 each, and drinks are around $3 each.

 

[jillt2ph]

I usually look at the menu and figure out what we are going to eat. We are eating at 50s prime time and I am sure myself and my oldest dd will get the chicken Caesar salad. I like some of the other options but do I want to risk it? I mean I like meatloaf but I have had not so good store made meat loaf. I like fried chicken but do I really want to eat that?

Yes, yes, yes! Loved the sampler in December! I always get Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken and decided to switch it up. I was pleasantly surprised!

As far as budgeting, I would figure in $10 for any apps you may want to add in. Some are more, some are less...

 

[loves to dive]

I would look at the menus and figure out what sounds good to you and note that price, but also look at the overall average price of the restaurant. To be safe I would budget on the high side. I will say, though, that we always eat a LOT less food than we think we will. We just can't stand the feeling of being full as we tour the parks and climb in and out of rides. And it seems like as the week goes on we always have some kind of stomach/digestive issues since we are eating food that we don't normally eat (we don't eat out very much) so that decreases what we eat even more. This is one of the main reasons the dining plan just doesn't work for us. So we are always pleasantly surprised that our food bill is much lower than expected.

This, I think people tend to think, well I eat 3 full meals at home so why wouldn't I at Disney. A lot of people underestimate the size of the meals, frankly most of the servings are way too big for me. While we do eat out a lot at home, I'm still a light meal eater and don't eat huge servings. I also don't drink soft drinks but on rare occasions and when I do at home it's those tiny cans. What tends to get my son and I are the refreshing adult drinks. Those can add up and we tend to almost always each have a wine pairing at TS meals or mixed drinks. We often will be walking around and about 4 pm realize we haven't eaten since breakfast just because we forgot, or it's hot or we went to the pool around lunch time so we get an early TS meal for supper. We also rarely snack between meals unless snacks are our meals.

 

[disneygirlsng]

I realize this thread is actually about TS but I have a question about CS - do you think that it would pretty accurate to estimate for 3 adults 1 child - 40 for breakfast / 100.00 for each lunch and dinner - 240.00/day for CS?

100 for each lunch and dinner seems really high to me for CS. When me and my parents go it's pretty much always less than 50 for each meal, sometimes lower when we split meals or get kids meals since many adult portions are so large. I can't imagine adding a child to that would be a whole lot more.

 

[LaidBackDad]

Probably the only benefit the DDP is that it provides an extremely exaggerated estimate for what your OOP budget / cost will be. We just purchase gift cards for the amount the DDP would have cost us. We order what ever we want without regard for cost and without all of the waste and restrictions of the DDP. We eat at signature restaurants, have adult beverages whenever we want, and include tax plus tips. At the end of out trip, we usually have 30% to 40% of the gift cards value left on the balance of the card. Using the magic bands to charge the cost of the meals to the room still gives us the "all-inclusive feel" for a fraction of the cost and we don't have to deal with unused credits at the end of the vacation. We just use the left over gift card balance for our next trip or we spend it on souvenirs we actually want.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm trying to budget for a few OOP TS meals and for the buffets it's easy how do you guys realistically budget for a meal like 50's PT or Sci-fi?

So far, I've just looked at the menus and picked the most expensive stuff i knew we would eat.

That's what I would do. Don't forget to include tax and tip.

 

[rentayenta]

I’m trying to do that now. DH and I share so I choose an app or pasta, salad, entree, and dessert. Then add in money for libations.

 

[rg35]

As far as tips go Disney wants you to leave 18% and I have always done this up to the point that Disney meals became outrageously priced. Now I base my tip on my service and sometimes I don't even leave one because with the amount that Disney is charging me they should be able to pay their wait staff a living wage. But that is just my opinion.

That's a pretty crappy thing to do. Someone working hard to serve you has nothing to do with Disney prices and how much money they are making. Wow, just wow.

 

[Dean Marino]

Just us....

$125 per plate per person (dinner).
$30 per plate per person (breakfast/lunch).

But all of this is based on OUR dining choices. Yours may be different.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's a tad more stressful when I first start planning but i'd rather stress at home then while we're there.

Such a good saying. I need to use it in the future.

 

[disneyjr77]

I realize this thread is actually about TS but I have a question about CS - do you think that it would pretty accurate to estimate for 3 adults 1 child - 40 for breakfast / 100.00 for each lunch and dinner - 240.00/day for CS?

We budget $15 a meal per person for CS.

Such a good saying. I need to use it in the future.

Thanks I've learned my lessons over the years, (both the easy and hard way) at Disney and Universal and each year get a little smarter in thinking and planning.

 

[DISNEY1975]

For an adult - I would figure $15 per person for breakfast, $25 per person for lunch, $40 per person for dinner - $80 per person per day. A child about $60. This should be plenty and you might even come home with some $$ !!. As posted above, all day walking and the heat makes you a little less hungry than normal. Most families can not eat 3 meals per day. We have breakfast/dinner and a snack in between. Have you considered the dining plan? Its a great way to stay on track with a budget.

 

[deakam]

That's a pretty crappy thing to do. Someone working hard to serve you has nothing to do with Disney prices and how much money they are making. Wow, just wow.

If you actually read my post it says that I tip according to the service I receive so someone that "is working really hard to serve me" would receive the 18-20%. The people that expect me to tip them 18-20% simply because Disney suggests it have another thing coming. I base my tips outside of Disney on service received, why would I do anything differently simply because the food costs twice as much as the same thing off property?

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

If you actually read my post it says that I tip according to the service I receive so someone that "is working really hard to serve me" would receive the 18-20%. The people that expect me to tip them 18-20% simply because Disney suggests it have another thing coming. I base my tips outside of Disney on service received, why would I do anything differently simply because the food costs twice as much as the same thing off property?

Agree! Although I would never not tip unless the situation absolutely called for it why should I be told by Disney how much is an acceptable tip? What makes Disney restaurants any different than ones offsite anywhere else in the US? At offsite restaurants servers (in general) know they have to work hard to get a good tip and usually do so. At Disney I have found excellent servers who care about my dining experience and servers who felt entitled to their tip or did not put much effort in their job knowing that they would get a handsome tip at the end anyways because it's Disney and Disney prices. Tipping 18-20% elsewhere with normal prices is not exactly the same as tipping said amount at Disney with their astronomical menu prices. When I have to put down a 40-$50 tip for 4 people the service better warrant it!

So, for example, the server at 50's Prime Time who barely looked at us when we ordered, no antics, no re-fills , delivered the food and never returned to our table until we flagged him down for our bill 30 minutes later never received Disney's recommended 18-20% same as any server would not have if we were off Disney property. The tip he did receive from us was based on our satisfaction with the service he rendered. Tipping is not, and should not be, a command payment.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Www.distripplanner.com is pretty spot on