What's a realistic amount to budget for food?

[WeLoveNemo]

Hi Everyone,

I am weighing in on our options for an Early September '09 trip.

We are eligible for reduced rates at the Dolphin but know that Free dining isoften offered at the WDW resorts during that time. I am trying to compare these two options but I have never been to WDW without using the dining plan.

How much does a family of 5 (2 grownups, 3 kids) spend in 6 days? We would want a TS two or three nights that week, light breakfast at the resort and CS's for the remainder of the week..

Now, I know there are menus available for me to do exact math and planning but this trip we have decided to relax a bit on the planning. So what I am looking for is just the $number you and your family use in your budget.

Thanks!

 

[Tricia1972]

We went from March 21 - March 29 2008. 5 adults 1 child and 1 infant - we spent a total of $1,000 from the airport in Chicago to breakfast in Chicago the morning after we returned. That includes gratuities and taxes.

We ate at:

Potbelly - Chicago
Artist's Palette
Beaches & Cream
Le Cellier
Sunshine Seasons
Green Thumb Emporium
Artist's Palette
Captain Hiram's
Main St Bakery
Pecos Bill's
Pinocchio's Village Haus
Pinocchio's Village Haus
Main St Confectionery
Aloha Isle
Frontier Land Popcorn
Main St Confectionery
Artist's Palette
Artist's Palette
Sommerfest
Tangierine
Beverly & Sunset
Land Pretzel Cart
Earl of Sandwich
Outback Steakhouse
Goofy's
Asia Slush Cart
Geoffrey's Tea Cart
Jiko
Crystal Palace
Main St Confectionery
Main St Bakery
Casey's Corner
Sbarro's @ MCO
Krispy Kreme
IHOP

 

[Jill in Chicago]

I still think you best bet is to check out the actual menus and do the math. I know it's a pain, but there are so many variables. You can share meals. Some folks have alcoholic beverages. Some people always eat dessert. Some folks can easily eat a few things from fast food shops.

Allears has the exact menus. You will get a much more accurate idea for budget planning.

 

[Tricia1972]

I still think you best bet is to check out the actual menus and do the math. I know it's a pain, but there are so many variables. You can share meals. Some folks have alcoholic beverages. Some people always eat dessert. Some folks can easily eat a few things from fast food shops.

Allears has the exact menus. You will get a much more accurate idea for budget planning.

Even posting my exact info, I totally agree with this. We did that and were very close between our estimate and what we actually spent.

If someone really doesn't want to research and do the math, a good way to budget is to just buy the DDP. That way you know your approximate cost before leaving.

 

[WeLoveNemo]

Thanks for this! I was thinking around $1000-$1200 for the week. Looks like I am on the mark.

I am sure I will use the menus - I promised my husband I would try and "wing it" a little more this trip and relax my usual hyper-planning tendancies. But, here I am, ignoring work that needs to be done, researching the hypothetical free dining, 40% off, etc situations 8 months and 1 day in advance. Old habits die hard

BTW, what is Artist's Palette? Your family seems to like that.

 

[mickeystoontown]

WeLoveNemo: I would also suggest you check out the menus on www.allearsnet.com. Click on Dining and scroll down to Menus. From there, you can see a menu for each and every Disney restaurant. Those menus have prices too!

 

[Tricia1972]

Thanks for this! I was thinking around $1000-$1200 for the week. Looks like I am on the mark.

I am sure I will use the menus - I promised my husband I would try and "wing it" a little more this trip and relax my usual hyper-planning tendancies. But, here I am, ignoring work that needs to be done, researching the hypothetical free dining, 40% off, etc situations 8 months and 1 day in advance. Old habits die hard

BTW, what is Artist's Palette? Your family seems to like that.

Artist's Palette is the CS at SSR. It's very good and was super convenient for us.

 

[IluvKingLouis]

If you are trying to save a little $$, consider doing the table services for lunch. We will either do a later breakfast TS, or a late lunch TS, then dinner is either a light counter service or a snack.

 

[TnTWalter]

I'm trying to figure this myself. My oldest will be TEN when we go so the Dining Plan is not as affordable an option. PLUS the last 2 times we went with the Dining Plan it was before the change; included appetizers and tips.

Family of 5 with kids 10,8,6...

If I add dining plan to our stay it's $1k for 7 nights. That seemed high to me so I've been going to AllEarsNet and playing....

$30-$50 for counter service meals; $20 for a snack for all. 1 Character Breakfast $80+tip at 1900 PF. So if I plan on $100 per day for food drinks snacks + $100 for a character breakfast I'm at $800.....YIKES....the dining plan not looking so expensive. Am I doing something wrong?

Trish

 

[ryanmcin]

We eat at least one TS per day, but we have a DDE/TIW card so that helps the price. We typically have a snack instead of breakfast or sometimes instead of lunch. We eat a lot of little snacks throughout the day and those tend to add up fast. We typically spend about $65 per person per day for the two of us.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I'm trying to figure this myself. My oldest will be TEN when we go so the Dining Plan is not as affordable an option. PLUS the last 2 times we went with the Dining Plan it was before the change; included appetizers and tips.

Family of 5 with kids 10,8,6...

If I add dining plan to our stay it's $1k for 7 nights. That seemed high to me so I've been going to AllEarsNet and playing....

$30-$50 for counter service meals; $20 for a snack for all. 1 Character Breakfast $80+tip at 1900 PF. So if I plan on $100 per day for food drinks snacks + $100 for a character breakfast I'm at $800.....YIKES....the dining plan not looking so expensive. Am I doing something wrong?

Trish

Trish, You definitely aren't figuring it wrong. We normally purchase the dining plan but this past August (a spur of the moment week long trip) we didn't. There were three of us and we spent about $40.00 per each counter service meal. Our table service meal at Rose & Crown was nearly $100.00.

For us, the dining plan definitely pays for itself!

 

[acourtwdw]

Trish, You definitely aren't figuring it wrong. We normally purchase the dining plan but this past August (a spur of the moment week long trip) we didn't. There were three of us and we spent about $40.00 per each counter service meal. Our table service meal at Rose & Crown was nearly $100.00.

For us, the dining plan definitely pays for itself!

Just curious, how was a counter service meal $40 per person? That seems really high to me. What did you order?

 

[mickeystoontown]

Just curious, how was a counter service meal $40 per person? That seems really high to me. What did you order?

Maybe I shouldn't have said PER each counter service but should have said FOR each counter service meal. I meant the total meal for the three of us.

 

[catne]

I would really, really look at what you can get with the free dining deal...if you're willing to stay at a Value resort, you can save big $$$. We did the free dining last September - 2 adults. Rack rate Value resort room for 6 nights and Free dining cost us (actual cost) only $492.00. 2009 room rates are a little higher, of course, but value resort rooms are still under a $100 a night...even if you get 2 rooms, you'll still be at less than $1400 for 7 nights room and free dining. There's also family suites at All Star Music (I think, maybe it's AS Movies?) but the suites do run a bit more than the cost of 2 value rooms. You do get a kitchenette in the suites.

BTW, I kept receipts on all our meals...actual cash cost for what we ate in 6 days was $619.45 (pre-tip, pre-beer/mixed drinks.) We used a snack credit for breakfast pastry, ate counter service lunch and had a table service dinner each night. We ate some buffets, some character meals and some more "grown up" places but no 2-credit meals this trip.

 

[OurDogCisco]

BTW, I kept receipts on all our meals...actual cash cost for what we ate in 6 days was $619.45 (pre-tip, pre-beer/mixed drinks.) We used a snack credit for breakfast pastry, ate counter service lunch and had a table service dinner each night. We ate some buffets, some character meals and some more "grown up" places but no 2-credit meals this trip.

How many people does this price include?

 

[acourtwdw]

Maybe I shouldn't have said PER each counter service but should have said FOR each counter service meal. I meant the total meal for the three of us.

That makes more sense. I was trying to figure out what you ordered to get to that amount. I know the prices at WDW tend to be high but you had me at WOW!