Honestly, how can you possibly afford to eat in Disney??? (LONG)

[CapeCod53]

I may get jumped on for this, but I don't think the the cost of food at wdw is so outrageous. My DD is home from college for spring break this week. The 2 of us went out for breakfast at a little local place, tea, juice & a hot meal cost us $20. Last nite we along with 15 yr old son went to Pizzeria Uno's. 2 beverages, 2 desserts, 3 burger platters cost us over $40 with tax & tips. Checking the prices at Roaring Forks & Whispering Canyon Cafe(WL-we'll be staying there) & Pecos Bills in MK, we cd get the same meal cheaper in wdw!!! The Northeast is pretty expensive & I realize we live in a semi-tourist area(10 minutes to Plymouth, 20 min to CapeCod)
We only eat out 1-2 times/month so a trip to wdw every 2-3 years is a chance to splurge a little. We still bring breakfast things & have 1 hot breakfast only (collapsible cooler so we don't even spend the money to rent refrig) bring picnics to the water parks & actually look forward to eating off-site at Olive Garden, etc because there are not many chain restaurants around here. We still only order 2 entrees for the 3 of us & the 3rd person(usually me) orders a fruit plate or salad because the quantity is so huge! When the kids were little we ordered 2 kids meals & 1 salad for 3 & had plenty of food.

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[jenfur]

I have a family of 5 and we live on an income of $25,000 a year and we had a great time . We decided which Disney restuarants I definately wanted to eat at - They were Cindy's breakfast , Coral Reef and Rainforest Cafe . The breakfast cost $15 for Adults and $10 for kids (approx.) so , whenever I had $10 left over from groceries or anything I put it up for that particular thing . The same with Coral Reef , I looked at the most expensive entree and saved enough for each individual . It easier that way beca use you just see $20 for Dh not $100 for a meal . For Rainforest Cafe I used gift certificates from Mypoints and milesource (these are great for saving for disney or getting something else for free and putting the money you would have spent on it for disn ey). We stayed at ASMu and we ate pizza a few nights . We took our own breakfast (pop tarts , cereal , packages muffins) - we each carried a small bag with snacks ( peanut butter crackers , cheese nips , cookies , chips any small snack food ) so we only h ad to worry about eating and paying for it once a day . We stayed 5 nights and only took $400 with us and came back a little change . All I know is that if my family can go and stay onsite , anyone can .ˇˇ

 

[pgjam]

I know there have been a lot of replies but had to add my $.02. we do the opposite of many people. we eat a big breakfast in the parks & either skip lunch or grab a little snack & eat dinner. Either way we only eat 2 meals. There are 5 of us & it is expensive to eat out all the time. I have found that Breakfast all over the world is consistently very good and pretty reasonable.We especially like Tony's. We also eat quite a few dinners at Dixie Landings because of the variety & price. We are DVC members so have access to a refrig. I pack water bottles & each night fill them half way & freeze it. Fill it up in the morning & you have COLD water all day. Good luck. Peggy in PA

 

[ReneeQ]

My husband and I are DVC members, so we always have at least a microwave and refrigerator in the room. The last trip I went with my best friend and her 2 kids. We had breakfast in the room every morning (brought everything from home.) We usually didn't stop for lunch, just grazed on snacks from our backpacks all day. The kids are too excited to stop and eat a big meal during the day. We had fruit and crackers, not just junk. Also brought our own water bottles and filled them at the water fountains.

For dinner we would have a sit down meal, but if you're creative it doesn't have to cost a fortune. We had dinner at Cinderella's Castle one night and I think only spent $30 for the four of us. Both kids always wanted the kids meals, but probably could have split one. No problem, the kids meals are great, so the adults just helped them eat them. The adults each ordered a salad and a bowl of soup from the appetizer menu. And with the two baskets of bread, we were all stuffed.

If anyone was hungry in the evening, we had desert in the room (cookies and milk, etc.) brought from home.

Don't do a lot of character meals if you have small kids/light eaters, as you have to pay for them all anyway. Go to restaurants where you can order from the menu. When the littlest one wasn't hungry, we didn't order her anything. She might just eat a piece of bread, but at a character meal she would have still been .

 

[Jen D]

I've enjoyed reading this; we are planning our first full-scale trip for the fall for 2 adults and a pre-schooler; we are flying and probably won't rent a car, so we will probably eat on site and won't have a cooler. We will be there six nights-- I just wonder-- at $10 a night for the fridge, plus the food to stock the fridge, won't we do just as well with grabbing continental breakfasts from the food court? And using the refillable mugs for drinks?

I am planning $100 per day for food-- but not $100 EVERY day-- some days we will eat VERY frugally, but then we will make room for a charcter meal, HOPEFULLY California Grill (for 2) on our anniversary, and maybe one or two other sitdowns (at lunchtime.)

 

[lisapooh]

Tony's is a sit down restaurants not counter service. The prices you are quoting for Liberty Tree look like those for lunch at Liberty Tree Inn in MK also not a counter service restaurant.Their prices are not out of line for a nice restaurant.
There are ways to cut costs if you want to,
But frankly if you go to a baseball game you pay as much or more for drinks. We went to Cirque De Soliel in Miami last weekend and it was $3 for 20oz bottle of soda. Same thing at the Renaissance Fair at Viscaya today. Water was the same.
If you are concerned about the price of water use the water fountains. That's free.

Pooh Bear

[This message was edited by lisapooh on 03-17-01 at 06:43 PM.]

 

[robinb]

Jen,

First of all, Welcom to DIS!

Secondly, a refigerator is not worth the extra $10 IMO. You can either (1) bring a collapseable cooler or (2) arrange for a 30 minute grocery stop with your shuttle from the airport (Tiffany Towncar will do this for you) and pick up a styrofoam coller there. If you buy a styrofoam cooler make sure to get the ones that are straight up and down |_| and not \_/. They pack better and are usually made of thicker material. I would replace the ice in my cooler twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Things kept really cold!


-- Robin

 

[Tink42]

We also flew and did not rent a fridge. I took down a collapsible cooler, filled with snacks and checked it as luggage. Used it as a fridge and packed souveniers in it on the way home. Saved me the $70 for a fridge.

We like to eat breakfast in the room not only for budget reasons but also because of time issues. We have two teens and it is easier to feed them something quick in the room and then get going than to wake them earlier to go somewhere to eat.

 

[horseshowmom]

Most of our trips to Disney have been made as a family of five (the two boys are grown now). We usually stayed 2 weeks.

We always stayed offsite to save money (often renting a house). We ate breakfast and dinner "at home". We either ate at a counter service restaurant for lunch or went back to the house for lunch and a swim to cool off.

Because we generally went every year or so, it helped us prepare. The kids saved their money during the year (between birthdays, Christmas, and other things, a pretty fair amount of money passes through a kid's hands). They were responsible for their own souvenirs and any meals bought in the parks.

Twice we took my SIL and her kids with us. My husband's parents gave all of the kids "vouchers" for Christmas good for a certain amount of money redeemable just before we left in May. The kids loved it!

When everyone kicks in it makes for more trips for everyone! We also had everyone wear a fannypack for their snacks (which we bought at Wal-Mart ahead of time) and water bottles (which we refilled at the water fountains when they were empty). It also gave them a way to keep up with their money and disposable cameras.

Most of those years I didn't work outside of the home, so our funds were limited. (Since I'm a teacher, they're still limited!LOL) Some friends of ours went for 4 days on the package that included meals and everything and spent more than we did in 2 weeks. They talked about how much better it was to be able to do whatever they wanted and eat wherever they wanted, but I kept thinking that we had 2 weeks instead of 4 days (and we always did Sea World!). BTW, they've never been back, since it was so expensive. To each their own, I suppose.

 

[jgates]

Realistically, these ideas can be applied towards any vacation if you are open minded.

I always try to stay at a Fairfield Inn (free continental breakfast-normally a pool) and pay for it with Marriott Certificates I receive from rewards programs. I always book with my Marriott Rewards card so I also earn points from the free stays towards future stays. I also don't believe in loading up my purse with the breakfast bar food, but since I am a diabetic I usually do grab a small donut or muffin or orange to keep in the room for later in case my blood sugar is running low. The last Fairfield I stayed at had their juice machine open all night along with the coffee which was really a benefit for me! Hampton Inn & Holiday Inn Express & Comfort Inns are also good in the breakfast respect but you can't get gc's from Rewards programs for them.

I just started trading coupons and plan to help cut my grocery bill. I am going to be more rigid in banking this $$ for trips (and a 4-year degree for my son starting next year-AGH!)

We religiously do Rewards Programs. Our 7 nites @ Courtyard in WDW Village cost us $65 cash out of pocket and we earned enough points for a free nite at a Fairfield. They were kind enough to supply a fridge at no charge for my insulin. (Good thing too because we had a/c problems for a couple days!!) For a 3 day trip to South Bend in May I have $50 for a nice meal at Damon's & $30 for TGIFridays. This gives me enough extra pocket change for THE meal at Tippencanoe which sets me back a little for Prime Rib for 4! We are staying free for 3 nites @ Fairfield from my Marriott card so no breakfast charges & I have about $70 worth of gas cards left so the weekend should be cheap. Even if you don't get restaurant gc's - ones such as Kohls can be used for the kid's clothes they need anyway & decrease out of pocket cash. WM & Target gc's can buy your film, pop, film developing, sunblock, etc.

We always drive so I just purchased a "mini" cooler that plugs in the car for $35 at Target. I also spent $10 on the adapter for a motel room. It's not the larger $80 one I wanted but....it will cool 6 or 8 cans of pop or maybe 4 20 oz bottles. I can buy these at at lot less than $1.09 per bottle you end up spending at the gas stations on the way to anywhere. We can also buy water for about .35 a bottle at Kwik Trip vs. the pricey ones on the road. I figure it won't take long to recoup my investment.

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[jojr]

My family takes many trips to WDW. I know that food costs are high(so are costs at all theme parks). I am not a rockerfeller type but I do not do some of the things suggested on this board. Bringing a large purse or bag to stuff food from a "free breakfast buffet" is totally disgusting and causes all us to pay higher prices for our food. As a person who has worked in the food industry, people who do this "stuffing of bags" cause problems for the bottom line.
Just some FYI.

PS- Do you really think those so called free breakfast buffets are free!! Think what your per night rate would be without it!!

 

[Shelly S]

I will have to agree with Capecod. I don't find the food to be overly expensive at all. The fast food usually runs us about $8-$10 each including soda. We spend that going out to dinner all the time. Places like Ruby Tuesday's, TGI Fridays, Ground Round, Friendly's and other chains near us charge about $6-$9 for a burger and fries and that doesn't include the soda. The buffets at WDW are a great value as you can really fill up. I just can't believe that everyone thinks the food prices are so high, of course I do feel that the bottled water prices are crazy so I am thinking of trying the brita filter this year.

Shelly

 

[cottontail]

Great post,thanks for all the great tips. I have been saving for 5 years to do this trip, because of the difference in our money.
If you are a Canadian you have to multiply all those prices by approximately l.56 and sometimes more, therefore every $l0.00 U.S. is really $15.60 in Canadian dollars, every $100.00 U.S. is $156.00 Canadian etc. Also if we put our charges on Visa they add another 2% on top for service charges.

Debbie.

 

[chris1gill]

I think our family is on the tightest budget of all!!! We always stay in a 1 bedroom unit at OKW or BWV's (dvc members)... We stay for 12 nights.

We have our normal amount of groceries delivered for that timeframe (about 175.00)... Our last trip we spent an additional 300.00 for Disney restaurants over 13 days, the trip prior we spent 142.00 for the same time period for onsite dining... We just did quick lunches basically & 1 character dinner at Liberty Tree....

BUT I should say, when we had only 1 child, and I worked, those trips WE SPLURGED for 7 days at a time... I'm sure we've been to every sit down restaurant onsite... We actually don't enjoy eating out THAT much... so the DVC 1 bedroom units have worked out great for us. Without cooking our own meals, we could NOT afford to stay for 2 weeks at a time! More like 4 days LOL...

[This message was edited by chris1gill on 03-21-01 at 04:30 PM.]

 

[crowbirds]

You don't say where you are staying but if you have not booked yet think about a private villa, so you can make your own breakfasts,and snacks, eat your main meals at places like Shoney's, Ponderosa, or Perkins, and only eat in Disney for light lunches, or maybe just one special meal. We did this on our last visit, the only sit down meal we had was in the Rose and Crown, and we only did that because my friends daughter is there on College Program.(Say hi to Laura from Manchester if you happen to go in there).we like the villas not only because theyr'e economical, but the one's we've stayed in have all been beautifully furnished, spacious, and with a shared or private pool.
have a lovely time.

 

[Mary S]

JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WE TO LOVE WDW! WE HAVE BEEN EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND PLANNING TO GO THIS YEAR ALSO. HERE IS HOW WE HAVE SAVED MONEY TO DO THIS. WE BRING BREAKFAST FOOD FOR THE HOTEL ROOM(WE ALWAYS STAY ON PROPERTY AND THIS ALSO GETS YOU TO THE PARKS EARLIER).ON OUR POOL DAYS WE MAKE LUNCH IN THE ROOM AND EAT IT POOL SIDE, THE KIDS LOVE THIS! I ALSO PACK A GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL. WE HAVE MADE BURGERS AND BRATS TO EAT POOLSIDE. BUT ON NIGHTS WHEN ITS POURING RAIN IT WAS NICE NOT TO HAVE TO LEAVE THE ROOM FOR DINNER! THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF OUR TRIP WE ALSO ENJOY DINING OUT AND NOT JUST FRUGALLY. SAVING MONEY ON A FEW MEALS AFFORDS YOU LUXERY ON OTHERS.

 

[Tigger2U43]

We have been to Disney twice and stayed at CRB once and PO another time. We have rented a car there. On the first night we went to the store(I recommend you find the nearby Walmart or Publix instead of Goodings Supermarket)and bought 2 Styro coolers. We also bought Cereal, juice, milk, poptarts, ect. for breakfast. For lunch we brought bread, jelly, and peanutbutter. We also bought snacks and soda. Have breakfast in the room. Take a break from the parks and go back to the room for lunch. All you are left to worry about is dinner. If you travel just outside of Disney there are many places to choose from that are a better value and have better food.

 

[mickey7861]

If you plan your meals at places like Tony's and Liberty Tree then you'll pay big bucks. If you use counter service the cost is not astronomical. There are some nice counter service places that offer more than burgers and fries. Columbia Harbor House and Cosmic Ray's are two of our favorites. Getting a meal at a counter service is around $6. Some things cost alittle more but the average is $6. That brings the $$$ down quite a bit from the buffets and sit down restaurants. We usually eat breakfast in our room (donuts, danish, cereal) then have lunch at a counter service. If your hotel has a food court that's another good option for lunch. Then we eat a nice dinner most nights.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

The way DH and I are able to afford it this year is with the purchase of the Discovery Magic Package. Some will say that in reality we did pay for our meals, but eating at the California Grill is about $30 more for each person than what the magic wishes are costing you. ($32-$34 a person) I've heard of 2 people eating at the Grill for about $100 or more....BEFORE tip!! (WOW!!) With the two magic wishes DH and I will use a peice that's $74 for each of us and tip is included. I think the smaller the family, the easier it is to splurge.

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[jgates]

We definitely did breakfast in the room, but I couldn't do PB&J for lunch-sorry Tigger!!! But, seriously if you go to any of the buffet restaurants try to find a coupon book first. We picked up one that had Ponderosa coupons in right in the entryway of Ponderosa while waiting in line. Everyone else stood there ignoring them and the 5 of us (3a, 2c) saved $3 off the bill. Not a fortune, but hey-every bit helps. Plus the food was great and we were stuffed.

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