Budget suggestions, how much spending money should we take?

[Collier1313]

My girlfriend and I are going to Disney World in a week for 5 days and were wondering if we were under or over planning how much spending money to take. For food and souvenirs do you guys think $1200 - $1300 each is a reasonable amount? We will probably do a counter service lunch and table service dinner each day. As for souvenirs the only things I know for sure I'm getting are a lightsaber and a droid, so that's $300 right off the bat for me and she's only decided on a droid so that's $100 for her.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Its really gonna depend on what you eat and what you buy.
But to me that seems like A LOT.
Even if you say $100 per day per person on just food that's only $500 per person on food leaving you $700-$800 for souvenirs.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Planning your daily food and snacks will help you determine a lot of what you are asking. You can look on sites that show menu items and their prices to total up those costs. They also run prices for drinks and snack items. If you are doing TS at restaurants the costs will be greatly more. CS saves you on money. To save on money we generally eat a good breakfast, skip lunches, fill in with a snack, then do a TS for dinner. People do it a variety of ways. We get by on planning $100 a day for souvineirs / person and never spend it all. Then at the end of the trip if we see something we are interested in, will splurge on a more costly figurine or other item. But we go in knowing what we have for funds and keep track of the spending so we dont overspend, which can easily get away from you.

 

[MickeyCB]

You can buy stuff costing, hundreds to thousands of dollars, but that seems generous for standard treats. As the poster above says, you can check the menus on MDE for cost estimates for food, and check shop disney parks for trinket prices.
If you can afford it, take it with you. If you don't use it, it comes home with you!

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Think it also depends on if this is a once in a lifetime visit - where you may want to impulse buy whatever you like and splurge on a different spirit jersey every day - vs. if this is a once every few years visit where you may not want to buy everything you see because you may only need a new t-shirt every few years.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Think it also depends on if this is a once in a lifetime visit - where you may want to impulse buy whatever you like and splurge on a different spirit jersey every day - vs. if this is a once every few years visit where you may not want to buy everything you see because you may only need a new t-shirt every few years.

Thats a good point but you also have to remember that Disney changes up their designs and their souvenirs so if you see something you really, really like, but put off buying it til another time, it may not be available on a return trip. I've regretted not buying something due to the cost or being unsure if I really wanted it and said I'll get it next time, only to be unable to find it again.
When we get to the last day of our trip, we hit up DS and shop for the last minute things that weve been thinking hard about bringing home. Still, I sometimes get home and say ... Whyyyy didnt I get that????

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Thats a good point but you also have to remember that Disney changes up their designs and their souvenirs so if you see something you really, really like, but put off buying it til another time, it may not be available on a return trip. I've regretted not buying something due to the cost or being unsure if I really wanted it and said I'll get it next time, only to be unable to find it again.
When we get to the last day of our trip, we hit up DS and shop for the last minute things that weve been thinking hard about bringing home. Still, I sometimes get home and say ... Whyyyy didnt I get that????

Oh, true - there are things I held off on and came back a week later and were gone. If you love it, get it. Just saying a once-ever vacay budget is probably going to be more splurge-y than a 'we go every year or two, so what shall we budget this year'.

 

[Schweino]

My girlfriend and I are going to Disney World in a week for 5 days and were wondering if we were under or over planning how much spending money to take. For food and souvenirs do you guys think $1200 - $1300 each is a reasonable amount? We will probably do a counter service lunch and table service dinner each day. As for souvenirs the only things I know for sure I'm getting are a lightsaber and a droid, so that's $300 right off the bat for me and she's only decided on a droid so that's $100 for her.

Depends what your dining reservations are or if you are doing quick service. My wife and myself have dining reservations at some pricier places and it is probably going to cost us about 110/per a day give or take.

 

[Roakor]

My girlfriend and I are going to Disney World in a week for 5 days and were wondering if we were under or over planning how much spending money to take. For food and souvenirs do you guys think $1200 - $1300 each is a reasonable amount? We will probably do a counter service lunch and table service dinner each day. As for souvenirs the only things I know for sure I'm getting are a lightsaber and a droid, so that's $300 right off the bat for me and she's only decided on a droid so that's $100 for her.

All of it