Food Prices and Your Spending!

[Punkss]

Hi guys;

Going to Orlando not just Disney for 14 nights in September. Just wondering what you people would spend on food during that time. Or if you have any other durations and spending i would like to know so i can plan my money to be able to buy my gf the all important Disney souveniers!

Thanks for any advice!

Cheeri Bye!

 

[tigsmom]

:wave: Well, we aren't big eaters, usually just one big meal a day. There are 4 of us and we spend, on average, around $100 a day.

 

[Katherine]

I'm not quite sure of how much my family spends on food(my dad takes care of it:animwink: )but if you go to www.allears.net you can find menus (in the dining sectionof the webpage) for almost every restaurant and you can get a feel for the prices.

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by Katherine
I'm not quite sure of how much my family spends on food(my dad takes care of it:animwink: )but if you go to www.allears.net you can find menus (in the dining sectionof the webpage) for almost every restaurant and you can get a feel for the prices.

You beat me to the All Ears recommendation.
Punkss - AllEars is the best bet. You know what you like to eat, and All Ears has all the menus and prices.

 

[PhilharMagician]

We have three of us and spend an average of $100.00 per day including character meals. We eat a good breakfast and dinner only. If we get hungry in the afternoon we carry snacks with us like pretzals or crackers, but breakfast usually holds us till dinner time. I also like to get PS's for 5:00 - 5:30 for an early dinner then to a full out evening assault of the parks.

 

[ILUVTHEMOUSE]

We are a family of four. I would say we spend between $100-120 a day for meals. We stay in our time share which has a full kitchen so we normally eat breakfast at the villa before going to the parks.

There is another great site that has cost saving tips; it is mousesavers.com. They have a lot of good ideas on ways to save money on meals both inside and outside the parks.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Punkss]

OK thanks guys!

Will probably eat off the property most nights (and brekkie at the hotel!) though i definiltey want to go to that California Grill as i have heard rave reviews for the place!

 

[bjlc57]

just got back...

We just came back three weeks ago.. We spent $60 per day for 4 adults. We eat suppers, late night in the room with a hot plate. and we ate breakfests there as well. Our hotel was to give us two free breakfests per day, but because we used the government rate we only had two for the four days. Let me say that the food section at Wal -mart main gate east was a wreck at 11:00 pm. it looked like a hurricane had gone through because it was that picked over. every day we brought in Power aid to the park. It was cheaper to pay $.79 for 32 ozs. at our local store and drive it to WDW then to pay $3 per 20 ozs bottle at WDW. We went to the our home town Hostess closeout store and everyone got their own box of twinkees or ho ho's etc. This again is a cheap snack and is cheaper in your home town instead of buying on base. We bought a big can of raviloi which was one meal. we do what ever needs to be done to cut costs so that we could have afforded this last family trip. It was worth it.

 

[bjlc57]

again buying off base makes a difference..

IF you are flying in.. remember what s on sale at your local Wal mart is on sale in Orlando. again $.99 for power aid or gattor aid and carrying it in is much cheaper then buying drinks in WDW. This one item has saved us well over $100 in two trips to WDW. Thats one third of our cost in gas traveling to and from Wisconsin. SOme people don't mind paying $10 for a burger, I can't afford that . Not four a family of 4.

 

[Punkss]

Yeah thats what i thought of doing, getting Coca-Cola or Pepsi outside the park but was not sure whether you could bring it into the parks. Can you?

Yeah will avoid eating the parks apart from snacking, the gf and i don't eat much so will save ourselves for the monster US portions in the evening :lol:

Thanks for the tips guys, keep 'em coming i will note 'em down and stick them in the WDWMagic Tips section later.

 

[tigsmom]

Originally posted by Punkss
Yeah thats what i thought of doing, getting Coca-Cola or Pepsi outside the park but was not sure whether you could bring it into the parks. Can you?

Yeah will avoid eating the parks apart from snacking, the gf and i don't eat much so will save ourselves for the monster US portions in the evening :lol:

Thanks for the tips guys, keep 'em coming i will note 'em down and stick them in the WDWMagic Tips section later.

One thing you might want to do is have your big meal at mid day.
The menus are about the same, but tend to cost less.
If you haven't already, check Deb's site (link above). The menus & prices will give you a chance to make some plans.

EDIT: Just noticed that the link isn't correct. Here is one to the menu page...http://allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

 

[MouseMadness]

Originally posted by Punkss
Yeah thats what i thought of doing, getting Coca-Cola or Pepsi outside the park but was not sure whether you could bring it into the parks. Can you?

Yeah will avoid eating the parks apart from snacking, the gf and i don't eat much so will save ourselves for the monster US portions in the evening :lol:

Thanks for the tips guys, keep 'em coming i will note 'em down and stick them in the WDWMagic Tips section later.

I wouldn't see why not, people bring in bottled water, I don't think other beverages would be any different. (Aside from alcohol, obviously)

 

[bjlc57]

I would bring in ..

THe only products that I bring in are Coke products because thats what they sell.
Most employees don't know all the sizes of the bottles but they do know the brands.. thats why we bring in Power aid.
Four years ago when we went on our previous trip, not the one last month, we took 53 bottles of power aid that we bought on sale for $.35 each.. basicly 10 percent of what a smaller bottle of power aid costs in the park. We froze one or two overnight and took them in one of those softsided insulated lunch bags. They stayed frozen or most ly frozen in the dog days of AUgust. Later we poured unfrozen power aid over the remaining frozen block to cool it down. .this worked out very well. Lastly if you are coming from england , you can buy a hot plate for $9.99 at wal mart, use it for two weeks and throw it away. It will save you money nightly.

 

[bjlc57]

plus you can combine meals..

Say you have three or four of you. We usually buy three meals to feed four. or we buy four different meals and split them four ways, this way every one trys something new and differnent. Also it seems as though each park has one reasonable restaurant . The one in Africa for AK. The one by ABC in MGM. The hot dog stand on the end of main street, although the hot dogs we had were nt cooked enough., and the new england restaurant in Magic Kingdom. Epcot has hot dogs in the USA area and the restaurtant in right in the middle is fairly inexpensive. Right by Universe of energy. My mind is slipping for a name.. these are all fairly reasonable for Disney.

 

[SpongeScott]

1. Eat breakfast in your room, if possible. If not, split a breakfast platter at one of the resort food courts.

2. If you desire a sit-down meal, do it at lunch. Meals are almost 50% cheaper.

3. Drink water with your meals. It's not only better for you, but the water is free.

4. Order your meals ala carte. If you don't want the fries, then don't pay for them. You can order things by themselves.

 

[cloudboy]

You can bring sodas in - I have done it myself. But to be honest a bottle of soda does not last long at the typical 85 degree temperture as it is jostling around.

You mentioned that you are not spedning your entire time at Disney - where else will you be staying? There are quite a few cheap places to eat outside the park - on th eLake Buena Vista side there is Chilis and Macarroni Grill and Pizza hut and the like. It can save you a few bucks. What I often do is chose a couple of good meals in the park for special events and make up for it by eating out of the park some times, usually for dinner.

 

[tigsmom]

Originally posted by SpongeScott

4. Order your meals ala carte. If you don't want the fries, then don't pay for them. You can order things by themselves.

We do this alot. The portions are large enough to share. I'll get a sandwich (or salad) and share fries with one of the kids. Two orders of fries would be a waste of food (and money). Iced water with lemon or lime is great & very refreshing in the hot Florida weather. (and as Scott said, much better for you).

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by Punkss
OK thanks guys!
Will probably eat off the property most nights (and brekkie at the hotel!) though i definiltey want to go to that California Grill as i have heard rave reviews for the place!

Brekkie at the hotel will set you up for lunch. Lunchtime you can eat at the counter service places. There is not much choice at Magic Kingdom or the studios - unless you like burgers, chicken strips and carboard pizza. But Epcot is bursting with good stuff and Animal Kingdom has a couple of great places. As you have mentioned that the pair of you don't have big appetites you can split meals.

As others have mentioned, if you would like to east at a service restaurant do it in the afternoon as it's a lot cheaper.

Checks out the menus on All Ears and see what tickles your taste buds.

 

[Punkss]

Originally posted by cloudboy
You can bring sodas in - I have done it myself. But to be honest a bottle of soda does not last long at the typical 85 degree temperture as it is jostling around.

You mentioned that you are not spedning your entire time at Disney - where else will you be staying? There are quite a few cheap places to eat outside the park - on th eLake Buena Vista side there is Chilis and Macarroni Grill and Pizza hut and the like. It can save you a few bucks. What I often do is chose a couple of good meals in the park for special events and make up for it by eating out of the park some times, usually for dinner.

Yeah very true about the sodas, i will bear that in mind!

In regards to dinner we will be trying some of the smaller restaurants (down the 192 and in Kissimmee for example) around as well as the Hard Rock Cafe (so far been to London, Paris and barcelona ones!) and other novelty places. Also trying your fast food outlets just for the craic!

Thanks for all the advice everybody, its certainly most appreciated.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

Breakfast in the room, or as we prefer to do it, a granola bar in the backpack, always works.

However, the character breakfasts are highly recommended--and they aren't just for kids. Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's are favorites. (both of these are buffets)

Breakfast costs even less than lunch. Depending upon your eating preferences, you could book a late breakfast, which should hold you until an early dinner.