Spending money with free dining

HeatherWatson

HeatherWatson

Active Member
I have been to Disney several times before, but our upcoming trip at the end of this month will be my first with free dining, and I'm debating how much money we should bring for spending money.

First and foremost, I have calculated the cost expected for tipping, so there's no need for any subsequent posters to factor that in. (Definitely don't want to spark a debate!) I've also factored in the cost of BBB and PL, but I'm not sure how much more money to factor in, as this will be our first time at Food and Wine (my husband and I plan to enjoy that experience at least one night) as well as MNSSHP.

We are a family of 4, staying from 9/20-10/2. As of today, we have $1000 extra to spend. I feel like that should be plenty, but it would be nice to have some reassurance from others "in the know."

TIA :)
 
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mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
How does free dining work? I assume you get it with resort stays only when the deal is on? How many meals do you get and how much per meal can you 'spend'?
 
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lilclerk

lilclerk

Well-Known Member
mergatroid said:
How does free dining work? I assume you get it with resort stays only when the deal is on? How many meals do you get and how much per meal can you 'spend'?
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You get one of the dining plans for free, depending on your resort level. The US offer has been value resorts get the quick service plan, moderates and up get the regular plan. It also needs to be booked as a package, with the resort plus tickets. No room only or DVC reservations.

The dining plans go by the number of nights of your resort stay, so if you're staying 5 nights and get the regular dining plan, each person in the room gets 5 table service meals, 5 quick service meals, and 5 snacks.
 
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mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
lilclerk said:
You get one of the dining plans for free, depending on your resort level. The US offer has been value resorts get the quick service plan, moderates and up get the regular plan. It also needs to be booked as a package, with the resort plus tickets. No room only or DVC reservations.

The dining plans go by the number of nights of your resort stay, so if you're staying 5 nights and get the regular dining plan, each person in the room gets 5 table service meals, 5 quick service meals, and 5 snacks.
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Thanks for replying. So is that anything on the menu, for instance a steak may be more expensive than a chicken meal etc?
 
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sxeensweet

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Spending money is really all on how you like to spend. Me and DH (just us 2) have easily spent $1500+ our first 5-7 days before on a 12-13 day trip, and some we only spend that much the whole trip. I like to shop and also my DH has wine/or beer with meals, and we add Appitizers to our meals besides tips when on the plan etc. Really hard to judge how much any family would need on a trip because some are really not big spenders, and some are. :)
 
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Baldy

Baldy

Well-Known Member
We go for 7 days and bring about $600 (for 2 adults and a teen) including tips (18-20%).
It was plenty for us, but we don't drink alcohol (not included in the plan) or order apps.
We don't usually eat breakfast, but when we do, we use snack points.
We buy one souvenir each (nothing crazy -- maybe a T-shirt), a couple sets of trading pins, some pressed coins and a gift for each of my three nieces and nephews back home.
We always have plenty left for a meal at the airport on our way home. I always link my credit card to my magic band, but have never actually had to use it.
 
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Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
mergatroid said:
Thanks for replying. So is that anything on the menu, for instance a steak may be more expensive than a chicken meal etc?
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Anything on the menu. The chicken and ribs combo at Cosmic Ray's, for example, is like $16 or $17 before drink or dessert and that's included on the dining plan. The only restriction I'm aware of is that menu items intended for two people to share require two credits.
 
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Baldy

Baldy

Well-Known Member
mergatroid said:
Thanks for replying. So is that anything on the menu, for instance a steak may be more expensive than a chicken meal etc?
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My son eats steak every day at Disney. You can pick any meal, a non-alcoholic drink and any dessert on the menu. There are just a few exceptions. For example, there is a dessert at T-Rex café called Meteor Bites (basically warm donut holes with dipping sauces). It is listed as being for 2 people. When we use the dining plan, my son and I each order our meal and we share the Meteor Bites. There is another dessert that is for 4, since we only have 3 people eating, we don't have enough dessert credits to order that particular dessert. The majority of restaurants offer only 1 credit desserts, so this isn't an issue.
 
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Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
@HeatherWatson even if you count your arrival and departure days as full days, it's about $75 per day of spending money. Since you have dining, tips, and even BBB and PL already accounted for, that really should be plenty. The only way it wouldn't work is if you normally clear out the souvenir racks. Besides souvenirs, I think the only thing that might sneak up on you is alcohol; if you buy a lot of alcohol (like at F&W), it can start to add up. Really, though, you should be fine.
 
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JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Having $1000 saved up for extras should be fine. We go with an extra $100 / day cash in hand for extras along with a credit card just in case. We dont go through that $100 most days. We know pretty much what we are looking for in the stores so we have a budget in mind before the trip. It all comes down to making wise decisions and avoiding lots of impulse purchasing. With the DDP you will get enough to eat and even the snack allotment, we always have a few left over as get to the last day. If you are uncertain though you still have time to save a few more bucks for the trip just in case. Then if you dont spent it youll have more money to buy something special at the end of your trip or spend on something when you get home.
 
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