Spending $$$$$$$

[hop2mom]

I know this is going to be different per person, but I'm trying to figure out about how much money it will take for one day at a park. This is after you have already purchased disney tickets. I looking for more like lunch at park for family for 4. Two adults and two kids. Drinks through out day. Goodys you bought the kids etc etc. This is not including supper. I'm just trying to get a ballpark figure so I know what to expect. Would a $100.00 a day do it or would I need more. Thanks in advance.

 

[wannab@dis]

Prior to using the Dining Plan, we usually estimated about $50/day per person. That usually gave us enough for food, snacks and a few souveniors. You may want to estimate an additional amount for souveniors if you plan on buying any larger items or if you plan on buying multiple items such as hats, t-shirts, etc.

The Dining Plan is a great addition. We had several days that we spent very little other than for souveniors. The dining plan is about $35/day per adult.

:wave:

 

[shoppingnut]

I know this is going to be different per person, but I'm trying to figure out about how much money it will take for one day at a park. This is after you have already purchased disney tickets. I looking for more like lunch at park for family for 4. Two adults and two kids. Drinks through out day. Goodys you bought the kids etc etc. This is not including supper. I'm just trying to get a ballpark figure so I know what to expect. Would a $100.00 a day do it or would I need more. Thanks in advance.

I would go with the dining plan because it is the best value for your money. Figure that $38 per adult and $11 per child which includes a counter service meal, snack (which can be popcorn, bottled water or soda and ice cream) and a sit down meal. For the kids, it's a great deal because the price of a character meal is more than the $11. By getting the dining plan you will need very little extra money.

 

[hop2mom]

How do you go about getting the Dining Plan? And also can you get it if your staying offsite? As you can tell this is all new to me. I've never been before.

 

[dbogue]

i personally don't like the dining plan. keeping up with all the points, etc. i'd rather just wing it

 

[wannab@dis]

How do you go about getting the Dining Plan? And also can you get it if your staying offsite? As you can tell this is all new to me. I've never been before.

The Dining Plan can only be added to Disney Packages that include resort stay. Sorry!

 

[wannab@dis]

i personally don't like the dining plan. keeping up with all the points, etc. i'd rather just wing it

Keeping up with the points is easy to do. Each time you get a receipt after your meal, it lists the available points on the receipt. :wave:

 

[shoppingnut]

i personally don't like the dining plan. keeping up with all the points, etc. i'd rather just wing it

All it takes is a little planning of meals and you don't need to worry. It's a great option for people who want to have almost everything taken care of and paid for before they go on vacation, it's almost like going on a cruise.

Unfortunately you cannot get the dining plan staying offsite, you have to stay on property.

 

[shoppingnut]

They are offering the dining plan for free from 8/13 through 9/30, so if you are planning to go around then, it might be worth your while to look into staying on property.

 

[Ella's Mommy]

You can not get the dining plan if u are staying off property. The dining plan is awesome. When you think about it you are spending in the park at least $15 dollars for snacks, water, and lunch per person. Then for dinner(suppose you are going to Chef Mickeys) you are spending like 30 per person. So thats 45 dollars a day(thats on the low end) and the dining plan is like $37 dollars a day. It eliminates the need for extra money for food. Its a great feeling knowing that the only money you need to bring is for goodys.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

It really depends on what you plan to eat, also.

Some suggestions I have:

SInce you are staying off property, I am assuming your are driving in. If so, grab a big breakfast somewhere off property. You have McDonald's, Perkins, Bob Evans, etc. all within a quick jaunt. This can get you through the morning easily without spending a ton. Then, grab a later lunch. You will beat the rush and probably cut back on snack necessity.

As for meals, and average adult lunch after everything is said and done about $10 a person. Snacks run about $2.00-$3.00 each item (sodas, popcorn, etc.). You can get out fairly inexpensively on food alone for lunch and snacks. Also, SHARE! It's really a good way to go for these. We would go (3 of us) and grab a snack in the morning, one thing and two drinks. Just split them. Then do the same thing later in the afternoon. It gets your hunger fix without everyone having to get a big thing of food.

Souvenirs are really up to you. Expect to spend at least $20 on each child, most likely. Probably will be more.

So, grand totalling that for lunch, an afternoon snack, and souvenirs, I would say you can scrimp with $100, but $125 to $140 will probably be more reasonable for EVERYTHING.

 

[santonucci]

Dining plan saves lots of money...

versus not using it! I priced a vacation the week before 8/13, and it's about $800 more than if I go the week of the dining plan.

We used it last year, and it was better than we expected. In the end, you can use the "points" any way you'd like- one per day or two to eat at the better restaurants. If you run out, then you just pay for your meal as normal- cash, room charge, credit card...

steve

 

[amypooh]

After many trips to Disney over the years (usually staying off-property) here is what my family does:

Breakfast - Go to a buffet and stuff yourself silly (usually runs $5-8 / person)

Snacks - Take peanut butter crackers, small bags of chips, etc + water in a backpack. If it's a good day and you are busy this usually serves as lunch also

Lunch (If Needed) - Cooler of sandwiches in the car. Of course using htis often depends on convenience - much easier to do at Epcot / MGM / AK where the parking lot is in front of the park, Magic Kingdom can be a pain, thus we usually load the backpack up

Dinner - Depends on the mood and status of the day. Usually snacks carry us till park close and we go out to eat wherever we feel like afterwards. If not we grab a small in-park meal to hold us over.

This usually ends up running us about $30-40 / day per adult, less for kids depending on age.

If we stayed in-park the dining plan sounds like the winner though.

 

[RedGear]

Just a quick tip to save some money. Take a water bottle into the park (or if you forget just buy one there) and keep filling it up at the drinking fountains thru out the day, saves you some money! I would also bring in some snack food in a back-pack like cheez-it snack-size bags, rice krispy treats, that sort of thing. IT's great to just eat a little snack in-line. :slurp:

 

[JimboJones123]

Just a quick tip to save some money. Take a water bottle into the park (or if you forget just buy one there) and keep filling it up at the drinking fountains thru out the day, saves you some money! I would also bring in some snack food in a back-pack like cheez-it snack-size bags, rice krispy treats, that sort of thing. IT's great to just eat a little snack in-line. :slurp:

cups of ice are FREE too.

 

[Ivan72]

Setting aside the dining plan for a moment, we have been visiting WDW for several years as 5 adults (3 Adults and 2 daughters who qualify as adults).

We generally skip breakfast or munch cookies etc. in the room in the morning while we prepare to go to the parks. We usually have 2 meals at sit down restaurants, (Tony's, Liberty Tree, Cindy's Table, Alfredo's, Le Cellier, Jiko etc.) during the course of each day. We visit a lot in summer and it is nice to jump into some A/C for an hour or so.

We attempt to arrange early lunch seatings and later dinner seatings allowing for munchies in between. But we do tend to share entrees and snacks, largely to avoid getting too full. No fun on rides if you're miserable!

I've been budgeting about $175 a day for food for a few years now. It covers the 2 meals and snacks for the 5 of us. Until recently, by the end of a 8-10 day visit we were ahead enough to even cover some souvenirs. I think this summer, if all 5 of us go, I'll allow $200 per day.

That said, I think the dining plan is worth considering, if you stay onsite of course.

Good Luck and have a blast! :sohappy:

 

[Unplugged]

Water

Just a quick tip to save some money. Take a water bottle into the park (or if you forget just buy one there) and keep filling it up at the drinking fountains thru out the day, saves you some money! I would also bring in some snack food in a back-pack like cheez-it snack-size bags, rice krispy treats, that sort of thing. IT's great to just eat a little snack in-line. :slurp:

We take a Brita "Fill An Go" bottle. It's similiar to the sport bottles but has a replaceable water filter. That way you can grab water and ice anyplace you like and ensure that you're getting something fairly clean.

 

[Nemo14]

Unfortunately they no longer make the Brita bottles.
Back to the original question, if you're stayin offsite, I think $125 per day is a reasonable estimation, but it could cost more depending on where you plan to eat.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

Here is a great web page about how to save money while dining in Disney:

http://www.mousesavers.com/meals.html

Great info: including my favorites...
1. Order a double hamburger or a long hot dog and ask for a extra bun (80 cents) and split it between two people.
2. Brita water bottle, makes FL water drinkable
3. Order kids meals at counter service. Usually enough food for me at lunchtime.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

Unfortunately they no longer make the Brita bottles.

So that would be why I can't find anymore filters!!! Grrrrr