Possible to spend a Disney trip economically on food?

[Dean1953]

I also use Disney gift cards, with at least a 5% discount when bought at Target with their Red Card, to purchase anything, including meals, at Disney.

 

[michael85]

Well actually the cape may cafe breakfast was $80 with tip. But the biergarten was like 130 with tip. Some drinks were ordered though.

 

[china mom]

You hear about those who do the park Comando style. Well, that is probably how I would describe my family when it comes o the food budget. My plan is not for the feint of heart and is not many people's idea of a vacation. But you can take bits and pieces of my plan and use them to save some money:

I pack one suitcase with nothing but food. It usually weight just under 50 pounds and we fly Southwest so it is free.

Prior to all of the food delivery options, I would pack a soft sided rolling cooler and fill it with lunch meat, cheese and cream cheese. After going through TSA, I would ask a eatery to fill my two one gallon ziplock bags with ice and I would stick this in the cooler. This was one of my carry on bags.

Now I tend to do Amazon Prime Now for perishables and some dry goods (cereal and such).

I bring cereal bowls and purchase milk from the gift shop in half gallon increments as needed.

Breakfast: In the room, cereal, mini donuts, bagels with cream cheese etc.

Lunch: lunch meat sandwiches or PP&J with pringles (they travel best), cookies and free ice water flavored with Mio (carried into the parks in a small soft sided cooler)

Dinner: counter service or split a $20 pizza at the resort. free ice water

Average daily food bill for my family is about $10/pp

 

[SaintsManiac]

Yes it is very possible. We pack snacks in a suitcase and then use it to bring home souveniers when we fly home.

If we do character meals we choose breakfast more than dinner, as those are cheaper.

We do maybe 3 table service and then eat counter service the rest of the time, splitting those meals.

Kid's meals are enough for an adult most of the time, so I ordered those at a few places.

We spent $600 on 2 adults, one child for a week and that included a very pricey character dinner.

 

[Babsy]

Yes! You can save money eating in WDW. I have done the breakfast in the room, but when DH goes, he hates eating in the room so we eat all three meals in restaurants.
We typically eat a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of fruit for breakfast (coffee while getting ready in the room) at the resort QS. Then we eat a TS meal at lunch to get in the AC for a mid day break. Dinner is typically in a QS at whichever park we are in or a TS where you order 'a la carte'. Sometimes an appetizer each is all we need. We never eat dessert, rarely snack between meals and drink water. We DO buy a case of water in the resort gift shop for about $6 to have bottles of water to drink in the room and on the go. Oh, i also like vegetarian meals which are often less expensive and very yummy!

We aren't big eaters, though. Plus, we don't drink adult beverages. Many QS meals we can either share or a kids meal does me just fine.

I have repeatedly added up our receipts for meals and have never had a day where we ate more than the DP would cost (most days are less), so we are still paying OOP. I still manage to eat at all the restaurants that we like during our trips, including some character meals and/or signature dining places.

We have never deliberately limited our spending or dining options - it just seems to work out that we eat that way.

It is getting a lot more expensive to eat in WDW, though. However, they keep raising the cost of the DP to match. OOP still work best for us.

 

[dreiwhit]

We eat breakfast and dinner in the room.

We've also gone from eating lunch at a QS restaurant ($60 a day for 4 people), to only eating a couple of times in a QS restaurant and bringing our lunch the rest, to bringing our lunch every day we're in the park.

 

[Disney & ME]

As others have said, I find that breakfast is the easiest meal where you can save money. I bring some granola bars and snacks and have those for breakfast in the room while getting ready. If you don't want to bring food, even buying some groceries on site is cheaper than breakfast in the park.
And, because we have DVC with a kitchen area we get groceries delivered, usually from Garden Grocer for a $14 delivery fee. You can even have alcohol delivered once they verify your age.

For me part of the Disney experience is the food so I don't go totally crazy on limiting my choices, but I try to make smart choices to save money. We split meals, get appetizers as meals, order children's portions, take leftovers back for another meal or snack, etc. I also get discounts from being DVC and an Annual Passholder and we buy the Tables in Wonderland card which allows discounts on alcohol too since we like to have snacks and a drink at lounges. These allow us to use the TS option for those places we really love.

Finally, I plan out where I am going to go in advance and look at menus to get a sense of what I might order. Then I calculate that into my budget sheet. I don't do the dining plan since it is more food and differently than I usually eat, but I try to know how much to save for the food in advance.

 

[LSUfan4444]

the counter to #1 is if you want to do character meals, breakfast is the cheaper option

It may cheaper, but you are getting more and a better value by dining for a late lunch or early dinner than before 11 am. Just by nature of burning additional calories in the morning with the walking you do and needing the meals to replenish the body it's a better fit but spending your daily budget in the morning makes the rest of the day really hard.

Others have mentioned too that you really have to look at the costs before you go. If you don't want to spend $100 on meal you shouldn't have any character meals on there anyway.

 

[SaintsManiac]

It may cheaper, but you are getting more and a better value by dining for a late lunch or early dinner than before 11 am. Just by nature of burning additional calories in the morning with the walking you do and needing the meals to replenish the body it's a better fit but spending your daily budget in the morning makes the rest of the day really hard.

Others have mentioned too that you really have to look at the costs before you go. If you don't want to spend $100 on meal you shouldn't have any character meals on there anyway.

We love character meals, so we incorporate them into our budget. I agree if the money is more important they should definitely be dropped.

 

[crisi]

We love our expensive dining at Disney, but it really isn't difficult to eat cheaper. I'll add - avoid alcohol - it really adds up fast. If you want to drink, you are better off mixing them in your room. But the basics are here over and over again - eat breakfast in the room, pack in snacks, find the good CS locations that provide variety in food with Disney atmosphere, eat TS as a late lunch, split desserts, appetizers and sides (you don't both need french fries with every meal).

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It may cheaper, but you are getting more and a better value by dining for a late lunch or early dinner than before 11 am. Just by nature of burning additional calories in the morning with the walking you do and needing the meals to replenish the body it's a better fit but spending your daily budget in the morning makes the rest of the day really hard.

Others have mentioned too that you really have to look at the costs before you go. If you don't want to spend $100 on meal you shouldn't have any character meals on there anyway.

Right, guess what I was saying is if part of your plan is that you want to do a character meal, it is cheaper to do the character meal as a breakfast and then source your food for other meals in a more cheaper manner

I mean, we book the Akershus breakfast because we love the cheesy potato casserole - clearly we aren't motivated by the healthiest option for that one!

 

[Shanti]

On our recent trip, I saw that we spent hundreds of dollars on food. Just two of us, but each breakfast/dinner was over 100 each time. Is it possible to spend less on a trip?

If you want to save some money but aren't keen on eating cereal in your resort room each morning or packing snacks, or driving out of the bubble, there is a middle path. You can definitely spend a lot less than $100 per meal by avoiding:
1. signature restaurants (like Le Cellier & Cali Grill)
2. dinner buffets (like Crystal Palace & Tusker House)
3. all-you-care-to-eat restaurants (like Ohanas & Garden Grill)
4. any restaurant with characters, and
5. dinner shows (like Hoop Dee Doo & the Poly Luau).

Instead, stick to ala carte table service (such as Skipper's Canteen, Plaza, Sci Fi, Prime Time, Coral Reef, San Angel Inn & the many other ethnic restaurants throughout World Showcase, Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex, Kona Cafe, the Wave, Sanaa, etc.) & counter service (Flame Tree Barbeque, Pecos Bill's, Sunshine Seasons, each resort's quick service options, etc.).

By sticking to ala carte table service & counter service, there is no need for two people to come anywhere close to a $100 bill for each meal. Also, we find that two meals per day, plus a snack, works well at WDW. So you can totally balance a desire to eat at Disney restaurants, with a desire to not spend massive amounts of money doing so.

Please keep in mind, I'm not saying those restaurants I listed at the top should be avoided at all times- I like most of them. But if saving money is the goal, WDW has many other great restaurants to enjoy.

 

[bitty246]

We didn't even spend $100 a day on food for our family of 4 and didn't feel like we missed anything. We had quick and easy light breakfast (but good coffee!) each day and even a light lunch since we tend to eat less when it's warm/hot. We did snack quite a bit, but brought a ton of goodies (cookies, granola bars, snack crackers, chips and fruit) from home to fend off the impulse purchases.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I put $33-35 per day on each person's gift card. A 6 day stay is $200. They can do with it what they want. If you spend $100 on food, you get $100 to spend later. If you run out a day early, borrow from someone who has money left or budget better next time. We do a basic grocery run for drinks, snacks, etc or have it delivered to our condo(DVC). We also buy a Giordano's stuffed pizza to munch on.

For table service we love Olivia's, and it currently has a 20% discount. With tip, we're spending around $40 for 2 of us to eat. That's as expensive as it gets for us. Not a fan of spending big dollars to enter a park to stuff oneself to the point you have to leave due to being so full. Quick serve is it for us most of the time.

Water only at Disney, drinks are from Amazon/Walmart. That saves a bundle right there.

The less we spend of food, the more times we can return.

 

[MEM]

We fly Southwest and each get two free checked bags. At least one will have food in it- cans of albacore tuna, squeeze bottle of mayo, tiny jar of Old Bay, jar of JIF creamy, jars of good jam (do I sound like Ina Garten?), instant oatmeal with flaxseed from Trader Joe's, shelf stable bacon, box of Cheerios, etc. We have breakfast in our DVC villa every morning and sandwiches either for lunch or dinner at least half the time. I don't feel the least bit deprived. We will have at least two nice table service dinners during a nine day trip and five or so counter service meals plus Disney snacks (I draw the line at packing snacks). If our Villa has a full kitchen we also pack pasta and a jar of sauce (never had it break, yet). Sometimes we will rent a car for the day from the Dolphin and hit the SuperTarget for perishables. Otherwise, we buy milk and bread (sometimes eggs) from the resort gift shop(s).

 

[clarklink]

I don't recall eating a single meal on-site when we went to Disney World as college students. We drove to Orlando and stayed off-site (also cheaper) eating breakfast in our room, packing lunches, and eating most dinners at local restaurants outside the gates. Some options for those without cars are grocery delivery services like Garden Grocer, Amazon orders delivered for hold by the hotel, and private transportation from the airport (if flying into Sanford) making a free stop at the nearby Publix. A low-watt sealed hotplate in luggage boils water and heats foods like precooked bacon in rooms without a traditional coffee pot. When there is no fridge I fill the bathroom sink with ice from the machine, lay the food containers on that, and cover with a bath towel emptying it temporarily when I need to use the sink. Now that I'm married with children we're staying on-site during free dining so have seven dining reservations.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Can you eat for less?
Yes.
Can you eat for less eating like you already do? No.
We'd easily spend that much if we drank alcohol, tipped above 20% and ordered desserts, sides, or appetizers. My family likes good food. I like cocktails and wine. But a lot of times, we'll make the rule that we'll stick to one entree and one less expensive beverage. Beer, tea, water, soda, house wine.

So that's like maybe 30 a person at WDW, plus tip. 70 for two people. Off property it would be at least $20 dollars less, but I'm not really willing to waste that time, and food is part of the experience for us.

 

[quandrea]

We do all breakfasts in the room. Snacks too. Lunch is usually out, generally at a lower priced TS or counter service. Our favourites are Deluxe burger, Splitsville, The Plaza, CHH, Beaches and Cream. We do enjoy a big brunch once during a trip. I cook dinner in the villa most nights. I bake for our treats. Dd has a peanut allergy, so we can't eat most of the snacks anyway. I'm a better baker though! We do enjoy ice cream though. Every trip I add up our costs against the DDP. We save thousands over a two week stay.

 

[LovesTimone]

There are lot of way to save money and cut down on food expense's.

Frist off you will need to do some planning, and scout out the menu's to see what you might like to eat, and then make a list of places that fit the bill of what you want and price's that you feel are doable for your budget.

Bring along's
Breakfast food items, we find that these are the easiest to travel with and have a broader selections. Individual cereal bowls, pop tarts, breakfast bars, granola, oatmeal packages, hot chocolate packets', you can buy milk and juice at the resort store.

Snacks - When I know that we are going to travel I have certain things that I stock up on, that won't get crushed in the suitcase or day bag. We like the individual serving sizes, Chips, cookies, crackers, nuts. I love the small plastic cups of snacks I can find them at Publix a lot of the time 10 for 10, and we throw them in the suitcase, and in the day bag, I also use one of those plastic containers ( dollar store) to put in the foil bags of snacks in so they don't get crushed in the suitcase, and it makes it nice to put in something like pastry or a muffin, or something that you opened doesn't get stale. I also bring a smaller one for the day bag , I just don't want anything rupturing in the bag and making a huge mess, been there not gonna do that again.

You can order from garden grocer but when doing so have a plan. Are you going to want to stop touring to go back to the resort to eat? everyday? Its not cheaper if you throw most of it away.

Order water from staples.

Think about how you eat, you could do appetizer's for dinner one night, DH and I do this a lot, there are a lot of interesting appetizer that a really large and easily shared, you could shared. Head over a eat around the World Showcase over at Epcot stopping in all the countries, egg rolls or pot stickers in china, fish and chips in the UK, dessert or crepes in France, sushi in Japan, share a platter in Morocco. Lots and lots of options to choose from.

Then QS are really stepping up their game with more than burgers being offered.

 

[jo-jo]

We fly Southwest and each get two free checked bags. At least one will have food in it- cans of albacore tuna, squeeze bottle of mayo, tiny jar of Old Bay, jar of JIF creamy, jars of good jam (do I sound like Ina Garten?), instant oatmeal with flaxseed from Trader Joe's, shelf stable bacon, box of Cheerios, etc. We have breakfast in our DVC villa every morning and sandwiches either for lunch or dinner at least half the time. I don't feel the least bit deprived. We will have at least two nice table service dinners during a nine day trip and five or so counter service meals plus Disney snacks (I draw the line at packing snacks). If our Villa has a full kitchen we also pack pasta and a jar of sauce (never had it break, yet). Sometimes we will rent a car for the day from the Dolphin and hit the SuperTarget for perishables. Otherwise, we buy milk and bread (sometimes eggs) from the resort gift shop(s).

Some brands now are packed in plastic. I'd still triple bag it anyway.

But you sound like us. We don't bring food into the park, but tend to do the park, rest, park, so perhaps lunch at the room. A few table, a handful of CS.