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.