eating out costs

[mumof2]

i know this is diffcult to judge but what do you think the average cost of 2 adults and 2 children aged 10 and 5 for eating reasonable meals out?

can we just order for adults and let the children share our meals as they are not huge eaters, especially the youngest. the eldest does usually eat quite well but with snacking during the day i'm not sure he's going to eat much either!

i've looked online at some restaurants but i'm just really confused!

thanks!

[Cindernaenae]

Are we talking about eating off-site or on-site? You'll be able to share meals pretty much everywhere except at buffets of course.

[Mermaid]

We shared a meal like this once @ KFC....

[Slowhand]

If you are thinking about dining on site, then this link (http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/menus.html) will take you to the menu section of our site with an idea of the costs.

[mumof2]

Are we talking about eating off-site or on-site? You'll be able to share meals pretty much everywhere except at buffets of course.
we're staying in a villa at davenport and we'll be eating our main meals offsite with a few evenings eating at the villa.

we'll just have snacks at the parks which i hope to bring in a backpack for the boys with hot dogs and ice cream thrown in here and there of course!

we do plan a visit to pizza planet as well.

[excitedbunny]

We were actually quite suprised how reasonable it was to eat at the parks -- we paid about $7 dollars for a burger meal. But we could actually share that as we filled it full of things from the small buffet style salad bar that is in most Disney counter service places.

Compared to eating on International Drive it was still very expensive though. We were paying around $10 for an all you could eat buffet and 10oz steak. I think they did childs buffet for $3.99, which both your children could have as it doesn't limit what they can eat, I think it just depends on how old they are/look.

[mumof2]

that sounds pretty good then.

(I just read your trip report - i wasn't impressed by the pictures of the mummy - way too scary - i am definately not going on it now!)

[Lizzy]

With all the walking in the parks and you can get a lot hungrier than you would normally so the sharing meals thing may mean you or the kids are still hungry, especially if you're only having 2 'main' meals a day which I gather you are from your post (that's what we tend to do at Disney as it's just easier to snack for lunch than having to stop and spend ages queuing then eating, plus American breakfasts are mmmyummy =) Of course I don't know your or your kids and your appetites well so i'm not trying to be judgemental or anything, just some advice =]

[mumof2]

With all the walking in the parks and you can get a lot hungrier than you would normally so the sharing meals thing may mean you or the kids are still hungry, especially if you're only having 2 'main' meals a day which I gather you are from your post (that's what we tend to do at Disney as it's just easier to snack for lunch than having to stop and spend ages queuing then eating, plus American breakfasts are mmmyummy =) Of course I don't know your or your kids and your appetites well so i'm not trying to be judgemental or anything, just some advice =]
Oh no - you're not being judgemental at all! :thumbs:

They'll like to 'graze' on snacks during the day and I don't want to be tied to having to stop for a sit down meal at lunch time, so we'll have rests every so often with drinks and snacks, and then get a main meal in the evening. We're going food shopping on the day after arrival so I'll try and get some healthy-ish snacks!

Some days we will eat a main meal at the park I guess as we'll be there late, but to be honest, I'm not overly bothered about us all have a 'proper' meal every day, as long as they don't go hungry or let energy levels get low we'll just go with whatever happens - and anyway, I can always pick food up to keep back at the villa in case they need something before bed!! :shrug:

[Huntermom]

My daughter (16) and I did a trip on a budget in February. We did not eat any sit down meals but ate well, although my DD is not big on breakfast. DD and I shared a breakfast platter and both were full. We always had extra on our plates and ate healthy meals. I don't think I ever spent over $60./ a day on food -more like $40.

I don't think you have to spend a fortune. You can also have lunch in sit down restaurants, which is usually cheaper than dinner.

American restaurant meals can be very large and calorie laden. When our kids were young and didn't want the kids meals, my husband and I would order an appetizer, soup or a salad and then eat the leftovers. We always had plenty and felt a little less guilty about wasted food. Just teach your kids to have good taste early and not to pick all the good stuff out-like where's the shrimp in the scampi? Since you'll be in a villa, you can also bring leftovers home in a doggy bag.

Diane

[mumof2]

thank you - that's a good idea about the doggy bag!

[disneymeces]

Eating on site a person can spend $50 a day which we did, of course you can spend more or less. A few days we split meals with the kids because the meals are so big so that saved us some money. I'd take atleast $50 just in case.

[mumof2]

Eating on site a person can spend $50 a day which we did, of course you can spend more or less. A few days we split meals with the kids because the meals are so big so that saved us some money. I'd take atleast $50 just in case.
:thumbs: thanks - i just wondered whether they let you get extra plates and split meals without being huffy with you or is it perfectly acceptable to do that?
i guess the best thing to do is just ask!

[Marks friend]

It is very acceptable to ask for an extra plate here in America. We do this all the time with our children, They don't even eat a kid's meal by themselves and it is a waste to order them each something. Even in Steak restaurants like Outback, we order appetizers and my husband and I split the entree all the time. This is a common practice done over and over by all of my friends and family. The only thing the waitress is worried about is her tip!!!! Ha ha

[mumof2]

It is very acceptable to ask for an extra plate here in America. We do this all the time with our children, They don't even eat a kid's meal by themselves and it is a waste to order them each something. Even in Steak restaurants like Outback, we order appetizers and my husband and I split the entree all the time. This is a common practice done over and over by all of my friends and family. The only thing the waitress is worried about is her tip!!!! Ha ha
Excellent, and I guess that if they order macaroni and cheese (one of their favourites!) or something like that I could split it between them both.

Thank you :thumbs:

[DizBot]

Mum,

Two things.

First, I don't know where you are staying. But, if you can get to the Wilderness Lodge, for breakfast, the littlest one may be able to eat, for free. I forget the name of the restaraunt....Whispering something, I think......But, they have a free breakfast, for little kids. Plus, the place, itself, is pretty inexpensive, and they give you a lot of food. Since the first meal is the most important, you may want to consider that.

Also, WDW is not on an island. In fact, you will be surrounded by your typical, fast food fare, once you get off Disney property, which does not take that long. There is even a Gooding's supermarket, right off property, if you have a fridge to store some stuff.

Other than that, carry lots of snacks with you. Chips, and such. It never hurts to have a couple of bottles of water, either.

Just my thoughts.

[mumof2]

thanks dizbot - we have a villa at davenport so we'll be shopping on 1st day for supplies and snacks for parks then i think we'll just see where we end up when we're hungry - i think we've worked out we'll prob have enough $ for food and shopping and we're taking the credit cards anyway!!

[DizBot]

Mum,

That's great!!!

I used to live in Orlando. So, if I can be of an assistance, geography wise, just ask. I'm happy to help. There is Target and Wal Mart, there. You could load up, pretty cheaply, and spend your money on other things.

[mumof2]

Mum,

That's great!!!

I used to live in Orlando. So, if I can be of an assistance, geography wise, just ask. I'm happy to help. There is Target and Wal Mart, there. You could load up, pretty cheaply, and spend your money on other things.
hey thanks for the offer! i did a store locator check for walmart and there's one not too far away and i also did one for target and publix i think - can't remember now!

we're off tomorrow morning so i'm going to bed in a few mins to try and get some sleep :lol: but thanks again for your help x

[DizBot]

Mum,

Have a great time. Don't forget, there is a Gooding's supermarket right off Lake Buena Vista. It's in a mini-mall, right across from the enterence that takes you into Downtown Disney.

Have a blast!!!

[mumof2]

:thumbs: :thumbs:

[guz]

When we went to Disney, 2 adults and 2 children, it seemed the bill was always $30 no matter if we ate at our resort food court or at any of the parks. I didn't think that was too bad at all. We did eat at Chef Mickeys and the bill was around $90 - $100. The kids liked the characters visiting them while we ate but if we were without kids, I would say $32 for an adult at the buffet was not worth it.

[mumof2]

When we went to Disney, 2 adults and 2 children, it seemed the bill was always $30 no matter if we ate at our resort food court or at any of the parks. I didn't think that was too bad at all. We did eat at Chef Mickeys and the bill was around $90 - $100. The kids liked the characters visiting them while we ate but if we were without kids, I would say $32 for an adult at the buffet was not worth it.

wow - $30 for four of you was good :thumbs:

We've been back 5 weeks now :( and to be honest, meals were never a regular occurrence.

We had breakfast cereal and juices at the villa (apart from a couple of buffets at Ponderosa), took oat or cereal bars with us to keep the boys going, then just got meals wherever we were (park or off park), or ate at the villa when we got back, so if anybody was to ask me how much it cost us to eat I just would not be able to say :blush:

[Pigsty333]

Check out http://www.restaurant.com, for discount on meals outside. Charley's Steak House gives you a free meal on your birthday. On Sundays, the Orlando Sentinel has newspaper inserts that have discount coupons for restaurants, etc. Some of the ones recently - Bennigans $5 off, some give you 10% of total bill.

Also, keep in mind for those traveling with older relatives, and this includes, clothing stores too - ask if they offer a senior citizen discount.

[LRAINYB]

We just returned from Disney today and the cheapest dinner we went to was a pizza buffet. They had choices of different pizzas and pasta and salad for $3.99 a person not including drinks. They also had desserts. We had 5 people actually my son didn't eat so only 4 ate and it cost us like $20. My children's ages are 2 and 5.
There is also a new pizza buffet that cost $4.99. But we never got there we just passed it driving around. If you have a car and have a kitchen in our room you can also go to Super Walmart, Goodings, or Winn Dixie and stock up your fridge. we saved a lot of money by not eating in the parks and just eating when we went back to the room, and bringing snacks to the parks. Also buy water either at the supermarkets or convienence store and just fill them up at the water fountains in the parks.
Lorraine
DVC member since 2000
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