How much should a family of 3 be prepared to spend (food)?

[JXN1]

Me, wife and daughter are going to Disney World this summer for 5 days. We will be staying at the Pop Century resort. Looks like they don't have meal plans this year so how much would 2 adults and a 8 yr old be prepared to spend on food? Yes I realize this is an impossible question to answer but any suggestions/tips/things to stay away from would help.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

All quick service with snacks too? Maybe $200 a day.

All sit down with snacks and eating some big expensive meals? Maybe $350 a day.

 

[Marionnette]

Me, wife and daughter are going to Disney World this summer for 5 days. We will be staying at the Pop Century resort. Looks like they don't have meal plans this year so how much would 2 adults and a 8 yr old be prepared to spend on food? Yes I realize this is an impossible question to answer but any suggestions/tips/things to stay away from would help.

I would use the price of a 2020 (pre-COVID) dining plan as a guide. That should give you a ballpark figure. We don't do the dining plans because they don't fit our dining style. But going by the regular DDP as a yardstick, we have always come home with money in our pockets.

 

[Karebear]

It also depends on how much you eat. In the summer, I find that I am not that hungry due to the heat. I will often order a child's meal from quick serve. At full service, my daughter and I usually get a salad and split an entree. Even when she was a "Disney child", she would split an adult entree with me because she preferred the adult meals to the kids ones. Hope this helps!

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

One thing that can help with expenses is to buy a small amount of quick eat breakfast type foods. Granola bars, pop tarts, pre-packeged cereals etc... whatever you like to eat on the go that does not require refridgeration. We always do this for two reasons. First is it will save money. And second, and of more importance, we don't waste time in line at the food court in the morning. Just grab your favorite morning snack, get a beverage and your on transport to the park. This way you save time in the A.M. and you only have to worry about two meals a day at Disney prices.

 

[LynnTH]

I just plan on Quick Service at approx $15 per person., including drink. (childs meal would be less of course) and Table Service - anywhere from $25-$50 Per person depending on the restaurant and it is is a Prix Fix Menu or All you Can Eat. (and less for Child on this also). Some places you can easily share meals.

 

[FCDub]

Why not go on the website and look at the prices?

 

[B-Ride]

Why not go on the website and look at the prices?

Now why didn't I think of that.

 

[starry_solo]

Depends on what you eat.... lol, and whether you want to have breakfast in the room or all meals at Disney

 

[Tink9721]

Way too many factors for anyone here to really be able to answer. QS or TS meals? How many meals a day? Does your family order apps and desserts? Alcohol? Do you buy a lot of snacks?

As someone else suggested, the best strategy is to just look at menus for the places you want to eat and add it up. That's what we do, and it always comes out to less than what we used to pay for the dining plan.

 

[Princess Mulan]

I would use the price of a 2020 (pre-COVID) dining plan as a guide. That should give you a ballpark figure. We don't do the dining plans because they don't fit our dining style. But going by the regular DDP as a yardstick, we have always come home with money in our pockets.

I second this advice. We budget for the price of the dining plan, and we always end up spending about the same or less. We order whatever we want, when we want, and do not deprive ourselves; still, the total price (all meals, drinks, snacks, tips, etc.) always equals or is less than the DP.

 

[hereforthechurros]

We are also a party of three and our son is almost 8. We spend $200-250 a day.

Edit: we typically at least one TS a day, a handful of adult drinks throughout the day, snacks, water. It all adds up.

 

[rwdavis2]

All quick service with snacks too? Maybe $200 a day.

All sit down with snacks and eating some big expensive meals? Maybe $350 a day.

IMHO this is a bit too high. For quick service maybe $20 per person per meal. Toss in TS for 1 meal $50 per person depending per on what's ordered.

 

[TCRAIG]

I think the biggest factor is beer/wine/cocktails or no - booze can double your budget. We’re not drinkers and there’s just 2 of us - we usually do 1QS and 1TS a day or 2QS and we get water to drink - we average less than $100 per day. We also don’t get many snacks - for a whole week my husband will maybe get a pack of sugared nuts and I’ll get a Mickey pretzel - now that I think about it - we’re kinda pathetic! I keep saying we need to up our game!

 

[Helvetica]

You can spend very little by eating breakfast in your room, packing a lunch with snacks/water for the day and end with a 10-15pp quick service dinner. Alternatively, you could spend hundreds of dollars a day per person if you’re doing a bunch of fancy dinners.

Regardless, you’ll probably spend less than if you were on the dining plan. You have to eat a lot of food to break even on the dining plan.

 

[gharter]

there are menus online, I would use them to see what you might eat and where.
There are too many options. 2 or 3 meals a day?
Are you only doing CS, TS, Signatures? Alcohol? Snacks?
All those make it easy to go from $150 - $500 + per day.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

An easy way to do this is to put aside the amount that the dining plans would have cost you (presuming that you paid for them). Also, (and I mention this because it isn't done in restaurants in the U.K.), just order one course at a time. Even at the Signature restaurants the portions are generous. Have fun planning.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

IMHO this is a bit too high. For quick service maybe $20 per person per meal. Toss in TS for 1 meal $50 per person depending per on what's ordered.

Let's pretend my family is staying at CBR and we'll talk about eating patterns. I've noticed that DH and the kids eat a lot more during these trips - like they do in the summer when they're constantly burning calories. We all exercise pretty regularly, but in the summer DH rides his bike to and from work and the kids are at swim camp 8a - 3p and then swim team practice 6 - 7p. They all can't eat enough and get baby 6 packs, etc.

Anyway, if you are walking a lot, you might eat a lot.

Breakfast at CBR for an adult - muffin, eggs or yogurt, fruit, coffee, juice - about $21 x 2 = $42
Breakfast at CBR for kid - muffin, yogurt, fruit, milk, juice - also about $21
Breakfast total for 2 adults and 1 child = $63, and oh, I think the 6.5% sales tax applies too
Maybe the real total = $67

Snack #1 - churros - $6.25 each x3 = $18.75 + tax
$20

Lunch at MK for an adult at Pinocchio Village Haus - pizza, side salad, coke - about $20 x 2 = $40
And the kids say no I want the adult meal, I'm sick of Danimals and stupid carrots sticks
$60 + tax
Total $64

Snack #2 - slushies and pretzels for 3 - $39 + tax
Total $42

Dinner at Pecos Bills for an adult - Fajita platter and a coke - $19 x 2 = $38
The kids finally wants a kids meal - cheeseburger - $7.50
Total with tax = $48.50

Dessert - 3 Dole whips - $15 + tax
Total = $16

GRAND TOTAL = $257.50

Let's pretend your child is dainty and a picky eater:
CBR breakfast for 3 = it's still about $56

Snack #1, you only get 2 churros and share - $13.50

Lunch, the kids agrees to a kids meal - $50.50

Snack #2 - 3 slushies, but only 2 pretzels - $33

Dinner, same as above - $48.50

Dessert - I'm not sharing ice cream with a kid - $16

NEW GRAND TOTAL = $217.50

Okay, you're not pigs. You only get one snack a day.

SECOND NEW GRAND TOTAL = $204 or maybe $184.50

 

[MudQueen22]

Prior to our trips, I look at the menu prices of each restaurant we plan to eat at (including snack places and restaurant tips and tax), figure the more expensive items into my calculation, add about 20%, and we end up staying well within budget.

 

[gharter]

Let's pretend my family is staying at CBR and we'll talk about eating patterns. I've noticed that DH and the kids eat a lot more during these trips - like they do in the summer when they're constantly burning calories. We all exercise pretty regularly, but in the summer DH rides his bike to and from work and the kids are at swim camp 8a - 3p and then swim team practice 6 - 7p. They all can't eat enough and get baby 6 packs, etc.

Anyway, if you are walking a lot, you might eat a lot.

Breakfast at CBR for an adult - muffin, eggs or yogurt, fruit, coffee, juice - about $21 x 2 = $42
Breakfast at CBR for kid - muffin, yogurt, fruit, milk, juice - also about $21
Breakfast total for 2 adults and 1 child = $63, and oh, I think the 6.5% sales tax applies too
Maybe the real total = $67

Snack #1 - churros - $6.25 each x3 = $18.75 + tax
$20

Lunch at MK for an adult at Pinocchio Village Haus - pizza, side salad, coke - about $20 x 2 = $40
And the kids say no I want the adult meal, I'm sick of Danimals and stupid carrots sticks
$60 + tax
Total $64

Snack #2 - slushies and pretzels for 3 - $39 + tax
Total $42

Dinner at Pecos Bills for an adult - Fajita platter and a coke - $19 x 2 = $38
The kids finally wants a kids meal - cheeseburger - $7.50
Total with tax = $48.50

Dessert - 3 Dole whips - $15 + tax
Total = $16

GRAND TOTAL = $257.50

Let's pretend your child is dainty and a picky eater:
CBR breakfast for 3 = it's still about $56

Snack #1, you only get 2 churros and share - $13.50

Lunch, the kids agrees to a kids meal - $50.50

Snack #2 - 3 slushies, but only 2 pretzels - $33

Dinner, same as above - $48.50

Dessert - I'm not sharing ice cream with a kid - $16

NEW GRAND TOTAL = $217.50

Okay, you're not pigs. You only get one snack a day.

SECOND NEW GRAND TOTAL = $204 or maybe $184.50

Those numbers look reasonable unless you are going to eat at a Table service or Signature, or add alcohol, then the numbers are very low.
OTOH, we do do breakfast in the room, so that offsets some.