Originally Posted By sjdimon We always make a run up to either TArget or Walmart and stock up on beverages. If we have a fridge in the room, we can even throw a few bottles into the freezer section and have those for later in the day.
Originally Posted By Pal of Minnie Just got back from DL on Thursday and this is what I have to say in regards to the food and prices of it at DL. It is cheaper to have room service at your hotel. It will taste better and there will not be the same wait time. After eating at CO for lunch we were back at the hotel fairly early this week due to closing being at 8pm. Glancing at the room service menu I realized that I could have SAVED money by having room service over CO. We did-it was wonderful and we felt spoiled. We ate dinner via room service instead of at DL for the next 2 nights. As I posted in the dining section-stay away from the French Onion Soup offered at Cafe Orleans. It used to come in a fairly large personal tureen-but not any more. For just under $9 you are now served a CUP of French Onion soup that is not that good to begin with. I won't be buying that again!
Originally Posted By Sara Tonin We had wonderful meals at DL and DCA this past week. Pommes frites and monte cristos at Cafe Orleans. At Ariel's I had the tri tip and everything from the appitizers to the desert was perfectly delicious. And lets see...we had lunch at Pacific Wharf I had the clam chowder in the bread bowl, daughter had vegitarian chill, grandaughters had the broccoli chedder and we all were more than satisfied...I don't know what you ordered but we were happy with what we ate. I have a premium pass and so we got the 15% and I thought considering what a good meal costs at a nice place anywhere else we did quite well.
Originally Posted By ctp09 We budget $50 per day for 2 adults, no kids...that includes breakfast, dinner and a mid day snack or treat, also covers tax. We bring our own water and stick with what we can carry...bottles can be refilled as needed but we don't prefer the taste of the water in So. Calif. When we visited DLR with nieces we ate off-site for at least one meal per day but remember to budget for taxes and tips.
Originally Posted By dlkozy Wow-we must be eating at different places than you are. Are you sharing meals? Are these sit downs and full meals?
Originally Posted By Sara Tonin I have a scientific method for budgeting my money at the park. What I do is bring all the money I have at the time and when it's all gone I have to go home.
Originally Posted By tashajilek "I have a scientific method for budgeting my money at the park. What I do is bring all the money I have at the time and when it's all gone I have to go home." Hahaha i could blow my weeks budget in one day, but then i would be like a hobo in DL. "Wow-we must be eating at different places than you are. Are you sharing meals? Are these sit downs and full meals?" Ditto, at least $75 a day for 2.
Originally Posted By ecdc I assume the OP means eating in the parks? Because as others have said, this can vary wildly. I know people who go very frugal on their food - breakfast from groceries in the hotel room, lunch at a fast food joint outside the park, dinner back at the hotel with groceries again, or another off-site restaurant for less, with maybe one or two in-park meals for a treat. Nothing wrong with that at all--you can definitely save some coin. But it's not my style. When I vacation, I'm all about the food. I have places in the park where I really enjoy the food and atmosphere, and places I just won't eat at. I budget around those things based off of the menus and prices posted at various websites, and I usually at a few meals at a DtD restaurant like the Jazz Kitchen. Mind, with the exception of Steakhouse 55 and Napa Rose, none of the DLR food is out of this world. You are paying a premium for food that might--might-- be just a notch above your local Appleby's.
Originally Posted By xrayvision Comparatively, I guess that I'm a cheap date...lol. I only spend an average of $3-8 a day on food while vacationing at the parks by having complimentary breakfasts at my hotel, and going to the grocery store for food to prepare supper in my guest room. I bring a snack and bottled water/beverage to the parks, skip lunch, and don't purchase meals inside the parks. However, I may buy an occasional treat like a dole whip, baked good or a beverage to keep hydrated. No extravagant eating on this end... not inside the parks anyways.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub ....hoping the original poster and CC return with their actual food budgets on their recent trips. I just read xrayv's budget and my brain is trying to register current cost for popcorn on Main Street or that gingerbread Cookie...Is today the day they make Candy Canes on Main Street?
Originally Posted By LuLu They were making candy canes yesterday! I used to carry water around the parks, but it's so much easier to get a cup of filtered water at any restaurant that has a soda fountain. I don't drink tap water at home, but I'm pretty sure that some of the water fountains have filtered water 'cause it doesn't taste that bad. The tap water at the hotels is hideous! I bring a small water filter with me for the hotel.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb On our last trip my son and I discovered the River Belle is actually a pretty reasonable deal for breakfast. We got the equivalent of a Denny's meal and factoring in that we didn't need to tip and our AP discount it was slightly less money AND we had an lovely view.
Originally Posted By danyoung The River Belle is a must visit breakfast spot for me. The food is fine, and sitting outside watching the river traffic while the people rush up to Splash or the HM or wherever is just cool!
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance Wish I could be of some help to you guys for budgeting for food, but I just try and do what I can to not run out of money. lol If you have two kids who get kid meals, and 2 adults getting a "quick service" meal at the parks it'll be around $40 no matter where you eat at. It was always $40. The choices are limited at a lot of places though. Usually it's gotta be either a hamburger or chicken sandwich/nuggets. Mimi's restaurant on Harbor Blvd is super good priced, and the food is good. It's next to Howard Johnson's. You can go online and get a coupon for a free breakfast if you go to Mimi's website. With the coupon, we all ate for $25, and that included a huge orange juice for me and a huge mocha cappuccino for my husband. If you do character dining, it's the fastest way you can imagine for going broke. You'll see your money literally fly out of your wallet. 2 adults and paying for one child and getting one "infant" free at Goofy's Diner was $100. $100!!!! But it's so darn fun. And the foods pretty good too.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 I guess your budget should depend on what you want to do. We always have a huge food budget because we do a couple of character meals, eat at Blue Bayou one night, and eat at the Plaza Inn and Cafe Orleans and some other restaurants. We also get a lot of the yummy snacks and eat at some of the DTD places like House of Blues. If you like to go that way, you will easily spend a couple hundred a day for food for a family of 4 like ours.
