• On Mar 29, 2018
    Elisa from CA Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    How much should I budget for two adults and one child for dining at Walt Disney World? Note that we will have one table service meal everyday (mostly character breakfasts). I am not looking for exact number just range.

    Hi Elisa,

    Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am loving your strategy - character meals are our way to see all of our favorite characters without standing in long lines.

    My family loves to eat, so we always get one of the Disney Dining Plans. Our favorite plan now is the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan which provides three meals per night along with two snacks and a resort refillable mug. I actually love to get a fairly precise estimate for food to make sure the dining plan will save us money, so I create a chart of our plans that includes all of our dining reservations and possible quick-service choices. I then check prices on the menus of those restaurants. For example, we always eat breakfast at Be Our Guest. The breakfast menu includes prices. Although not all menus are available online, to find a menu, check the restaurant's website and find the View Menu link.

    Given the size of your family, for character meals, I would budget about $160 - $175 depending on taxes and tip. We typically tip 18%. With quick-service meals, I would budget at least $60. Using those estimates, if you plan to eat two quick-service meals and one character meal per day, you should budget approximately $300 per day. 

    Elisa, on prior visits, we have packed our own breakfast snacks to eat in the resort hotel room prior to heading to the parks. We would then stop for a quick-service lunch and often did a character meal for dinner. We also always take other snacks and water bottles to use in the parks. Since we now prefer to eat at mostly table-service restaurants, I also calculate the costs of the tips associated with those meals. 

    Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
    Donyell
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Meet the Panelist: Donyell, North Carolina

Hello from North Carolina! I am a mom of twin girls, wife, and university professor who has been inspired by the creativity of Disney for a lifetime. Since my first Disney visit when I was 12-years-old, I have been drawn to the adventures crafted by Disney Imagineers. Planning Disney vacations helps connect me to families who will find in Disney the kind of joy my family has experienced over the years. Allow me to help you map your own Disney journey so that you, too can create the memories of a lifetime! Learn More About Donyell

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