Hi Karyn,
I love dining at the Walt Disney World Resorts and it is easy to save on food while vacationing here.
We always eat breakfast in our room by bringing breakfast food from home or ordering from the Garden Grocer. The Garden Grocer is an online grocery store that you can order food and other items you need for vacation and have them delivered to your resort. We usually get water and snacks to bring into the park.
As for restaurants, you can easily split meals at counter service restaurants. My family usually orders a few items and splits them. One of our favorite places is
Tortuga Tavern where we split nachos and a salad.
Another great way to save money is to eat table service at lunch. Often the menus are the same as dinner but the prices are cheaper. Some our our favorites are
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, the
50's Prime Time Cafe and
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria. Plus you are out of the heat of the day and you can recharge for an evening of touring. We have also order a few appetizers to eat as well.
I would have your family look at the restaurants you want to dine at and figure out what they may like to eat. This will give you an idea on budget.
Wishing you a magical vacation!
Beth