Hi Nicole,
Welcome to planDisney!
This is a great question! It may not surprise you to know that the answer really depends on a number of factors. Those factors include the type of dining plan you have, your family's eating habits, other travel expenses, and tips. My family always gets the
Disney Dining Plan so that we have one table-service and one quick-service meal per night of stay. Since we eat three meals a day, we would still need to account for one additional meal per day. So, my first suggestion would be for you to calculate how many meals your family will most likely need and compare that to how many you will get with the dining plan (remember to calculate dining plan meals per night of stay).
Next, consider beverages. Although each member of your party on the dining plan will get a resort refillable mug, remember that those are refillable only at the resorts (unless you are just using them to get water in the parks). So, if you are planning to add meals during your trip, you will need to include the cost of drinks with those meals if you are not at a meal experience that includes beverages. To check restaurant pricing, go to the home page of the restaurant and click on View Menu. Select the meal period and then scroll down to see pricing. As an example, take a look at the
dinner menu for
Rose & Crown Dining Room.
We also estimate how much we might spend on souvenirs and ride share services. We typically use an Uber or Lyft a few times during our visit since we usually fly and do not rent a car. And, finally, consider how much money you will tip for dining and other services. Keep in mind that with the dining plan, if you go to a table-service meal, the meal will most likely cost more money and although your dining plan covers the cost of the meal, if you tip, that will be an additional cost. Also keep in mind that if you are dining with a larger party, the gratuity may be automatically added. Be sure to check the number of meals required for each dining location. Go again to the home page of the restaurant and click on the link to View Dining Plans & Discounts. ALWAYS check this prior to dining.
Nicole, once you get an estimate for any food and drinks not covered by the dining plan, gratuities, souvenirs, and ride share services, you should have a good idea of how much additional money you might need. The good news is that with your arrival date, you do have the next few months to save money for the budget!
Magic and memories,
Donyell