Meal budgets About This Page:

[JoanW]

I'm working on saving for my meals and park tickets for the next few months. I've budgeted for the tickets and just have to put it away/buy Disney Dollars each month. We are staying offsite next time, so we don't have to do every meal in the parks. We are trying to plan one meal out each day, either a breakfast, lunch or dinner, all between parks and resorts. There will be seven of us, and of that seven, five are between the ages of 13 and 26, so they can put away some groceries. I'm looking at only eating at family style or buffet meals in the parks and resorts so I know what the basic costs will be. Do I add in sodas and coffee to the price, then tax and tip on top of that? How do you all plan and budget meal expenses?

[disneyqueenmum]

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I'm working on saving for my meals and park tickets for the next few months. I've budgeted for the tickets and just have to put it away/buy Disney Dollars each month. We are staying offsite next time, so we don't have to do every meal in the parks. We are trying to plan one meal out each day, either a breakfast, lunch or dinner, all between parks and resorts. There will be seven of us, and of that seven, five are between the ages of 13 and 26, so they can put away some groceries. I'm looking at only eating at family style or buffet meals in the parks and resorts so I know what the basic costs will be. Do I add in sodas and coffee to the price, then tax and tip on top of that? How do you all plan and budget meal expenses?

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Ummmmmm......I probably should not be answering this because I am terrible at budgeting for anything. However, when we have stayed off-property in the past, we bought drinks and sodas for our hotel room, and put water bottles on ice to take to the parks with us the next day. There are water fountains you can refill them at throughout the parks, or you can ask for ice water no charge at any counter-service restaurant. What does me in are the unexpected goodies that we see around the parks that we can't say no to! Keep on saving those Disney dollars!

[forever_amber]

At all the Buffets we have done (only 3 but they were all the same) you got a soda or coffee or juice included in the price so I just budgeted for the meal price plus tax and tip (i went high on the tip because sometimes the servers are extra good esp if you have a birthday or anything they always seem to go crazy) My theory is budget high its better to take home money than run out the last day (this comes from the lady who on my 1st trip spent every last cent at Disney except the driver tip money and like $5 emergency cash then got delayed at the airport with 2 kids for 6 hours believe me budget HIGHER)

[graygables]

I look at the menus at Deb Wills' site and take the highest priced item plus dessert, times number of people, add $1.50 for drink, tax, and tip and that's my "goal amount" I am usually pretty close and most often over on my budget amount, which makes DH think I'm *wonderful* and gives me a little more $$$ to spend on souvenirs! On our family of 5 trip in Dec, I over-budgeted by about $50 for the 5 days. It would have helped if I had thought to budget those $1 bananas 5yo DD kept scarfing down!!!

[chezp]

I take the total for meals from the PassPorter and add a little bit, as I'd rather over-budget and then be pleasantly surprised when I get the bill. It worked well in May.

[JoanW]

I can't remember what the tax is in Florida, does anyone know? And how much do you all tip for buffets? I don't want to be cheap, but at a buffet, I'm serving myself. I know the waiters do some of it, so would 10 - 15% be more appropriate for a buffet? I'm pricing the meals, and some of the fancier buffets are $25 a piece, so with tax and tip for seven of us, the dinners are around $200 for the night.

[disneyqueenmum]

I think tax in Florida is somewhere around 6.5%. Also there is an additional resort tax of 6% on hotels.

[kadterp]

For me and my family (7 and 12) I figure on $100.00 per day. Mind you we dont do anything fancy but when we do at like 1900 Park Fare that dinner itself for the four of us costs $100.00 tip included. We also do concierge services and though I have to pay more upfront for the room, it is less cash that I have to bring down for food for I get BK, snacks and drinks galore while I am there.

[JoanW]

Actually 1900 Park Faire is on our list of restaraunts, so I was pretty close to averaging the total, based on what you spent. Thanks.

[Pooh1219]

There's so much good advice above that I can't really add much more. As for tipping, I always tip 18 to 20% for good service at nice restaurants, but at buffets, from what I've read, I usually tip anywhere from 10 to 15%, which I think is fine. You are not served as in a normal restaurant, so I think the 10 to 15% is just fine at a buffet. Just make sure to count in those occasional Mickey bars and popcorn that we buy along the way because $3 here and there has a way of adding up real fast!

[graygables]

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I can't remember what the tax is in Florida, does anyone know? And how much do you all tip for buffets? I don't want to be cheap, but at a buffet, I'm serving myself. I know the waiters do some of it, so would 10 - 15% be more appropriate for a buffet? I'm pricing the meals, and some of the fancier buffets are $25 a piece, so with tax and tip for seven of us, the dinners are around $200 for the night.

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I tip 20%+ for good service, 15% for average service, 10-0% for poor service. In my experience, most buffet servers have fallen into the "average" category, but we had a few who only got 10%. At Boma, we had one who got 25%, he was *that* good. Remember that even though you are serving yourself at a buffet, the servers still have work to do and depend on tips for their livelihoods.

[ducklite]

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I can't remember what the tax is in Florida, does anyone know? And how much do you all tip for buffets? I don't want to be cheap, but at a buffet, I'm serving myself. I know the waiters do some of it, so would 10 - 15% be more appropriate for a buffet? I'm pricing the meals, and some of the fancier buffets are $25 a piece, so with tax and tip for seven of us, the dinners are around $200 for the night.

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The buffet servers do as much work as the full service places. They are clearing your dishes constantly, and bringin fresh silverware. They also bring out any special requests from the kitchen and your beverages. 15% is the minimum you should tip them.

Anne