How much do you spend on avg per day on food/souveniers?

[Spoisal]

If you plan on a few character meals & a few sit down dinners during the course of a week. The rest counter service. Plus 1 hoop dee doo show & let the kids buy about 4 souveniers each during the week - plus your own souveniers (the kids are 5 & 2, by the way). How much would you budget? I'm thinking about $1200 for the week. I just got back from a week & I an still trying to organize my receipts .....of course, I am planning next year's trip at the same time!

 

[HM]

That will probably do you just fine. We tend to eat mostly counter service, let the kids pick out one souvenier each a day (only 1 or 2 pricey things) and a few sit down meals and usually spend less than $1000 for a week for our family of four.

 

[Humpbacks1962]

A family of three has plenty with $100/day, and often left over money for the next day.

Wanda

 

[poohraedopey]

I expect hubby and I to spend WAY TOO much! We will ahve at elast one NICE meal a day and who knwos what else not to mention guilt shopping for our kids who will be spending a wonderful week with WAHWAH and PA (my outlaws) back in Wappingers FalLs NY while mommy and daddy to go sunny magical fl and disney LOL! WELL its only fair this is the honeymoon we never had!

SEriously I am expecting to spend at least a grand in 6 days! EEECKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NotTooGoofy]

This past December, we budgeted $125 a day. And we would have made it too if my DW hadn't started our two DDs pin collecting!

 

[cforza]

Wow. I guess I'm the mean mom. I budget nothing for souveniers because I know that once we get home they end up in the junk pile. We go on about 3 vacations a year and my kids know they don't get souveniers. I trained them when they were young and they haven't even asked for years. Since this is one of three great vacations, and the other 2 usually involve destinations where we can find great food, we budget about $80/day for our family of 4. Most of the food at Disney is inferior to the restaurants where we live, so I don't waste time or money at the table service retaurants. The exception is 1 meal at the Flying Fish and 1 at Emeril's (We go to Universal too). These are the only 2 places where I feel the food is close to being worth it. I don't buy soda (we don't drink it), we bring bottled water, fruit, trail mix and PB crackers and power bars to snack on. I just won't spend $$$ on crappy snacks. Now our vacations to the caribbean and Europe are another story....

 

[Babblin'Boo]

OUCH.. NO souvenirs at all?

I limit my children's to one a day. There's a psychology behind the need to get a souvenir. You want to, somehow, take a part of what you lived home with you. More than just memories, it is like a need to take a physical part. For some people, pictures and movies serve that purpose very well.

It is a very personal decision how you raise your children and none of my business to intervene, but I agree that it can be frustrating and a waste of money when things end up in the trash. However, you may be able to turn it around so they do not end up in the trash faster than any other items! For example, you could get them something practical such as a good piece of clothing that won't wear out easily, the child's personal mug, a pencil for school, etc.

What I do trying to prevent the waste you make reference to is, rather than letting them buy any action figure they see in the parks (which do end up rolling all over the floor when the novelty wears out anyway), I advice them to buy something they'll use in school. It seems to help.

Just my respectful, personal $0.02...

 

[cforza]

Honest Babblin, They don't even ask! I'm not about to insist that they get a souvenir. They are 9 and 12 and believe me, have every thing they need and most of what they want! My husband and I were brought up in frugal homes and are a lot more generous with our kids then our parents were with us. We also don't buy souvenirs for ourselves, any time that we travel, which we do extensively.

They have lessons, sports equipment, go to nice camps, great vacations, have nice clothes and of course have the requisite video and electronic gadgets. I will let them buy a souvenir with their allowance or savings and you know what, if they have to spend their own money they won't. They realize that they don't want the souvenir all that badly when it's their money. I respectfully disagree with the "psychology" and necessity of souvenirs, choosing instead to raise fiscally responsible children. I'm quite sure my children are suffering no emotional scarring because they didn't get the mouse ears. Plus, my kids never whine, since they know it won't get them anywhere !

 

[Spoisal]

Good for you! It's too late for my kids - they've got that whine down to a science

 

[disneygals]

The original question...GOL! I never add it up, I'd have a heart attack. Also the amount of money I spend depends on how much Tinkerbell I can find! Obviously I'm on the wrong side of that collector/memory psychology!

The added question...the kids can spend their own money and I usually give them a set amount of money to spend while down there and yes, when it's theirs, there is less whining and less over-spending.


Tinkerbell...here I come..11 days

Vivienne

 

[cforza]

Spoisal, You still have a chance! This is what I told them when they were very young and started to whine, I put my hands over my ears and said "I don't speak Whinese, if you want me to listen you have to speak quietly in English". It worked amazingly well, give it a shot.

 

[Spoisal]

cforza...
I used to do that when I just had 1 child - & it did work. Now that I have 2 (daughters 4 1/2 & 2), they get away with murder! I guess I need to stick to my guns like I used to.... Hate that whining!

 

[cforza]

Oh Spoisal, You do know that those are the prime whining years, and girls to boot! Good luck, you'll need it. This too shall pass!

 

[poohraedopey]

WHINESE LMAO!

Good one I will ahve to try that one out!

I could not tell my kids no to souveneirs because I am a packrat myself and I understand the need to drag around useless crap for the rest of my life LOL! I have 6000 mini collections all of which will grow LOL!

TO each their own! No I dont think you shoudl force things on your kids or give them the sun the moona nd the stars every day every trip but I htink when they ask for soemthing reasonable its okay.

I too grew up rather poor and love to give my kids more!

 

[iwant2go2disney]

OH MY! LMAO! Whinese I love that. I expect to budget about 1000. for food and extras hopefully that will be way too much.LOL
I have 2 kids son is 9 and daughter is 2. And let me tell you we can not pass the shoe department that my dd is not kicking her shoes off and using that whinese "shoers shoes shoes". I am normally the furgal one but somehow 2 weeks ago I got it in my head to take this trip.And after extensive research on line found that with hotel, gas, and tickets we could do for 968. (that is when I brought the trip up to DH." Well now I have checked into renting the points from a DVC member and found that I can stay at OKW for less than ASMO of coarse this is more than 200. that I budgeted for the offsite hotel DH does not know yet that I took that deal wont he be surprised lol. I dont know why I am going ape for this trip but I am so excited I even went and baught me some clothes yesterday I guess it must be that disney magic.
Back to the subject It will be hard to tell the kids no so I have decided that I will give them a certain amount a day and be done with it. As long as Disney does not have a shoe department
I will be able to save dds money lol.
I also plan on doing lunch and breakfast at the room with the exeption of 2 characters lunches one for each child. So I think 1000 will be plenty

 

[suesings]

We are bringing our soon-to-be 2 year old daughter. We don't give her soda or junk food either. Do you buy your fruit inside the parks or bring it in a backpack/cooler?? Are there places to find healthy, good food in WDW? I am thinking of shipping a box to our hotel in advance with Whole Foods Graham Crackers and Animal Cookies (made without refined sugar and she loves them, so does my husband!), sugarfree applesauce, Barbara's fruit sweetened Shredded Spoonfuls Cereal, Soy milk, maybe even some canned mixed veggies and greenbeans?
Does anyone know if we can get a refrigerator at the Dolphin? Or maybe even keep food in ice in the icebucket? Any ideas?
We were planning on buying our daughter Mickey Mouse Ears with her name and that is about it. She already has SO many stuffed animals and she seems to really only play with two little ones - so the rest just sit in a basket gathering dust.

Where are Emeril's and the Flying Fish Restaurants located?

No whining, sounds great to me!! In Marilu Henner's book "I Refuse to Raise a Brat" she says when her boys would whine she would do the scissors with her hand and say "Cut the Dramatics." My daughter is still pretty young, but I'm hoping to work through that whining stage (when it starts), cause I can't stand to even hear other people's children whine

 

[cforza]

I bring in my own snacks. Believe me, it's not easy to find healthy food in Disney, even fruit.. There are mini-bars at the Dolphin. Empty it yourself and put all the stuff in the closet, use it, then replace all the items before you check out. They cannot charge you the emptying fee this way. Nothing in there is perishable and will be fine if you leave it out during your stay. If you tell them you want them to empty the mini-bar prior to your arrival, they will charge you $ 12.00.

 

[suesings]

The Dolphin won't say anything about putting the contents of the mini-bar in the closet? I thought they check the mini-bar every day and charge what is missing/restock?
We are booking a Towncar to pick us up at the airport and it says they will stop by a grocery store for us. I wonder if we can pick up a cheap styrofoam cooler at the grocery store?

Thanks again, Sue

 

[cforza]

No, they won't "say" anything. They may charge you the first time they check but if you see it on your bill just tell them you removed the items yourself to use the fridge and then replaced them. It's perfectly legit. Many mini-bars have sensors that automatically charge you if an item is moved. Happens all the time. I always move things a bit to fit my fruit, etc. in.

 

[Babblin'Boo]

Shame on us JUNKETEERS !