Hiya Karla,
Welcome to planDisney! Dining is the part of planning trips to Walt Disney World Resort that I take most seriously. We love to pre-plan our budget so that we know what to expect and what wiggle room we have for any must-haves we can’t pass up. I’m happy to share my strategy for estimating the budget and a loose range to help you plan.
So, Karla, I’m not sure what your teen Mouseketeer’s dining preferences are, but when my family (which includes my Prince Charming and our two littles under three) visit Walt Disney World on a typically day my husband, I will typically split lunch and then spend the majority of the time snacking on festival eats or other yummy treats. Depending on where we choose to dine or how many snacks we buy that could mean we are spending anywhere between $30-$60 for lunch and snacks a day. That could account for our favorites of lunch at
Liberty Tree Tavern and a Pineapple DOLE Whip Cup from
Aloha Isle on a Magic Kingdom Day or a BBQ Brisket Melt at
Woody’s Lunch Box, a Mickey-shaped Pretzel at
Anaheim Produce, Butter Blue Grains and a soda from
Kat Saka’s Kettle on a Hollywood Studios day. There is a lot that can be enjoyed with $30 a day for sure! My best strategy for determining how you should budget for your teen would be to look up some
menus of the quick service options (or table service locations) your teen would be interested in. All menus show the current pricing, which can help you get a more accurate rundown of pricing. Then you can add around $10-$20 extra just in case costs or additional wants throughout the day.
I hope this was helpful, Karla. Before I let you go, I have one additional tip for your teen’s trip. Once you come up with a budget of estimated costs I recommend getting a
Disney Gift Card that covers that cost. Disney Gift Cards are great for Disney trips especially with children; you can register them and transfer the lost card's value to another card if they are lost or stolen. I always travel with Disney Gift Cards and even keep a separate one for my two year old so that I can use it for any little treats or toys she wants during our vacation. Please come back and see us if you need anything else.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.