Spending money

[Guest]

Hi I am new here so sorry if this has been asked a million times before! I am going to WDW for the first time in Oct 18 for my honeymoon. We will be there for 2 weeks on the dining plan. I know its a really subjective question but as an estimate how much should we bring for souvenirs,spends, uber, food and drink (universal only) and tipping?

[loldis]

Which dining plan are you on? QSDP doesn't require tipping, although a lot of people do tip at Wolfgang Puck Express because you do have a server even though it's technically QS. For DDP, TS meals are 18-20% tip. I would budget $7 per TS credit to be on the safe side so around $200 for 2 weeks for 2 people. May be less than that, depends on what you order as you tip on the equivalent cash value of your meal - I'm using the average value of a TS credit.

There's not much else you need to tip for on Disney property, although a few dollars per day for Mousekeeping is the usual standard. And maybe a few dollars for bell services and/or the MDE drivers if they move your luggage around for you. Probably less than $30 your entire stay will be needed.

I'd budget around $20 per Uber ride - that should be enough to get you to Universal, shorter trips to Walmart etc (assuming you go there) will be less, but it's a decent average. Uber is cashless though, so you'll need to have this money loaded onto a prepaid card that they accept if you don't have a credit card.

Souvenirs and spends really are a piece of string question, as some people buy nothing and some bring back cases worth. I'm budgeting around $200, half of which is planned purchases (Starbucks mugs, mostly ) and then an extra $100 if we see something worth having. But we're not really souvenir people and weren't impressed with the shopping on our last trip, so this is a very low budget on average.

ETA: You may also need to budget for alcohol, depending if and how much you drink. One alcoholic drink will be provided with meals as of next year on the DDP, any more than that will need to be paid OOP and their drinks are on the pricier side - allow $10 per drink, more for the fancier cocktails. Plus tip if not a QS venue.

Don't do Universal so can't comment there.

[Tdawber]

I'd say for 2 weeks a grand?

[Guest]

That's great information thank you! As it's our first trip we are a bit duck 🦆 out of water 💦 haha we are on the DDP so will have to take into account tips! Good point about uber being cashless I had forgot about that! Thanks for your help x

[scoobydooby]

I budget $50 per person per day to include all tips when we have the table service dining plan. The kids have the gift card so I don’t count that and they usually save all their money for a shopping mall hall. They’ve got all the souvenirs they want though after 10 trips. When they were little they liked all the on site gifts. Alcohol is expensive and will up your tip total fast.

[disneyonabudget]

You're looking at about $15-20 for a standard burger and chips meal at Universal. I'd recommend getting a refillable mug from Universal if you're planning on doing more than one day!

Which hotel are you staying in?

[mitch-fishguard]

First 9 nights on International Drive. $1200. Last 5 nights in Disney $800. Thats purely on Dining, Shopping, Drinks, Tipping and Walmart. Just spending money for 2 adults. My daughter and husband spent $1300 for the whole fortnight. They didnt shop like us ! This doesnt include tickets because you can get deals. But for handing over hard cash, you can spend as little as you like. Golden Corral, Cicis Pizza etc. and the Disney food courts are great value.

[mitch-fishguard]

Mind you, as youre on the Dining Plan, youre laughing. You need as much as youre willing to spend on the souvenirs . Last week, 2 t-shirts for $40. Hoodies and sweats were averaging $50 and mugs and other souvenirs between $15 and $20. Dining Plan is really a great thing. It wasnt available when i booked back last xmas, but would have leapt all over it if it had been

[DisneyBobby]

I'm hoping to do £2000 for a family of 4 over 2 weeks, will also be applying for a Clarity Credit Card from Halifax at some point, just to make sure we have that little bit extra just in case.

[mitch-fishguard]

Sounds like a plan ! A good one