How much money for Disneyland?

[thatselementary]

Planning a trip for next year to have something to look forward to. We will be going with 2DC (4&2) for four days and it'll probably include the older one's birthday. We'll be going for 4 days I think, half board. How much money should we plan for a few meals out, snacks and for buying toys/treats? Bearing in mind one of the days, we'd be extra generous for DC. Any advice would be great

Random question but can anyone who's been recently-ish tell me if they sell Monsters Inc things, namely Boo? DD is obsessed with her and has a teddy and I've ordered a figure from Smyths but she wants one of the animator playset and/or a doll. Does anyone know if they sell them?

I dont remember much monsters inc stuff specifically (Feb half term) but then it wasnt on our hunt list. I'd be very surprised if you couldn't find monsters inc pins and boo Pins, they have everything. Best place to check for monsters inc is studios. As you go in the studios park theres an everything shop on the left hand side that most people miss, (it's one of the best places to find unusual merchandise and (homeware!)) the then big studios park shop in the entrance "hanger". Also World of Disney in the Disney village, but actually you might have more luck in the big store on the left as you walk down the Disney village towards the lake.

Be prepared for horrendously expensive crap food!!! I was really disappointed, even in the themed restaurants etc.
The best place we found to eat was the Earl if Sandwich. Reasonably priced, ok portions and better quality than all the other places.

We stayed at the Cheyenne. It's nice. We put our son in the double bed and slept on the pull out beds as the mattress was very very hard on the double (we've got a water bed at home so used to a much softer mattress).

If you are half board budget €10 per dc and €15 per adult for a snacky lunch (McDonald's is cheaper if you are running short and there's a supermarket you can buy picnic stuff in but you can't take it into the parks, water bottles are fine, we took squirty squash). For treats and souvenirs it's how long is a piece of string - t shirts are around €25 hoodies are €60 for instance. Remember to take waterproof jackets and umbrellas because they are expensive to buy there and Paris is unpredictable weatherwise. You could do it on €50 a day or €300 depends on your budget and attitude to spending on overpriced stuff.

They should do some monsters inc stuff, if you turn right when you go into the studios there is a scream factory and a photo opp with big model of mike and sully, I’m sure sully is around sometimes but I’ve not seen him on my trips!

There’s definitely loads of monsters inc stuff.

I’d advise against Rainforest Cafe- queue was horrendous, food and service were awful and kids were disappointingly underwhelmed by it all. Also, are any of the restaurants still running buffets? Thought they were a no-go following Covid?

We went to DLP last year and had full board. It was too much food but we did very long days at the park so it was good to be able to sit and rest over a meal.

Me & 2 dc. I was surprised how little we needed to spend. In park I bought ice cream, a couple of soft drinks (we don't usually buy them) and some wine for me with dinner. Otherwise we were busy and not spending.

Prices are high but you don't need to buy much. You can take snacks in with you if your kids might need them, and there are water fountains you can refill bottles.

It's nice to but souvenirs etc & you could spend loads. We got 3 ears for about 50 euros.

My DC mostly liked finding and collecting the souvenir coins - €2 each.

@tanstaafl

I know this goes totally against the spirit of the thread but for a spend like that and with kids that young I’d consider a week in Majorca all inclusive instead.

Before you flame me ( perhaps reasonably ) we took our two to DLP when they were 5&3. Mon-Fri, took the train into Paris one day.
They don’t remember any of the holiday.

A week in a nice AI hotel , on the beach and/or with a choice of pools is another way of having a memorable holiday.

I wasn't at all interested in going to DL. Ever. THEN DD TURNED 12, DD2 was 8 so I took the plunge as they really wanted to go.

It really was the best holiday ever. Different from a week in the sun, but utterly brilliant. Now planning a trip for next year. Dds want to go at Easter (last time was Halloween).

I'm not sure I would have had quite so much fun if they were younger and not so independent (they carry all own stuff, dd1 could race ahead and get fast pass tickets while dd2 rested a bit etc).

prepared for horrendously expensive crap food!!!

This is so wrong. There's some fab food at DLP, at every food level from fast food to the sit down restaurants. We eat awesomely. No it isn't the cheapest but then it is the biggest theme park in Europe.

Our favourites: ive already mentioned Fuente del oro loaded fries, beef capaccio in Walt's, steakhouse and silver spur, steak and ratatuiou from the premium menu Chez Remy, various bits from the pause Gormand, everything at cafe Agrabah, prawns, cream potatoes and floating islands dessert from the buffets and chilli BBWW. Earl of sandwich for cheap but decent fast food. Coconut cocktail at Captain Jack's, green stuff for dessert at steakhouse

Although i will say this, we've had a bit of practice at working out where the best food is. The food on the premium menus at non character dining restaurants is often the best and far better than the plus menus at the same restaurants. Except Steakhouse and silver spur where the plus menus are decent. The food at the buffets often contains the same food you find on the plus menus.
This makes the buffets superb value for money. The plus meal plan great value for seeing the fantastically themed restaurants. And the premium meal plan for the best food and for characters.

I budgeted around £100 a day just for 1 adult and 1 child. They have a McDonald’s and it’s excellent value for money if not the best. So if you are wanting burgers or fries I would recommend over the other places. The bakeries were fab too.

I don’t understand why people say a week in Majorca all inclusive instead. I can’t think of anything worse and completely opposite to what the OP has asked. If kids don’t remember DLP they won’t remember Majorca.

Food is fine at DLP. We always eat at inventions. Never had a complaint. We always also eat at Annette’s. The bakeries as someone else said are also very good.

Majorca is excellent for kids. My child went at 3 and he remembers. “Katmandu” park is really good and we went to another water park which was excellent. It depends what you want from a holiday.

@okiedokieme you are 100% allowed to take your own food into the park - your info is incorrect!

We stayed in davey crockett as there’s 6 of us, I have stayed in DLH and sequoia and sequoia is my favourite but I loved davey Crockett and would go back there even if we went with a smaller crowd.

We drove over so with that we took food and drinks with us to make breakfast and lunches (this helps even if you make a few chocolate spread sandwiches and they graze on these throughout the day instead of actually junk etc. And then although we planned to go to restaurants, it jsut worked out different for us in the evenings, our kids are a little older so after a long old day me and dp sat in the outside area of the sports bar in the village and had a drink or two with the baby and the kids went in and out of nearby shops looking around, building lightsabers, playing with Lego in the Lego store etc (they had a a phone with them) and we would check on them or they’d come back every 10/15mins or so then we would grab McDonald’s and head back to the ranch but that’s just what we fancied doing!

I’ve always wanted to go on hakuna Malaya restaurant but it’s not been open on my trips.

The saloon type restaurant (I can’t think of its name!) isn’t too bad for food and they have a toy story puppet show thing on intermittently through the day and piano playing and stuff. Toad hall is good for fish and chips, there’s the pirates of the Caribbean restaurant which people rate for seafood although I’ve never been (the restaurant is “in the ride” so to speak so when your on the ride children from the restaurant can be found waving etc and if you get a good table it can be enjoyable if that’s your thing!

I’m persoanly a sucker for the Disney theme food so I like to buy random nonsense form snack carts (mickey shapes biscuits, cupcakes, lollies, waffles etc - dp and my dd both stuffed their faces on darts Vader waffles covered in chocolate sauce on last trip!)

Christmas is the best time to go in my opinion, I don’t think I would like it so much at other times of the year!

I don’t like the buffets but I just generally don’t like buffets, would honestly rather have McDonald’s lol

Lots of people rave about earl of sandwich (a better subway) but I don’t like subway so I’m going off others here!

Annette’s in the village is my favourite, American diner (staff used to wear roller skates but I don’t think they do anymore) I love the food and the portions are huge!

I would highly highly recommend paying the extra for buffalo bills Wild West show which includes food.

Depends what you want to spend on.

A fast food meal will be about €50 for a family. But the portions are big. We often share 2 adult meals between 3 of us and get a side of nuggets for DD. In which case we're under €30. Also in the village you have McDonalds, Earl of Sandwich and Vapiano all of which are cheaper/generous.

Then snacks say another €30/day. But I pack us a ton of stuff with us and we snack in queues.

Finally I allow my DD €100 generally to decide what she's doing with. We browse the first day or two then she shops at the end. Although we go a couple of times a year so generally she knows at least one thing she wants in advance.

And we always budget the €60 for a princess makeover. (Bring a dress from home)

We had half board and didn’t spend that much . Took loads of snacks and our own drinks in the park . We had character breakfast one morning at 9.45 so didn’t need lunch that day . The other two days we had burgers and Bella Notte (lasagne , pizza etc ) . Prob around €50 for me and two kids for each lunch .
Bought kids bubble wands for €20 each . They both bought themselves a cuddle toy which were around €20 each I think and we bought a few other little bits .
Have a great time !

Those Darth Vader waffles were lovely! The buckets of popcorn were good too - we took them back to the hotel for bedtime snacks! I’m certain there were monsters inc toys in the shop next to Buzz Lightyear ride.

We've been a couple of times (half board) and have barely spent £100 on extras across the 3 days we've been there . Kids aged 4 & 6 last time we went. We found we needed to buy very little food (have a late breakfast then a snack at 2ish, saving ourselves for a big buffet dinner). We did bring a few snacks from home as they are pricey - cereal bars etc., and picked up an extra piece of fruit each at breakfast to have during the day. We drank water during the day as none of us like fizz much (take a refillable bottle as there are water fountain around the park). DH and I don't really drink though so didn't bother with alcohol with meals - which I think is very expensive.
Kids got to choose a gift (cuddly toy) on last day.
You don't need to spend a fortune if you don't want to.