Hi, Christine!
Regarding using the Disney Dining Plan when paying for a
Fantasmic! Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, the little-known perk is that each Guest on the DP / Dinner Package is given an appetizer! (Wow!) We love appetizers so much more than dessert, but are usually on the DP which does not include apps. When you take a look at the menu at Mama Melrose's, you'll see this perk makes me so happy. Their fresh mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes made my then-picky tween-aged daughter eat every morsel on her plate. Their calamari is so tender, and presented with several delicious dipping sauces, my 11-year-old can't get enough of them. My all-time favorite dish there, though, is the Chicken Campanelle, substituting shrimp for the chicken (shrimp and campanelle pasta tossed in a four-cheese sauce with broccoflower, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach and sweet onions). Penne alla Vodka and Seafood Arrabbiata are also fantastic. Actually, what am I saying? We've been there a dozen times, with many different sets of family and friends and no one has ever been disappointed with anything we've ordered. True story.
As you might guess, our whole family is disappointed if I don't book a Fantasmic! Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's for a week trip to WDW...and much of that is due to the great food at Mama Melrose's! (The rest is, of course, for the VIP seating at Fantasmic!) And it's still just 1 Table Service entitlement! WOW!
Send more questions as you think of them; I love to help!