Hey, Charles!
For many people, the
Disney Dining Plans are the perfect way to plan a food budget in advance of your vacation. With options that include only quick service meals all the way up to a plan that includes three meals a day, anywhere you want to go, including snacks, guests can pay in advance for all or part of their food expenses and not have to worry when they get to
Walt Disney World.
I will say, with the dining plans, you want to watch what you eat. If you're a family that tends to order pasta or chicken, or maybe you don't normally eat a big meal, this may not be cost effective for your gang. The biggest bang for your buck is to opt for the more expensive menu items and make sure you use all of your dining plan credits.
Tables in Wonderland will save you 20% on meals at more than 100 Walt Disney World restaurants. Primarily table service meals, the discount is good for a year, so you can use it on multiple trips. The break even point for Tables in Wonderland is about $800, but if you are a family that enjoys table service dining experiences, you know this isn't hard to achieve.
One last thing to consider -
Disney Vacation Club members and annual passholders currently do get some dining discounts. Most are in the 10-15% range, and some are only offered for certain meals, but you want to factor that into your thinking as you make your decision.
Thanks for visiting us, Charles!
Anna