Hi Jennifer,
How exciting to be planning your trip to
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa! I love the tranquility of this resort. Be sure to catch a boat and ride along the Sassagoula River to
Disney Springs, the newly re-imagined dining, shopping, and entertainment area at Walt Disney World.
I understand your dilemma in choosing between the Park Hopper Option for your Walt Disney World tickets or adding a
Disney Dining Plan to your vacation. I think that ultimately, the choice will come down to how you and your family like to vacation. I know that for my family, we would choose the Park Hopper Option. We really like the flexibility of being able to go to one Disney theme park in the morning and early afternoon, head back to our resort for an afternoon nap or dip in the pool, and then be able to choose any Disney theme park to head back to for dinner and nighttime entertainment. We also tend to take advantage of the full kitchen in the one-bedroom or larger villas at the Disney Vacation Club resorts. We prepare at least one or two meals per day in our villa, and thus we rarely eat out for more than one meal per day. If you think that you will be eating out multiple times a day, and are more apt to carefully plan each day so that you do not need the Park Hopper Option on your tickets and can visit only one park per day and still experience all that you want to, choosing the Disney Dining Plan might be the better idea for your family.
I hope that these thoughts are helpful for you, Jennifer. Please do let us know if you have any further questions!