Hi, Jenny!
I'm thrilled you're planning your first visit to Walt Disney World Resort!
My family of four has used the
Disney Dining Plan a number of times and there are some important pros and cons that I'm happy to share from our experience.
In the "pro" department, I love the dining plan because it gives us the ability to pre-pay most of our food *before* we get to the parks. That means we know we can pick some of the more expensive Table Service restaurants and know we paid for most of the expense.
On the "con" side, you have to pay your waiter or waitress's tip even if you're on the dining plan. That means that if you ate a really expensive Table Service meal, your tip can cost as much as a Quick Service meal. Also, our dining plan meals include a lot of food. And when I mean a lot, I mean even Quick Service meals can include more food than you may need. I have said to my husband that the dining plan sometimes feels like a cruise experience: Every meal is A LOT of food. It's yummy food. But you feel really full.
I hope that adds a little extra perspective to the Disney Dining Plan experience. There are times when the Quick Service plan is free as a part of vacation packages. You can snag that deal and upgrade it to a more deluxe dining plan. That deal helps make the plan even more worthwhile!
Have fun planning your first visit. Please let me know if I can help with anything else. A first visit is SO exciting!
-Jen