Hi, Rebecca!
The Disney Dining Plans are available exclusively to Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels with
Magic Your Way Vacation Packages. Since your party is not staying on-property this time, you unfortunately won't be able to purchase the Dining Plans.
There is another way for you to save quite a little bit of money on your meals if you happen to be a
Disney Vacation Club Member or an
Annual Passholder. If so, you can purchase the
Tables In Wonderland card which would give you a 20% discount on food and beverages at participating
Table Service locations for a whole year. You can upgrade a couple of your Park tickets to Annual Passes to become eligible. The amount of money you could save can be well worth it, especially for a large party. Please note that the
Tables In Wonderland discount is good for up to 10 Guests per card. You can read all the details about this great benefit and see which restaurants accept the card at TablesInWonderland.com.
Of course, you'll want to check out the menus for each restaurant on their own pages right here on the Walt Disney World website for what you think the members of your party might order. I usually get an average cost per person for my family. Don't forget to add in the gratuities when you calculate! Also, you are able to make Advanced Dining Reservations up to 180 days in advance, and I highly recommend doing that!
Thanks so much for stopping by the Moms Panel, Rebecca! I sure hope this info helps. Please let us know if we can help with any other questions you have!
Wishing you and your family a Pixie Dusted vacation!
~Jackie