Hi Kim! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
I will say that whenever my family stays at the Walt Disney World Resort we typically take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan but it really is a personal choice. There are many factors to be taken into consideration. We make our decision based off of predicting how many meals per day we will eat, what we expect out of those meals, and how many Table-Service meals we plan to eat. In my personal experience if you plan on doing more than a couple of Table-Service meals then to me the Disney Dining Plan is worth the cost.
My family eats three meals a day with a snack in there somewhere. We also like to indulge while on vacation and experience some really fantastic Character meals and also some other nice Table-Service meals such as Be Our Guest Restaurant and
Le Cellier Steakhouse. The
Disney Dining Plan also takes the guess work out of how much money to budget for our vacation. Most of our meals are pre-paid for before we even arrive. The cost for the dining plans do not change based on which Resort hotel you stay at. They are the same across the board though they do differ based on the dining plan that you choose. Prices are subject to change without advance notice so for the most up to date price information feel free to call the reservation line and ask the Cast Member that is assisting you for a price comparison!
When deciding to take advantage of the Disney Dining plan you really have to sit down and figure out what will work best for your family!
I hope that I have helped to answer your question! Please come back soon with any other vacation planning questions you may have!
~Heather~