Hi Heather,
It is never too early to start planning a trip to Walt Disney World!
I'm afraid that there isn't a clear cut answer to your question. The answer really would depend on a whole number of factors such as which Disney Resort hotel you would like to stay at, which Disney Dining Plan you would like to have and so on....
I read an interesting blog post about this very thing just a couple of days ago on the Touring Plans Blog which you can see here:- http://blog.touringplans.com/2011/02/18/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-free-dining-plan/
My best advise to you would be to keep an eye on the
Special Offers page of the Walt Disney World website for any promotions which cover the dates of your stay and if you are lucky enough to have the choice of two different promotions, do the math.
To give you an idea, I would suggest that you carry out this exercise based on a trip for the exact same time that you are thinking of visiting in 2014 this year. If you are flexible on dates, price up a trip now based on the "Save up to 30% at select Disney Resort hotels this Spring" promotion and then price up a comparable trip (Staying at the same Disney Resort hotel for the same number of nights with the same park tickets) if/when a free dining promotion is offered and see which offer is most beneficial to your family.
I hope that this information has been of help and wish you a magical trip filled with memories which will last a lifetime!