Hi Lisa! Sitting here in the cold cold weather, I'm very envious of your upcoming Disney vacation! I'm a huge fan of the Dining Plan, loving it's convenience and value. That being said, we don't get it every time though, depending on our plans. There are several
Disney Dining Plans to choose from. For us, we usually opt for the standard Disney Dining Plan, which includes one full service meal, one quick service meal, one snack per person per day, as well as a refillable drink mug. The other plan that often meets our needs is the Quick Service Dining Plan, which includes two quick service meals and one snack per day, as well as the refillable mug.
This year, there are several fun new restaurants added to the Dining Plan list, including T-Rex and Fulton's Crab House in Downtown Disney. I always find the plan more than pays for itself when we have a character meal or two, and several full service reservations. What I recommend is determining where you think you'll be dining, and checking out their menus. This will give you an idea of what you can expect to spend on food, and then compare this with the cost of the plan. I often use the AllEars (dot net) website, as they have up-to-date menus with prices.
Hope this helps Lisa! Wishing you the most magical vacation!