Hiya Parker!
Welcome to planDisney! My family has visited the Parks quite a bit with the
dining plan and without and we have found that it has changed out we spend our time. Every trip to the Parks is fun and full of memories but deciding to add on a dining plan can change how your itinerary quite a bit.
What I love about dining plans is that I arrive on my vacation with all my meals and snacks prepaid and ready to be enjoyed. I like using the
Disney Dining Plan which has one Table-Service Meal, 1 Quick-Service Meal, and 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic drink per night of my stay. I love having a sit-down meal every day of my trip so that I can force myself to cool off, eat well, and be served by friendly Cast Members. However, to others, this sounds like a tremendous waste of time. Some guests like to keep moving, enjoying attractions, and eating snacks throughout the day. A full table service meal may be something they would like to enjoy once or twice and maybe not at all. A meal can also be pretty hearty with the dining plan. A Quick-Service meal includes an entree and a drink while a Table-Service meal for lunch or dinner includes an entree, dessert, and a drink. My appetite has changed over the years and I don't know if I can consume a full meal with a dessert on my own anymore.
A dining plan can be worth it if you are a hearty eater and enjoy picking high-value food items. My husband is a big steak guy and as that is consistently an expensive menu item he is making good use of his dining plan investment versus a person who chooses a cheaper meal option. I think the dining plan is great if you use it towards character dining experiences which are a premium dining experience but not one that counts as two meals such as
Cinderella's Royal Table at Magic Kingdom Park.
Signature dining experiences and dinner shows tend to redeem two meals from the dining plan.
Parker, a great way to assess if the dining plan is worth it is to plan out your trip and select what dining experiences you wish to enjoy from snacks, Quick-Service meals to Table-Service meals. Look at menus and think about what you would order and see if the price you would have spent on food adds up to the dining plan cost. Also, consider if price is not the issue but the convenience of just not worrying about your meal costs and buying whatever you want and having it all prepaid. There is no wrong or right answer here Parker. It's all about you and how you like to enjoy food and the Parks!
I hope this was helpful and you have a delicious time!
Happy Planning!
-Nimmy