Interesting article. I have to take exception to parts of this article...it's a little misleading, especially to anyone who has not used the plan. You cannot substitute an appetiser for a dessert. That is correct. But she says "There are several not-so-flexible aspects to the plan. For any given meal, you get whats included, with no substitutions." This is not entirely correct. You are not completely limited to exactly what's on the menu either. For example, many places will let you substitute fruit for dessert. And all of the table service places we went to had no problem allowing different side dishes from what was listed with the entree. For example, someone in our group didn't want the risotto that came with their entree & was allowed to sub mashed potatoes.
The article also says "Last but not least, consider whether the included beverages will work for you. We like to drink wine with dinner, which isnt included in the plan. If you like soft drinks, regular bottled water, coffee or tea, great those are included. If you prefer wine or beer, fancy mineral water, espresso, smoothies, etc., you will end up paying for your beverages" Two things about this: there is a version of the dining plan which has wine included. Don't know if it's cost effective because we rarely order wine with dinner, but there is a version. And as for the rest of the review, I don't know how many restaurants the author has been to but our experience was that there are a number of Disney restaurants who allow smoothies & milkshakes as the DDP beverage (like The Wave, Le Cellier, and Sci-Fi to name a few off the top of my head.)
Also thought it was interesting she had the numbers showing the DDP did cost less than the discount card when getting the same foods.