I am definitely going to check out the dining plan. I really didn't even know it existed. I'll see if it fits into what we think we can afford. When we went to Disney 5 years ago, we stayed off property and ate some meals off property as well, but at that time, we drove all the way to Florida from Michigan so we had our car. This time, we're flying in and staying on property with the plan that we will not be renting a vehicle.
Furthermore, even if we did try renting a vehicle and eating off property to save money, we're not saving money because we'd be renting a vehicle. Not to mention the time factor....we will be coming in on a Thursday and leaving on a Monday, so we are looking at very little time to spend at the parks as it is. I don't want to waste time leaving the parks to eat. If we had more time, it might be worth considering.
At this point, I'm definitely thinking that we will all rise early in the morning and eat in our room. We will most likely need a refrigerator though.
Thanks for all of the responses. I greatly appreciate it. I used these discussion forums 5 years ago when we went to Disney and people were most helpful in helping us plan our trip. Once again, it's a highly useful tool in Disney trip planning. Thanks to all!!!