Hi Katie!
Thanks so much for stopping by the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question.
The Disney Dining Plan really takes the guesswork out of our Walt Disney World Resort vacations. Over
100 Walt Disney World Resort restaurants participate in the Dining Plan, which makes it super easy to find something to please everyone in my family. We enjoy the ease and convenience of knowing that all of our meals have been taken care of before we arrive, and my husband loves not having to pull out his wallet after every meal!
When you participate in the Dining Plan, you'll be allotted a certain number of Quick Service, Table Service, and Snack entitlements, per person, for each night of your resort stay (depending on which dining plan you choose). The entitlements are allotted as a total per resort room, and not assigned to individual guests. Your entitlements can be used any way you choose. You'll be able to use any and all of your meal allotments beginning on the first day of your vacation, and use them completely at your discretion. You're more than welcome to purchase a meal to share with your Table Service entitlements, provided, as you said, that it's not a buffet-style meal.
You'll be able to keep track of your dining credits in two ways:
1. Remaining entitlements will be printed on your dining receipts.
2. You can stop by any Guest Relations window or your Resort Concierge to check your remaining entitlements.
I hope this helps with your planning, and that you'll continue to use the Disney Parks Moms Panel as a planning resource for your Disney vacations. Have a magical day! - Diane W.