Dear Kara,
Thanks for contacting us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your dining question!
There are a
lot of choices for dining at the Walt Disney World Resort and it can be a bit confusing. The
Disney Dining Plan actually has an option for
Quick-Service restaurants only, which many people like to get so that they can pre-pay for their meals and not have to worry about paying while on vacation or afterwards.
Quick-Service restaurants (with only a few exceptions such as
Be Our Guest) do not require reservations and are therefore a great option for those folks who may be booking after many Advanced Dining Reservations are already reserved. Honestly, though, if you look around on
My Disney Experience, you may find quite a few Table-Service restaurants that still have reservation availability at a closer date. Many times people change their minds and add or drop reservations, so things do open up!
Only you know whether your family would prefer a more casual dining experience or would prefer to sit down for more meals, and that will help you determine whether you want the Dining Plan or not (and which dining plan you would want), and whether it's worth it to make Advanced Dining Reservations.
Have a magical trip and hope that helps!
- Jan K.