Hi Rebecca,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am delighted to hear that you are using the
Disney Dining Plan. When we first started bringing our girls to the Walt Disney World Resort, we chose that plan as well!
In the past, we started using our dining plan entitlements on our arrival day after we checked in even if we were not going to a park on that day. We prefer to use one table-service entitlement on the day we arrive and we save one entitlement for the day we checkout. We use the other entitlements on the days in between our arrival and departure days.
Once you check-in, all of your meal entitlements will be loaded onto your account and you can use them in whatever order you choose. As I plan, I always make a chart of our meals, Fast Pass+ selections and special tours for the entire trip. I note the number of meal entitlements for each meal on our chart so that I can be sure we do not run out of meal entitlements prior to departure. You can also track your dining plan entitlements using the
My Disney Experience Mobile App or stop by the lobby concierge and ask for a printout.
Rebecca, here is another tip - avoid using snack credits for regular drinks. We bring our own water bottles and refill them during the day. Then, we use our snack credits for ice cream, smoothies or other treats. We also bring our own breakfast bars and instant oatmeal to enjoy in the room before we hit the parks for the day. So we typically use our quick-service entitlement for lunch and our table-service entitlement for dinner. I do hope you made advanced dining reservations. They are a must-do, especially for character meals!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell