Hello, Van!
Thirteen days until your Walt Disney World Vacation AND the Deluxe Dining Plan begins...no wonder you're excited!
All of the Dining Plans work in this one fashion: your entitlements are applied to your account at check-in. How and when you use those entitlements is entirely up to you.
Read through Disney's Deluxe Dining Plan for other tips and more information.
We often skip a snack or two on certain days when our Table-Service reservations are spaced out in such a way that a snack would simply be too much. Then, if someone is extra thirsty (iced latte, anyone?) or spies an extra-delicious-looking treat at a candy counter (Carrot Cake Cookie?), we have more than enough to "spend."
Don't forget that, because all of your entitlements expire at
midnight on the day you
check out, you can use those leftover snack credits to pick up some tasty, portable treats to help ease yourselves back into the real world. We've found that cookies, brownies, muffins, gourmet candy and chocolate-covered pretzel logs transport very nicely, and are a great way to get that last bit of delectable magic out of your Dining Plan. Just look for the square "DDP" sticker next to each item that is eligible as a snack to see the great variety of choices you'll have.
Have a fabulous trip! Be sure to send any additional questions you may have as you think of them! I'd love to help!