Hi Julie,
Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am delighted to hear that you are using one of the
Disney Dining Plans!
First, let me make sure that you have calculated your dining plan entitlements correctly. Remember that dining plan entitlements are calculated per night of stay. If you are staying four nights on the Disney Dining Plan, you would receive 8 meal entitlements (four table-service and four quick-service) along with eight snack entitlements and a resort refillable mug for each person in your party 3-years old and over. If you have the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan, you would receive 12 meal entitlements, 8 snack entitlements and a resort refillable mug.
It sounds as if you have charted out your meal entitlements - although you can use a table-service meal entitlement for a quick-service meal, I avoid this option because we want to get the most value out of our plan. Instead of using our table-service entitlements for quick-service meals, we go to a few
signature-dining experiences which require two table-service meal entitlements. California Grill, Cinderella's Royal Table, STK Orlando and Tiffins are a few I recommend.
We also map out our snack entitlements as well so that we have none left by departure day. Occasionally, we have one left that we use to grab a snack for the flight home. If you have quick-service meal entitlements remaining, you can convert those to snacks. Consult with a cast member in the resort or park to determine the exact items you may pick up as snacks.
Julie, I trust that your first visit will come sprinkled with extra magic. Our first visit with our girls was. Those memories are unforgettable!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell