Hi Elizabeth!
Welcome to planDisney.
I am very happy to see you are using the Disney Dining Plan on your next vacation. It's such a great way to budget for your meals and know that all (or most of) your food is pre-paid in advance.
I assume you have the
Disney Dining Plan as you are asking about dining reservations, and these can only be made for Table-Service dining (which is not included in the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan). The good news is that when you make your dining reservations, up to 60 days in advance, you do not have to specify how you will be paying for your meal. In fact, you don't have to make that decision until your server greets you when you are seated at your table and asks if you are using any Dining Plans or have any discounts (for example, Annual Passholder discount, or Disney Vacation Club discount).
However, you probably will want to decide in advance when you will be using your Table-Service meals, so that you can plan accordingly - some restaurants will require 2 Table-Service meals (a requirement that usually, but not exclusively, applies to the Signature Dining and Character Dining venues), and others may only need 1 Table-Service meal. I find the best value is when I use my dining plan for those special meals such as
Narcoossee's, Yachtsman Steakhouse and
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. Then I pay cash for other restaurants that only need 1 Table-Service meal.
Restaurants across the whole Resort that accept a Disney Dining Plan are listed here.
You may use your dining plan from the day you check-in, until midnight on the day you leave, subject to having some meals or snacks remaining on your balance. You can use your dining plan in any way you want to - maybe using more meals one day, and less on another, and any time you want to check your balance you can find it on your My Disney Experience mobile app, or at the bottom of any dining receipt. If you'd like a copy of all your dining plan transactions, and how many you have left you can stop by the Front Desk of your Disney Resort hotel and ask a Cast Member for a print-out.
Please come back and visit us if you have any further questions, and you can
send me a direct question if you wish. We will be very happy to help you plan your magical vacation at Walt Disney World Resort.
Sue