Hi Sylvia,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am happy to hear that you are using one of the
Disney Dining Plans!
My family has used the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan. We used the Disney Dining Plan when our girls were younger. At that time, one quick-service and one table-service meal entitlement per night of stay were perfect for our family. I would take breakfast snacks with us and we used our resort refillable mugs to grab coffee or juice in the morning before we left the resort. Now that our girls are older, we prefer the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan because of the additional meal entitlements it includes.
I have two strategies to better estimate food costs. First, be sure to make advanced dining reservations. Then, check the restaurant menus to get an idea of your food options. My family always reviews the menus and decides which entrée and dessert we would like prior to our trips. To view a restaurant's menu, go the restaurant's home page and click on View Menu. The
Coral Reef Restaurant dinner menu will give you a good idea of the typical menu structure. The cast member who serves you will explain what is included on the dining plan. We stick to what is included so that we only pay for tips!
Second, I check the number of meal entitlements required for each restaurant. When we dined at Cinderella's Royal Table on the Disney Dining Plan once, I paid for the girls out of pocket because that dining experience required two table-service meal entitlements.
Sylvia, also create a chart of all of your meals along with the number of meal entitlements each meal will require. Remember, your total number of meals is based on the number of nights you stay!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell