Hi Robert,
Like you, I often travel to Walt Disney World with a party of three including two adults and one child. We also typically head to Walt Disney World without a Disney Dining Plan. Let me share with you how we generally handle dining reservations.
I do suggest that you make
Walt Disney World dining reservations for those table service or buffet locations that you want to enjoy. This way, you can be sure that a table will be available for you and you will not need to worry about getting a seat. My family tends to make one dining reservation per day for our "big meal," which can be for us at any time of day. Some of our favorites include a delicious breakfast or brunch at
Trail's End Restaurant at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, an elegant break for a bistro lunch at
Chefs de France in Epcot, and an exotically flavored dinner at
Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village. While there may be availability at table service restaurants without a reservation, I find that it puts my mind at ease to know that there is a table waiting for us when I have a reservation. With our one table service meal reserved, we then fill the rest of our eating day with
quick-service restaurants, for which you do not need a reservation. We also tend keep quick snack food at our resort, which we then throw in our backpacks as we head into theme parks.
I hope that these thoughts are helpful for you, Robert. Please do let us know if you have any further questions!