Hello, Jennifer!
You are going to just love the Deluxe Dining Plan when you travel the Worlds of Walt Disney!
Because the Dining Plans are so popular, I absolutely recommend that you book your dining reservations prior to your arrival...the sooner the better. While you won't be traveling to WDW at peak season, there will still be certain days in which certain parks will be very crowded. For example, according to touringplans.com, an unofficial crowd-prediction site, crowds at Magic Kingdom will reach 7.9 out of 10 on 10/22/12, and Epcot will reach 9 out of 10 on the day of your departure. We've entered parks on crowded days and noticed a large sign which state that there are no Table-Service dining reservations available in that park that day. It would be so disappointing if that happened to you, especially because you've got the capability of enjoying three TS meals each day.
Planning your meals doesn't have to be overwhelming. Begin with
park hours, deciding which park you'd like to be in on a particular day. On 10/26, for example, Animal Kingdom has Extra Magic Hours for WDW Resort Guests from 8 a.m.- 9a.m., so head there. Your
ADR should be in or near that park that day, saving the trouble of leaving one park in order to get elsewhere for your meal.
Once you've decided on your park plans, peruse dining options at each park and resorts nearby. Click on "Dining" on each park's page, where you'll find menus listed as well. My favorite unofficial site, allears.net, also includes unofficial menus with prices; very handy when that's not listed on WDW's pages.
Send me another question including food favorites and I'll send you a list of restaurants that are not-to-be missed. Trust me, the work you'll do prior to departure will save you so much work once you're in WDW and your dining is taken care of. You'll relax, tour and dine stress-free.