Hi, April!
For your first trip to Walt Disney World, you have started off with the perfect plan! Well done!
When you check into your WDW resort, you will be given a printout showing the total number of snacks, Quick Service meals and Table Service meals for your entire party. A family of four staying for five nights, for example, will have 20 snacks, 20 QS and 20 TS meals in their account from the moment they check in, since the plan is one of each of these per person, per night. You many spend those entitlements in any order or combination at any time throughout your stay, until midnight after you check out.
Many families tend to use one QS and one TS per day, but you don't have to do that. If you'd like to have a late (TS) character breakfast on the same day as an early TS dinner, you can certainly do so. If we do that, we'll spend another afternoon at the resort pool, where Quick Service dining is convenient. You can also enjoy some wonderful QS meals at Downtown Disney, too.
Just think of your
Disney Dining Plan entitlements like a bank account; you may withdraw any of those entitlements at any time, in any order, until midnight of the day you check out.
Be sure to book Advanced
Dining Reservations ASAP, as the most popular restaurants book up beginning at 180 days in advance of Guests' check-in. If you need help choosing, send me another question with dates, dining interests and if you have a plan in place yet for which park you'll tour each day. I'd be happy to help!