Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Brooke!
I love vacationing with the
Disney Dining Plan - it's fun, flexible, and with several plans available, there is one to meet the needs of every family's budget.
I think my favorite feature is the ability for guests to use the plan as they wish. Want to use all your snack credits in one day? You can do that! Need to use two table service credits one day and all quick service credits the next? You can do that, too. You have the magic of being able to allocate your Disney Dining Plan credits, also referred to as entitlements, as you'd like based on your vacation plans/needs!
Your family will have until midnight of your departure day to utilize all your credits before they expire. This means you will still have access to your dining plan for a departure day meal even after you've left your Walt Disney World® Resort hotel.
My family loves to extend the magic as long as possible, so we always have breakfast at a Resort hotel on our last day before we have to head for home. We also have a tradition of stopping by the Resort's gift shop to redeem any unused snack credits we may have left for items we can take home; my favorite are the Mickey Rice Krispie Treats, I like to save them for days when I need a little magic.
Another tip: don't forget to download the latest version of the My Disney Experience Mobile App for your smartphone. One of it's newest features is a Dining Plan tracker - knowing what you've used, and what you have left, is now at your fingertips.
I hope this is helpful, Brooke! Please let me know if you should have any additional tasty questions, the Disney Parks Moms Panel has a menu full of appetizing ideas on how to maximize your Disney Dining Plan.
Happy Dining!
Faith