Mom and daughter on Expedition Everest; Animal Kingdom
  • On Mar 21, 2011
    Janis from ON Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    First time family trip to Disney. Having a hard time deciding how to use the Dining Plan. Specifically wondering whether to use counter service for lunches and table service for dinner or vice versa? We have a DD9 and DS6. What do you suggest?

    Hi, Janis! You've come to the right place!

    Our family likes to mix it up a bit. No, I'm not talking about breakfast for dinner (although that DOES rock.) I'm talking about the meal for which you exercise your table service credit. Note: by saying "exercise" in the previous sentence, we have virtually worked off dinner. Score.

    We try to do no more than two days in a row with the same dining schedule. Three nights straight doing a sit down dinner would be the end of us. Granted, your kids are a couple years older than mine. Still, I think that mixing it up a little bit helps waylay any sort of repetitious funk you may settle into.

    So, say you're going to be at Disney World 6 nights. Here's one approach for planning your meals: 
    1. The first night there (the day you probably fly in,) do counter service for dinner. This helps keep you flexible for when you arrive.
    2. Second day: do a character breakfast prior to the park opening. You can cram a lot of food in during a character breakfast. So much so that you could use a snack credit for lunch to hold you over until a counter service dinner. Or, do a late counter service lunch and use your snack credit in the evening.
    3. Third day: table service dinner
    4. Fourth day: table service lunch
    5. Fifth day: flexible
    6. Sixth day: table service dinner

    In this scenario, if you have park tickets / dining plan for 6 days, you'll have an extra table service meal. You could do two table service meals one day, or you could use two credits on a Signature Dining Experience, such as Hoop Dee Doo or Cinderella's Royal Table.

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Meet the Panelist: Joel, Wisconsin

I’m the proud papa of two little pirates or princes (depending on the day!) I enjoy sharing information to help beginners with little ones - including naps, strollers, rider swaps, height restrictions, scary rides, touring plans, characters and dining. Learn More About Joel

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