Hi Annie, We purchase the Disney Dining Plan on each vacation. I remember
having the same concern as you the first time we went, especially since we have
5 kids (and some of them were classified as "adult" on the dining plan).
To clarify, your entitlements are all loaded onto your Key to the World
cards (in a "pool" so to speak). Your card will state how many adults and how
many children are on your DDP. The Cast Members will know if your child should be ordering off the adult or
child menu. This comes in handy with families such as mine, where even though my
10 year old is a child, I have to pay the adult price for him. Ages 3-9 pay the
child price, and 10 and + pay the adult one. Therefore, he gets to order off the
adult menu and uses an adult entitlement (since I paid the adult price).
Assuming your children are 9 or under, when at a dining location, you will be
entitled to order 2 adult and 2 child meals & the system will keep track for
you of how many of each you have used. When they bring the receipt to you to
sign, always be sure to double check that they have charged you correctly &
you're having the right amount deducted from your "pool of credits". These can be accessed from any of the cards while dining.This means, for example, that if you're at a Quick Service location
with 1 child while your spouse other child are at a Table Service location
somewhere else...you can both eat.
I've probably given you more info than needed, but I
wanted to help you "see" how it works. Once you get there & start redeeming your dining
credits, it'll be very easy to understand. Essentially, you can only order
what you're entitled to (off the adult / child menu), and the system
keeps track of it all for you. Again, just be sure to double check each time
that the correct credits have been deducted at each location. It just takes a
second & is worth the peace of mind.
Hope this helps,
Kaylene