Hi Danielle,
Congratulations on your first visit to the Walt Disney World Resort! You must be so excited! Be sure to get a "First Visit" Celebration Recognition Button when you arrive at your Resort Hotel, or you can ask for one at Guest Services at any of the Theme Parks.
In order to take advantage of the
Disney Dining Plan, you must purchase a
Magic Your Way Vacation Package. There are different Dining Plan options to choose from and you will need to choose a Plan that best suits the type of Dining Experiences you and your mother would like to have while visiting. For example; If you are interested in a lot of Character Dining and Signature Dining Experiences, which will require 2 meal entitlements, you may want to purchase a Deluxe Dining Plan or a Premium Dining Plan. You can check out a list of the Restaurants that accept the Disney Dining Plan and how many meal entitlements they would require by looking through this
Disney Dining Plan guide.
One of the Restaurants I would recommend is
California Grill in
Disney's Contemporary Resort. The menu is fantastic, and if you get a late evening dinner reservation you'll have an amazing view of Wishes nighttime spectacular fireworks show!
I hope this information helps! Please let us know if we can help you with any additional vacation planning questions!
Wishing You A Magical Visit,
Susan