Hi Heather!
Thanks so much for stopping by the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question today. It's great to hear from you again!
Eating is one of my favorite things to do when I visit Walt Disney World, so it's probably not a surprise that I love the Disney Dining Plan. It's absolutely true that some changes were made to the Disney Dining Plan over the summer, and I'm actually really excited about all of them since they offer Guests even more flexibility when it comes to using their Table-Service, Quick-Service and Snack entitlements.
I spoke to a Cast Member at Disney Dining about the specific change you mentioned in your question and I confirmed that what you've heard is true. You can now use as many entitlements as you'd like during a meal, rather than being limited to the number of people in your travel party who are on the Plan. That means you can now treat family or friends who might be dining with you to a meal. I'm sure they'd love that!
At those Table-Service restaurants, you can now also select a salad, soup or fruit plate (depending on availability) instead of the dessert, which is a nice option. At Quick-Service locations, you can swap out your non-alcoholic beverage and/or dessert for an available Snack item when you place your order. Finally, the list of eligible Snacks has gotten much longer. Awesome, right?
I hope that helps with your planning and wishing you delicious Disney dining, Heather! Please write back if I can help answer any other questions for you.
Beth