Hi Michelle!
Thanks so much for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question.
I'm happy to hear you'll be enjoying the ease and convenience of the
Disney Dining Plan on your Walt Disney World Resort vacation! We love using the dining plan, knowing our meals are already taken care of before our visit. With
over 200 dining locations to choose from, we can always find somewhere to eat to please even the pickiest eaters in our family.
With the Disney Dining Plan, the guests in your room will receive a certain number of meal and snack entitlements per day. The entitlements are not assigned to individual guests, and can be used any way you like. If you'd like to share a meal at a Table Service Restaurant, you're certainly allowed to do so. The meal will come with one entree, one beverage and one dessert, so the person sharing would need to purchase their own beverage to accompany the meal. My daughter and I share meals often, because she has eyes bigger than her stomach and tends to order more than she'll ever eat! There isn't a surcharge for using the dining plan, but please note that gratuities are not included. We typically keep some cash on hand for gratuities at Table Service meals - the service is always excellent!
For fixed-price Table Service experiences, such as dinner shows, Character Meals, or buffets, you would not be allowed to share meals/dining credits. In those instances, the dining credit covers the "experience" per person, as well as the food.
I hope this helps with your planning. Have a magical day, Michelle! - Diane W.