Hi, Kay!
I am in the process of planning out my dining and park itineraries right now for an August vacation, and here is how I plot out my trip:
I pull the park hours and avoid parks with early morning Extra Magic Hours as the parks tend to be busier on those days. I plot out which day I plan to be in which park. Then the dining process begins! When I am on the Disney Dining Plan, I book 1 table service meal per day. You can use your credits in any order on any day, but 2 full table service meals is too much food for my family.
Magic Kingdom: I will book dinner at Crystal Palace or Tony's Town Square Restaurant. A nice lunch location is the Plaza Restaurant.
Hollywood Studios: I like the
Fantasmic Dining Package and I book Mama Melrose's. This gives us a great meal with VIP seating later in the evening at Fantasmic! If I am not planning a full day in Hollywood Studios, I will book lunch at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.
Animal Kingdom: we enjoy a quick lunch at Pizzafari. Because days are a bit shorter at this park, we usually plan on a nice dinner at a resort, like Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge.
Epcot: we love having lunch at Chefs de France then counter service in Mexico for dinner with its wonderful outdoor seating area. Also nice is Teppan Edo (in Japan pavilion.)
Basically, you will want to plot park days, and have a list of restaurants you want. It is like a puzzle figuring placing meals and moving around your park days. It is actually fun and such a good feeling when you have that perfect vacation itinerary ready to go! Let us know if you need dining suggestions or more information.