Hi Anthony,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and thank you for sending us your question. My family loves Character Appearances and Character Dining is a fantastic option to meet characters as well as take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan.
With the
Disney Dining Plan, guests are issued credits based on nights of stay, so if you are visiting for 5 nights, you will have 5 Table-Service, 5 Quick-Service and 2 Snack credits per person. If you have any additional Table-Service or Quick-Service Meals during your stay that exceed the amount of credits you have, you will need to pay for these dining experiences as you enjoy the meal. When you arrive, the credits can be redeemed as you see fit.
What my family does, is prior to arriving, we figure out which of our Table-Service meals will be the cheapest and decide to pay out of pocket for that meal. That will give us the correct number of Table-Service credits. When you arrive at the Dining Location that you are planning on paying out of pocket, simply tell the Cast Member that you do not want to use your Disney Dining Plan, that you would like to pay for that meal. Guests can choose to use cash, credit card, Disney Gift Card for the additional charges.
I hope you have a wonderful time at Walt Disney World Resort, Anthony. Please let us know if you have any other questions, we are always happy to help.
Stephanie