It's great to see you here today at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Ali!
My family and I really love the
Disney Dining Plan when we're on vacation, and it sounds like it works for your family too! It's so easy and convenient, especially when you're traveling with a multi-generational group like you are this summer. You can send the kids off with their grandparents while you enjoy some time on your own, and they're still able to access their Dining Plan credits for meals and snacks using their
MagicBands!
Since Dining Plan credits are non-transferrable, I would encourage you to find some creative ways for your parents to use their Quick-Service credits during their stay, like trying
Pizzafari Family-Style Dining at
Disney's Animal Kingdom, or you can visit the
Front Desk of your Resort Hotel to break that Quick-Service credit down into three Snack credits that can be used throughout their stay. Of course, you can always use those credits on Snacks from merchandise locations as you mentioned. My family definitely comes home from every trip with a few boxes of Minnie's Bake Shop cookies and some bags of candy from
Goofy's Candy Company!
I hope this answers your question, Ali, and let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation.
Jessica