Hi Holly,
Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am excited that you are planning to use one of the Disney Dining Plans!
Although we have been allowed to make some substitutions using our dining plans in the past, at this time, you cannot trade quick-service entitlements to use for a table-service meal. For this reason, we only use the
Disney Dining Plan or the
Disney Deluxe Dining Plan because we want to be sure we have enough table-service entitlements to enjoy some character meals and signature restaurants. We have witnessed exchanges of table-service entitlements down to quick-service and quick-service entitlements down to snacks. I would not advise that option, however, because you can lose value in your entitlements. We have also paid out of pocket for a meal at Cinderella's Royal Table because we were on the Disney Dining Plan and I did not want to use two table-service entitlements per person for that one meal. If you go that route, be sure to compare prices using the restaurant menus for your other meals.
Remember to keep track of your remaining dining plan entitlements. I have requested a printout from the Lobby Concierge at the resort. Meal plan entitlements remaining are also printed on your dining receipts and can be tracked in the
My Disney Experience Mobile App.
Holly, I trust that you will enjoy your dining experiences while at the Walt Disney World Resort! Make those dining reservations if you have not done so already. Restaurants book quickly, especially for character meals. We love to dance with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Chef Mickey's!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell