Hi Tammy!
Welcome BACK to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! This is a great question. As an Air Force wife who is also the family vacation planner, I've asked this very question myself. Currently, guests are only allowed to take advantage of the wonderful
U.S. Military Promotional Tickets +
U.S. Military Room Rates + a regularly priced dining plan, OR the
free dining package offered directly by Disney. Sadly the different elements cannot be combined. But do check the final price of both to see which is better for your family.
I like to create my own 'Kristen dining plan' by buying
Disney Gift Cards at big box and warehouse stores. Disney gift cards purchased from warehouse clubs are usually loaded with a higher value than what they cost. I'll also take advantage of promotions from stores that are along the lines of 'spend a certain amount, get a $X store gift card.' I use the store gift card to buy a Disney Gift Card which I then use to pay for our dining purchases.
Have you heard that there is a special rate on
Disney's Memory Maker for U.S. Military Members? For the rest of 2018, you can take full benefit of the 'Starts Immediately' version for only $98. Do note that this special rate can only be purchased at a
Guest Relations window. We like to get ours when activating our Military Promotional Tickets.
I hope this helped, Tammy, and We'll See You Real Soon!
~Kristen