Hi Lauren,
I am sure you super excited about your upcoming Walt Disney World vacation. Seeing the magic and wonder through the eyes of your children will certainly make it more memorable for you. I am so glad you stopped by the Disney Parks Moms Panel as you ponder your
dining plans.
Personally, for my family, we only do one table service meal a day, whether it is a character meal or not. For one, I feel that the table service meals take longer and sometimes the kids are too antsy to do this twice in one day. Also, while the table service restaurants at Walt Disney World are amazing, the cost can add up, especially if doing more than one a day. Lastly, my kids are not huge portion eaters, so if we did a big breakfast and then a big dinner, there would most likely be lots of waste by the end of the day when they are full. Again, this is strictly based on my personal experiences.
My recommendation would be to plan a full service meal per day, whether it is a character meal or not. Then, for the other meals, either quick service or snacks. We also like to have individual serve cereals and milk and fruit in our resort rooms on some mornings prior to leaving for the park. We sometimes bring these cereals with us and then buy a half gallon of milk in the grab and go section of the food court or quick service location in our resort hotel. You can also buy fruit and other pastries to keep in your room. You could bring large ziploc baggies to keep them fresh. This saves time and money for us.
I hope you have a wonderful time making memories to last a lifetime.
~Allison L