10 days to go and I'm overwhelmed

Walt Disney World
21

I found this website really helpful in (over)planning our meals using the dining plan. The fact is that it takes some work to maximize the value, so it’s probably easier from both a psychological perspective and a planning perspective to not try. That said, I definitely get the urge. I also think it’s about what type of dining you like. There are tons are great counter service options available either in or near all of the parks, so you don’t have to do a TS meal every day to eat well. That said, sitting down and getting waited on often feels really nice at the end of a busy day.

http://wdwprepschool.com/maximizing-disney-dining-plan-credits/

22

Another thing to complicate your dining ideas - at DHS, Epcot, and I think all of the deluxe resorts, there are lounges where you can sit down, get waited on, and have very tasty bar-style food and great drinks with no ADR and usually no wait. So, for those days where you don’t have an ADR, but still want TS, these are good options. This assumes that you keep your credits as-is, because these spots don’t work on the dining plan.

ETA: Epcot’s Tutto Gusto and DHS’s Brown Derby Lounge also offer food from their associated restaurants, so it’s a bit more substantial than the bar bites you will find at the resort lounges.