The dining plan is based on how many nights you're staying. It starts officially from check in until the end of day of your check out. So if you check in on the 30th, that's when your dining plan will start. You don't really get "tickets" for the dining plan, you get an allotment (sp?) on your room key, for x amount of nights, to use during your stay. The good thing is that you can use them whenever...it's not like you have to use one each day.
So if you are staying for 7 nights, you have 7 each of the counter service, snacks, and sit downs. Use them however you want during your stay. If anyone want's to, feel free to email me and I can send the flyer you get upon arrival to your resort; it shows all the details on the dining plan and how to use it.