Need dining advice please

[smelton521]

We plan on going to WDW the week after Thanksgiving. It's our 2nd trip and will be the 1st trip for our daughter who will be 6 years old. Our older 2 kids have been once back in 2014 when they were 4 and 5. This trip they will be 12 and 11. All of our kids are picky eaters and impatient so I am leaning towards not doing the dining plan. We got it last trip and I remember that they would finish eating really quickly but we would be stuck at the meal forever waiting for each character to come by. Hopefully they will have MVMCP and we can see characters there or I can wait in line with my youngest to meet some characters while the older kids go on rides with their dad.

However, I do feel like we need to go to Cinderella's Royal Table for our youngest because that's such a neat experience and she is obsessed with the princesses. I know it's really expensive but I think we would still come out paying less by just paying cash for CRT and the rest of our food than getting a dining plan. We are staying at Poly and I will pack snacks in our bag if that's still allowed? I know I have to pay for CRT up front when I make the reservation. Does anyone know if I can pay for it with Disney gift cards or does it have to go on a credit card? Am I way off base thinking of not getting the dining plan if we go to CRT? We could maybe go for breakfast? Or I could just take her so we would just pay for 1 adult and 1 child rather than 2 adults and 3 kids.....

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Before I read your last sentence, I was going to suggest exactly that. Maybe your partner could do something special with the other children at the same time. TS meals can take quite a long time, even without characters.

 

[Madhattermad]

I'm with welsh_dragon, I would book for two not five if you can manage that. Otherwise, might Akershus be an option? You obviously lose the setting but you still get the princesses, no upfront payment required.