Hi Samantha,
Your family vacation is just around the corner. How exciting! Let me help you quickly with your question so you can finish up packing your bags. It';s GO time!
The
Dining Plans are awesome. No need to worry about meal budgets since everything is included in your package. Each plan includes a set of meal entitlements for every Guest in the room per night, for your entire stay. And the best part is that you are in total control of how to use since they are available from the moment you Check-In to your Resort hotel, and expire at midnight of your Check-Out day, if unused.
The
Disney Deluxe Dining Plan includes three meals but they can be used for Quick-Service or Table-Service. Your parents can definitely help with their entitlements for your meals, as long as they are present. Note that meal credits for Table-Service are combined for adults and children under the age of 10 separately. So you may have to pay for children's meal credits. Finally, which one to use cash if you have to? I would do it for Quick-Service meals and on any restaurant that is à la carte, but it depends on your meal selection. Just inform your server of who will pay cash, and who will use a Dining Plan entitlement (and to what room to charge them) so they can split the checks accordingly.
One last tip: download the
My Disney Experience mobile app right away. This can help you making any last minute changes to
FastPass+ or
dining reservations, in addition to so many other things. See you real soon!
Ricardo.