4. Using counter service credits for small portions at some restaurants

Sometimes all of that running around from attraction to attraction does make you super hungry, though —and some Disney restaurants definitely have larger portions than others. While the fish and chips at Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the World Showcase's England is a better value than the same-named dish at the Rose and Crown Dining Room, you get a pretty small portion at the counter-service restaurant. Maybe that's to entice people to hit up the table-service restaurant for more, but you're better off spending counter-service credits at China's Lotus Blossom Cafe, where you can get a large dish of Sichuan Spicy Chicken with seasoned rice or Mexico's Cantina de San Angel, where you can indulge in a huge plate of nachos that you might not even be able to finish.

Many World Showcase restaurants feature pretty reasonable prices, even on dinner fare, so you might be better off paying out of pocket for some of them —especially if you want to "eat your way around the world" and try a small sampling from each country. There are other counter-service restaurants that also offer a lot for a little price, such as Earl of Sandwich at Disney Springs (and that restaurant even gives AAA members a 15 percent discount), Casey's Corner in the Magic Kingdom and the eateries such as Catalina Eddie's near Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

When it comes to table-service restaurants, some of them, like the Magic Kingdom's Plaza Restaurant, Beaches & Cream (between Disney's Beach Club Resort and Disney's Yacht Club Resort) and Trail's End at Fort Wilderness are also affordable without the plan.  

5. Not getting what you want

Servers at Disney restaurants have reported that some patrons order the highest-priced item on the menu — and then the guests are surprised when they see what they get and they don't end up liking it. Yes, dining plan credits are a way to order anything without having to pull out your wallet, but if you're only ordering something expensive to try to maximize your dollars, it's not a good deal after all. If you order lobster and forget that you hate seafood, you won't end up eating it and you'll be wasting your credit (as well as more money when you have to shell out for more food). Those menu prices can be dazzling to anyone's eyes.

On the other hand, you could use your credits to visit restaurants that you might not have tried without the plan. And some eateries, like Wolfgang Puck Express at Disney Springs, are a great place to use counter-service credits. The entrees here, like Oven-Roasted Salmon, Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf and a Half Rotisserie Chicken, can run up to $20 out of pocket, and the portions are huge. Other good counter-service offerings on the plan include Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom (for lunch) and the Pepper Market at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

You could also save your table-service credits for character meals, which can be pricey without the plan. For example, the dinner at Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort runs $45.53 to $52.05 for adults (depending on the time of year and day of the week). Other table-service meals worth spending credits on can be found at Tutto Italia and Chefs de France in the World Showcase and the Grand Floridian Cafe.

Finally, you'll want to make sure you spend all of your credits. One easy way to do this is to trade leftover snack credits for pre-packaged snacks (these make great souvenirs for your friends and family back home too).

More changes have been proposed for the Disney Dining Plan in 2017. They include adding one snack credit each day, bringing the nightly total to two, and possibly eliminating the Premium plan. But no matter what changes are ahead, the plan will continue to be a good deal if it's used wisely. Do you have any other tips for dining plan participants? Share them in the comments below!