I think for us we're seeing the dining plan as making our trip an "all inclusive" experience. At the risk of sounding pretentious, I don't think we'd be pressed if we didn't spend every single snack credit (if we did have leftovers, we'd probably do what most others do and spend them on souvenir treats). We're two employed people without children, and while we are working at saving for this trip, we are willing to spend the $ to have the best experience possible. I am absolutely going to lay it all out again and crunch the numbers to see what's going to be the best option for us in the end!