Jennifer,
That is what is so great about the
Disney Dining Plans. You order from the same menu as someone paying cash. Each dining plan has a different mix of what you get at a meal, but there is not a special menu handed to Dining Plan participants and a different one for other guests!
A few relevant notes;
The Deluxe Dining Plan gets you an appetizer, as well as the entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage. The other plans don't add that appetizer in.
Children (aged 3-9) do have to order from the kids menu. Again, it is not a special Dining Plan menu. It is the same kids menu that kids
not on the plan would get. But you can't order food for them from the standard menu when they are on the Dining Plan.
Bottom Line: The question for my family is not "
Should we use a Disney Dining Plan?", but "
Which Disney Dining Plan should we use on this trip?".
Click on the link at the top of my answer to look at the PDFs of the plans, and send me more questions if this is still confusing.
Have a magical (and delicious) vacation!