Hello Courtney! Thanks for visiting us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel. I am a big fan of the Disney Dining Plan, we use it each time we visit Walt Disney World. My daughter is 7 and a very picky eater so I have the opposite problem, I don't know what we are going to do when she becomes an "adult" on the plan.
Technically, the rule is very clear that kids must eat from the children's menu when there is one present. With that being said, I have found most restaurants try to be very accommodating. It never hurts to ask your server what they can do for you, maybe they will scale down the portion of an adult meal. I've had my daughter piece together her entire meal off of the sides menu before and they counted that as a credit for her, so you never know. I don't want to get your hopes up and say it will happen every meal but I absolutely would not count it out either. Eating at all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurants would be a great way to bypass this problem since adults and children can eat the same things. Our favorite place to eat is
'Ohana and would be perfect for an adventurous eater - even my daughter enjoys it. It is all you can eat steak, pork and shrimp cooked on a wood fire grill in the middle of the restaurant, brought right to your table. Other offerings include pork dumplings, chicken wings, noodles, broccoli and an amazing bread pudding for dessert! Time your dinner just right and you can even see fireworks right from your table! It is such a fun place.
If you have any other questions about the Disney Dining Plan or your vacation, please feel free to let me know.