Hi Katie and welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
I have two children who were both extremely picky eaters when they were younger so I completely understand where you're coming from. I can remember many meals at restaurants when they would barely eat, only to be starving for a snack less than an hour later.
The policy for
Character Dining at Walt Disney World Resort Restaurants is that anyone age 3 and up is charged for the meal. The cost for Character Dining includes your meal and entertainment. Even if a person, adult or child, doesn't plan to eat much they will still be able to enjoy meeting and interacting with the Characters. We found the expense worth it to spend time inside, enjoy a meal, and meet several Characters at one time. We felt the time we saved by not having to stand in lines was well worth it. As well, I have found the menus at Character Dining to be well suited for picky eaters.
My children's favorite Character Dining experiences were
The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom Park and
Tusker House Restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. We found buffets offered us more opportunities for everyone to find something they would like to eat. Our children never took full advantage of the delightful foods the buffets had to offer, but the adults generally made up for it!
Katie, thanks for visiting us again with another great question. Please let us know if we can help you with any other questions!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Amy H.