Hello Robin! Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Much like when a child turns 3, parents need to make some difficult decisions when a child turns 10 in regard to purchasing
Walt Disney World Theme Park Admissions and determining whether the
Disney Dining Plan is a suitable fit.
The good news is that when redeeming credits on the Disney Dining Plan, Adults are able to use their credits to select from the Kid's Menus at most of the Dining locations at Walt Disney World Resort. If a child is a picky eater, Dining Locations will try their best to accommodate the needs of the child.
The downside to this is that it is not considered a valuable use of credits to redeem Adult Disney Dining Plan credits for the often cheaper kid's menu items. Your child will still be required to purchase a Disney Dining Plan for ages 10 and older.
I have balanced both options on various Walt Disney World Resort vacations with my family and find that the Disney Dining Plan is ideal for vacations where Dining Experiences are a priority, such as for multiple
Character Dining Advanced Dining Reservations or Dinner Shows like
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, and not as necessary when we are focused on more Theme Park related experiences.
Bon Appétit!
~Todd