I think parents need more choices of regular food for their kids. I really don't think all these parents are making different meals for the kids at home like short order cooks!
You'd be surprised then. I know my Mom made a different thing for everyone until she stopped cooking altogether. Now...I will say that some of those things were justified. Some foods literally make me gag (ie. ground beef...the smell...the texture...the taste...I can't do it - but I learned to make my own food at an early age). But by the time she got to her 6th child, she stopped trying, so I have a 15 year old brother who eats pizza morning, noon, and night to the point that if any of the rest of us want to "share" his pizza, we're not allowed. I have to struggle to get him to let my 2 year old have one piece, so I don't have to cook something separate or an entirely other pizza.
I have no doubt that he simply chooses not to eat other things. (I convinced him to go on a trip to London with our Dad over the summer, and it will be interesting to see if he eats at all when he can't find pizza every 100 meters)
I got lucky with my little guy. He's an exceptional eater for a 2 year old BUT he will only eat well if he sees us eating the same thing at the same time. This has been a struggle for me, due to my own issues, but he ate really well at Disney. Usually we gave him something off our plate. The best he ate was part of my steak at Be Our Guest. I actually ordered kid's meals for him only when I wanted the fries, because I knew the "sides" with kids meals came as a package deal, and in smaller portions. I'd order my entree separately, eat his fries, and he would have his entree and the grapes.
I understand why Disney serves those picky eaters (we have one in our house) but I don't understand why every restaurant does not have both options. I think that they should have mac and cheese, grilled cheese and nuggets but also fish options, chicken dishes and grilled meats. To me this would be the best of both worlds. I am glad to see some making the switch to include both options and I am sure with some planning you could find restaurants with more options.
Expense.
If they offered 6 different things on every kids menu, it would be more difficult to anticipate for ordering purposes. If they simply dropped one of the "staples" and replaced it for something less ordinary, then they'd very likely drop the one thing that little Johnny would eat.
Also, I can understand not wanting to fight with your child on vacation. If every meal is a battle, and you're already exhausted at Disney, then sometimes it's easier just to give in. Maybe that's counter productive, but vacationing with kids is hard, and sometimes it's a matter of choosing your battles.
The content of the kid's menus is definitely another reason why I doubt we'll do the dining plan again in the future. We already "saved" close to $500 on our last trip by paying out of pocket, and that's a tough gap to cross, especially when considering how restrictive the plan is.
"Every other thread"? That is a bit of an exaggeration, don't ya think? 
