Are the menus for the dining plan the same as if you are paying out of pocket for the meals or is there a seperate menu once they determine you are on the plan.
The menus are the same but there may be some items which are excluded from the DP. Your server should ask at the beginning of your meal if you are on the DP and let you know if that restaurant has any exclusions.
We're maintaining a list of the exclusions people encounter in the Dining Plan FAQ (a sticky thread at the top of this forum). The list is at the bottom of message #1 in that thread.