Yes you can order a la carte, no problem. I am a very adventurous eater and found the menu fairly tame as far as "adventure" goes. They use excellent ingredients presented beautifully but the flavors are pretty subtle and mild, nothing bold or challenging. Despite that, it's definately worth the upcharge and I will return. I found the brunch more interesting and experimental by the way, dinner had more choices.
As for scheduling. On Pirate Night there is a movie, no show so that's a good night to go- even if the movie interests you, it will play again. But you can see all the shows and still make the dining no problem. The early shows start at 6:15 and end a little after 7:00. So as long as you schedule at 7:20 or later you should have no problems.