Feeling worried about managing Food Allergies at Disney World? We hear you. Will you find enough choices? Can you trust the labels? These are real concerns. Luckily, Walt Disney World caters to guests and families of all kinds, including those with food allergies. You will you find allergy-friendly menus at quick service, table service and buffet locations, as well as trained chefs available to discuss ingredients and preparation methods with you to deliver you the safest and tastiest options. By substituting different ingredients and approaches, most Disney chefs, restaurants and quick-service locations can accommodate the following common food allergies at Disney World: gluten or wheat, eggs, fish, milk or lactose, peanuts and tree nuts, shellfish, soy, and corn.
What are Allergy-friendly menus?
Printed Allergy-friendly menus at Walt Disney World can be accessed at the ordering kiosks of quick services locations, and at the host stand at table-service locations. Some restaurants also have their allergy-friendly menus posted to the Disney website and within the My Disney Experience App under “dining.” These menus include allergy-friendly versions of the main menu’s meal options. You will find each menu item listed under a series of lists:
- Gluten/Wheat Allergy-Friendly
- Fish/Seafood Allergy-Friendly
- Egg Allergy-Friendly
- Milk Allergy-Friendly
- Peanut/Tree Nut Allergy-Friendly
- Soy Allergy-Friendly
*It is important to note that the allergy-friendly offerings are reliant on supplier ingredient labels, and Disney cannot guarantee the accuracy of the contents of each food item. Allergen advisory statements (e.g., “may contain”) are not regulated and therefore not taken into consideration when developing allergy-friendly meals.
These menus make the ordering process easier for a guest with food allergies. We love that you don’t have to skip out on the theming of the restaurant or special desserts- there are always options available. Many of these items are also available for Mobile Order. You can place your order while walking from Slinky Dog to the ABC Commissary and have your Gluten-Free Chicken Club sandwich waiting for you when you arrive! Sometimes the order may take an extra few minutes to prepare since the cast members in the kitchen follow precautionary protocols to prevent cross contamination, but we don’t mind the wait when it comes to food safety! If you have more than one food allergy/diet restriction, or if you have a food allergy not listed within the top 8 above, we recommend sticking to the traditional ordering process to reduce safety risk.
What happens when there isn’t a printed Allergy-Friendly menu?
Although over 120 restaurants on Walt Disney World property have a readable Allergy-friendly menu, some do not. At these restaurants, simply inform the cast member serving you of your food allergy and they will send a Chef out from the kitchen to discuss your meal options. Instead of reading off all the things you cannot enjoy, the Chef will discuss all the possibilities they can create for you, personalized and tailored to your food allergy restrictions and flavor preferences! With the guest experience in mind, Chefs work hard so you can enjoy a delicious and relaxing meal with little stress or concern. Disney Chefs have even been known to show labels of food products and ingredients used to ease the worries of food allergy guests. Traveling with food allergies may sound like it will hinder your culinary experience while on vacation, but at Walt Disney World, it often means you get special attention and a secret menu item that has been created just for you!
Is there a list of all the Allergy-Friendly vendors and products available at Walt Disney World?
Understandably, no. This list does not exist simply because the suppliers change continuously due to cost and price points, guest requests, and new products being trialed and worked into recipes to delivery the best final product. This may sound like a bad thing, but it’s not! This means that Disney Culinary is constantly reassessing their allergy-friendly supplier list so that as new products come out or receive rave reviews they can be added and replace less popular (and less tasty) items previously sold. Think about how often you visit the supermarket and see a new product for sale- happens all the time, right? Well the Disney Culinary team is always shopping too! They’re always looking to use the highest quality, safest and most tasty products for ALL their menus, including menus for guests with food allergies.
What kind of Allergy-friendly foods can I expect to find?
We have recently found Enjoy Life cookies, Namaste flour gluten free pancakes, Silk soy milk, Go Raw bars, Lundberg Rice Chips, David’s Gluten-Free Cookies, and Sweet Street Gluten-Free Manifesto brownies. This is just a sample of the allergy-friendly packaged products you will find as sides to quick-service orders or as grab-and-go options in resort markets and park kiosks. This mentioning is only a fraction of the list of what is available on property today.
Can you trust Walt Disney World Allergy-Friendly Dining?
As a practicing Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, I get asked this question often. While you should always exercise caution when traveling with a food allergy, there is no better place to vacation than Walt Disney World because of their impeccable service to this specific guest clientele. In fact, in 2017, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization recognized Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as an industry leader in providing safe, quality dining experiences to guests with allergies and special diets at the 20th annual Food Allergy Ball in New York City. According to Disney Parks Blog, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts serve more than 700,000 meals at over 650 Disney dining locations to guests with food allergies and special diets. Guests are encouraged to inform restaurants of special dietary needs during the booking and ordering process. Special Diets cast members are available to speak with before travel as well. We suggest you first pick the restaurants on property you’d like to dine at, then call (407) 939-3463 and inform the Cast Member of the allergy. The Cast Member will not only assist you with your reservations but also with flagging the allergy in the dining reservation system. You can also contact the Special Diets team by email [email protected].
Looking for more information on visiting Walt Disney World with Food Allergies? Check back for future articles on this topic and see our list below for further reading!
Gluten Free Quick Service Favorites at WDW
What to do BEFORE Your Trip to WDW with Food Allergies
Special Events With Food Allergies: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Special Events with Food Allergies: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Enjoy Vegan Dining at WDW (Dairy, Egg, Fish allergies)
Disclaimer: This article is intended for information purposes only. Use caution when dining anywhere with food allergies and make your allergen known as early as possible in the dining/dining reservation process. Check labels when available or refer to ingredient binders on property to ensure the ingredients used in your meal meet your needs and are safe for consumption. Discuss your comfort level with cross contamination with a cast member serving you.
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