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Enjoying Disney with Dietary Restrictions



Having someone in your family with dietary restrictions or food allergies can make it very difficult to travel and eat out at restaurants.  Thankfully, this is not the case at any of the numerous Disney Destinations! The first step towards a successful and food safe vacation is to make sure that your agent is aware of the special dietary requests so that they can annotate it on your reservation.  Once this simple step is accomplished, you can rest easy knowing that Disney will go out of their way to make sure that you have an enjoyable and delicious vacation just like everyone else in your group. 

 

How do they do this?  At most table-service restaurants, the server will verify the dietary requirement when you are seated.  After that, the Chef will come to your table to discuss the various options available based on the restriction.  The restaurants try their best to have numerous options available for your specific need. 
Every table-service restaurant that we visited at Walt Disney World has chocolate soy and chocolate almond milk waiting for my son in addition to numerous other kid favorite meals (mac and cheese, pizza etc.) ready to be prepared dairy free.   
                  



For buffet meals, the Chef will walk along the buffet with you to identify what can and cannot be eaten.  They will also offer to prepare a fresh plate of those items chosen off the buffet to ensure there are no issues with cross contamination.



 
For quick-service restaurants, Disney offers a list of those restaurants that may be able to accommodate a food allergy or dietary restriction. In addition, you can always request to speak to a chef at the quick-service restaurants to clarify ingredients in an item.


Beyond the Theme Parks and Resorts, this attention to detail also extends to the Disney Cruise Line.  For meals aboard on of Disney’s four ships, your server will present you with the next evening’s menu at dinner the night prior.  From there, they will discuss the menu options available to you, and you will pre-order your dinner.

On my recent Disney Cruise, my server noted that I had a reservation at Palo for one evening.  He went to Palo the day before my reservation to talk with the Chef and my server about my dietary restrictions to ensure that I would have the best possible experience at evening.  When I showed up for dinner, the Chef has special versions of all of the dishes and their sauces ready for me to choose from.  Wow, talk about customer service that only Disney provides!!

As an added level of reassurance and comfort, Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort allows guest with food allergies and intolerances to bring food in to the theme parks and dining locations.  All they ask is that the guest notify security at bag check that there is a food allergy in the group so that they do not make you dispose of the food items.  It is important to note that Cast Members are prohibited from handling in any way, the food that is brought in to the resorts and parks by the guests.

While Disney can try to accommodate last minute requests as the restaurants, it is always better to provide advance notice so that the necessary food items will be available.  Regardless of which Disney location you plan to visit, those with dietary restrictions can rest easy knowing that not only will they have fun in the parks and resorts, but they will have a delicious time as well!

For more information on Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort policies for Dietary Needs, please visit their websites:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/


 *Please Note that all foods pictured here are actual Gluten Free meals prepared by Disney Chefs

Stacy L.

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