See the 2023 update for the Festival of the Holidays Allergy Options!
It’s time! Time well spent (5 hours and 11k steps to be precise) as I completed my Allergy Check for this years Festival of the Holidays! I share those numbers with you, because I know how frustrating it can be to stand in line only to be told ‘no’. One day, we’ll have an allergy menu for the festivals, but until then, I’m happy to share my finds in detail below!
This year, the Festival is from November 25 through December 30th. It does not require an additional ticket, as your EPCOT ticket provides all of the Entertainment. The Booths are an additional food fee, with most items costing from 5-10 dollars for a small sample serving size.
Here for the Holidays? There’s several allergy cookies to choose from, here’s the full guide for Holiday Cookies! And there’s also quite a few options at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Not interested in the booths (or need a full meal?). The EPCOT gluten free guide is just what you need!
⭐ If this is your First Time to Disney World, you’ll want all the insider tips and done for you plans found in the Food Allergies at Disney World Made Easy Guide , If you’ve been here before and just need the best places to eat and snacks, see the Touring Plan and Snack Guide. Just Gluten Free? There’s a guide for that too!
***As Always, please speak to a qualified restaurant employee when ordering food. In order to see the most accurate ingredients and risk assessment, you will need to confirm allergy safety in real-time. This is my personal experience, I am not employed or endorsed by companies or brands mentioned.***
How Safe are EPCOT Festivals for Allergies?
There’s new procedures this year that have made festivals more accessible for those of us with Dietary Restrictions at Disney Owned Booths (not all booths are owned by Disney, some are operated by Third Party Operating Participants)
In a nut shell (you can read all the details in this post about new festival changes for allergies), Disney Chefs changed how the kitchen ran to avoid cross contact, gave all the cashier cast members a phone to call for allergies, added allergy sticks and allergy notes to the booths, and introduced more gluten and plant based items!
Festival Map
You can also find this map on the MyDisneyExperience App (which I recommend!). Hit the locator button on the bottom bar>set ‘filter’ to EPCOT>change the ‘wait time’ arrow to ‘Dining’. You can then zoom in to see the booths, or you can select ‘show list’ and see the booths.
*You will find both regular year round restaurants AND the Festival Booths on the MyDisneyExperience App.
Special Notes for Specific Allergens
Keep in mind these are all made in shared kitchens.
It’s hard to find corn free, but this item in Italy may be an option :Panettone bread pudding contains Gluten/Wheat, Dairy/Milk, Eggs (cinnamon) May Contain Almonds (checking ingredients it appears to be corn free).
Also, there is one entirely Gluten Free booth, Chestnuts and Good Cheer, with the nuts roasted on site.
There is also nut free booths (per a chef but I’m always suspicious!). It’s the American Holiday Table in America. Neither of the two food entrees have nuts, but I wonder about the cookie (which I wasn’t able to get details for). Plus the Holiday Sweets and Treats (just hot cocoa and a milkshake) and the Peanut Free (not treenut) Bavaria Holiday Kitchen in Germany.
Fish and Shellfish free booths include The Donut Box, Holiday Hearth Desserts, Refreshment Outpost, Nochenuena Cocina among others.
Dairy Free Cookie? The Black and White at LChaim in between France and Morocco.
Allergy Details for options at EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays
Again, these are not on an allergy sheet, and I had to call Chefs all day to ask them (5 hours later and I still missed three booths!). Please declare your allergens and ask in real time. They are very nice here. Make a list with the options below and weave them into your day.
Booth: Mele Kalikimaka (Near Port of Entry)
- Lomi Lomi Salmon with tomatoes, onions, salmon roe, yuzu-mayonnaise, and yuca chips Contains Soy, Egg, Fish (salmon).
- Haupia: Contains Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Egg, Treenuts
Booth: Nochebuena Cocina (Near Port of Entry) (New)
- IMPOSSIBLE Chorizo Tamale with plant-based cotija cheese and spicy red Chile sauce (New) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) (Plant-based Item)
- Pernil: Mojo Pork with tostones and ketchup-mayonnaise (New) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
I had to skip this booth, will be back this week to check on the items!
Booth: Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen (Near Test Track Presented by Chevrolet)
- Cinnamon-glazed Almonds contains Treenuts (peanut warning as shared nut facility)
- Cinnamon-glazed Cashews contains Treenuts (peanut warning as shared nut facility)
- Cinnamon-glazed Pecans contains Treenuts (peanut warning as shared nut facility)
- Fire-roasted Chestnuts contains Treenuts (peanut warning as shared nut facility)
Note: They are actively roasting nuts here. It smells great to me, but not to someone who is airborne to nuts.
Also Note: They serve a Peanut Whisky here made with real peanuts. Reviews say it tastes ‘just like peanuts’.
All of the items are plant based (vegan) as the only ingredients are Nuts, Sugar and Water.
Booth: Holiday Sweets and Treats
- Hot Cocoa- made with Nestle Brand. Contains Milk and Soy. Warning for Wheat.
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake- Contains Dairy/Milk, no other top 8 allergens.
I loved this peppermint shake and would recommend!
Booth: Holiday Hearth Desserts (The Odyssey Pavilion)
- Peppermint Bark Contains Dairy and Soy. Shared Facility.
- Red Velvet Mini Bundt Contains Gluten Dairy Soy Egg
- Maple Buche de Noel Contains Gluten Dairy Soy Egg
Chef made a blanket statement that there was no nuts- I don’t like blanket statements as those typically lead to an error (like forgetting the almond extract or what have you). But that’s what I was told. Always check in real time.
Booth: Refreshment Port (Near Canada)
- Turkey Poutine: French Fries with turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions can be modified for most allergens. The Fries contain soy oil, in a dedicated canola fryer. Gravy contains Gluten.
Booth: Yukon Holiday Kitchen (Canada)
- Beef Bourguignon with crushed potatoes contains Gluten and Dairy.
- Seared Scallops contains Dairy and Nuts (can modify to remove dairy and nuts)
Booth: Le Marche de Noel (France)
- Macaron Christmas Tree contains: Dairy, Eggs and Nuts (treenuts, but warning for peanuts because of shared facility)
Note: The Macaron Christmas Tree inside the Patisserie is made the same way as the Macaron at the Booth.
Booth: L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (Between France and Morocco)
- Smoked Salmon Potato Latke contains Soy Lethicin, Egg, Coconut, and Fish
- Potato Latkes Contains Soy Lethicin, Coconut
- Black and White Cookie Contains Gluten, Soy (plant based so confirmed no egg and no dairy)
Booth: Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina
Grilled Kebabs with carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli
- Lamb Kefta contains Egg and Nuts. Both can be modified to be removed.
- Chermoula Chicken contains Egg and Nuts. Both can be modified to be removed.
Booth: Japan’s Shi Wasu
- Sushi Tree contains Wheat, Dairy, Soy, Egg, Fish, Shellfish, (also corn)
- New Year Celebration Soba contains Wheat, Dairy, Soy, Egg, Treenut, Fish, Shellfish, (also corn)
- Mochi Cake contains Dairy, Egg (also corn)
I thought parts of the mochi cake were amazing (and I didn’t eat the red bean paste because… I just cant eat legumes)
Booth: Funnel Cake Stand
- Mini Funnel Cake contains wheat, dairy/milk, soybean oil, egg. shared nut facility.
Booth: American Holiday Table
- Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce contains:Egg and Soy in the sauce. Sauce can be removed.
This was a very flavor dish and a good portion!
Booth: Tuscany
*cannot modify these options
- Tortellini in Brodo contains Wheat/Gluten, Dairy/Milk, Eggs (corn, and undisclosed natural flavors)
- Salmone alla Siciliana contains Treenuts, Fish
- Panettone bread pudding contains Gluten/Wheat, Dairy/Milk, Eggs (cinnamon) May Contain Almonds (checking ingredients it appears to be corn free)
Booth: Bavaria Holiday Kitchen
- Pork Schnitzel contains Wheat/gluten and Egg. Can modify to remove the toppings as the Pork itself doesn’t have any top allergens.
- Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl contains Wheat/Gluten, Dairy/Milk, Soy.
Booth: Refreshment Outpost:
- Peanut Stew with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts contains Peanuts. Can be made without peanuts.
- DOLE Whip Raspberry contains wheat,soy- modify by removing the cone!
For starters, the Peanut Stew was the biggest portion out of all the items I tried at the festival. I highly recommend it, as it had a nice savory nut flavor. It is SPICY! In the best way possible. Grab the Raspberry Dole Whip without a cone when you order (or the passholder Frozen Coke) so that you can balance out the spicy with something cold and sweet.
Concerns: I am concerned about the paper compostable bowl, as those can leach gluten if they are made with wheat or gluten byproducts.
Booth: Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (Mexico)
- Giant Tostada de Barbacoa: Braised barbacoa beef on a giant tostada with chipotle black bean purée, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onion contains Dairy, Soy, Peanuts, Treenuts. Can Modify to remove dairy.
- Cochinita Pibil Tamal: Cochinita pibil in corn masa topped with Pipián sauce, queso cotija, and crema Mexicana contains Dairy, Soy, Peanuts, Treenuts. Can Modify to remove dairy.
note: there is a peanut sauce, and it’s hard for the staff here to prevent cross contact. Not recommended for Peanut Allergies.
Booth: The Donut Box
- Gingerbread Milk Shake contains Gluten, Dairy (cinnamon). Can modify to remove gluten. Shared Facility.
That’s all for the Festival of the Holidays!
Next up, we’ve got the Epcot Festival of the Arts in January! Arts festival runs January 13 through February 20, followed by Flower and Garden in March (which is a much longer and much more popular festival!)
Everyone should eat well on vacation! Learn more common questions and concerns in the Food Allergy FAQ or the Gluten Free Disney FAQ.
Plus the latest Disney News when it comes to Food Restrictions, eats, and offerings. Connect with the MouseEarMemory Gluten Free and Allergy Community at the socials listed below or @Mouse.Ear.Memories