Planning a regular vacation is already a lot of work, but throw on Food Allergies or managing multiple dietary restrictions and it becomes a part time job!
Here at MouseEarMemories our goal is to make sure No One is Left out on Vacation, and we stand by that with comprehensive guides on Food Allergies and Gluten Free eats at Disney World.
If your headed to Disney World this year, or planning a vacation for the furutre, here’s 6 things you’ll need to know before your trip.
⭐ 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.***
Many locations have Allergy Menus (and these cover the Top 9 Allergens)
All of the Disney Owned Table Service (sit down) locations in Magic Kingdom Park and Hollywood Studios have Allergy Menus. There are several locations in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and EPCOT that are Third Party owned, and the service there will vary.
The Top 9 allergens as recognized by Disney are: Wheat/Gluten (listed together, ask in person for specifics!), Dairy/Milk, Soy (typically soy protein, sometimes leaves out lecithin and oil from menus), Egg, Peanut/Treenut (listed together, ask in person for specifics!), Fish/Shellfish (listed together, ask in person for specifics!). As of 2023, they are adding Sesame to new menus and menu updates.
Some of the Quick Serve locations in each of the Parks have an Allergy Menu. See all of the Quick Serve Allergy Menu locations in this guide.
You can speak to an Allergy Trained Cast Member, Typically a Coordinator or Chef
I love love love that I can easily request an Allergy Trained Cast Member at Disney World! I cover all four Orlando Theme Parks (Universal, Seaworld and LEGOLAND) and Disney makes it the easiest to confirm ingredients and procedures with Kitchen Staff.
If you found your Coordinator or Chef particularly helpful, please leave a Cast Compliment! You can find this in the app (quickest option), or head to Guest Services.
You can bring food into the Parks and Resorts
Disney has a great outside food policy, and it’s so helpful to not worry about being grilled by security when you bring in snacks! No Doctor’s note, No defending yourself and explaining Allergies. They let everyone bring in snacks!
Learn more about Bringing in Outside Food to Disney Here.
Most common Allergy Friendly Snack? Fruit
There’s a lot of fruit and it’s easy to find!
While we used to have more snack options in the Parks, there’s still quite a few fun locations with some rare finds. You can see the Snacks Post for Disney World here!
You can also find certified Third Party snacks at the Resorts. These include favorite brands like Enjoy Life Foods and Surf Sweets. Also staples like yogurt, cheese, almond milk, Gluten Free Cereals, Pickles, Juice, Chips and more!
Mobile Ordering is ok *if* you speak to an Allergy Trained Cast Member to confirm
Mobile Ordering is still working out a lot of kinks, but if you only manage ONE allergy, it can be helpful (or two, in the case of Peanut/Tree Nut)
Full Guide to Mobile Ordering at Disney World with Food Allergies with a helpful Walkthrough!
Disney is improving their Allergy Procedures, lots of new improvements in 2023
I’ll be the first to tell you… the improvements made over the last few years have been incredible! From Color Coated Allergy Binders, to Allergy Menus, to updating clear language so our community can be safe; Disney Special Diets is impressive.
But, with all good things, there are some areas I still want to see improvements. Disney is not perfect, and you would be safer double and triple checking things (yes, even on vacation!).
You can learn more about the new additions under Disney World Food Allergy News
After 6 years of reviewing Allergy Food at Disney, it’s only getting easier
There’s a lot more that I didn’t cover in this post… because I didn’t want to overwhelm you! I remember the vacation anxiety and how it felt to put my life in a Chef’s Hands. While accidents happen at Disney World, I can confidently say that there are the best in the Industry when it comes to Allergy Accomadations.
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