Special Diets at Disney

Falafel from Mr. Kamal's (Animal Kingdom)

This post is returning to my favorite topic: FOOD! We all need it to survive, but that doesn't mean it's an easy conversation to start. Preferences make it difficult to discern if what I have recommended is something that you will like and vice versa. Today I will seek to provide information about different dietary options at Disney for anyone that may be vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or otherwise intolerant of certain foods. Here we go!

From the beginning, I want to make it clear that Disney is probably the most allergy-friendly place I've ever been. They keep service animals in designated hotel rooms/floors so as not to disturb guests with pet allergies, they label consumable goods meticulously, and they even have separate menus for guests with special needs. Their holiday events are allergy-friendly too; the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party at Disney World had allergy-friendly options for individuals that needed them. If you're unsure of the ingredients in an item, just ask for a chef consultation and the Cast Member will be more than happy to accommodate. 

For parties with very restrictive diets (4+ allergies in one individual or multiple allergies in a group of individuals), consider making your dining plans at least 14 days in advance and connect with Disney directly at special.diets@disneyworld.com or special.diets@disneyland.com. I'm aware of many cases where the executive chef contacted the families to ensure s/he could create a delicious and enjoyable meal for the family on their reservation date.

Vegetarians and carnivores rejoice! Half quattro formaggi / half pepperoni pizza from Via Napoli (Epcot)

Here are some restaurants with allergy-friendly menus in case you're stumped on where to start:

Magic Kingdom

Cinderella's Royal Table

Columbia Harbour House

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe

Crystal Palace

Liberty Tree Tavern

Peco Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe

Pinocchio's Village Haus

Plaza Restaurant

Skipper Canteen

Tony's Town Square

Epcot

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Biergarten

Coral Reef

Electric Umbrella

Garden Grill

La Hacienda de San Angel

Le Cellier

Liberty Inn

Rose & Crown

Sunshine Seasons

Hollywood Studios

ABC Commissary

Backlot Express

Catalina Eddie's

50s Prime Time Cafe

Hollywood Brown Derby

PizzeRizzo

Rosie's All-American Cafe

Sci-Fi Dine In

Animal Kingdom

Flame Tree Barbecue

Harambe Market

Pizzafari

Restaurantosaurus

Satu'li Canteen

Tiffins

Tusker House

Yak & Yeti

Disneyland

Blue Bayou

Cafe Orleans

Hungry Bear Restaurant

Holly Holiday Bakery Cafe

Rancho del Zocalo

Red Rockett's Pizza Port

Village Haus

California Adventure

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill

Flo's V8 Cafe

Lucky Fortune Cookery

Smokejumpers Grill

Wine Country Trattoria

Dole Whip Float (various locations)

There are also some fantastic snacks to be enjoyed by all! The famous Dole Whip is dairy-free (although it is susceptible to cross-contamination with the vanilla soft-serve machine); the beignets at Port Orleans French Quarter are gluten/dairy/egg-free and vegan, Mickey pretzels are tree nut/peanut/dairy-free, and popcorn is vegan and gluten/dairy/egg-free. Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC in Disney Springs also serves a wide variety of allergy-friendly treats and is definitely worth the hype! There are plenty of other options out there to enjoy, and I am happy to help you find them. Comment below if you need assistance with finding an allergy-friendly restaurant or snack stop and we'll look for solutions together!