Unlock the Magic of Disney World Allergy Menus With 5 Secrets
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If you’re reading this post, then you likely manage food allergies and are either heading to Disney World or thinking about it. If so, I want your family’s vacation to be allergy-safe and magical!
I love the Disney World allergy menus because they’re super helpful, but there are a couple of important but little-known facts about the allergy menus that you need to know.
But first…
If we haven’t met, I’m Corinna.
I’m a 17-year food allergy mom turned Food Allergy Mentor and we’ve traveled the WORLD with multiple, severe food allergies (peanut and tree nut allergies and gluten intolerance). We’ve been to the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Bahamas, Mexico, and all over Canada and the USA and more.
We’ve been to Disney World many times and also Disneyland and even Disneyland Paris.
All this experience has allowed me to help hundreds of food allergy families travel safer, with less stress and anxiety with the Food Allergy Travel Workshop and travel blogs.
But let’s talk about Disney.
I find that when it comes to traveling to Disney World with food allergies, families often feel very secure about the food there.
Disney has created a reputation for being allergy-friendly and has become a trusted vacation spot for many, many food allergy families.
That said, there are some important and often overlooked things to remember when it comes to Disney World allergy menus, and I’ll share them with you so you can have the safest and most magical vacation ever.
Little Known Secrets About Disney World Allergy Menus
(For all top allergens including dairy, peanut, tree nut, egg, wheat, soy, sesame, fish and shellfish and gluten)
NOTE: In this post, I'm referring to allergy menus at the quick-service locations since the sit-down restaurants have more personalized service and staff or chefs that can help you find allergy-friendly foods.
Along with some of my best tips, I’m going to be talking about the Disney World Food Allergy and Gluten-Free Guides that I just found out about. I wish I had known about these guides sooner because they will make going to Disney World with food allergies, celiac, or gluten intolerance more inclusive, safer, and even more magical!
Here are a few little-known facts or secrets about Disney World allergy menus that you’ll want to know.
Disney World allergy menus are on the My Disney Experience app but are hard to find.
Did you know that you can find allergy menus on the My Disney Experience App? If not, you’re not alone! This is because not all restaurants have an allergy menu, and when they do, you have to scroll to the very bottom of the menu to see the allergy options!
Unless you already know which restaurants have an allergy menu, it can take a lot of time to find and then research every single quick-service restaurant with an allergy menu (and then try and remember them all).
Below you’ll find some pictures of allergy menus I took in each park. This is not an extensive list, and there are many I missed. These allergy menus were current when we last went to Disney World a few years ago, but BE AWARE that they have most likely changed since then.
If you want the most current list of all the quick service, table service, and kiosks with allergy menus (and all the best allergy-friendly snacks and hidden menu items) be sure to check out the Disney World Food Allergy & Gluten Free Guides here:
*When you click on the link you will be brought to the Mouse Ear Memories Website. I completely trust and recommend this website for its Disney Guides!
I didn’t know about these guides when we were at Disney World last and now that I do, I wouldn’t go to Disney without them.
We will definitely be using them on our next trip. They are so helpful, and I love that they get automatically updated so that I can be assured that we have the most up-to-date information, no matter when our trip is.
2. Allergy menus at Disney World can change quickly.
Yes, it would be great if we could just know that there would never be any changes to the allergy menus at Disney World, but unfortunately, there are circumstances that have and will change the allergy menus. Even the app doesn’t usually get updated with changes and sometimes you won’t know about these changes until you’re at the front of the cashier line. Be prepared to be flexible.
For example, if a shipment is late and they need to make ingredient switches or they are sold out of a certain item. All of these things can cause changes to the allergy menu that you will need to verify in person at each food location.
3. Disney World allergy menus are most helpful for 1 or 2 allergies, but more difficult to use if you have multiple allergies.
Disney navigates food allergies as single allergies, which makes multiple food allergies more difficult. For example, my daughter has tree nut and peanut allergies and gluten intolerance. Because of this, we need to find a single meal that can be found under all 3 allergy menus. This means that there is usually only ONE meal option, and possibly 2 that will work for all of my daughter’s allergies at each quick service location.
Not to worry, if there isn’t anything my daughter likes, we can still talk with the manager or chef since they can usually find something that will work for my daughter that isn’t listed on the allergy menus.
Alternately, the Disney Food Allergy & Gluten Free Guides help with this because, in the Touring Guide, there are full lists of restaurant options at each of the parks with allergy menus. Not only that, but the helpful Touring Guides also list the top 9 allergens found in the treats and snacks in each park so we can still indulge in a special treat without spending hours searching!
*When you click on the link above you will be brought to the Mouse Ear Memories Website. I completely trust and recommend this website for its Disney Guides!
Here’s an example of one of the guides:
4. Not all Cast Members are fully trained with food allergies.
Some cast members are part of the Disney College Program and may only have worked at Disney for a few weeks, and they are not fully trained on food allergies. If this is the case, they may not be as knowledgeable or understand what you need. If you’re in this situation, it’s okay to kindly ask for more assistance.
One of the cool things about the Disney Food Allergy Guide and the Gluten-Free Guide is that there are actual scripts with the wordings that Cast Members will understand so you can communicate your allergy requirements in a quick and easy way so you can get your meal as quickly as possible and get back to the magic!
*When you click on the link above you will be brought to the Mouse Ear Memories Website. I completely trust and recommend this website for its Disney Guides!
5. Disney World isn’t perfect with food allergies.
While Disney World has a great reputation in the food allergy community, it’s still important to take precautions. Nobody is perfect and safety is the first priority!
Walt Disney manages food allergies in a unique way, and I honestly didn’t fully understand how it all worked until I received my Disney Food Allergy Guides. These guides explained how Disney manages food allergies and all the ins and outs. For example, until I read this guide, I had no idea that because of how Disney manages food allergies, if you are concerned about “may contain” statements, it’s ALWAYS best to talk to the manager or chef. This is so important.
These guides are seriously helpful!
*When you click on the link above you will be brought to the Mouse Ear Memories Website. I completely trust and recommend this website for its Disney Guides!
NOTE FOR PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE ALLERGIES
If your child has more than 3 allergies, or they have allergies outside the top allergens, Disney World Allergy Menus are limited.
This means you will have more food choices if you book table-service restaurants, or if you talk with a manager at a quick-service location with allergy menus.
In all honesty, Disney doesn’t have a lot of snack or quick meal options when one person suffers from more than 3 allergies.
EVEN SO, if your multiple allergies are in the top 9 allergens (and gluten), I still recommend the Disney Food Allergy Guides. Even though there will not be a lot of safe snacks or quick meal options available (simply because Disney doesn’t have them), the Disney Food Allergy Guides will show you what there is (even if it is only one option) so you don’t have to search when you’re in the parks. This is a huge time-saver!
Examples of Allergy Menus at Disney World
Now that we’ve covered those little-known facts about Disney World allergy menus, you may want a few examples.
I’ve taken pictures of some of the allergy menus we tried while we were at Disney World and sorted them by parks.
A couple of notes:
Menus & ingredients can change quickly so these menus are outdated.
The parks are HUGE and only some of the restaurants have allergy menus. It’s best to know in advance which ones have an allergy menu so you don’t have to waste lots of time searching for food or walking across the park.
I hope these photos help you understand what Disney World Allergy Menus are like.
If you want the MOST updated information that is updated every 1-2 months, be sure to check out the Disney Food Allergy or Gluten Free Guides.
*When you click on the link above you will be brought to the Mouse Ear Memories Website. I completely trust and recommend this website for its Disney Guides!
Here’s an example of one of the guides:
Disney World Allergy Menus - Hollywood Studios
Rosie's All American Diner Allergy Menu (Near Rockin’ Rollar Coaster) - Hollywood Studios
Disney World Allergy Menus - EPCOT
Sunshine Seasons Allergy Menu at Epcot (near Soarin’)
KIds Allergy Menu for Sunshine Seasons near Soarin' at Epcot
Disney World Allergy Menus-MAGIC KINGDOM
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe (In Frontierland near Splash Mountain)
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn Allergy Menu at Magic Kingdom in Disney World
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn Allergy Menu Page 2 at Magic Kingdom in Disney World
This restaurant had a topping bar which we weren’t comfortable with because of the chance of cross-contact and contamination from what others bring to the park. This meant that our kiddo didn’t get anything extra except the meat and cheese on her nachos. If we would have known, we would have asked them to put some toppings on her nachos in the back when we first ordered.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe Allergy Menu in Tomorrowland at Disney World * Notice how they crossed things off the menu.
This restaurant has a topping bar for burgers that was similar to the one at Pecos Bill’s. We weren’t comfortable with using the toppings given that they’re out and there could be cross-contact. This was ok for us because my daughter only uses (buckets of) ketchup on her burger so she wasn’t interested in these toppings for her burger.
Topping Bar at Cosmic Ray's Cafe in Tomorrowland at Disney World
Disney World Allergy Menus-Animal Kingdom
Yak and Yeti
Yak and Yeti have a sit-down restaurant and a quick-service window (located a short distance from the restaurant entrance). Both had very good food and was one of our favorite restaurants at Disney. It was worth it to take the time to sit down and eat here for us.
This picture is from the restaurant. They only had a gluten-sensitive menu, so the chef visits your table to help you choose a meal that will work for other allergens.
Yak and Yeti Gluten Sensitive Menu at Animal Kingdom (near Kali River Rapids) in Disney World.
Yak and Yeti Gluten Sensitive Kids Menu at Animal Kingdom (near Kali River Rapids) in Disney World.
BONUS Disney World Allergy Menu - TYPHOON LAGOON Water Park
There are 2 Disney waterparks in the Orlando area. We only went to Typhoon Lagoon since the other waterpark has a snow and winter theme which we just flew to Orlando to get away from at home!
We didn’t know what to expect at the waterpark as far as food so we had backups planned. We found that the ONLY restaurant on site that could accommodate allergies was the Leaning Palms, but it was sufficient. There was also soft-service ice cream in a stand just in front of Leaning Palms which was safe for tree nut, peanut allergies, and gluten intolerance. Here is the menu we found at the time.
If water parks are your thing, the Food Allergies at Disney version of the eGuide has updated allergy information on the waterparks too!
Leaning Palms Quick Service Dining at Typhoon Lagoon Disney World Waterpark
Leaning Palms Allergy Menu at Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark at Disney World
Page 2 of Leaning Palms Allergy Menu at Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World
Don’t Miss This…
If you’re headed to Disney and you haven’t checked out the Disney Food Allergy Guides, you’ll want to do it before leaving this post.
Even if you aren’t going to Disney for a while, you can buy them now and start planning since you’ll automatically be sent new guides if there are any updates.
Here are a few reasons you should check out these guides:
You’ll know all the insider tips and tricks for food allergies at Disney.
The guides will help you reduce stress and anxiety for your trip.
You’ll learn how Disney manages food allergies and you’ll be able to double-check procedures.
You’ll be able to share the guides with travel companions so they understand the extra steps required for food allergies at Disney and why they may need to be patient. They will also learn how to order for you if needed.
AND ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE…
You’ll know exactly where to find all the best allergy-friendly food and treats so you can enjoy your trip and not spend hours searching or feeling disappointed, and nobody has to miss out!
*When you click on the link you will be brought to the Mouse Ear Memories Website. I completely trust and recommend this website for its Disney Guides!
Here’s an example of one of the guides:
DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Check out this post: Delight in Gluten Free At Disney World
Or this one: Must-try Snacks for Peanut Allergies at Disney World.
Or this blog if you’re wondering what to do with your EpiPen on the plane.
Was this post helpful? Let me know if you have questions in the comments!
