Looking for more information on Disney World Gluten Free Dining? When you are a Mom it is so hard to take care of your children and make sure they have the proper nutrition, especially when they have food allergies.
You want to be able to go out and have fun, enjoy the day, and throw caution to the wind. As you know, with food allergies comes careful planning, and restrictions. On our most recent trip to Disney World I packed our Backpack full of Gluten free foods. We had our PB&J’s, Gluten Free Pretzels, Juice Boxes, and Fruit Roll ups.
The hubby and I wanted a snack. So, we went into the Columbia Harbor House at the Magic Kingdom. I figured we could get the kids a sprite and some fruit. My husband spoke up and asked if they had a Gluten Free Menu. The Manager came out and told us that they had a Gluten free menu, a dedicated fryer to avoid contamination, and the best part…it was about the same price as the regular food. My kids all had Gluten free Chicken fingers and French fries while at Disney World! You don’t realize how momentous this was because we very rarely ever go out to eat anymore! It is too hard to avoid Gluten, and most restaurants are not educated! This was not the case at Disney!
Here are some tips if you have food allergies and you are planning a trip to Disney!
Email [email protected] or call 407-824-5967 when planning your trip. Disney asks that you do so atleast 14 days in advance. Let them know your dietary restrictions and they will send you more info than you can imagine about where you can eat and how to make your trip as magical as possible!
If you are making Advanced Dining Reservations tell them of your restrictions while making each reservation. They will work with you and let you know the menu items they have available.
At every table-service restaurant, the server is made aware of your dietary need and the chef comes to your table to discuss food options. They let you know the possibilities of GF options from the menu, and then offered to make something totally different if nothing sounded good.
For buffet table-service restaurants, they will assist you by telling you what items are or are not Gluten free and help you make educated choices.
At a non-buffet restaurant, a separate server (or the chef himself) brings out the meal on its own tray, so there is no potential for cross-contamination with the meals for the rest of the family.
At counter-service restaurants, the manager must be notified and he will review GF options with you. Then he goes back and chooses one food-preparer to prepare the food and bring it to your table, again on its’ own tray. (**know that this takes longer than the preparation of normal food, so you may want to put in your GF food order first, and then order regular food for the rest of the family, so that GF tray has a head start).
I have to say that our food was at our table in 5 minutes at the Columbia Harbor House! We did go at an off time (3 PM) but we were served quickly and without feeling like we were putting them out!
Here is a list of the quick service and counter service locations that offer allergy free foods.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park – Special Dietary Information for Quick Service and Counter Service Locations
The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet many dietary requests:
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Harambe Fruit Market
Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park – Special Dietary Information for Quick Service and Counter Service Locations
The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet many dietary requests:
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Sunset Ranch Market
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Backlot Express
Epcot theme park – Special Dietary Information for Quick Service and Counter Service Locations
The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet many dietary requests:
Magic Kingdom Theme – Special Dietary Information for Quick Service and Counter Service Locations
The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet many dietary requests:
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Liberty Square Market
Another option to consider if you are going to be staying on property for a few days. Most of the Disney Hotels offer a fridge and a microwave in the room. There are grocery stores off property that you can go and stock up on supplies. We did this last year and had what we needed and saved a ton! It may not have been as “fun” but everybody was happy, healthy, and fed!
Disney is such a magical place and they do anything they can to make your stay more magical! Don’t hesitate to ask about Gluten Free, Dairy Free or any other allergen free foods. Chances are they have them, and are happy to serve you.
Learn more about Walt Disney World Dining and get suggestions for where to eat, how to use the Disney Dining Plan and more.
Amanda writes at A Few Short Cuts. She has 3 children, 2 of them have food allergies. She share recipes, tips and tricks to help others deal with food allergies and eat well!
Michelle says
I’m so happy to hear how great Disney is to people with food allergies! We just found out that our 14 month old son has peanut and tree nut allergies, and it’s all very overwhelming, I was starting to think we’d never be able to go out to eat again.
Carolyn says
My husband is allergic to gluten and my children to tree nuts. Traveling to Disney is so easy. Their binder of ingredients is great. My husband especially loves the pizza at Animal Kingdom. Just pack some patience as it does take longer.
Nori says
it is really exciting to hear that disney is so progressive. I truely commend them for going out of their way to make everyone feel at home.
For those of you who have children with severe food allergies, how do get to the point where you trust others to safely prepare food for your child? My daughter has gluten, egg, dairy, nut, and sesame allergies, and when we travel, we try to get an Embassy Suites type room so that we can do all of our own cooking. we worry so much about cross contamination, and we’ve never been out to eat.
thanks for the insights.
Nori
Gluten Free. Allergy Free. Be Free.
Dana says
Just wanted to add that we had great experiences with Disney dining on our Sept 2010 trip with my son you has peanut and tree nut allergies. The special diets department was great and send a wealth of information via email. Also a Chef spoke to us at every table service meal and a manager or Chef spoke to us at every counter service meal. Unfortunately almost all bakery type items were a no for us but almost every Chef was able to come up with a special dessert and subsitution. I also used a tip I read and brought some safe sprinkles from home which helped “dress up” a plain bowl of ice cream when that was the only option.
Leanne says
I can’t say enough how accommodating Disney was when we went with family. My nephew is autistic…which they are also GREAT is accommodating to…and because of advance reservations and research we knew where we could bring him for his allergies to dairy and soy. Each time the chef would come out, talk to us about what and how they would cook, and made sure our needs and wants were always meet. They were awesome!! We made reservations ahead of time to enjoy the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party. They chef brought out a HUGE plate of desserts just for my nephew. This is one reason I highly recommend Disney as a wonderful place to vacation, they have always meet our needs and to see the joy in my nephew when we are there is so uplifting. It is the perfect vacation for him!
Amanda @ A Few Short Cuts says
That is so great Leanne! They are very accommodating, and friendly about serving you even though you require special attention! It just makes you feel so at easy and so comfortable!
Gotta love Disney!
Jen W says
Our one experience at at a restaurant in Epcot (the Princess dinner) was not good. My daughter has several severe food allergies. We went through the proper channels to ensure her food would be safe, but the chef refused to come to our table (apparently they were too busy that night) and when we asked for fruit, our uneducated waiter informed us to get it off the buffet bar (which was right beside lots of things she is severely allergic to). We would NEVER trust them again!!!
Jennifer says
Akershus hasn’t been on the top of my list for special diets either. They seemed annoyed with me this year and they made me a plain chicken breast but I can have spices. Other chefs were awesome though! Ohana!
Cori says
Just an FYI… they can also accommodate non-health related food restrictions as well. A few of the counters offer kosher food and any sit-down restaurant can provide a kosher meal with advance notice. They also label any vegan options for people that want to avoid any animal products.
Don’t be afraid to ask because the worst they can do is say no.