First of all, when you call Disney Dining (407)WDW-DINE (hopefully 180 days out from your reservation to get the best availability) to make your dining reservations you will tell the reservationist over the phone that someone in your party has food allergies and that you would like all the reservations to be flagged. They are very used to this and will know what to do. Provide them with as much detail as possible regarding what your child can and can't eat, they will enter everything into the computer and it will be sent to every restaurant for which you make reservations. At the end of your call they will also provide you with telephone numbers for the Dietary Needs departments (main number: (407) 824-5967) at each of the parks or resorts where you will be eating. Go ahead and call and leave a message with your contact info, someone will return the call shortly and send to you via email the most current forms to fill out and return. You will need to have your dining reservations confirmation numbers to fill this out. I would wait to send it back in until about 2 to 3 weeks before you leave for your trip just in case you decide to make any last minute additions, changes or cancellations to your reservations.

So, what does all this prep work do for you? When you arrive at each restaurant during your vacation the cast member (Disney employee) who checks you in should verbally confirm that you have a food allergic person in your party and let you know that the chef will be coming to your table to speak with you prior to any food being served. This will be the head chef in the kitchen, so if it takes a few minutes try to be understanding - it's worth the wait to talk to the person who is absolutely in charge. Depending on the style of meal, the chef will either go through the menu and let you know which items have the allergens and which don't or they will walk with you through the entire buffet line and detail which items are safe and which aren't. Many times they can and will offer safe alternatives to what's being offered. For example, every single breakfast that we had on Disney property was supplemented with Van's Waffles .

The Cast Members who work in Special Dietary Needs can also provide you with an impressively thorough list of foods available at different "counter service" locations that are free of common allergens. Everything from where you can find egg free chicken nuggets on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom to where you can find dairy free ice cream at the Animal Kingdom.

Also important to note, at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Animal Programs keepers roam the Park throughout the day and at any given time could have nuts in their pocket to use for demonstration and educational purposes while handling birds. Birds are located in just about every area of the Park. Be mindful that these keepers would have nut oil on their hands and remnants in their clothing.

In the overabundance of caution that is my trademark, I also made sure to have all of our reservation confirmation numbers listed along with copies of the allergy forms that I had sent to Disney and printed copies of official Disney policy regarding guests with food allergies. I print them straight from the official Disney website just in case I run into any problems, I can show the policy. You can find those policies here: and here Most importantly for our purposes are the following two excerpts:

Guests are allowed to bring food items-such as snacks or foods that do not require heating-into any Walt Disney World Resort hotel. If you have food items that need to be refrigerated, please ask the front desk at your hotel to have a refrigerator placed in your room. Refrigerator may require an additional charge. Guests are allowed to bring food items-such as snacks or foods that do not require heating-into any Walt Disney World Theme Park. Inform a Security Cast Member of any food items when you enter the Theme Park.

(T)here (will not) be any issues with bringing epi-pens, antihistamines and asthma medications into the parks. If questioned, simply inform the security Cast Member checking the bags that you or someone in your party has a food allergy and they will allow you to bring in medically necessary items.

However, I will say that I never ran into even one second's trouble with any Disney Cast Member - they are all extremely polite, helpful and well-informed on Disney policy.

Another excellent resource for specific information regarding dining at Walt Disney World is All Ears Net (www.allearsnet.com) which keeps up to date menu information for every restaurant on property. They also have a page dedicated specifically to guests with food allergies and you can read up on others' experiences here. In fact, I highly recommend this site for all your planning purposes as it is the most detailed and user-friendly site that I know of and is constantly updated. Another good resource is Disney's official "Mom's Panel" which answers all sorts of questions from other moms (and dads) planning trips to the Disney parks. You can find them here. And if you're a thrifty type like myself you may also enjoy Mousesavers for lots of money saving tips and advice.  And the best place to make the trip there fun for everyone is Disney World Trivia - I highly recommend the books by Lou Mongello and love visiting the site for tips, tricks and info.

Most of all, remember that the extra effort you put into being totally prepared and armed with all this information will pay off with a magical vacation your kids (and you) will never forget. Walt Disney World is one of the few places on earth that is fully equipped and happy to accommodate guests with food allergies. Nowhere else that I know of goes so far to make your experience safe and wonderful. Enjoy your trip and send me a note to let me know how it went! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

SEE BELOW FOR A COPY OF THE LETTER FROM DIETARY NEEDS DIVISION AT DISNEY:

WALT DISNEY WORLD®
Food & Beverage

Dietary Request Information

On behalf of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Food & Beverage Team, we are committed to making your stay as magical as possible as we strive to offer a wide range of food products for all of our Guests.

In our table service restaurants, we have a staff of trained chefs who will strive to meet your requests by adapting current menu items or developing items to fit your needs. In our quick service areas, we provide a wide range of items that likely will accommodate most dietary requests. Nevertheless, due to the cultural authenticity and cooking techniques of our Food & Beverage locations it is sometimes difficult to alter menus in certain locations.

Although we can take care to accommodate specific requests during the cooking and preparation process, due to the large number and ever changing variety of culturally authentic ingredients and suppliers used in many of our restaurants, we are unable to ensure that all prepackaged or prepared ingredients do not contain particular items of concern. Therefore, we ask that if you or someone in your party has a food allergy or other condition which might result in a severe reaction to a particular food ingredient or food additive, please use extreme caution in meal planning and contact us for assistance and dining suggestions. As always, although we strive to provide as much information to you as possible, the decision of whether to consume any particular product is up to you based on your evaluation of the particular circumstances.

Listed below is some helpful information when planning your time with us. Attached are some product specifications that may assist you as well. Please feel free to contact any of the below listed email addresses should you require any additional information.

We look forward to you having a safe and magical visit with us.

Table Service Restaurants

When making a reservation, please notify the reservation agent of any dietary requests so that it may be noted. Upon arrival to the restaurant, please ask to speak to the chef, manager, or the person in charge on duty to discuss your dietary requests. Special items are available with advance notice, and arrangements may be made by calling the phone number that was provided when making your reservation. Please allow for additional dining time for any special requests to ensure that your requests are met safely.

Call 407-WDW-Dine or 407-939-3463 to make your reservations.

Quick Service Restaurants (Counter Service)

Please ask to speak to a manager upon arrival and they will be happy to assist you. Locations are able to adapt their menu items slightly, but please allow additional time for any special requests made without advance notice.

DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM® Theme Park

The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet most dietary requests.

Restaurantosaurus (located in DinoLand U.S.A.)
Flame Tree Barbecue (located between Asia and DinoLand U.S.A.)
Harambe Fruit Market

If you need additional information contact Disney's Animal Kingdom Special Diet line at 407-938-3288 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Disney's Hollywood Studios^TM

The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet most dietary requests.

Rosie's All American Café at Sunset Ranch Market
Backlot Express
Studio Catering Company
ABC Commissary
Toy Story Pizza Planet

If you need any additional information contact the Disney's Hollywood Studios^TM Special Diet line at 407-560-3551 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Epcot®

The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet most dietary requests.

Liberty Inn (located at The American Adventure in World Showcase)
Sunshine Seasons (located in the Land Pavilion)

If you need any additional information, contact Epcot Special Diet line at 407-560-6395 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

MAGIC KINGDOM® Park

The locations listed below have menu items or products that may meet most dietary requests.

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café (located in Tomorrowland)
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café (located in Frontierland)
Main Street Bakery
Toontown Farmer's Market and Liberty Square Market
Pinocchio's Village House (Fantasy Land)
If you need additional information contact MAGIC KINGDOM Park Special Diet Line at 407-824-5967 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

DISNEY CRUISE LINE®
DISNEY CRUISE LINE® can accommodate a variety of special dietary requests, including gluten, diabetic, vegetarian, low-fat, low-sodium and Kosher meals. Please submit any special dietary requests in writing to our Special Reservations Department at least four (4) weeks prior to your sail date. Once onboard, any dietary requests should be directed to your Head Server.
Please visit our web site at www.disneycruise.com or phone Disney Cruise Vacations at 1-800-951-3532.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can nutritional information be provided for menu items?

Unfortunately we do not have, and therefore we cannot provide you with accurate or reliable nutritional information, and we would not want you or any other Guest to rely on what could only be our "best guess." We can however, attempt to work within your dietary requests and suggest some menu alternatives and solutions that may satisfy your needs. We strive to provide all our Guests a magical experience by offering a wide array of dining locations, experiences and menu options, and we trust that among all those selections you will find menu items that meet your needs.

Are organic products available?

Organic products that meet the USDA's organic food requirement are in very limited supply. We are always trying to improve upon our existing product line of traditional and/or organic food offerings. Our food procurement standards include a vendor approval process that is designed to consistently achieve high quality products. Introducing a new food product or vendor requires multiple approval steps, regardless of the claims attached to individual foods. We will forward your suggestion to our special dietary needs manager and our procurement department for further consideration. In the meantime we're optimistic you will find our existing product lines acceptable, and we would be happy to review additional existing options with you.

Can products from home be prepared by Disney chefs?

No. State Law prohibits our Culinary Cast Members from preparing, cooking, or reheating any foods brought in by our Guests, so we will not be able to heat or reheat any food item that is not prepared by us.

Can food be brought into WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort and Theme Parks?

Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. If you have items that need to be refrigerated, please ask the front desk Cast Member to have a refrigerator placed in your room. Please check with the front desk to see if there is a charge for use of the refrigerator.

Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any WALT DISNEY WORLD® Theme Park. Just inform a Security Cast Member checking the bags that you have food allergies and they will gladly allow you to bring in these items.