Do you have Information on the Dairy-Free Food Options at Disney World?

Q: Julea – I am lucky enough to be going to Walt Disney World for 9 days … do you know of any books or websites that have ingredient lists for the restaurants and the parks? I have been able to find menus for each of the restaurants, but figured it is best to be as prepared as I can before arriving.

A: Alisa – I haven’t been to Disney World since their new food allergy-friendly stance, but what I have gathered from news, personal research, and fellow bloggers, is that the following items are available (you can see the ingredients on the company websites and contact them directly to see if they can tell you which of their products specifically are available in the park):

French Meadow Bakery Gluten-Free Cookies and Brownies – www.frenchmeadow.com/products/desserts
Divvies Popcorn, and possibly their Chocolate, Cookies, and other Sweets – www.divvies.com
Enjoy Life Cookies (even if you aren’t gluten-free, these are yummy) – www.enjoylifefoods.com
Rice Dream (they also serve Tofutti, but this would be out for soy protein issues) – www.tastethedream.com
Ener-G – They can serve Ener-G rolls at some of the restaurants. These are usually free of dairy, soy, and gluten – www.ener-g.com
Babycakes Cupcakes – In late 2010, Disney added vegan and allergen-free cupcakes from this popular NYC bakery to their menu offerings – www.babycakesnyc.com

Beyond this, I haven’t found any big ingredient listing for the restaurants, but I think all of the following stories and information will help you with your Disney World plans:

Reader Disney Stories:

I have received feedback from several food allergic parents, from just dairy-free to multiple food allergic, and all has been positive for Disney World. Some, such as viewer Frederique, have even indicated that the staff at some of the restaurants goes above and beyond to please. They made his son a special breakfast of Mickey Mouse waffles that made the other non-allergic kids jealous! Though it isn’t necessarily required with Disney World, it doesn’t hurt to call ahead and advise of a food allergy (or more) in your party. I am sure they appreciate the heads up.

Charity ~ “Last year I took my 4 year severally allergic child to Disney World. He is allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts. It was by far the BEST vacation for all of us. I was not stressing about feeding him and he was excited he could eat pretty much anything. You can make arrangements before hand to let Disney of your allergies, then you can rest assure that out will be taken care of. If you let the waitress/waiter know about your food allergies he/she will get the chef. The chef will come to your table to talk to you. I assure you we had a fabulous time. After the first day I did not worry as much. Disney went ABOVE and BEYOND for my son and he still thinks about often.”

Barb ~ “We stayed at the Disney World Dolphin Resort in Epcot. I can not say enough good things about the staff and the resort. Our dining experience got off to a rocky start, but after chatting with the Concierge at our hotel, we figured dinner out. The Restaurant Manager (Angela) in Dolphin Hotel went above and beyond to make sure the kids had meals they could eat. We mostly ate our main dinner meal in the hotel and a few places outside of Disney World (McDonalds and The Outback). We shopped at the local grocery store and stocked up on cold cuts, soda, water and snacks. Knowing ahead of time that bread maybe an issue, I packed our carryon full of hamburger rolls and bagels so we would be well prepared. We browned bagged it to the park everyday. Meals which tend to be our hot topic of conversation and stress for me seem to fade away. This past week, the kids were asking if we can go back. I find myself looking online for a great deal for the fall. Hopefully we will go back and enjoy a long weekend again.” [Barb's children have multiple food allergies, including a life-threatening nut allergy and milk and egg allergies]

Note: If you have a relevant Disney experience on your blog or site to share here, feel free to contact us.

Alisa Fleming is the founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. In addition to her own dairy-free lifestyle, Alisa has experience in catering to the needs of various special diets, including gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan, and multiple food allergies.

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