UPDATED JULY 2023. If you or someone in your family has food allergies or specific dietary needs, you know how hard it can be to travel somewhere new. Luckily, the Disneyland Resort regularly receives recognition and awards for being the best at accommodating dietary needs. Today, we're excited to share our top five tips for how to eat at Disneyland with food allergies.
Each May, an entire week is recognized as Food Allergy Awareness Week, and as your Disneyland experts, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about the food at Disneyland to have an allergy resource yearound.
Food at Disneyland is truly part of the experience, and the good news is that no matter what allergies or dietary restrictions you may have, you can still experience it!
Disneyland and Food Allergies
The Disneyland Resort is recognized by FARE, aka, Food Allergy Research and Education as an industry leader in offering allergy friendly options. Disney's entire team is so well versed in some of the most common, and some not so common, food allergies or sensitivities.
Here is a quick list of the most common ingredients that Disney is able to swap out or avoid all together for guests who have allergies:
- Gluten or wheat
- Eggs
- Fish
- Milk or lactose
- Peanuts and other tree nuts
- Shellfish
- Soy
- Corn
Top Tips on Eating at Disneyland with Food Allergies
In the video above we mentioned several things to help your vacation run smoothly, even with food allergies and food sensitivities in mind.
1. Go to City Hall on Main Street U.S.A. and get a current list of all ingredients/restaurants. Make this your first stop of your trip and keep the list with you. It's a great reference. You can even study it when you're in line for attractions.
2. Book at least one table service restaurant. Again, the food is such a part of the Disneyland experience. You'll let the restaurant know about any allergies or sensitivities when making your reservation. Then, when you check-in, the host will confirm and note any dietary needs. And finally, a chef will come to your table and discuss any needs for a third time. Talk about thoroughness! This means you don't have to miss any of the fun of some of the most popular Disneyland restaurants like the Blue Bayou, Goofy's Kitchen and more.
3. Ask to talk to the chef at any counter service restaurants. When you order, a chef will come out and talk to you. At that time, they can tell you exactly what is safe to eat as is, and they can go through any items that can be swapped out to become safe. Sometimes they can even whip up something special just for you. Never hesitate to ask!
4. Study the menus before you go. Planning can start well before you even go! Download the Disneyland app and visit the dining section. There you can review all of the menus and even allergy friendly offerings. That will give you a really good idea of where you'll want to eat, plus allow you to mobile order food.
5. Bring your own snacks! Many people don't realize you can bring all of your own food and drinks into the parks. Regardless of whether or not you have dietary restrictions, it's nice to have some quick, easy snacks on-hand. The only rules are no hard-sided coolers, no glass and no alcohol. Most everything else is fair game. So bring some of your favorite allergy friendly snacks or meals with you for the in-between times.
3. Ask to talk to the chef at any counter service restaurants. When you order, a chef will come out and talk to you. At that time, they can tell you exactly what is safe to eat as is, and they can go through any items that can be swapped out to become safe. Sometimes they can even whip up something special just for you. Never hesitate to ask!
4. Study the menus before you go. Planning can start well before you even go! Download the Disneyland app and visit the dining section. There you can review all of the menus and even allergy friendly offerings. That will give you a really good idea of where you'll want to eat, plus allow you to mobile order food.
5. Bring your own snacks! Many people don't realize you can bring all of your own food and drinks into the parks. Regardless of whether or not you have dietary restrictions, it's nice to have some quick, easy snacks on-hand. The only rules are no hard-sided coolers, no glass and no alcohol. Most everything else is fair game. So bring some of your favorite allergy friendly snacks or meals with you for the in-between times.
Our Favorite Allergy Friendly Disneyland Treats
Part of being at Disneyland is the togetherness and the memories being made. We love sharing a delicious meal, treat and talking with family and friends as we dine.
And of course, we don’t want to leave anyone out! We have to share a few of our favorite treat options for those with food allergies or sensitivities:
- Dole Whip - vegan, and free of dairy, eggs, gluten, soy
- Mickey Pretzels - vegan, dairy free, nut free
- Popcorn - vegan, egg free, dairy free
- Churros - vegan, nut free
Book Your Disneyland Vacation
When you're ready to book your Disneyland vacation, you can book online, or call any of our vacation specialists at 855-GET-AWAY.
We also recommend choosing a hotel with a nice size fridge and/or kitchen to bring snacks and have allergy friendly food available during your stay. Some of our favorite hotels near Disneyland have kitchens with larger fridges for your convenience, including:
- Element by Westin Anaheim Resort Convention Center
- Cambria Hotel & Suites Anaheim Resort
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort Area
- Sonesta ES Suites Anaheim Resort Area
Join the Conversation!
Leave A CommentLinaFebruary 15 2019
The turtles are not vegan. They contain egg and dairy
ElizabethNovember 10 2018
We love churros, and they may have been vegan at one point, but the last few times we checked, they contained dairy. We learned this the hard way when we assumed they were vegan and my son with a dairy allergy had a reaction. We then checked the ingredients, and sure enough, they contained milk. The last time we checked was end of 2016, have they changed since then?
Bobbie HillJune 14 2018
The lack of microwaves in room and crowded restaurants makes this less doable then Disney realizes. Tired children need to eat, and often with food allergies mean small meals more often. Disney THINKS they are allergy friendly....