Hi there, Jessica, and welcome to planDisney. It looks like you’ll be at the Most Magical Place on Earth today(!), so let’s make sure you get all the information you need to have the best vacation ever!
I love the Polynesian because it has some of the best dining options at Disney World, and they’re great about food allergies. When I ate at
‘Ohana with my mom, the chef was amazing with her pineapple allergy. Especially considering it’s such a popular ingredient in tropical cuisine!
It looks like your son will have plenty of options that are dairy and tree nut free at the Polynesian. And you can preview the menus ahead of time on the Disney World website or in the My Disney Experience app. Just go to the restaurant’s page and select View Menu. Towards the bottom, you’ll see the allergy-friendly items.
Two of my favorite table-service restaurants at the Polynesian are
Kona Cafe in the Great Ceremonial House and
Wailulu Bar & Grill over in the Island Tower. Both have several items that are milk and tree nut allergy-friendly on their menus. If you’re dining in, I’d recommend telling your server about your son’s allergies. They’ll help you navigate the menu and inform the chef.
Both are casual and laid back, and Wailulu even has views of the water and the fireworks at Magic Kingdom! Wailulu doesn’t currently take reservations (they will be beginning in early December), but for now, you can join the Walk-Up List in the app when you’re ready to eat. Kona Cafe does take reservations, but you can also join the Walk-Up List depending on availability. This lets my family play things by ear, which is especially important when the kiddos are with us!
If you don’t want to do a table-service meal, you can also order food to go from both restaurants. My family loves to do this and eat on the beach or at a table by the pool. When you start searching for the restaurants in the app, you’ll see a To Go option. After you choose an arrival time, press See All Categories in the menu, and then select the Allergy-Friendly icon. That will bring you to all of the allergy-friendly items, sorted by allergy type.
Another casual option is the quick-service eatery,
Capt. Cook’s, which is great if you want something fast. They also have lots of allergy-friendly options, although they’re sorted by allergy in the menu, so you’ll have to cross-check the milk and peanut/tree nut allergy-friendly sections to find something that’s safe for both. If you have any questions, a Cast Member at Capt. Cook’s would be happy to help! They have a binder with allergy information that they can reference.
When my family is staying at the Polynesian, we love to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach since they pipe in the music. And it makes it easy to quickly get back to the room afterwards for bedtime. This time of year, it’ll either be
Happily Ever After or
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, depending on the night. Check the My Disney Experience app to confirm the showtimes.
I’m wishing you the most magical stay at the Polynesian this week! And if you have any other questions, you’re always welcome back at planDisney.
JoAnna