Hi, Hannah! Welcome to planDisney and thank you for asking such an important question. As a parent of a child with a severe allergy, not only do I find questions like this important and relevant to my vacation planning, but I also know there are other parents visiting planDisney and the
Walt Disney World Resort wondering the same thing for their little ones!
Unfortunately, there isn’t a list available ahead of time containing the restaurants that serve allergy-friendly chicken tenders or allergy-friendly waffles, however, I did speak with a friendly Cast Member who confirmed that the chicken tenders served in one Disney-operated restaurant on the property are the same chicken tenders served at other Disney-operated restaurants on property, and same goes for the waffles. So, if you check the ingredients at one location, you should feel comfortable ordering the same items at other resort locations. Of course, as you probably always do, double-check by asking the Cast Member for the list of ingredients for your items before placing your order. The Cast Member will look through a binder to locate the food item you’re considering and then review the ingredients used. On our most recent visit I noticed that when we inquired about allergens, a special Cast Member would come over to review everything with us, to make us feel even more comfortable.
From one allergy-concerned parent to another, I would like to let you know that you are free to bring food into Walt Disney World theme parks if they aren’t in glass and do not require Cast Members to keep items cold or warm them up. We find this extremely useful knowing that we can bring in snacks that our son will enjoy and keep him safe. I would also like to recommend contacting Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com no sooner than 14 days before your arrival so that a member of the
Special Diets team can answer any other questions you may have.
Hannah, I know that visiting the theme parks can be exhausting and overstimulating at times, so if your child needs a break, you can always ask a Cast Member to assist you with finding a quiet location nearby where it is a little less busy. When we notice our children getting tired or overstimulated, we head to some of the following spots for a little R&R:
- Magic Kingdom – the upstairs of
Columbia Harbour House at Liberty Square
- Hollywood Studios – The courtyard area by Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy or
Star Wars Launch Bay- EPCOT – the gardens of Dreamers Point
- Animal Kingdom – Discovery Island Trails
I hope this helps with your planning, Hannah. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to
ask me directly, or submit another question to the awesome panelists at planDisney!
Thanks, Brent