Salutations, Sarah!
Hip hip hooray! I'm so glad you found your way to planDisney today! With less than two months remaining on the countdown to your vacation, I imagine your excitement is bursting at the seams. Don't worry! With a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, it will be here before you know it.
I'm on the same food allergy team as you where "fish are friends, not food." I'm happy to share information on how to navigate Disney dining with your shellfish allergy since I've had to do the same over the years. The good news is that Walt Disney World Resort is an industry leader in
accommodating food allergies and special dietary needs. Not only will your dining experiences be just as magical and delicious as they are for Guests without food allergies, but you can enjoy your meals knowing your food is safe to consume.
Most
quick-service locations and table-service restaurants on property can accommodate nine of the most common food allergies, including shellfish, and have allergy-friendly menus available. You can peruse the allergy-friendly menu items ahead of time on each restaurant's webpage from a browser or by searching for the restaurant in your My Disney Experience App. Scroll down on the menu until you see the sections with "Allergy-friendly" in the title. Each item will state what food allergens it's free of inside the parentheses at the end of the description.
Did you know you can also request to speak to the chef in person at table-service restaurants? It's true! If you have two or more allergies, don't see options on the allergy-friendly menu that appeal to you, or just have general questions or concerns, they will come to your table to discuss your shellfish allergy and go over dishes they can make that will be safe for you to consume. If, instead, you are dining at a quick-service location, you can request to speak to a special diets-trained Cast Member regarding your shellfish allergy. You can even ask about food allergies at the Outdoor Kitchens at the
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival during your trip. They will either have a binder of ingredients for each menu option on hand or call a chef to confirm if an item is safe or not.
I reached out to Guest Services to specifically ask about dining with food allergies at
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. The
prix fixe menu lists four allergy-friendly appetizers, but because of your shellfish allergy, they would simply bring you the three appetizers that are safe for you to eat and leave off the Wild Shrimp Cocktail. You should be able to ask for an additional portion of one of the other three appetizers in lieu of the shrimp cocktail, or you can request to speak to the chef to see if they can create an appetizer substitute.
When you book your reservation for Story Book Dining at Artist Point or any other table-service restaurant, be sure to notate your food allergy by selecting the "Add a Food Allergy or Request" option on the booking screen. I also suggest you alert your server once you are seated. If you have further questions concerning dining with food allergies, you can email the Special Dietary Requests team at Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com.
I hope this information proves helpful, Sarah. If you have further questions, please stop back by planDisney. We'd be happy to help!
Reach out and find your happily ever after,
Alyssa