Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Mary!
As a mom to a child with severe food allergies myself, I know that a little bit of advanced preparation can go a long way in making a vacation as soon as possible. Our experience has been that the Cast Members and Chefs at Walt Disney World Resort have done a fantastic job accommodating my son's multiple food allergies and making sure he has a great trip. We have found that items for purchase in bakeries and other food locations have been labeled. If you are purchasing food from a quick service location or a food cart or stand or if you have any questions about safe options for your daughter at a bakery, you can ask to speak with a Cast Member who specializes in food allergy accommodation or the Manager at the location. When dining at a table service restaurant, you should add the allergy to your reservation, inform your server of the allergy and ask to speak to the Chef when you order to coordinate a safe meal for your daughter.
You will definitely need to check the ingredients at every location and unfortunately, this can sometimes cause disappointment. To avoid this, I always bring a few safe treats with me that my son doesn't eat very often at home, such as safe chocolate bars, fruit snacks, packaged cookies and safe candy. My son can choose from these items if he can't safely have something he sees or if he is just feeling a little bit down about his food limitations. For us, this generally buys us enough time to find more magic in the theme park!
The
Special Dietary Requests Team is another resource you can use as you prepare for your trip. They will be able to answer specific questions about accommodating your specific allergy at locations throughout the resort. Please let me know if you have any other questions! T-T-F-N, ta ta for now!
~Crystal B.