So this is me, Niko Vento; sometimes, I call myself Allergy boy.
I am here to tell you that you can make dining in Disney World Theme Parks with food allergies work for you because they care and work with you.
I am the poster child for food allergies and travel.
If you are wondering, the picture above is of me and the Disney Chef Ken at The Plaza on Main Street In Magic Kingdom.
He is my friend, and we hung out before and after dinner. This Chef cares about food allergies and ensures the food is as magical as your Disney experience.
You can travel to Disney World Theme Parks with food allergies, and eat at restaurants in the parks, trust me, because I did!
Honestly, I get sick of telling people I have severe food allergies, but eating and traveling work together: you must eat when you travel.
Therefore I am speaking up to help us with these crappy food allergies!
In today’s post, I am sharing my dining in Disney World theme parks with a food allergies story.
My 1 Tip: Tell your parents to make Disney World Theme Park reservations; it’s a GO! You can eat in so many Disney restaurants, and you won’t be eating gross foods but foods you Love and can eat!
The magic of Disney is not just in the park and on the rides but in the special people that make a difference in traveling and eating with severe food allergies.
Yeah, everyone was watching my table, me, the Chef, and my family, but that’s just fine with me because I can now tell you from first-hand experience that kids and teens with food allergies don’t have to live in a bubble like our parents want us to!
Table of Contents
Dining In Disney World Theme Parks With Food Allergies
Let’s get this straight: My mom told me if I am writing, I have to let everyone out there know that: I am not compensated by Disney, nor is the article I am writing, and Disney gave me NOTHING but a meal my parents paid for.
However, I hope Disney wants to work with me; I am a teen with allergies and have so many stories to share.
But, for now, writing this story, sharing my experience with you about dining in Disney theme parks with food allergies is my way to help others struggling with the want to GO to Disney World (that’s like all of us, right) but worried you could not eat!
Stop worrying about that, you can, and I am about to show you how!
How The Plaza In Disney World’s Magical Kingdom Knew I Was Inbound
I love normal food; I don’t do all those special things like buckwheat and funky seaweed, I am a kid, and those are not my thing.
My parents consistently find foods that don’t have things I am allergic to in them that are similar to what everyone else eats (hot dogs, pasta, salads, etc.)
First, we had a reservation; Chef Ken was alerted that a food allergy patron was gonna be ‘in the house’!
Make sure to go online to Disney’s Special Dietary Requests and have your parents email at the address listed and submit BEFORE you get to Disney.
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Also, my mom made a printable allergy card to hand to the Chef.
It is free to download; I carry it everywhere; it just reminds the staff of any restaurant that I have severe food allergies again!
Chef Ken and I sat there and chatted, and what was cool, he listened and did not do that grown-up interrupting thing before I finished my sentences.
Chef Ken marked my meal on the slip and even brought out the bun packaging for me to read – Yep, Cool.
While everyone else ordered, he sat with me to get to know me and asked me questions about dining out and about wherever else Niko Travels!
He was curious about where I have traveled to and how I have survived to date with all of my allergies.
My Meal: Dining In Disney World Theme Parks With Food Allergies
Unfortunately, my allergy list was too extensive, and the french fries were not an option, but no worries, because a salad was an option, and I love me a good salad!
Now if I have your mouth watering and you want to get your parents to take you here, have your parents read this guide on how to save big on Disney vacations because it’s got lots of good stuff in it, and you can get more fries if they save more money right?
Dinner Time Disney Style: Disney Allergen-Friendly Menu
My food was no different from everyone else’s, except it was not cross-contaminated.
Before I forget, you must know that Disney World has a great allergen-friendly menu and can feed us kids.
Just ask every food booth or restaurant.
You have to ‘present’ your case (allergies), and you can get accommodated.
My list of severe food allergies is about a foot long, yet I ate and drank like a Prince!
Where Else? What Else? Allergen-Friendly Disney Dining
My fun story is that I did eat in the Animal Kingdom.
The issue here is that peanuts are served to some animals, and the idea that peanuts were present in this park was an issue for my mom because this is her least favorite park!
She kept telling me, “You can never be guaranteed things won’t be peanut contaminated (by the attractions).”
However, this has nothing to do with the food, just something I thought I should tell you and the fact that my mom was convinced I would get contaminated or react.
This is not what happened!
My mom has to stop being Momma Bear (that’s my code name for my mom when she overprotects) so much!
The Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios & Magic Kingdom & Epcot
The one thing we did in Animal Kingdom visited a booth that offered a book discussing allergen-friendly dining. While it might be a real yawn for a read, it was very eye-opening and helpful for my mom to help me plan where to eat during the day meals.
Food allergies are so commonplace that Disney World theme parks’ allergen-friendly menus make it possible for you to eat anywhere practically.
The one thing I think is bad about the while allergen-friendly Disney dining experience is that allergen-free food takes so much longer than everyone else’s, like about 20 minutes more, so you want to order the second you sit down.
I get it; it is food safety, but there has to be a better way; I am a hungry kid; have something premade, please!
I found french fries in Hollywood Studios that I could eat, so I stopped that food craving, but again, they had to make it at a different restaurant than we were dining in and run it over to ours and then to me, so it takes a lot of time to be an Allergen-friendly diner.
Dining In Disney World Theme Parks With Food Allergies Is Possible
Dining In Disney World Theme Parks With Food Allergies is possible, and I want to thank Chef Ken for being incredible.
His time spent with me allows me to show you food allergies and travel to the most Magical place in the world, really is possible. ~ Niko (Allergy Boy)
Read more of my Where Niko Travels adventures. Shete Boka, Grim Breacher on Holland America, How to get a pool on the cruise ship to yourself.
Niko Vento is a teen travel writer who has severe food allergies. Travel and adventure run deep in his veins. He writes to share his triumphs in dining out with allergies and adventures teens must experience too! Want me to visit you and tell your story? Email me through my mom; I’m just a kid [email protected] – Hope to see you soon.