Our Experiences with Disney World Restaurants

Being based in central Florida, you can imagine that we’ve been to Walt Disney World a number of times. While Peter was raised in the area, Isabelle visited many times before relocating to Orlando a few years ago. We both like the parks (well, mostly Isabelle), but we’ve found that eating at Disney can be either the best or worst experience when you are celiac/coeliac and have a number of food sensitivities.

Aside from the fact that eating at Disney restaurants is typically significantly more expensive than eating anywhere else (for an equivalent form of dining), we’ve found that our best and worst restaurant experiences have been on Disney property. Now, we’ve talked a bit about how we approach dining out with all of Isabelle’s food sensitivities, but Disney dining really needs its own attention because it can be very different. There a lot of Disney World restaurants to choose from, which can either be great or overwhelming.

What we will say is that if you’re purely celiac/coeliac or have maybe 1-2 food sensitivities that you’ll probably be able to eat at many of the restaurants just fine. But if you’re local or coming to Orlando on vacation and you’re not sure where to start with the Disney parks, then this will help you make some decisions.

Best: Total Transparency With Allergens

This is probably the best part about eating out at a Disney restaurant when you have a long list of food sensitivities. At any restaurant you go (even waterpark quick service ones) there’s always a chef and/or manager who can not only show you the allergy binder, but also walk you through it. They’ll take the time to meet with you, and they’ll never tell you that something meets your dietary restrictions if it doesn’t.

Worst: Soy in Everything

While it’s great that Disney restaurants will always be upfront about potential allergens, we’ve come to find that a lot of the food at Disney World contains soy (one of Isabelle’s allergens). Everything from the French fries served in the parks, to marinades and rubs pre-done on meat—there is soy in a lot of the food at Disney. We even had an experience where restaurants had dishes that Isabelle could previously eat that have been altered over the years to contain soy. This can make it really hard to find a place to eat at times (especially when paired with a sensitivity to corn).

Best: Some Really Great Dining

Disney has some great dining options, no doubt. While some of these options can honestly be overpriced, there are some places we’ve completely loved. From the Skipper Canteen at the Magic Kingdom, to the Yak ‘n’ Yeti at Animal Kingdom, to Citricos at the Grand Floridian resort, there are some really great restaurants that make everything from scratch. We’ve even found some good quick service stops, like the ABC commissary at Hollywood Studios and Sunshine Seasons in the Land pavilion at Epcot. Eating in the parks is a nice way to slow down for the day and take a break, depending on your dining experience.

Disney Springs has even more options, like Terralina Crafted Italian, Raglan Road, the Polite Pig, or even Blaze Pizza (which you can find elsewhere).

Worst: Stressful Park Experiences

When you’re tired, hot, and hungry and you’re at Disney on a Saturday (because you’re a local who works a 9-5 job), it can be hard to find a place to eat that: 1) isn’t too crowded, and 2) meets your dietary restrictions. If you don’t plan ahead or look up some of the restaurants, then it can be a frustrating day.

Pro Tip: You can pack your own food to bring with you on a long parks day. We almost always have snack bars, PB&J, water bottles, etc. You can bring these into the parks with no problem, and it’ll save you when you’re starving and can’t find a restaurant. We usually do this and then go to dinner off property later in the day after we’ve gotten cleaned up.

Best: No Fear of a Reaction

Because Disney is so upfront with what’s in their food, we almost never have to worry that Isabelle is going to have a reaction to something. If we do end up eating at Disney, we know that we’re in good hands.

Worst: Very Limited Dining Options at Disney World Restaurants

When you have a long list of food sensitivities but manage to find a restaurant to eat at on Disney property, sometimes the challenge doesn’t stop there. There might only be one or two options that is totally allergy-friendly for you, or you might be reduced to having a very paired-down version of a dish. On our first outing to Disney together, one restaurant could serve Isabelle nothing but a steak—no sides, no other protein options. She had been pescatarian at the time (to Peter’s surprise) but went back to eating meat from that point on.

But even when options are limited, Disney often compensates in other ways. It’s not always the case, but we’ve had times where the restaurant will give Isabelle extra chicken on a basic salad, or a free fruit plate for dessert. If they know you’re going to basically go hungry because of the limited options, then they do what they can to make sure you’re having a good experience.