EP.2/ Dining On a Disney Cruise With Food Allergies
When most people hear Disney they think of extremely long lines, crowds of people, and overpriced…well..everything, but us food allergy people think about all of the safe and really good food we get to enjoy three meals a day for our entire trip. A few weeks ago I went on the seven day “Very Merrytime” cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Disney Fantasy. Our planned ports were Tortola Island, St. Thomas Island, and Disney’s Castaway Cay Island.
Before you set sail
During the booking process you’ll want to make sure you note your allergies under the “Special Requests” tab no less than 4 weeks in advance. My only critique for Disney’s dining is that they only have the top nine allergens as selections, so make sure to tell your server if you have any other allergies that are not top nine at the beginning of your first dinner.
You must always always always pack prepared. Although Disney has a very thorough allergy protocol, we are all human and mistakes and reactions can happen. Never travel with less than two epinephrine auto injectors and benadryl/zyrtec. In case of a medical emergency, there is a health center located on the first floor and a doctor on call 24/7.
Dining at a glance
There are three main restaurants in your dining rotation: Animator’s Palate, Royal Court, and Enchanted Garden. There are also two adult restaurants you can choose to dine in, Remy and Palo. Our rotation began and ended at Animator’s Palate (arguably the best one). We had two of the best servers, Maria from Grenada and Jeisson from Colombia. One of my favorite things about dining on a cruise is that you have the same server every. single. night. No more having to repeat your allergies over and over again throughout the week! Just make sure you double check with your server on the first night that they are aware of all of your allergies and you will be all set for the rest of the week. You will also have the option to pre-order your meals for the next dinner with your server! Pre-ordering will give your chef the heads up notice of what you plan to eat the next night to minimize wait times.
There are two quick service dining options, Flo’s and Cabanas. Flo’s serves your typical fast food style food (chicken tenders, fries, pizza, hamburgers, and some plant based options). Food from Flo’s cannot be altered to exclude allergens, but a list of allergens can be provided by the staff for you and Disney staff always go above and beyond to make sure you have a safe meal. Cabanas is a buffet that serves a wider variety of food options, especially seafood. Food from Cabanas can be ordered, modified, and prepared to exclude your allergens and be guaranteed safe.
First day
When you first arrive on the boat, you’re more than likely going to want to eat lunch first while you wait for your stateroom to be cleaned. This lunch is served at Cabanas (the buffet..aka my mom’s second home that week). When I first walked in, there was someone stationed at the door to greet everyone. I told them I had food allergies and they called out their head server, Sheree. Sheree wrote down all of my allergies on a pink form, asked me what I wanted from the buffet, gave me a number, and in about 20 minutes my safely made meal was brought to my table. It was as simple as that. Throughout your trip, Cabanas and Royal Court are open for breakfast and lunch, so you will repeat these same steps for your breakfast and lunch meals throughout the week! Typically Cabanas gets a little chaotic, so just find anyone with a name tag and they will be able to help you. It doesn’t have to be the same person every time.
Grilled Chicken, Buttered Carrots, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, and Bread Roll
Port adventures
Port calls can be a pretty scary thing with food allergies, but they don’t have to be!
Fortunately, all of our planned activities were timed well so I was able to go back and forth between the islands and the ship to eat. The ability to get on and off the ship as you please gives you the opportunity to have a safe meal at any point if you do not feel comfortable eating somewhere on land.
If you have an excursion planned through Disney that includes a meal, you are able to request an allergy safe packed lunch to take with you! If you plan on taking snacks off the boat, make sure to double check your port guidelines as some may only allow prepackaged foods.
Miscellaneous items
The shampoo, conditioner, and soap….yes, I checked. They do not have the ingredients listed on the back of the bottle, but I am sure if you ask your stateroom attendant they will do their best to find out for you. Make sure to bring your own just in case!
Pillow chocolates are left on the bed each night for you and your family! We were given Dove milk chocolates. The ingredients and allergen statement were pretty vague, so if chocolate is a concern for you let your stateroom attendant know right away.
The Fantasy has a CANDY SHOP! Sadly they could not guarantee there would be no cross contamination…but it looked really good from the window.
Have a safe and magical cruise!🚢✨
