Disney to trial new allergy friendly menus at pilot locations this month

Sep 05, 2014 in "Walt Disney World Resorts"

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Posted: Friday September 5, 2014 9:40am EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff

Select locations at Walt Disney World will be trialling new allergy-friendly menus at a range of restaurants during the next month.

Restaurants taking part in the trial include:

Flying Fish Café at Disney's BoardWalk
ABC Commissary, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant and The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Kona Cafe and Captain Cooks at Disney's Polynesian Resort
World Premiere Food Court at Disney's All-Star Movies Resort.

The allergy friendly menu will mean that in some cases, it will no longer be necessary for a chef to visit the guest at the table, and instead selections can be made directly from the special menu. For any allergies that are not covered by the menu, or if the guest prefers to speak to a chef, that option will remain available.

The test is expected to run from September 9 through to October 20 2014.

Discuss on the Forums

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jaklgreenAug 30, 2015

If you just have 1 allergy to nuts, cant you just ask if something on the menu contains nuts? The server should know what the ingredients are in the dishes. But I think some of the issue might be that they are prepared in the same are as the other dishes. You would have to ask them to make it separate from the other dishes. I think maybe that is what Disney is trying to avoid, slowing down the kitchen with all of the numerous special requests. I am sure there are other dishes that do not have peanuts in them but did not make the allergy list, probably because it had other allergy items in it. It is tough, I feel for people with food allergies. But I can also see how it would be hard for a restaurant(especially ones as busy as WDW ones) to be able to make every ones special orders. By separating the dishes and having a set menu that they can make in a separate area, it will makes things so much faster.

MonorailLoverAug 29, 2015

I couldn't tell you why the menu is reduced so much, but do you get where I'm coming from in general? Other than TAF, BOG and coral reef were the barely changed menus.

afar28Aug 29, 2015

This is what I was referring to, may have been unclear. Somehow this 19 menu itemGets reduced to 5 things on the allergy menu. I'm pretty sure 14 things on the menu don't have peanuts, it's rather confusing

MonorailLoverAug 29, 2015

No, it's newly nut free. I went on August 1st. I could eat EVERYTHING! Only people with allergies can understand how happy I was!

zero creativityAug 29, 2015

Yak and Yeti is completely nut free? Has it always been nut free?

MonorailLoverAug 28, 2015

Just updated my post above, please read.

afar28Aug 28, 2015

Weird, not sure why I had that issue then. The sides were changed on the allergy menu for me which was kind of frustrating

MonorailLoverAug 28, 2015

I ate dinner at BOG Recently, and they were utilizing the style of menu I described. Coral reef did also. I've been really annoyed at BOG recently. With their change to a reservation required for their "quick service" lunch, my sister and I now joke that it is "signature" quick service. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they changed the menu again. We also ate at The Yak and Yeti, which is actually completely nut free. It is also Landrys select, so they still utilized the chef coming out, which I ended up negotiating for my meal..... A little annoying, but it turned out to be the best meal I've had at WDW to date. They traded off coconut shrimp from the steak and shrimp entree for chicken and changed up the sauce, leaving the steak. It was a perfect meal..... I also actually got to eat the chocolate cake, which is a NO NO at ANY other Disney restaurant.

afar28Aug 28, 2015

Maybe I got it in a trial stage? My menu at BOG didn't list things on the menu for containing one allergen, so I couldn't get something I was positive I could order. I talked to the waiter about it and even he was confused by this. He asked the chef, clearing up any confusion and I ordered what I wanted. If that was my first time dining there though, I never would've known about it.

MonorailLoverAug 28, 2015

Yeah, honestly, my family always reserves, and you can put in allergies. It used to basically automatically have the chef come out, or at least have the waitstaff informed, where they then send the chef out. I've never had an issue with allergies, or even with the allergy menus. I've now used the new menus 4-5 times. They really help.

MotherOfBirdsAug 28, 2015

I once was hassled by waitstaff at a DTD restaurant because I had asked that the cheese be left off my dinner (annoying but not severe dairy allergy) and after being answered in the affirmative, it still came out with cheese on it. When I mentioned this to the server and said that I asked for no cheese because of an allergy, he lectured me for not telling them so they could bring the chef out. OR, ya know, just listen when I ask for no cheese.

MonorailLoverAug 28, 2015

With the menu telling you what each item is free of, its definitely easier to use, especially how I felt bad when the chef came out.

MonorailLoverAug 28, 2015

I think you're incorrect. I have legitimate allergies to tree nuts, shellfish, and mushrooms. I have used The new allergy menus last week, and they do not have different items from the regular menu. All they do is specify what each menu item is free of. The one restaurant had shellfish on the allergy menu, and said it was everything but shellfish free. For example, the steak will be Tree but, gluten, soy, and shellfish free. The shrimp will be tree nut, gluten, and soy free, but obviously not shellfish free. Get the point? They don't change the items unless you still ask for them too.