Hello, and welcome back to my blog! A couple of weeks ago, I visited Southern California in my first trip of the summer. We went to Hemet for my sister’s softball tournament, then made a side trip to Huntington Beach and Anaheim. I was so excited to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure—not only because it’s the Happiest Place on Earth (and we could all use a little bit of extra happiness after fifteen months of COVID-19 lockdown/restrictions), and not only because there were shorter lines due to capacity limits, but also because Disney parks are known for being allergy- and vegan-friendly. A quick Google search leads to lots of blog posts and websites about both of these topics.
Today, I want to share some of the delicious food I enjoyed at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure during my recent visit, as well as some tips and tricks to help you enjoy your Disney eating experience! A quick disclaimer, first: this is what worked for my sister (allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts except coconut) and me (vegan; allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts except coconut, fish, shellfish) during our trip, but it may not work for you. If you have serious food allergies, please double check the ingredient lists and ask to speak to the staff.
Overall Tips & Tricks
Mobile Ordering
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most places are taking mobile orders. This means that you order in advance via the Disneyland app, significantly reducing your wait time. To do this, you tap the + button on the bottom center of the screen, then select “Order Food.” Choose the restaurant you want to order from and select your arrival window, then it will take you to the page where you can see the food offerings.
Unfortunately, the options for customizations in the mobile app are very limited. Here are my recommendations:
- Go to https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/ to see the full menus. There is usually a section titled “Allergy-Friendly.” Here, it will list foods that are milk allergy-friendly, egg allergy-friendly, soy allergy-friendly, etc. There isn’t a feature that lets you easily navigate multiple food allergies, but I was able to figure it out by comparing the lists. For example, if a dish was listed under the milk allergy, egg allergy, and nut allergy friendly tabs, I knew that I could eat it. This method essentially only works if you are able to order food as-is. When you order, you can only select one allergy, so I did this (I usually selected “Milk Allergy-Friendly”) then confirmed with the Disney staff that it was free of all my allergens when I arrived to pick up my order. (Side note: I think Disneyland needs to step up its app!)
- Select the plant-based meals if you are willing to skip animal meat for a day. Disney defines plant-based meals as those without dairy, eggs, animal meat, or honey. Luckily, this category excludes foods with dairy, eggs, fish, and shellfish—four of the nine most common allergens. This makes it convenient for people with these allergies to order food (and reduces your environmental impact).
Asking about Allergies
- Speak with the cast members at City Hall in Disneyland and the Chamber of Commerce in Disney California Adventure to see the allergy menus. I tried using the online chat feature and had no luck as the attendant didn’t know what dishes had what allergens, and I’d recommend talking to someone face-to-face if possible.
Other Tips
- Bring snacks! Part of the Disney experience is sampling all of the delicious, Disney-themed food, but guests are allowed to bring food into the parks, unlike many other theme parks. And, it’s never a bad idea to bring some granola bars, dried fruit, crackers, etc. or a sunflower seed butter sandwich to munch on if you get hungry between rides.
- According to Disneyland’s website, “Guests with food allergies or intolerances are allowed to bring food into Disneyland Resort theme parks and dining locations. When passing through the park’s security bag check, simply inform a Cast Member that someone in the party has special dietary needs.”
- Spokin, a food allergy community app, has lots of reviews from users about Disneyland, so you can read first-hand experiences and tips from others who have gone before. It’s a great resource—not only for Disney, but also for other allergy-friendly restaurants, venues, snacks, brands, and more.
- I’m a big planner, so I did a lot of research online before I went, which allowed me to see what I wanted to eat and what rides were nearby. I used The Happiest Vegan on Earth’s guides to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, as well as PETA’s guides and Allergy Awesomeness’ guides. Then, I checked out Disneyland’s app and website, compiled my research in my Notes app, and talked to cast members at the parks.
What I Ate
Now, onto the more fun part of this post…what I ate in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as a plant-based teen with multiple food allergies!
Disney California Adventure
Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill
Tacos Dorados de Papa ($9.49): Crispy Potato Tacos topped with Cabbage Slaw, Dairy-free Crema and Tomatillo Salsa. I would describe this as French fries meets tacos, topped with a fresh and refreshing cabbage slaw. We got this twice—so good!
Smokejumpers Grill
Side of Waffle Fries ($3.99). This was a great snack to have as we walked around Hollywood Land!
The Impossible Chili Waffle Fries and Impossible Burger are two plant-based dishes that I could have tried if we’d been here for more time.
Shawarma Palace
Impossible Victory Falafel ($12.99): Plant-based Falafel and Cauliflower Wrap, Garlic Spread, Hummus and Coconut Yogurt-Tahini Sauce with Pickled Vegetables. This was honestly one of the best things I ate during my Disney trip! It’s perfectly spiced and very filling.
Shawarma Palace is located in the new Avengers Campus, and you will need to wait in line to enter or have a virtual boarding pass to the new WebSlingers ride. This cart was one of the few places that did not require/accept mobile ordering when I visited last week, so I simply asked the cast member about my allergies. This dish contains gluten (pita wrap), soy (Impossible meat), and sesame and coconut (coconut yogurt-tahini sauce).
It also has an Impossible Breakfast Sha-warm-up wrap available in the morning.
Other
The other meal I was excited about, but unfortunately didn’t have time to get, was the Impossible Spoonful (Rigatoni and Ditalini Pastas, Plant-based Meat-balls, Tomato Sauce, Dairy-free Parmesan and Micro Basil) at Pym Test Kitchen in Avengers Campus.
Disneyland
Red Rose Taverne
Enchanted Cauli-Flower Sandwich ($11.79): Grilled Cauliflower Steak, Vegan Spicy Lime Aïoli, Lettuce, and Stewed Tomato on a Toasted Roll, served with French Fries or Mandarin Oranges. I know I said the falafel wrap was probably the best thing I ate, but this cauliflower sandwich was a very close second. The cauliflower was tender and flavorful, and the whole combination of the aioli, stewed tomatoes, and lettuce made for a great meal.
French Market Restaurant
Jambalaya ($14.99) or Vegetable Jambalaya ($12.99): Creole-style Seafood, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Stew or Creole-style Vegetable Stew over Rice. My sister, who is not allergic to seafood and is not vegan, had the regular jambalaya from French Market Restaurant and enjoyed it! I ate something else for this meal, but I could have had the vegetable jambalaya.
Tropical Hideaway
Dole Whip (various prices, menu offerings, and flavors). Disney is famous for its refreshing fruit-flavored Dole Whip soft serves, and my sister and I absolutely took advantage of it, ordering three Dole Whips during our two-day excursion. Our favorite was the raspberry and pineapple swirl, but they also have speciality offerings like floats with pineapple or passion-orange-guava juice and the Chile-Mango Whip topped with a chili-lime seasoning. Note that Dole Whip contains coconut oil, for those of you with coconut allergies.
Vending Carts
Sometimes, you don’t have time to sit down and eat at Disneyland, but all that walking and line-waiting can make you hungry. That’s where the food carts come in handy!
My sister and I were extremely excited to try the Mickey Mouse-shaped pretzels, which are vegan, so we each got one (without the cheese) from the cart across from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland. Last I heard, that was the only place selling the Mickey Mouse shaped pretzels. My sister also had a dill pickle from this cart.
Other allergy-friendly options available at the food carts are frozen lemonade (either the one in the cup or the Minute Maid version), popcorn (apparently it is made with coconut/canola oil, not butter), cotton candy, fruit, and sodas.
Other
The meal in Disneyland that I was excited about, but unfortunately didn’t have time to get, was the Ronto-less Garden Wrap (Plant-based Sausage, spicy Kimchi Slaw, sweet Pickled Cucumber, Plant-based Gochujang Spread, wrapped in Pita) at Ronto Roasters in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Downtown Disney District
Salt & Straw
Mathilde’s Hibiscus & Coconut Sherbet Scoop w/ a Sugar Cone. I love Salt & Straw, and while they have locations elsewhere in California, Washington, Oregon, and Florida, I think that ice cream somehow tastes better at the Happiest Place on Earth. Even though this is a “sherbet,” it is vegan (made with coconut milk), and the flavor was so summery and unique. I really like that Salt & Straw has vegan cones as well and that the servers are allergy-conscious. My server asked me if I had any allergies, unprompted, then got a clean scoop for me when I said I did.
Final Thoughts
There are many plant-based and allergy-friendly options in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. The plant-based menu items are designated with a small green leaf, so you know that they don’t contain dairy, eggs, animal meats, or honey. While I’ve been to Disneyland previously, experiences at other parks (aka their complete lack of plant-based and allergy-friendly food) led me to never even think about looking up what I could eat here. I’m so glad that I did this time, though, because Disney has gained a reputation as a foodie destination, and it certainly lived up to the hype!
