Welcome back to another article where I deep-dive into the best Allergy-Friendly dining locations in Walt Disney World!
In the first part of this series, I pointed out the best options when it came to Table Service dining in the Magic Kingdom. However, sitting down for every meal may not be your cup of tea, and it also racks up quite a bill at the end of the day.
Luckily, for Part 2, I am going to be ranking the best Quick-Service options in the Magic Kingdom when it comes to dining with food allergies.
#3 – Pinocchio Village Haus
If we are being upfront and honest, I’m a New Yorker, so my bar for pizza should be pretty high. Unfortunately, it’s not, and I am one of the few people who actually enjoys Disney Pizza. If you happen to agree with me, I have good news for you: Pinocchio Village Haus is a gold mine for those with allergies.
You can get a Pepperoni, Margherita, and Cheese Pizza all made on a Gluten-Free crust with Dairy-Free cheese. These pizzas are also safe for those with fish, egg, soy and nut allergies. If you are not avoiding soy, you can also get a version of their Meat Lovers Pie!
Not so much of a pizza person? You can also get a Penne Pasta with Marinara Sauce off of the plant-based menu. Seeing as this is a vegan option, this dish is free from dairy and eggs.
Plus, if you manage to score a window seat, you get to overlook the boats leaving the loading zone of “it’s a small world”. That’s what I call dinner and a show.
Allergy Tip: I mentioned the Enjoy Life cookies available across the Disney resort in my last article, but you can also usually find gluten-free brownies in most Quick-Service locations. Just mention it to whoever you are putting your order in with and they might just have a fudgy dessert for you!
#2 – Columbia Harbour House
Located in the heart of Liberty Square, Columbia Harbour House is the perfect stop for those looking for some quick New England-inspired flavors. It’s also one of only a handful of quick-service spots in Walt Disney World that offers seafood as an option. Obviously, if you’re avoiding fish, this may not be ideal. However, for those with gluten, egg, milk, or nut allergies, you can enjoy a modified version of the Grilled Salmon off of their Allergy-Friendly menu. This fish dish will feature a side of mixed vegetables and French fries instead of the usual rice offered. The rice does contain dairy, so do make sure that you have received the right order before diving in.
If you’re not much of a seafood person, you also can order some good old Chicken Breast Nuggets, which is safe for gluten, egg, milk, and nut allergies. It can be served with your choice of string beans and carrots or French fries.
Allergy Tip: For severe allergies, you may want to ask if fried items are cooked in a dedicated fryer. Most places do have a fryer solely for allergy-friendly foods, but it doesn’t hurt to be on the safe side.
Other options include their Harbour Salad which comes with Mixed Greens, Cheddar Cheese, Apples, Egg, Cucumber, Onion, and an Apple Cider Vinaigrette. This salad is Nut-Free as is, but I have also been able to get it made Dairy-Free. If you have any other allergen concerns, this does seem to be a good modifiable option, just please make sure you speak to a Cast Member before ordering. You are also given the chance to add a protein on the salad with your choice of either shrimp or chicken.
Harbour House also has a plant-based option in the form of the Lighthouse Sandwich. This sandwich features Hummus with Tomato and Broccoli Slaw served on Multi-Grain Bread and since it is plant-based, it’s free from meat, fish, egg, dairy, and honey.
NOTE: Because of the high volume of fish and seafood cooked in Columbia Harbour House, they do advise if you have a severe fish allergy to avoid dining there.
#1 – Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe
Nothing says old-style Western Saloon like some theme park Tex-Mex right? Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe has gone through many menu changes over the years but in my opinion, their current menu is the best of the bunch. And the best part? Their entire kitchen is free from any nut or fish products, so if those are your allergies, you can order any and everything off of this menu, and you’d be safe.
Mexican food on whole is usually really easy to modify for allergies, most of the time it’s just a matter of removing cheese and sour cream for dairy allergies and making sure you’re getting corn tortillas rather than flour for gluten sensitivities. However, the trickiest bit is making sure your rice isn’t cooked in any sort of butter. Luckily when ordering off of the allergen menu, you get allergy-friendly rice with your order.
On a whole, Pecos Bill has probably the most options on their allergy menu. If you’re avoiding gluten, egg, milk, soy, nuts, or fish, their Rice Bowl is a delicious option. Served with Rice and Beans, you then have the option for either Chicken, Pork Carnitas or Vegetables (and don’t forget to ask for that side of guacamole!)
If soy isn’t one of your allergies, the Southwest Chicken (or Pork Carnitas) Salad is also a great option, as well as the Jerk Chicken Lettuce Wraps and the Plant-Based Southwest Burger. The burger features a Dairy-free Cheese, Avocado Aioli and a Gluten-Free Bun.
Of course, Pecos Bill is known for their hearty Fajita Platter and don’t worry, you can still order a modified version of this dish off the allergy menu as well. Served with Pork Carnitas, Seasoned Chicken, Rice, Beans, Fajita Vegetables and Flour Tortillas, this dish is safe for those dealing with an egg, milk, nut or fish allergy. I would also ask a Cast Member, but with the removal of the flour tortillas, this should most likely be gluten-free.
ALLERGY TIP: While Pecos Bill is very accommodating to allergies and has probably the most extensive allergy-menu of any quick-service in the Magic Kingdom, I would use caution when using the toppings bar. This, of course, is up to you and your comfort level, but depending on the severity of your allergy, there is a high level of cross-contamination that can occur, so if you want to load up on pico de gallo, or salsa, I’m sure a Cast Member would be more then happy to get you a fresh cup from the back.
I hope this helped ease your mind for your next Walt Disney World vacation and even got you a little excited to try some new options. Make sure to be on the look-out for Part 3, where I’ll be going over the best Table Service options in EPCOT!