Our Disney Cruise Food Allergies Review
UPDATED May 2025.
In this post, I’m sharing a review of our 2-week vacation in the Mediterranean on the Disney Magic. I’ll give you a thorough Disney cruise food allergies review so you can decide if it’s right for your family.
Please keep in mind that things can change quickly when it comes to companies and food allergies so this review is instantly outdated by the time you read it.
You’ll get a good idea of how food allergies are managed on Disney Cruises, but it’s always best to confirm everything with Disney Cruise Lines BEFORE booking to ensure there haven’t been changes.
First a little background…
I’m Corinna, and I’m a Food Allergy Mom and Food Allergy Travel Advisor. This means I help food allergy families keep their kids safe, and worry less while on vacation so they can make amazing memories! If you’re looking for food allergy travel tips, you’re in the right place (and follow me on Instagram, @friendlypantry).
Our family is from Canada, and we love to travel. We’ve been to Spain, Ireland, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, the Bahamas, all over the US (including Disney World and Disneyland), and all over Canada; all before our kids were teens. But I know it doesn’t feel easy to do with food allergies (or kids). But maybe you’ve been wondering if it’s possible?
Want to start traveling but you’re not sure because someone in your family has food allergies?
I can help! Severe food allergies have been our way of life for over 18 years, and we’ve learned that they don’t have to stop us from traveling or exploring the world.
After our extensive travel experience, I decided to use the practical knowledge I've gained over many years to become an advocate for the food allergy community.
When booking with me, I use my food allergy travel experience and knowledge to empower you to make memories as a family.
And there’s no additional fee for accommodations when you book through me.
From Disney to All-Inclusives to European adventures, I’ll help you curate the right vacation so you can enjoy safer, stress-free travel experiences that your family will never forget.
Email me at corinna.meckelborg@fora.travel to start the process!
Now let’s dive into the Disney cruise food allergies review.
**Be sure to read to the end, where I’ll give you a breakdown of the food allergy travel skills you’ll need to feel confident on this trip AND talk about what medical care is like on the ship.
Park Guell in Barcelona
In general, on our Disney Cruise, we had a great time as a family and I’m super glad we took the time to pre-plan and make the vacation possible, even with food allergies, but there were a few surprises along the way. I’ll share more in a bit.
Our cruise was a 10-day Disney cruise on the Magic ship from Barcelona with stops in various cities in Italy and France and then back to Barcelona. We got off the ship every day except for the 2 sea days. We then spent 4 days in Barcelona, Spain on our own before flying back home.
Our Disney Cruise Food Allergy Journey
Let’s start with what you all want to know.
Yes, the Disney Cruise line WAS AMAZING with food allergies, but there are MANY other things to consider when it comes to cruising with food allergies. I’ll go into more detail in a moment, but for now, here’s a little about how our Disney cruise food allergy journey went:
We had the same servers every single day so we didn’t have to explain about the allergies every single meal.
Our main server was amazing, but our assistant server wasn’t the best. The main server was the one you talked with most, so it was ok.
The way the meal worked was that my daughter would pre-order her breakfast the evening before and they would make it up as soon as we arrived at the pre-chosen restaurant so it would be fresh. She would also pre-order her evening meal at breakfast. We loved this setup, but it does take away from the spontaneity. I think it’s a small price to pay for food allergy safety though.
We found that there was ALWAYS a safe dessert that was drool-worthy, and my daughter (and all of us) ate like a true princess when we were on the boat.
Allergy-Friendly Mickey Pancakes In Lumier's Restaurant on Disney Cruise Line’s Magic.
Allergy-Friendly Dessert on Disney Cruise Line
2. We found the off-boat day excursions a little challenging (but doable) with food allergies.
Here’s where things got a little more challenging. The land tours on the cruise were a little challenging because you never had the same guide and the guides would usually set you free in a location for lunch so there wasn’t much help when it came to finding safe food.
The guides were also very limited in their language skills and couldn’t communicate well other than “where is shopping” or “where is the bathroom” and their tour “spiel”.
With a little creativity and our allergy-safe travel skills, we were able to navigate just fine.
This charming medieval town of Eze, France was one of our favourite stops.
3. Make sure you have the right food allergy chef card translations.
We brought French, Spanish, and Italian allergy cards which we downloaded for free from the FARE website. When you do this, make sure that you know what languages you need. For example, in Barcelona they speak Spanish, but also Catalan. We didn’t realize this and we found that some waiters seemed to not fully understand our Spanish cards. In the end, we figured out it was probably because they spoke Catalan and not Spanish.
Small side street in Monaco
4. Pack non-perishable safe foods.
As I mentioned before, day trips were the most challenging, but still doable. In anticipation of this, we brought backups for my daughter to eat if we didn’t feel like the restaurant was safe or if we didn’t feel like they understood our needs.
Keep in mind…
We weren’t allowed to take any food off the ship unless it was pre-packaged, processed food (so no baked goods, fruit, or veggies).
We brought Boost drinks, pre-made rice with beans, canned chicken snacks, canned tuna snacks, several safe granola bars, and gummy candies. We used all of these on the trip at one point or another. So on the days when we didn’t feel comfortable with the food choices, my daughter would drink a Boost meal replacement,or eat granola bars, or we would buy fruit at a fruit stand.
After the cruise was over, we rented accommodations with a small kitchen so some days I prepared these foods for my daughter before we headed out so she was full. We also had breakfast for all of us in our room.
If you want help figuring out exactly WHAT to PACK, and HOW MUCH, so you never have to worry about finding safe food (but don’t have to pay extra for luggage), my Food Allergy Planning Pack is the perfect tool. If you book your cruise through me, these planning packs are included at no additional cost!
Pool area on the Disney Cruise Line Magic
5. My daughter ate like a Princess while on the Disney Cruise. Food allergies didn’t seem like a thing!
That said, excursions could be a bit more challenging because it was awkward eating unsafe food in front of my daughter when she couldn’t order on excursions. I like to keep my daughter included in everything we do, but when traveling, safe is always better. When we were on excursions, we stayed away from treats and desserts and just had regular meals so she wouldn’t feel left out.
Even so, the amazing allergy-friendly food on the cruise ship helped because we all knew she would get an amazing meal when we were back on board.
Because of the practice we get while traveling, it has allowed my daughter to grow in maturity. She’s learning that it’s more important that she eats safely, even if it’s different from what everyone else is having.
There were many times when she would just say “Go ahead, I’m fine with my Boost or my banana”. I believe this is a sign of maturity, and I’m proud of how well she’s learning to handle not being able to eat what everyone else has. Of course, I don’t like excluding her, but I also believe that she needs to understand that there are times when she won’t be able to eat the same food as others.
Small food mart where we bought allergy-friendly bananas to snack on in one of the Cinque Terra Villages, Italy.
6. Plan your pre- and post-stays well.
After being pampered on the cruise and having at least 2 meals per day that were safe, delicious, and full of treats, it was hard to go back to checking everything for ourselves (especially in a different language, since we were in Barcelona).
It was a rude awakening, to say the least.
I would schedule this alone time BEFORE a cruise instead of after if I had to do it again. I would also do a better job of researching restaurants before our trip so we feel better prepared. We learned this the hard way, but you don’t have to!
Book with me as your experienced Food Allergy Travel Advisor so you can be fully prepared for the entire trip, so you can just show up and relax.
7. What is medical care on board the ship like?
Disney Cruiseline (and most cruise lines) have a doctor and a nurse on staff. They can perform basic stabilization in the case of an emergency. If there is a reaction that requires hospitalization, you would need to be evacuated to the nearest hospital, likely by helicopter if you’re at sea. So it’s important to get insurance coverage for medical evacuation to the hospital. When you have the right insurance, they will ensure that you go to the best hospital for your needs and act as a liaison for the best medical care. If needed, I can help you find the right insurance provider, whether you take a cruise or another vacation.
I know the ship doesn’t have full hospital care is hard for some to accept and may make a cruise less appealing. Even so, we were ok with it because we know that Disney Cruiseline does not want anything to happen and is prepared to get people the help they need ASAP. This is not just for food allergy sufferers. Consider the large number of people who are at risk for a heart attack or other emergency health issues who cruise every day. That said, it’s important to know the facts and choose based on what’s right for you. If you’re not sure, I can give you the facts so that you can make the best decision. Together, we can find a non-stressful vacation that’s right for your family!
Want to chat about your next trip? Here’s my Travel Advisor Bio and contact info.
8. Food allergy travel skills you’ll need for this trip.
Packing the right amount of safe foods. This can be tricky without packing too much (and paying for extra luggage on the plane and cruise) or too little and feeling like you can’t find safe food. You can get a Planning Worksheet that makes this easy in the Food Allergy Travel Workshop (included when you book your cruise or other trip through me).
Flying safely with food allergies. Flying to and from a cruise can be challenging and a little scary at times. Discover our best tips and safest strategies in the Food Allergy Travel Workshop (included when you book your trip through me).
Before and after cruise stays. You may need to arrive or leave a few days before or after your cruise (or you may want to explore a destination further). Even if you’re taking a Caribbean Cruise, you will still need to navigate a completely strange location. It’s helpful to be prepared! Learn our best tips to help make it less nerve-wracking by asking me any questions you have. This is included when you book your vacation through me.
Researching restaurants. No matter where you are, it’s important to ask questions and ensure the meal is made safely with allergies at the forefront. You may need to find restaurants before and after your cruise starts and on port days. You can discover our best strategies in the Dining Out With Food Allergies Workshop (this workshop is also included when you book through me).
*PRO TIP * If you book your cruise, or any vacation through me, you will get all of my food allergy support, both of my workshops, PLUS 1-2 one-on-one consults (usually $150 each) so you can ask me any questions about traveling with food allergies at no additional cost. You don’t have to figure it out alone!
Email me at corinna.meckelborg@fora.travel to chat about your next trip!
Conclusion
We had a wonderful vacation. There were some challenges, but thanks to experience and extensive planning, our Disney cruise with food allergies was a great success.
Let me know what you think. Will you cruise with food allergies? What questions do you have? Please comment below, and I’ll answer them.
You also might like these posts:
Choosing The Right Destination for Your Family
