Dairy Free Options- Kids

[DisneyUD]

Hello!

It has been about 9 years since I have been on a Disney Cruise (pre-kids) and we are going on an extended family cruise next summer (June or July 2027). I am a planner, and am worried about my son. He has a rare disease and has a dairy allergy. If he eats dairy, it messes up his esophagus and he gets sick and throws up.

He will be 7 on the cruise, and wants ice cream. Do they have a lot of dairy free options, including ice cream? Can we still do the buffets with him?

Thank you!

 

[VGCgroupie]

We will be cruising soon and are dairy free. I will follow along.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I hope this is helpful. I traveled with a friend who had severe allergies (although not dairy). When she booked, she made a note of the allergies. At dinner, they gave her the next's night menu so she could order in advance from someone knowledgeable and they could create an allergy friendly meal. When we did breakfast at the restaurants (she couldn't do the buffet with her allergies; they were contact allergies), she talked to the waiters to make sure what she was ordering would be safe. We often went off to do separate things so we frequently did lunch apart.

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[Donna3271]

I am dairy free. They have the SoDelicious coconut milk ice cream. They are a bit stingy with it, only giving a small scoop. When I asked for more on one particular occasion (on Lookout Cay, where the meals are pre-ordered, so I understand), they told me no, it was needed for the other guests.

They are AWESOME with allergies. I mostly ate coconut yogurt, and the SoDelicious. They will accommodate you! No worries!!!

 

[lanejudy]

Is his allergy strictly eating dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.) or is there concern about dairy cooked/baked into another food (cookies, cake, sauces, etc.)? The head waiter will want to know, and the Club/Lab because they offer Anyone Can Cook activities. You should let the Special Services team know.

 

[Donna3271]

I hope this is helpful. I traveled with a friend who had severe allergies (although not dairy). When she booked, she made a note of the allergies. At dinner, they gave her the next's night menu so she could order in advance from someone knowledgeable and they could create an allergy friendly meal. When we did breakfast at the restaurants (she couldn't do the buffet with her allergies; they were contact allergies), she talked to the waiters to make sure what she was ordering would be safe. We often went off to do separate things so we frequently did lunch apart.

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THIS!!! I am dairy and soy free. They take your order the night before as to save time and be prepared. They are AWESOME!!!

 

[Weedy]

Contact Disney’s Disability office they can arrange any dietary needs.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/

 

[DisneyUD]

Is his allergy strictly eating dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.) or is there concern about dairy cooked/baked into another food (cookies, cake, sauces, etc.)? The head waiter will want to know, and the Club/Lab because they offer Anyone Can Cook activities. You should let the Special Services team know.

He cannot have any dairy cooked in either. Thank you!

 

[DisneyUD]

Contact Disney’s Disability office they can arrange any dietary needs.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/

We are working with a travel agent, is this something they can help with- or do I need to contact on my own? I know it can never hurt to double up.

 

[Weedy]

We are working with a travel agent, is this something they can help with- or do I need to contact on my own? I know it can never hurt to double up.

I think this is something you should take care of yourself. You don’t want any miscommunication.

 

[shosh1530]

I am dairy free and found DCL very accommodating. I had both my shrimp allergy and dairy sensitivity listed on my reservation. Either you or your travel agent can add it to your online reservation in the special needs section.

You will also want to tell the head waiter and your serving staff at dinner the first night as the info from the reservation never seems to make it to the staff. Menus in the MDR often marked dairy-free options and as others have said we pre-ordered for the next night each meal. They can also take preorders for lunch and breakfast options if there is something you are wanting (like dairy-free waffles).

The buffet was a bit trickier for me. Most foods are not labeled as to allergens and if cross-contamination could be an issue for your son you'll want to special order the buffet foods. You find one of the crew members in a polo shirt to ask for either your pre-order or put in an order on the spot. We were often able to get dairy free desserts from the buffet by asking as well (just know that they will almost always be gluten free as well.

The soft serve on the pool deck will not be dairy free. I've had mixed results with dairy free ice cream. The MDR is the surest bet as I could always get sorbet or vanilla vegan ice cream (super yummy with chocolate sauce!). I never asked at the buffet but that might be something you could also try pre-ordering. There is a pay by the scoop ice cream place on most ships that had vanilla dairy free ice cream (at least on Fantasy and Treasure with toppings). However on one of the ships they did not want to serve me due to cross contamination risks. I was able to order dairy free ice cream through room service on one ship (but not the other two).

I was able to get dairy free pizza on all three ships from the pool deck. They would make an entire pie special order (with a few toppings) in 5-10 minutes. We really enjoyed it!

We also pre-ordered at Castaway Cay. They directed us to special window for picking up the allergen orders. Pretty easy experience.

Good luck with your cruise. The staff take allergy issues very seriously and I'm guessing they'll go out of their way to make your son's dining experience special.