Disability Pass Help with Restaurant Accommodations?

[Andrea0710]

We will be getting a disability for my son due to his autism, and I was wondering if this would help us with restaurants accommodations. My son only eats certain foods, but there are places we would like to go that do not necessarily serves the foods he likes. Would the disability pass help us with getting the restaurant to serve food that he would be able to eat (chicken, pizza, fries)?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

No, a DAS is for ride queues only. I recommend you look at menus online and find places that offer what he will eat. If they serve it on their menu a different time of day, they will usually make it for you. But they won’t go get food from another restaurant and serve it to you.

 

[Andrea0710]

Can we bring food in from another restaurant?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Can we bring food in from another restaurant?

It really depends. I’ve never tried but I’ve seen other people say they have done it at Disney-owned restaurants but have been denied at 3rd party restaurants.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Can we bring food in from another restaurant?

QS eateries tend not to have any restrictions on people eating whatever at their tables but TS will be more of a case by case basis. As in sometimes yes, sometimes no.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The chef can sometimes modify an offering to make it more to your son's liking.

 

[Andrea0710]

The chef can sometimes modify an offering to make it more to your son's liking.

That's great to hear. Thank you!

 

[TwoMisfits]

We will be getting a disability for my son due to his autism, and I was wondering if this would help us with restaurants accommodations. My son only eats certain foods, but there are places we would like to go that do not necessarily serves the foods he likes. Would the disability pass help us with getting the restaurant to serve food that he would be able to eat (chicken, pizza, fries)?

Restaurants accommodate with the personnel and food they have. Some will be able to help, some won't. Your best bet would be to find restaurants which already have those foods on the menu in some way, be they on the kids or adult menus. If the foods already exist in the form (or close to the form) your son will want, you are much more likely to be served what he exactly would like.

AKA, with my dairy and tree nut allergies, I don't bother going to Italian restaurants b/c the quantity of parm cheese thrown everywhere and the amount of dairy in almost everything just isn't worth putting the stress of restaurant personnel trying to find the one dish they could make me while everyone else eats. The same thing applies at comfort food restaurants (like Paula Deens in Pigeon Forge where butter is king). Whereas, I live in Asian restaurants, especially Japanese and Chinese, b/c both rely so little on dairy and tree nuts...and if not there, I live on the vegan side of many menus b/c tree nuts tend to not be used in many restaurants, so if I can avoid the dairy, the tree nut is easier...

 

[HopperFan]

We will be getting a disability for my son due to his autism, and I was wondering if this would help us with restaurants accommodations. My son only eats certain foods, but there are places we would like to go that do not necessarily serves the foods he likes. Would the disability pass help us with getting the restaurant to serve food that he would be able to eat (chicken, pizza, fries)?

No, a DAS is for ride queues only. I recommend you look at menus online and find places that offer what he will eat. If they serve it on their menu a different time of day, they will usually make it for you. But they won’t go get food from another restaurant and serve it to you.

THIS ^

If you have never gotten a DAS then it is critical you know it ONLY helps with attraction queues. It will not help with dining, buses, water parks, non-FP character meets, firework viewing .... Your best bet is to do your homework, read as much as you can about planning and know it is up to you to manage his experience.

I am in perpetual management of our days, of avoiding places where sound is an issue and where dining is not a good idea ... while being keenly aware of how DS is managing, how much water he's had, when he last ate etc. We break often in quiet places, sometimes we arrive late or leave early or have to take mid day breaks.

Disney is already generous with the DAS allowing us to manage queues, everything else is on me. I check my bag twice to make sure I have the whole "tool kit" with me to have success and I utilize the app on my phone to find wait times he can handle.

Best bet, research menus and choose only those that have food he will eat. It will be easier on you and make him happier, which at least in my case keeps us both happy, especially since meal time is relax and recharge time.

 

[DWillowBay]

No, a DAS is for ride queues only. I recommend you look at menus online and find places that offer what he will eat. If they serve it on their menu a different time of day, they will usually make it for you. But they won’t go get food from another restaurant and serve it to you.

No. My adult son, who is autistic, has very particular food preferences. That is not a restaurant's responsibility to accommodate, it's mine to choose wisely when we pick restaurants. Are there things we do not/ cannot do because of those particulars....yes, sure. But there are plenty of options at WDW that do have his acceptable food items. I'm just grateful to be there and if I never get to eat at California Grill....my life will go on just fine.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We will be getting a disability for my son due to his autism, and I was wondering if this would help us with restaurants accommodations. My son only eats certain foods, but there are places we would like to go that do not necessarily serves the foods he likes. Would the disability pass help us with getting the restaurant to serve food that he would be able to eat (chicken, pizza, fries)?

one thing to remember is if it is an all you can eat meal even if you would bring him food he is going to most likely be charged even if he does not eat anything from there. most places that can get food off menu are ones that share a kitchen with another place that serves that food. if what you want is not on menu it will not be in the kitchen. also there might not be the normal way to prepare it. nuggets and fries taste different if made in oven instead of fryer so your son might not like them even if they could make for you

 

[MomOTwins]

I feel you OP. We have an autistic DS too and food is such a challenge! Fortunately at Disney, I can usually find a good selection of restaurants in each park or general resort area that have food he likes.

Also, don't forget to look at appetizers and sides in addition to the kids menu. For example, when we went to Tiffins, there was nothing on the kids menu my son would eat, but I did know he loves naan bread and white rice, so that is what we ordered for him (supplemented with a snack before). As someone else pointed out, though, watch out for "family-style" restaurants--those have a fixed price even if your kid eats literally nothing, and tend to have limited ability to customize,

 

[Andrea0710]

I feel you OP. We have an autistic DS too and food is such a challenge! Fortunately at Disney, I can usually find a good selection of restaurants in each park or general resort area that have food he likes.

Also, don't forget to look at appetizers and sides in addition to the kids menu. For example, when we went to Tiffins, there was nothing on the kids menu my son would eat, but I did know he loves naan bread and white rice, so that is what we ordered for him (supplemented with a snack before). As someone else pointed out, though, watch out for "family-style" restaurants--those have a fixed price even if your kid eats literally nothing, and tend to have limited ability to customize,

Thank you for your kind reply! I am going to message you with some questions.

 

[Marthasor]

I feel you OP. We have an autistic DS too and food is such a challenge! Fortunately at Disney, I can usually find a good selection of restaurants in each park or general resort area that have food he likes.

Also, don't forget to look at appetizers and sides in addition to the kids menu. For example, when we went to Tiffins, there was nothing on the kids menu my son would eat, but I did know he loves naan bread and white rice, so that is what we ordered for him (supplemented with a snack before). As someone else pointed out, though, watch out for "family-style" restaurants--those have a fixed price even if your kid eats literally nothing, and tend to have limited ability to customize,

I just wanted to piggy-back on MomOTwins post as this is what we did, as well, when DS was very specific in his food choices in his younger years. If I knew we were going to a sit-down restaurant where there wasn't a lot he liked, I would, typically get something for him to eat at a QS beforehand and then just order something small, a la carte, for him when we got to the restaurant. I could typically find an app or a side he would eat, so I would, perhaps, order two of those and cobble a small meal together for him. That way, he had eaten his preferred food beforehand and had a nibble and didn't feel left out while we ate our main meal. I will say, however, there were some places that just had absolutely nothing he would like and we did avoid those. As others have said, take a close look at any family-style meals before booking to make sure your DS will eat the food. I remember a fairly pricey meal at Tusker House a few years ago where DS basically ate a roll . . . I learned my lesson.

 

[cgattis]

Can we bring food in from another restaurant?

We have never had an issue bringing in outside food to any restaurant at Disney (or really anywhere). Like others have said, we’ll also try to order something there, and certainly a drink, and take care of our server. Not to say we weren’t judged here on the boards, but we’ve never had a restaurant say a thing. Do what you need to do to take care of your child and enjoy your trip

 

[Andrea0710]

We have never had an issue bringing in outside food to any restaurant at Disney (or really anywhere). Like others have said, we’ll also try to order something there, and certainly a drink, and take care of our server. Not to say we weren’t judged here on the boards, but we’ve never had a restaurant say a thing. Do what you need to do to take care of your child and enjoy your trip

This is a GOOD answer! THANK YOU!