Is it doable to plan a trip in less than 180 days with food allergies?

[lepidop]

Without unnecessary stress, I mean. I know it's possible, but I wonder if I should just wait until the next free dining period comes around. This will probably be our last trip to Disney. My kids and I have food allergies, so we have to plan our meals carefully. We have a long enough list of things we must avoid, that we have to talk to chefs in advance of our arrival to make sure they are ready for us. My husband and I we just talking about a last trip and thought we could try to do it before March. We've gone twice before, but I had much more time to plan and was able to get all the reservations I wanted. Will I be stuck having to take whatever happens to be available at weird times? We're not interested in character dining or the dessert events, but the kids were really into watching the divers while we ate at Coral Reef.
Thanks!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

So, when I ask about contacting Disney for a special order, like you are talking about, not just a simply allergy order, they tell me to email 2 weeks before. They certainly don't need 180 days.

Now, whether what you want is available, I don't know. I have planned my January trip, just since September. We actually moved our trip from September when Irma came through, to mid January. I got all of the reservations that I wanted, at the times that I wanted.

 

[lepidop]

Oh, good! I'd love to not have to wait.

 

[srwarden1928]

It depends very much on what restaurants you want and what times you want. If you want very popular restaurants at average eating times, it may be difficult to get what you want. If you are more flexible with your eating times, that helps. If your restaurant choices are not the most popular (and some of the less popular restaurants are excellent), that helps too.

 

[lepidop]

Most of the restaurants that I liked best were ones that were less popular and easier to get into the last time we went. It's been about 4 years though, so I imagine some things have changed.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

The fact that you aren't concerned about character dining, you should be fine.

Try to make a couple of the ones you are interested in. If you can do it, I would go for it. If not, and if you aren't willing to go with other restaurants, I would rethink your trip.

Really, I would only be concerned about getting reservations that you want. Chefs wouldn't generally need 180 days notice for allergies.

 

[srwarden1928]

DW and I on one trip got day of reservations at what turned out to be our two favorite restaurants in Epcot--on different days. But those were/are Biergarten and Marrakesh.

 

[lepidop]

I did it!!
I booked our trip and was able to get all the dining reservations I wanted. I'm so excited! Thanks for the encouragement. It certainly seems a lot less cutthroat than it was 5 years ago for dining. Or maybe I'm just choosing reservations better.

 

[hsmamato2]

Yes- Disney excels at food allergy preparation.