Tips for Disney World and Disneyland

  • Cambrooke Foods has been working in accordance with Disney’s Culinary Development & Special Dietary Needs Team in an effort to make low protein foods available to all of Disney’s PKU and Allied Disorders guests.
    • The phone number to call to make your dining reservations at Disney’s Table Service restaurants is: 407-939-3463. You need to indicate the special diet requirement as PKU. The Cast Member will document this information on the dining reservation and give you a reservation number and a phone number to contact the location to discuss your needs. Disney currently carries MixQuick and a variety of our low protein pastas. Their list of Cambrooke Foods groceries will increase this month to include the following:

    MixQuick – for Belgian Sweet Waffles and Disney Character Pancakes

    Home Style Sliced White Bread – for sandwiches and garlic toast

    American Cheese Singles – for grilled cheese

    Macaroni and Cheese

    Camburgers

    Penne Pasta

    Portabella Spinach Ravioli

    Alfredo Sauce

    *Please take advantage of Disney’s talented chefs whose ability to create a magnificent low protein culinary experience is unsurpassed.

  • My PKU child is 17 years old and has been to Disney 5 times. Any full service restaurant in the parks or hotels will accommodate her diet. Usually the chef comes out to speak to her and creates a meal of what she wants. This year was the first year that we asked for real "low pro" food, in this case, pasta at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. She got a beautiful plate of penne made, and supplemented the meal with items from buffet. This was the only meal she ate with us as she was down there with the music department of her high school. We just tagged along to see the performances (her chorus performed in the Magic Kingdom!).


    • All rooms at the Caribbean where we stayed come with refrigerators and since we rent a car, the first stop is to a local supermarket for snacks for everyone. I have to be honest to say that we have never asked the Caribbean Beach resort to cook special for Meaghan since all restaurants, except one which is open only in the evening, are "fast food." However, if you let them know early, I am sure they will try to accommodate you since we have never had any problem in all the times we have been to Disney. Since you will probably be spending all day in the parks anyway, you should call and make reservations now for the restaurants.

    FYI - the new meal plan that you can add to your room is fantastic!

  • We have traveled by airplane at least once a year with our daughter. We have never had any trouble. I have always carried a note from our physician explaining what PKU was, but have NEVER had to use it.


    • Disney World is the best!! Just call the Disney dining number and they will arrange any meal you want in a sit down restaurant. They have low pro foods on hand! They were absolutely wonderful with my daughter's food! They even made a low pro birthday cake! I would suggest that you purchase the Birbaum's guide to Disney World (you can purchase this at the Disney store if you have one). It lists every restaurant at every park and resort. It tells you what they serve and what price range. Make your restaurant selections and then call the dining number. Tell them that you have a child with special dietary needs, they will give you phone numbers for chef's at the individual restaurants and then you can make all your lo pro arrangements from there. One of the best if Chef Alan at Chef Mickey's (in the contemporary hotel - perfect for birthdays!)! We went to several sit down restaurants as well as several counter service restaurants. At the counter service ones we got French fries, fruit or salad. They were all so wonderful. Also, I would highly suggest the dining plan. It turns out to be a GREAT value.

    We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Coronado Springs, and the All-Star Movies Resort. Of the three, I guess I probably like the Caribbean Beach Resort the best, but there really isn't much difference at all in what is offered at Moderate vs. the Value. The differences are that the Moderate have a full-service restaurant somewhere in them and the Value only has walk-ups. And, I think the rooms may be SLIGHTLY larger in the Moderate resorts.

  • We have traveled to Disney many times and have stayed at everything from Pop Century to the Contemporary. There is not much different in the resorts except for location and a few other luxury items. A great web page to check out is mouse savers.com; it has many great ideas. Our daughter has PKU and will be going to Disney with us this June and that will be her forth trip to Disney and we will be celebrating her fifth birthday there.


  • I just wanted to let everyone know that the All-Stars Music Resort (a value resort by Disney) has converted some rooms to "Family Suites". This is VERY exciting!


    • These suites will now accommodate up to 6 guests (PLUS a child under age 3 in a Pak-n-Play crib) with a queen-sized bed, a sofa bed, and 2 sleeper chairs (unfolds into a bed like a sofa bed, twin sized). Also included in this suite is a microwave, refrigerator, 2 bathrooms and 2 - 27" TVs!

    This is great news for those of us who travel on a budget, but need a little extra room for our larger families and some semblance of cooking/refrigeration facilities!

  • We just returned from Disney World last week. Disney now actually has PKU in their list of "special diets" or "dietary restrictions". If you are planning to eat at any table service restaurant in Disney, as long as you make your reservations at least 24 hours in advance, the reservationist will select PKU from their list, PKU will be noted on your reservation, and when you are at your dinner, your reservation card has PKU/Speak to Chef noted and the waitress knows to bring the Chef over to discuss.


    • Really, for the most part, depending on when you go to Disney, you'll need to make any table service reservations a least 24 hours in advance, some character dining places even longer, even if you didn't have to note a dietary restriction to even get a table.

    We had three reservations at table service restaurants, two I made before I left home and one I made the day we wanted to eat there. The first reservationist was kind of vague about what would be available (I don't believe she really knew). The second one actually told me that most Disney restaurants now carry Low Protein Pasta and/or MixQuick (Cambrooke Foods) to accommodate PKU’ers.

    At every restaurant they obtained low protein pasta and were willing to add whatever kind of fruit/veggie we wanted to the plate. At the restaurant where we made our reservations that morning – Alfredo’s at Epcot,! the manager came over and told us he had a couple of hours but searched high and low and found LoProfin Pasta. At Cinderella's Castle the chef came out and said he had Aproten like it was the most natural thing in the world and what did we want on it? It really was a great experience. Chef Randy at the Crystal Palace was also just so wonderful about everything and told us he had the Loprofin Pasta ready, he was just waiting for us.

    At fast food places they all have carrot sticks and fruit plates and fries and applesauce and salads- plus we had a backpack w/ lo pro snacks just in case. The ice cream stands all have popsicles so it really worked out great.

    I definitely think that even in the last few years, it is easier than ever for PKU’ers to get low protein products at restaurants in Disney. It really is amazing how they accommodate special needs.

  • When we were in Disney, we had a few reservations as well. It seems most stick to pasta for their main course. Yes the chefs all came to our table too. The chef at Coral Reef (?) (I think that is the name now), also made two sauces: Cambrooke’s alfredo sauce and a wonderful fresh tomato and basil sauce.


    • We only ran into one snag: they didn't have a great variety of fresh veggies for the main courses. I was looking for some broccoli, carrots, beans whatever, and all they had was celery, mushrooms and onions, fried.

    At Cinderella's castle the breakfast was fantastic (both high and low phe). The chef made beautiful big fluffy pancakes, of course as Mickey ears, and the fruit was abundant.

  • I just wanted to let you know of our great experience in Disney a few weeks ago. I really didn't plan anything ahead of time, I didn't make reservations until the week we were going. We use to live in Florida and would just go for the day and go home, no fancy restaurants. So I really didn't think to plan ahead and we usually always find food that my PKU daughter can eat with fries, veggies, fruits and salads. However, I thought it might be fun to have some of her PKU food cooked there and not have to bring her already cooked and frozen pancakes on the plane with us. So I made some last minute phone calls.


    • I first contacted Embassy Suites where we were staying and they have a great cooked to order breakfast. They had no problems with me bringing them the Cambrooke MixQuick and making her some pancakes. So every morning I gave them in a baggie with 1/2 cup MixQuick and they added 1/3 cups water and Nicole had fresh, hot pancakes. Plus they have fruit and cereal. So breakfast was great. For lunch we had reservations and I just called Disney Reservation Center: 407-939-3463. I only made these reservations less than one week away from our trip. Now, the Cinderella lunch was already booked but in Magic Kingdom we got reservations at Crystal Palace, Pooh and Friends lunch. I never talked with anyone but the guy who took all the reservations, I let him know there was a diet restriction and that it was PKU, that is listed on their diet restrictions and he put me on hold and called the restaurants and then let me know they had PKU ingredients. I had no idea what that was but it worked out great. Crystal Palace is a buffet and was wonderful for Nicole and she had lots of fruit, veggies and salad. We told our server about the PKU and the Chef came out to talk to us and later brought her some low protein pasta with a red sauce.

    Now she really had enough with just the buffet food but she was so excited to get the pasta. She said to me, "Mom, I have never had my pasta at a restaurant before". She was thrilled and I held back the tears.

    The next day we had reservations at Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom. Again the chef came out and then brought Nicole pasta with a red sauce and a surprise, a plate of little meat(less) balls. He said Dietary Specialties had sent him a mix and this was the first PKU person since he received that. He said it was a little sticky in the pan so he then put them in his pizza oven. Nicole can be picky with it comes to these things but she liked them okay. I tasted one and thought it was good. They were just little maybe 1/2 inch balls. Maybe these are the hamburgers that people have been talking about recently from D.S. I don't know, but he said they were from a mix. Anyway that was a special treat and she also got a salad.

    For dinners we just ate at the counter type places and she had many choices with fries, fruit and veggies. It all worked out great. She drank half of her formula with breakfast at the Hotel and the other half when we got to the Hotel (late at night).

    I was very impressed that these Disney Restaurants are already prepared with Low Protein Pastas in their kitchens, it was great.

  • We just returned from a great trip to Disney! I made reservations ahead of time and told the receptionist that we had dietary issues. She marked the computer with a "PKU" note and then I called each place individually and discussed our options. It wasn't much trouble and everything was AWESOME!


    • For the most part, the chefs prepared fresh fruit dishes for her and they all had low-pro pasta and Mix Quick available. Our best experience was at Epcot in Norway. They have a Princess lunch there and my daughter was in heaven. Chef Dan took great care of us and there were sooo many princesses there!

  • Disney is the best! We did several character meals including Cinderella's Royal Table. They made PKU food for my daughter for no extra charge at every resturaunt! Just call the WDW-DINE reservation # and tell them you have special dietary needs and they will get all the info. WE went for my daughter's 4th birthday and they even made her a low pro cake! They are awesome! We went to Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's (in the Contemporary resort), The Norway castle in Epcot, Park Fair in the Floridian, and several others. They were all just wonderful!


  • We had great dining experiences at Disney World. We made all of the reservations ahead of time -- highly suggested. They book up and then you can also have them note on there that you have a special diet and then you will be connected with someone before you leave on your trip to discuss what you want to have prepared for your child. You can check out their menus online the coordinate something similar to what you will eat. I have phone numbers and contact info somewhere. Will look and let you know. Let me know if you have any other questions. I have become quite the pro with Disney. I LOVE DISNEY! I always say that I go there for my kids, but am really going for me :-)


  • At Disney World, here is what we found for PKU diet success: We had dinner reservations at Chef Mickey's Restaurant at the Contemporary Resort. If my memory serves me right, you can take the monorail there or a shuttle from the Magic Kingdom. It is buffet style food, so there were fruits and salad there for Drew, and baked potatoes. Chef Allen made Drew a Loprofin Penne pasta dish in a vegetable broth. He came out and met with Drew and asked him what he wanted first and with what kind of sauce or broth. Drew likes garlic and butter more than marinara, but I am sure he could have done that too...DW has a lot of Loprofin products on hand and with reservations and being in contact with the dietary needs dept, you can usually get them to make sure they have something for your child at the restaurant you are going to. Lots of characters there (like Chip and Dale, Mickey, Goofy, Pluto maybe others).


  • At Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom, we had dinner there which is served family style. They had family size helpings of corn and rolls and stuff and again they prepared a pasta dish for Drew. They also made him a wonderful fruit and sorbet dessert. This is a great place to celebrate birthdays. They brought Alexis a b-day cake we had pre-ordered for the whole family to eat. They sang to her and had lots of characters there too (like Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip & Dale maybe others).


    • We did the Good Morning Gathering which I think was only if you had the group of at least 8 or something. They made Drew Mix Quick pancakes (the mix we brought, I think) with blueberries and strawberries on top. They had characters here too and did dancing with the characters and also wished my mom and Alexis a happy birthday, acknowledged b-days publicly and sang to them.

  • Donald's Prehistoric Breakfastosauraus is at the Animal Kingdom and is alsofilled with characters. Again, they made Cambrooke Mixquick pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream on top for Drew. They had buffet type food here too; I think they had hashbrowns, pancakes, bacon, muffins, dry cereal, juices, etc. Very PKU-friendly too.


    • We ate at Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney too. They are not a part of Disney, but we took baking mix and asked them to do a pizza for Drew and they were very accommodating there too.

  • In Epcot World Showcase, they have a McDonalds (not full service with a full menu) but they do have fries) At Epcot near the Living with the Land ride, they have a food court that has lots to choose from -- salads and stuff like that...And again Pop Century Resort had a food court that had pre-made salads, fruit cups, dry cereal, juices, fries, and they were very helpful in preparing what we wanted for Drew in terms of low protein foods too.


    • I think it is very beneficial to go to Disney's website ahead of time and look up by restaurant what type of food they serve there. You can also buy a book on Disney World Dining at the bookstores which is a useful guide to what types of foods are served where, how it rates in terms for how expensive it is, etc.

  • We have had many great experiences with Disney Dining. The best one that we do at least twice every visit is Chef Mickey's Character diner. You have to call ahead and make a reservation and tell them about a dietary issue (PKU). They will give you a number to speak directly to the chef about a week ahead of time and he will discuss entree and dessert options. We usually do pasta and ice cream for dessert as well as other fruits and veggies on the buffet.


  • Disney is very accommodating and will order food in advance of your arrival. We did Cindy's breakfast at the castle and my kids had pancakes and fresh fruit. Other restaurants we ate at mostly had low pro pasta served with marinara sauce, then the kids could have veggies and fruit and of course French fries. However, I have heard of other families having more elaborate meals prepared for them, so I guess it just depends on the chef you're dealing with.


  • Just calll WDW-DINE to make your priority seating reservations. At that time, tell them your kids have PKU and it is on their "list". The person will give you the number of each restaurant, and it is up to you to contact the chef and tell him what you would like ordered. Just make sure that you confirm the meal plans at least a couple of times before you leave. Some places are better than others about communicating with the staff that will actually be there when you visit.


  • You may talk directly to the chef, and you can actually plan a meal. The best one we experienced this past November was the character meal (Minnie, but not Mickey, and friends) at the Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom.


    • Chef Mike, who came to our table saying he was "expecting" our daughter, made her a meal that matched ours. The meal is turkey, ham and roast beef, with biscuits, and apple cobbler for dessert. Chef Mike made our daughter low phe biscuits, low phe pasta, and a low phe apple cobbler. She said it was the best meal she ever had in a restaurant, and it really made her feel "special" (her words). She also told Chef Mike he was even a better cook than Mommy! Other places there do similar things, such as making low phe strawberry shortcake for dessert. They will even make low phe pancakes at the Cinderella and Princess breakfasts.

    Last update: September 2006
    National PKU News: www.pkunews.org
    E-mail: schuett@pkunews.org