Your First Day Onboard: Essential Gluten Free Dining Tips for Embarkation Day on Disney Cruise Line [2025]
Last updated on February 20, 2025
Today is the day! Embarkation day on a Disney Cruise is the start of your magical adventure, but it’s also a busy day filled with information gathering and getting acquainted with your dining team. Here are some of our favorite tips and strategies that you can take on your first day to ensure smooth sailing throughout the rest of your cruise.
Photo ©️ Gluten Free Disney Cruise
Use the Disney Cruise Line App
The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App is your cruise line companion at home before you sail and during your cruise. Before your cruise, download the free mobile app from your device’s app store and make sure it’s fully updated. We love using the mobile app before our cruise to see our cruise countdown and to plan activities, but the app really becomes essential during your sailing.
Once you arrive at the cruise terminal and while onboard, you can connect to the ship’s complementary WiFi for the app, where you can access important information, including the daily menus for all dining locations.
Check Out Your Dining Rotation
The first thing we do when we arrive to the cruise terminal after checking in is to take a look at our dining rotation on the DCL app. It will display your dining rotation schedule, including your assigned main dining restaurants, dining time, and table number. You’ll also be able to view menus for every restaurant for every day of your sailing, and you’ll find operating hours for all dining locations, like quick service spots and specialty restaurants.
Take screenshots of menus
Sometimes the app and WiFi can be hit or miss on a sailing. We like to take screenshots of menu, so we can browse offline and plan ahead for meals. If you’re looking for the allergy menus currently only available on the Disney Wish or Disney Treasure, be sure to check out those menus on our website, because they are not currently listed in the DCL app.
Go to the Dining Session for Questions and Dining Changes
On embarkation day, Disney Cruise Line hosts a "dining session" where the Food and Beverage team is available to help guests with various dining arrangements. This typically runs for several hours after boarding begins. The location and times vary by ship and sailing, so be sure to check the Navigator App when you get onboard.
What Can You Do at the Dining Session?
During the dining session, you can:
Request changes to your dining time or rotation
Make reservations for adults only dining or join the waitlist
Pre-order special dishes requiring advance preparation (subject to availability)
Ask questions about dining venues and options
We have visited the dining session when we wanted to switch our dining rotation or had questions. On a few sailings, we even requested specific dishes (like gluten free fried brie) that we like that we know take some time to prepare — though your mileage may vary on if you can get special orders on your first day.
While the dining session is helpful for general arrangements, guests with dietary restrictions don't need to make special arrangements during this time. Disney's procedures for handling dietary needs are already well-established, and no additional steps are needed beyond working with your service team to order meals.
Avoid the Lines
If you’re planning on going to the dining session, we recommend visiting a little bit after it opens to avoid the initial boarding crowds. If you're happy with your current dining schedule and don't have specific requests, you can skip the dining session entirely.
Embarkation Day Lunch Options
If you’re like us, after boarding your Disney Cruise, you’ll be ready for lunch. There are several different options for food on embarkation day. The two main options are the ship’s buffet or a table service lunch in one of the main dining rooms. Guests can also get food at the various quick service locations on the pool deck. All of these locations can easily accommodate gluten free guests and other special dietary needs too.
Main Dining Room Lunch
One of the ship’s main dining rooms will be open for a table service lunch. This location varies by ship, so be sure to check out the Navigator App for the location and hours on your sailing. Main dining room lunch is our preferred location for the relaxed atmosphere. Your service team will help you walk through the ordering process, including any requests for items not marked gluten free on the lunch menu. Meals are handled with care, and the allergy culinary team will ensure you have tasty options to get you ready for your magical sailing.
Photo ©️ Gluten Free Disney Cruise
Buffet Lunch
If you prefer a more casual first meal, head to the buffet (Cabanas or Marceline Market, depending on the ship). If you have celiac disease or are gluten sensitive, you’ll want to ask to speak with a “head server” who can assist you with gluten free options available at the buffet. They can also arrange for fresh items to be prepared separately or brought directly from the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination. Be sure to check out our post on navigating the ship’s buffet for more details on this process.
Photo ©️ Gluten Free Disney Cruise
Avoid the lunch rush
Main dining and the buffet lunches typically run until 2 p.m. Waiting a bit before eating on embarkation day can help you avoid the lunch rush.
Quick Service Lunch
Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of different quick service options, from burgers and fries to fresh salads. Guests who are gluten free will be able to order many of these dishes with no worries. Fries are made in dedicated fryers and gluten free buns are available (brands can vary by sailing). Like the ship’s buffet, we recommend that you find a “head server” to assist you with any requests. Though food can take a little longer to prepare at these locations if you’re gluten free, we love that you can get safe items to enjoy in between lounging at the pool or taking a ride on the Aqua Duck or Aqua Mouse. For more about quick service options available throughout your sailing, be sure to check out our post about this process.
Main Dining Room Dinner
Navigating main dining on your first night of a Disney Cruise can feel overwhelming for guests who are gluten free. Unlike the rest of the evenings on your sailing, you cannot typically pre-order meals for the first night’s dinner. When you arrive at your assigned restaurant and table, you’ll get a chance to meet your service team. This team includes:
Head server: They have more of a managerial role in service but will stop by occasionally to ensure your overall experience and main service team are excellent.
Server: They are responsible for the ordering of your meals and pre-ordering meals throughout your sailing.
Assistant Server: They are responsible for “bread service” and drinks and work collaboratively with your server for the meal service.
Your service team will go over your special dietary needs and talk to you about the process. This is a good time to share any concerns about gluten free needs, such as cross-contamination. You’ll also have some time to review the restaurant’s menu. Main dining menus usually have indicators of dishes that are gluten free, dairy free, or vegetarian — though options are not comprehensive. We’ll explore even more about the ins and outs of main dining in our main dining room guide.
If you’re dining on the Disney Wish or Disney Treasure, be sure to ask for the restaurant’s allergy-friendly menus. Both ships currently offer menus tailored to the top 9 common allergens (including gluten/wheat). On these ships, we recommend reviewing both the regular menu and the allergy menus for the most options.
While you can’t typically pre-order for your first night, the dining team will likely ask you to pre-order your meals for dinner and even breakfast and lunch for the next day. This helps the kitchen prepare special meals and ensure a seamless dining experience.
If you are a frequent visitor of Disney World, you might expect a similar experience, such as speaking directly to a chef about your meal and options. Due to the setup of DCL kitchens and the culinary team, it is very unlikely that you will be able to speak to a chef directly. We’ve been cruising DCL for many years and have only spoken to a chef a handful of times — and only at the adults only dining locations. While this can feel a bit overwhelming, know that DCL is well-known for their gluten free and special dietary needs accommodations and that your service team will work hard to ensure you have safe options.
Preparing for the Rest of Your Cruise
Embarkation day on a Disney Cruise is filled with excitement but also a lot of things to navigate, especially for a first-time DCL cruiser. We hope this post helps you be prepared to navigate day one of your cruise confidently. By communicating with the dining team, exploring menus in advance, and being proactive about your dietary needs, you can ensure a delicious and stress free start to your cruise.
Looking for even more details about navigating Disney Cruise Line gluten free? Check out other posts in this cruise planning series, where we’ll take a deep dive into everything from main dining room to specialty restaurants and everything in between. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or a Disney veteran with dietary restrictions, our comprehensive guides will help you savor every moment – and every bite – of your magical vacation.