Disney Cruise Line Main Dining Gluten Free Guide: Menus & Tips [2025]
Last updated on February 20, 2025
When it comes to eating gluten free on a Disney Cruise ship, main dining (i.e. the restaurants that you will eat at nightly for dinner) is the dining option that you’ll probably experience the most on your sailing. Disney’s unique rotational dining is a bit different than other cruise lines, so we’ll explore how rotational dining works and how guests who are gluten free or have other dietary restrictions can make the most out of their main dining room experience.
Gluten Free Gnocchi from 1923 on the Disney Wish / Photo ©️ Gluten Free Disney Cruise
Understanding Rotational Dining with Dietary Restrictions
Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining is well-known in the cruise industry for its unique format. Guests will rotate nightly through three (3) main dining locations. While some other cruise lines give you the chance to experience multiple restaurants, you don’t usually get to have the same service team with you at every dinner. DCL, on the other hand, pairs rotational dining with a service team that stays with you throughout your cruise — moving from restaurant to restaurant with you for your main dinner each night.
This consistency makes for a magical pairing; guests get to experience different restaurants, themes & foods while still having a consistent service team to help ensure that their meal experiences are outstanding. If you’re gluten free, this is really helpful, because your service team will be familiar with your dietary needs and preferences.
Did you know?
The Disney Cruise Line fleet has rotational dining options that are unique to each ship. That means different themes and different menu options will vary depending on what cruise ship you sail on. The Disney Treasure, for instance features 1923, Worlds of Marvel, and Plaza de Coco as its three (3) rotational dining options, while the Disney Magic features Tritons, Animator’s Palate, and Rapunzel’s Royal Table. Be sure to check out DCL’s website for information about dining options on your sailing.
Your service team will include:
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.
Photo ©️ Gluten Free Disney Cruise
During embarkation day, especially, your service team will review your special dietary needs and talk about the main dining process.
The Art of Pre-Ordering Your Meals
At every dinner on your sailing, your server will present typically present you with a menu for the next’s day main dining option so that you can “pre-order” your meal. Although it might seem a bit strange to order your meal for the next day, Disney Cruise Line typically asks guests to do this so that the kitchen has time to prepare and customize dishes based on your special dietary needs.
Here’s how the process typically works:
Menus: Guests will be presented with the menu for restaurant they are scheduled to dine at the next day. On the Disney Wish & Disney Treasure, guests will be given the ship’s allergy-friendly menu. On the other current ships in the fleet, guests will be given the restaurant’s standard menu. We personally recommend asking for both the regular menu and allergy-friendly menu if you’re sailing on a ship with both, so that you can get the most options possible.
Deciding what to order: Guests will review the menu and decide what dishes they are interested in ordering for the next day. This is a good time to talk to your server about special requests, like gluten free fried brie (which requires advance notice).
Pre-Ordering: The server will take the guests order, writing it down (typically, on a pink allergy order sheet) in order to give it to the kitchen for the following day.
Pre-Ordering Other Meals (Breakfast & Lunch): Your server might recommend/suggest that you pre-order other meals during your sailing, such as breakfast and lunch. Both can be pre-ordered both for main dining locations and the ship’s buffet.
Do you need to pre-order?
When it comes to pre-ordering, we do recommend ordering your dinners in advance to get the best options and for modifications or customizations that can’t be made on the fly. We do not always pre-order breakfast or lunch, except with special requests like gluten free churro Mickey waffles. We recommend talking to your service team and your family to decide what options for pre-ordering work best for you.
Disney Cruise Line Protocols vs Disney World Protocols
One of the most frequent questions we get is about DCL gluten free and special dietary needs protocols. For those guests who have been to Disney World, you might be expecting a similar experience, such as speaking directly to a chef about your meal and options that are available. While this process is typical at Disney World, it is not the same protocol that Disney Cruise Line uses. That means you won’t typically be able to speak to a chef at your meal about options.
This is due, in part, to the setup of DCL kitchens and processes. We’ve been cruising on 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. Our biggest tip is to communicate clearly with your service team about what you are comfortable or are not comfortable with throughout your sailing.
Gluten Free Modifications and Substitutions
Disney Cruise Line's main dining rooms includes lots of gluten free options and modifications. Most menu items can be modified to accommodate your dietary needs without sacrificing taste or presentation. That means you can get dishes like gluten free fried brie, french onion soup, and more. DCL will also have gluten free breads, rolls, and pastries available too.
What brands and options are available will vary across sailings, primarily due to provisioning and where in the world they are sailing. For instance, when we sailed in Europe, we received European gluten free products instead of some of the U.S. products we were used to seeing on Disney Cruise Line. Additionally, sometimes products do run out. On our Alaska sailing, we were given Bloomfield Farms brand rolls for part of our sailing and Ener-G brand rolls on the later part of our sailing due to supply issues.
DCL’s Commitment to Safety in the Kitchen
Disney takes cross contamination prevention seriously, implementing strict protocols and utilizing an allergy kitchen or space where allergy orders are prepared. Dishes will undergo multiple checks, but you can always ask your service team if you have questions about the meal you are served.
Enjoying Delicious and Safe Meals
Navigating main dining on a Disney Cruise gluten free may look a little different than it does when you visit the Disney Parks & Resorts, but the experience combines all the things we love about Disney dining with safe and magical meals. By communicating openly with your dining team, understanding the pre-order process, and trusting Disney Cruise Line’s commitment to dietary safety, you can enjoy every meal with confidence and excitement. We can say from experience that you won’t go hungry or feel satisfied when you sail DCL gluten free!