Kosher Dining at Walt Disney World
Fortunately, guests at the Walt Disney World Resort will find that their requirements are easily met. Almost all table service restaurants offer kosher options with 72 hours advance notice. Simply call 407-WDW-DINE at least three days in advance. Pricing can be a bit confusing, especially at the buffet and all-you-care-to-eat restaurants, so be certain that you understand exactly what price you will be charged. Company policy as of this writing seems to be:
Buffet or all-you-care-to-eat restaurant: You will receive one kosher meal, rather than all-you-care-to-eat. However, you will be charged the Kosher Meal price, which should be less than the buffet price.
Dinner packages: (which includes both dinner shows such as Hoop-Dee-Doo, and dinner plus a show packages such as Fantasmic): You should be charged the regular flat rate dinner package price. Again, regardless of the type of restaurant selected, you will receive one kosher meal.
Regular table service restaurant: You will be charged the Kosher Meal price.
Again, policy changes from time to time and restaurant to restaurant, so when requesting the meal, be sure to ask exactly what price you will be charged. Also, kosher meals, as with any other special diet meals, must be guaranteed with a credit card. If you no-show, you will be charged the full price of the meal.
Kosher meals are not available at certain locations. As Disney’s special dietary options continue to expand, more and more locations will likely offer kosher dining. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you call ahead, during the planning phase of your trip, to ensure that you are not disappointed.
Kosher meals are also available without advance notice at one counter service restaurant per park. As of this writing, the locations are as follows:
Magic Kingdom – Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (located in Tomorrowland)
Epcot Center: Liberty Inn (located in the World Showcase, at the American Adventure)
Disney-Holywood Studios – ABC Commissary (located on the Streets of America)
Animal Kingdom – Pizzafari.
All kosher meals provided at the Walt Disney World Resort meet the strict requirements of Glatt kosher. They are prepared by an out-of-town kosher supplier and shipped to Disney in sealed plastic packaging. The kosher meals also include sealed silverware.
A standard kosher meal includes an entrée, vegetables, starch and two dinner rolls. Kosher soup and dessert are also available at an additional charge. Menu choices are fairly limited, but provide enough options for a fairly reasonable variety throughout your stay.
Kosher children’s meals are available, with such kid-friendly choices as macaroni and cheese or hot dogs. Since each meal is individually prepared and sealed, many families feel that it is acceptable for the kids to eat dairy while the adults eat meat or vice versa. This is, of course, at your discretion.
According to popular opinion, the kosher meals offered at the table service restaurants are better than those available through counter service. The difference in price as well as location would seem to support this. However, Disney is known for consistent quality, and even the counter service meals seem to provide high quality kosher foods.
It is important to note that not all Cast Members are familiar with the requirements of kosher dining. It is advisable to politely advise the person who takes your order that your kosher meal needs to remain in its original packaging rather than being unwrapped for placement onto your plate.
Local grocery stores stock a wide variety of kosher foods, which you may want to add into your vacation diet. This will save money as well as providing a bit of variety in your eating patterns. Walt Disney World now permits small quantities of food to be brought into the parks, so if you have any particular favorites, especially snacks, feel free to carry them in.
Local grocery stores stock a wide variety of kosher foods, which you may want to add into your vacation diet. This will save money as well as providing a bit of variety in your eating patterns. Walt Disney World now permits small quantities of food to be brought into the parks, so if you have any particular favorites, especially snacks, feel free to carry them in.
At this time, no counter service restaurants at Downtown Disney provide kosher meals. Additionally, as of this writing, kosher meals are not available at certain Downtown Disney table service locations. However, dietary options are expanding constantly, so feel free to call and ask prior to your trip.
As when traveling anywhere else, guests who follow a kosher diet must plan ahead to meet their dietary requirements while visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. However, with a bit of advance planning, it is entirely possible for those who keep kosher to enjoy the same dinner shows, character meals, and other enjoyable restaurants as do all other guests. The availability of counter service kosher meals also allows guests following a kosher diet to enjoy flexibility and spontaneity in their vacation, without any worry that they will not be able to find acceptable foods.
One of the great things about renting one of our Kissimmee vacation homes is that they all come with fully equipped kitchens so you can do your own Kosher cooking.