A Whole New World
Our family of 4 recently traveled to Disney World and the trip was full of firsts for us! It was our first time visiting with our 3 year-old daughter, Farrah, and our 6 year-old son, Gene, who has peanut, egg, and wheat allergies and avoids tree nuts. It was also Gene’s first time flying, our first time vacationing where we ate every meal out, and our first time using a travel advisor.
Even Planners Need Help Planning
I wanted some help planning the trip and Spokin’s founder, Susie, recommended Magical Moments Vacations by Taylor Gordon. When I learned that Taylor has food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and milk, and has been to Disney World so many times, I was sold. I had never worked with a travel agent before and I couldn’t believe it was free! Note: After her clients travel, Taylor gets paid by suppliers, like the resorts and hotels, so there’s no cost for her clients.
Your Travel Fairy Godmother
Taylor went above and beyond for us and I recommend her to everyone. From the beginning, she made our experience so easy. After we picked dates for our trip, it only took two phone calls to get everything handled. She booked our hotel, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, which was beautiful and had a mini fridge, and planned our itinerary, including 4 park days—2 at Magic Kingdom, 1 at EPCOT, and 1 at Hollywood Studios—park passes, and transportation. She even handled our stroller rental. Most importantly, she made all of our dining reservations. She did it all. We didn’t have to do anything. It was incredible!
Making the Magic Happen
We rarely eat out at home but since we were staying at a hotel, we planned to eat out for every meal. Taylor helped us plan all of our meals, thinking beyond what was safe for us to make sure we would get the most out of our experience—meaning no fruit for dessert! She made sure Gene’s allergies were noted on all of our reservations and was even able to help us verify the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars from the carts at the parks were safe.
Be Our Guest
We were so impressed with how Disney handles food allergies. Every restaurant had an allergy binder that you could ask any cast member to see, which was helpful at quick service spots. At sit-down restaurants, they would print out a receipt with Gene’s allergies in red when we arrived and take us to our table. When we ordered, the waiter would ask if we wanted the chef to come out and if they didn’t have a dessert that worked, they’d talk to the chef and come up with something.
Breakfast
Breakfast was everyone’s favorite meal because of the top 9 free Mickey waffles they had at most of the places we went to. One morning, I tried the regular Mickey waffles and regretted it because the allergy-friendly ones were better! We also enjoyed character breakfasts at Chef Mickey’s and Hollywood & Vine ‘Play ‘n Dine.
Lunch
We ate most of our lunches at quick service restaurants and Taylor was great about recommending safe meals for Gene. We had lunch at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe and a character lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant, which was a splurge for us but worth it! We enjoyed multiple courses there, including steak and potatoes, and the Beast came out to say hi.
Dinner
Most of our dinners were at sit-down restaurants, which were incredible! We had Italian food for the FIRST TIME as a family at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano—with egg and wheat allergies, we had never been able to before! We also went to Frontera Cocina, where Gene and Farrah had quesadillas while my husband and I had tacos and grabbed margaritas to-go, and the Grand Floridian Cafe, which was so incredible we almost wished we’d saved it for last!
The Most Magical Meal on Earth
Our most memorable meal was at the Grand Floridian Cafe, where they brought Gene a whole basket of rolls and butter, just for him. He couldn’t believe it—he must’ve asked the waiter and I if it was safe 3 times each. When he took that first bite, his face lit up. My husband and I looked at each other and thought, “This is worth every penny we’re going to spend on this trip. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Snacks + Sweets
We packed our own snacks in fanny packs for our park days but we also got to try Mickey Mouse ice cream bars from the carts! I had checked they were safe but I confirmed with Taylor and she reminded me I could ask for the allergy binder and look at the label for extra peace of mind.
A Kid in a Bakery Shop
I had already found Erin McKenna’s Bakery on the Spokin app and fallen in love with their chocolate chip cookies. Their Disney Springs location may have been what persuaded me to go on this trip! I knew from their FAQ on the Spokin app that it was safe for Gene but we double checked with the bakery staff. As he heard everything was safe, Gene’s eyes got bigger and bigger. We told him he could pick anything he wanted and I think we left with $200 of baked goods! When they gave us our total, my husband said, “I’d do it all over again.”
Gene’s First Flight
We flew Southwest Airlines and they let one of us pre-board with Gene. We wiped everything down and talked to the people sitting by us to let them know about Gene’s allergy. We also packed our own snacks. This was the only part of the trip we handled on our own, since we used points to book our flight.
A Fairytale Vacation
The whole trip was truly magical. It was an experience I didn’t think we’d ever get. Taylor is a one stop shop of planning the trip for you and all you have to do is show up. She made sure everything was taken care of while we were on the trip and was available to answer any questions. She was even able to help us cancel reservations without getting charged when our plans changed.
Taylor specializes in Disney destinations, Universal, and all-inclusive resorts but can book any destination. To learn more about her services, email Taylor at [email protected] or send her a message on Instagram or Facebook. Follow Taylor on the Spokin app @tpgordon.
Follow along with Rachel and Gene on the Spokin app @allergene and on Instagram @allergenefriendly. For more allergy-friendly Disney reviews, see our Disney World and Disneyland guides and download the Spokin app!
