Megan Lavin gives us the food allergy scoop on her family’s trip to the Universal Orlando Resort. Especially because the family with four kids are big Harry Potter fans, the theme park has been on their “must-visit” list for years.
But Megan had hesitated to go because of her eldest son’s multiple food allergies. “The park just didn’t have that same allergy-friendly rep that Disney has,” she notes in her latest video for the Megan’s Minute series.
Then Megan met a senior Universal Orlando representative at a medical conference. The woman assured her that Universal does work hard to accommodate food allergy and gluten-free needs.
That set Megan’s planning in motion. The Lavins recently returned from their big Universal trip, where they had a blast. “The rides were incredible, it was amazing,” Megan shares in the video.
But what about the meals at Universal Orlando for food allergies? “That was more of a mixed bag,” she says. Megan walks through in the video what was more and less successful for her son food-wise.
While he was always able to eat safely, sometimes the meals got repetitive (a lot of burgers and gluten-free buns). Some restaurants also had food that was a little too sophisticated for her kids’ palates.
High Points: Salmon, Butterbeer, Candy
One issue was that the family only had a few days for the trip. This meant that mostly they ate at quick-serve eateries. Megan notes that the sit-down restaurants at Universal do have a chef come to the table for food allergy needs. “I’m told they can accommodate allergies super well,” she says.
Still, there were some food high points. Those include discovering dairy-free Harry Potter Butterbeer, a super tasty salmon dish, and a candy shop with an extensive ingredients list.
Megan said the fabulous time on the rides “made the trip completely worth it.” Her advice on food to allergy parents: “know that you may need to do a little sleuthing once inside the park. You’ll need to build in that time.”
Eating with Allergies at Universal
Here’s Megan’s list of what her son with gluten, dairy, peanut and tree nut allergies ate at Universal Orlando.
• Richter’s Burger Co. in Hollywood at Universal Studios: her son had a burger with no cheese and a gluten-free bun and fries.
• Chile Patagonia in World Expo at Universal Studios: he got the Verlasso “Fire” Salmon with crispy potatoes.
• Spit Fyre Grill in How to Train Your Dragon park at Universal Epic Universe: he got the Meatlug’s chicken bowl, adapted for his allergens.
• Comic Strip Cafe in Toon Lagoon at Universal Islands of Adventure: Her son ate fries and the burger with no cheese and a gluten-free bun.
• Café L’air De La Sirène in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Epic Universe. They only felt safe going with a burger and fries. The burger came on a gluten-free baguette, which Megan’s son found odd. She notes they have roast chicken and potatoes on the menu, which would have been safe. “However, my son didn’t want that.”
• Louie’s Italian Restaurant in New York at Universal Studios: they adapted a gluten-free pasta, adding grilled chicken and red sauce.
• Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck at Springfield U.S.A.: Home of The Simpsons in Universal Studios. Megan’s husband ate there and said it was “so good”. He also eats gluten-free, so worth noting.
• Plus, the Lavins always carried safe snacks.
Join Allergic Living monthly for a new installment of Megan’s Minute with Megan Lavin, the creator of the Allergy Awesomeness blog. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
More Megan’s Minute Videos:
How to Stay at a VRBO and Have Great, Safe Food
Allergy Mom’s Dining Out Boot Camp to Prep Allergic Son
Food Allergy Mom on: Visiting LEGOLAND with Food Allergies
Allergy Mom Video: Our First Cruise with Food Allergies was a Hit
Megan’s Video: My Near-Fail with Food Allergies on Soccer Trip
Food Allergies Didn’t Put Brakes on Bike Trail Trip
