Handling any vacation is tricky with a picky eater in your party. Though Walt Disney World is an extremely kid-friendly location, it helps to know your options before you arrive so you’re prepared to keep family fights to a minimum and help picky eaters stay comfortable throughout your visit.

Look to the kids menu

Walt Disney World is designed to cater to families, so you’ll find a kids menu at nearly every dining location. These menus typically feature “kid foods” that are popular picks among younger visitors. At 50’s Prime Time Café, you’ll find Grandma’s Macaroni and Cheese and Aunt Betty’s Chicken Nuggets awaiting kids. Though Animal Kingdom’s Flame Tree Barbecue focuses on smoked meats, the kids menu features a simple baked chicken drumstick or hot dog.

If you have a picky eater in your party, always check out the kids menu for fare that they’ll enjoy. The kids menu is technically reserved for children age 9 and younger. However, at counter service restaurants it’s not uncommon to walk up and order while the rest of your party is already seated elsewhere, making it impossible to verify children’s ages.

Even at table service locations where the server may have the opportunity to ask how old your children are, you can often get away with ordering from the kids menu for an older child if needed. Jodie from the Disney Parks Mom Panel reported that servers were always very accommodating, often providing options such as an adult-size portion of a kids menu item to help picky eaters.

Check out Mickey Check Meals 

Uncrustables are a popular Mickey Check Meal pick
Image: Austin Kirk, Flickr (license)

Mickey Check Meals are Disney’s latest innovation for helping to ensure the health and wellness of its youngest visitors. Mickey Check meals adhere to the Disney Nutrition Guidelines Criteria. This criteria addresses:

• Appropriate limits for unhealthy nutrients such as sugar, sodium, trans fat, and saturated fat
• Kid-appropriate calorie counts
• Nutritious inclusions such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy

Mickey Check Meals are the healthiest option on the menu, but they don’t always cater to picky eaters. One of the most accommodating Mickey Check Meals is the Smuckers Uncrustables meal available at many counter service restaurants. This includes an Uncrustables sandwich, Dannon Danimals Smoothie, GoGo squeeze, and milk or water.

At table service restaurants, Mickey Check Meals are often more similar to the adult dishes. For example, Tony’s Town Square offers Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs with salad and sliced apples. If you’re getting breakfast at the Wilderness Lodge’s Whispering Canyon, the Mickey Check Meal is a Spinach and Tomato Omelet with fruit and Goldfish Honey-Wheat Toast.