Dining with 18 month old who is lactose intolerant

[starryeyes21]

I have a quick question I hope that someone can help me find the answer. I will be traveling with my son, who will be 18 months old, to WDW in September. We just found out that he is lactose intolerant. We are also vegetarians. So, that limits things further. My question has two parts....

First, am I allowed to feed my son from my plate? If yes, would the easiest thing to do be say that I am lactose intolerant or a vegan and have a special meal made that we can share?

My other questions is this, my son drinks soymilk during the day. I think that they sell Silk on property but we tried that brand and he didn't like it. I remember hearing that you can not bring coolers into the parks, but we have a little one we carry his snacks and milk in on outings. It would fit in the basket of his stroller. Would they make an exception if there was a real need?

Thanks in advance for the help

[Mickey'sGirl]

You can certainly take a soft sided cooler bag into the parks. The only issue is with GLASS, no glass containers etc. You can take snacks and his milk and whatever else you need in no problem.

I think that unless you are ordering a meal for him on his own (which I sometimes did when our son was little), to request a vegan and lactose free meal for yourself to share with him is a great idea. Indicate your dietary needs when you make your reservations, and reitterate them when you check in at the restaurant, and again with your server, and you should be well taken care of.:thumbsup:

[DizneyRox]

At 18 months, I think they expect they will eat off your plate. And I would make choices based on that. Remember, evenif they aren't ordering, that 18 month old DOES count as a head at the table when you make your reservations. So, if there are two of you plus the 18 month old, you will need to secure a table for three. This also works for the gratuity surcharge on tables of 6 or more. two adults and four children regardless of age will incur the surcharge.

As far as coolers, they don't allow coolers on wheels, although I've seen my share of them in the parks. As long as it's reasonable, then you're fine. There are lots of people with lots of good reasons, so this really isn't a problem. I tend to pack as light as possible since the parks are big and there's lots of walking (thus carrying whatever I bring) so that would be my advice to anyone. But, when you need to, you need to.

[Momto3littlemice]

We take a small soft sided cooler into the parks every day with no questions asked! (well, sometimes the bag checker asks to share our lunch...) Take in whatever you need!

As for the meals, a baby is expected to eat off of your plate, although you are always welcome to order for them. I would just ask the questions you need to ask to be sure you are feeding your child acceptable things. Sounds like a fine plan!:mickey: