Happy #tastytuesday friends!! Today’s allergy friendly review brings us to Italy…specifically the Italy Pavilion at Epcot! Via Napoli is one of two table service restaurants in the pavilion, the other being the signature restaurant, Tutto Italia. Via Napoli is 1 table service credit on the Disney Dining Plan, and has a reputation of great pizza, so my mom and I wanted to try it out!
Via Napoli is located all the way in the back of the Italy Pavilion and a quick walk from where we were staying at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Kyle and I had tried this restaurant on our very first adult trip to Walt Disney World (WDW) in 2017, and we weren’t entirely pleased by the service, so my mom and I wanted to go back and try it again. We had a 5:00pm reservation for the day we landed in Orlando, and us already being hungry, we checked in for our reservation around 4:45pm and were seated a little bit before 5:00pm, which was perfect because the restaurant was not yet super crowded.
After we were seated, a cast member came over to ask us if we would like anything to drink or if we had any food allergies. We asked to take a moment to look at the drinks, but I did explain my food allergies to her, and so she brought me an allergy friendly menu (top picture). I also have a picture of the regular menu (bottom picture), which is relevant later on in this review.
Now, I don’t drink a lot when I vacation at WDW because of everything we have going on, but I was feeling a drink when we had dinner. I decided to order the Via Vesuvio, which was blood orange vodka, prosecco, and raspberries. My mom got the speciality drink, which had a peach popsicle mixed into it. Both were delicious, although I much preferred my own! It was fruity, but also tart, which I enjoyed.
Since we were on the Disney Dining Plan, my mom and I were each able to order an appetizer, entree, and dessert for our meal. For our appetizer, my mom and I opted for the “Family Style” House Salad. When we asked initially, we were told that the house salad would not count as an appetizer on our dining plan. However, we were able to talk to a manager named Riley who was happy to accommodate the salad based on my dietary restrictions.
I was very excited because I wanted to make sure I had some veggies with my meal! I have tried the Proscuitto e Melone off of the allergy friendly menu before, which is very tasty and fresh, but I was hoping for some vegetables with my meal. The salad did not disappoint! All of the veggies were fresh, and I am a sucker for hot peppers, so I was happy with those as well. The dressing was light and tasted similar to house dressings I have had at other Italian restaurants.
If you all have read my blog post The Girl Behind the Allergies, then you may already be aware of what my food allergies are. If you have not, then this is your chance to learn about them! My food allergies are:
- eggs/any product made with eggs
- wheat
- whey, milk, and all dairy products
- spelt
- amaranth/quinoa
- mushrooms
- and baker’s yeast/all yeast products
I typically don’t list my allergies in every allergy friendly restaurant review that I do, but it’s important for this review because yeast is used in pizza dough. Unfortunately, I was unable to try the pizza, but my mom tried the Margherita pizza and loved it!! I actually struggled a little to find an entree I could have on the allergy friendly menu, and so manager Riley offered to make me the Penne Caprese without the mozzarella. I asked if I could also get chicken in as well, which he said would be ok. The pasta was cooked very well, but the chicken was a little dry. The true star of the dish was the red sauce. Holy wow! It was spicy and tasted freshly made, so I was happy with the outcome there.
After our entrees, my mom and I opted not to order dessert since we were headed to a dessert party at Hollywood Studios. I was happy that we tried Via Napoli again, but I may try other places in the future that would have more options for my dietary restrictions. But, for those who are vegan, I have heard that Via Napoli is now serving vegan pizza with vegan cheese, which is very exciting!! Also, a huge shoutout again to manager Riley who made all of the difference at this restaurant!
Here’s to living our best and most delicious Disney lives. <3
~ Meagan
Meagan has been living with many food allergies and sensitivities since she was 19 years old. She is currently a Personal Vacation Advisor for Magical Vacation Planner, specializing in helping her guests book trips to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. Meagan enjoys researching fitness and nutrition and has taken a special interest in finding allergy friendly options at Walt Disney World.
Interested in having Meagan help you plan your next trip? Send her an email at m.slone@magicalvacationplanner.com or get a free quote at https://magicalvacationplanner.com/staff/meagan-slone/!
