Disney in a Minute: What is a Disney Check?

If you’ve ever dined at a Disney park, resort, or cruise line and noticed a small green checkmark symbol next to certain menu items, you’ve already seen the Disney Check. You may have even wondered what it means and what difference does it make? Wonder no more!

The Disney Check is used to identify menu items that meet certain specific nutritional guidelines determined by Disney in consultation with health experts. The marked items also meet U.S. government nutritional standards. These standards are reviewed regularly to stay current with U.S. Dietary guidelines as they evolve and change.

When you do see the Disney Check next to a menu item, it doesn’t just mean that the food is not just lower in calories. Each item must have minimal added sugars, lower sodium, and saturated fat content as well. Usually, these items include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or lean proteins (the complete program parameters can be found in this pdf: Disney Nutrition Guideline Criteria).

But don’t worry about these choices being bland. Disney’s culinary staff members have worked hard to make sure that meals aren’t just nutritious but taste good as well. Some examples you’ll see include grilled chicken with rice and veggies, turkey wraps with fruit, or whole-grain pasta dishes. Disney check meals usually appear under a separate subhead on the menus in the My Disney Experience app, so if you’re mobile ordering you know what to look for.

The Disney Check was originally intended for use on kids’ meals and was called “Mickey Check.” But over the years, Disney has expanded the program to include adult options in some locations, especially since more families are looking to eat healthier. (And there’s no rule that Disney Check meals can be ordered only by kids!) You’ll also see the Disney check on some Disney-licensed food products sold in stores and online.

Disney in a Minute is a series of short posts designed to help you better understand a Disney term or planning topic. Do you have a Disney term that you think needs a bit more explanation? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to Erin Foster for an earlier version of this post.