Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo (Disney World) Breakfast Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in August 2019. It includes information about fish/shellfish free, peanut free, and chicken & turkey free options, along with dairy free modifications.
Breakfast at Docking Bay 7
Docking Bay 7 is a quick service restaurant located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and (at the time of this post) is one of the park’s newest dining options. We were lucky enough (or crazy enough!) to attend the opening of Galaxy’s Edge on August 29, 2019. During our visit on opening day, we knew we wanted to get at least one meal at Docking Bay 7. Because we arrived in the new land at 4:45 a.m., breakfast was our meal of choice for the day.
Atmosphere
The restaurant is housed in a working hangar bay. And, as the story goes, Chef Strono "Cookie" Tuggs runs the joint and prepares dishes with ingredients all across the galaxy.
Docking Bay 7 Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant's exterior does look quite a bit like a hangar bay. And, you'll see lots of mechanical touches outside and inside. On opening day, the restaurant's sign was having a bit of a malfunction, so I had to chuckle at the half lit digital sign.
Docking Bay 7 Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Inside, you'll find a variety of spots to enjoy your meal -- including freighter crates, benches, and tables. There is some really clever seating to make you feel like you really are in a working hangar.
Docking Bay 7 Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
You'll also hear some general ambient noise that sounds like ship's being worked on while you dine there. As you can see from the photo, seating was a bit hard to come by on opening day. The restaurant actually has less seating than I anticipated, so do be sure be on the lookout for different seating options. There is outdoor seating in a small alcove too, but in August in Florida that wasn't too appealing -- even at 8 a.m.
The Food
The food at Docking Bay 7 is supposed to be inspired by Chef Strono "Cookie" Tuggs' planet-hopping travels and features exotic flavors. While this may be true at lunch and dinner, breakfast is a bit more standard.
For guests with special dietary needs, Docking Bay 7 does currently have an allergy-friendly breakfast menu. I will be honest that this is probably one of the most limited quick service breakfast menus I've ever seen for certain special dietary needs. If you're dairy free, I would just skip this restaurant altogether for breakfast. The only real options for dairy free guests are plain potatoes and fruit. If you're gluten free, it's pretty limited too.
If you do have a special dietary need, they will bring a chef out to assist you with any questions that you might have. On our visit, I wanted to see if the sausage served at breakfast was also a gluten free option since it was not listed on the allergy-friendly menu.
Unfortunately, as I learned from Chef Quan, the sausage has a cross-contamination issue, as it is grilled on the same surface as the gluten-filled pita bread. The Bright Suns Youngling Breakfast does not contain sausage. So, that explained why the adult version of the breakfast platter was not a gluten free option but that the Youngling version was.
On another aside, if you have celiac disease, I would not order the Rising Moons Overnight Oats which is listed as gluten free on the allergy-friendly menu. The restaurant does not currently use certified gluten free oats or purity protocol oats (the safest oats for anyone with celiac disease). And, there is a high risk of cross-contamination due to the processing of the oats. This was definitely a bummer to see it listed as a safe option because traditional oats are not considered safe for anyone with celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
Docking Bay 7 / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Because my only real option was the Bright Suns Youngling Breakfast, that's what I ordered. This came with a Three-Cheese Egg Bite, Purple Potatoes, and Fresh Fruit. I am not a big fan of melon, so I asked if I could get extra potatoes instead, which Chef Quan was happy to do.
If you can have dairy, this is a nice little breakfast -- though I'd probably just get breakfast elsewhere with more options instead. The egg bite was sous vide and was really tasty. The purple potatoes were also well-seasoned. All in all, not bad. But, not amazing.
Docking Bay 7 / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
With Brandon's allergies, the chef also recommended that he order the Bright Suns Youngling Breakfast. This makes the Youngling Breakfast option gluten free, fish/shellfish free, peanut free, and chicken & turkey free. Unfortunately, there is a cross-contamination issue for guests with nut allergies with the Mustafarian Lava Roll.
Brandon did get fruit with his entree, and he said overall the entree was very good. I think we both generally liked it but neither one of us were wowed.
Overall
When it comes to getting a quick service breakfast at Disney World, Docking Bay 7 would not be at the top of my list. I would eat the Bright Suns Youngling Breakfast entree again, but only if we were strapped for time or I really needed something to eat. There are a lot better quick service options at the Disney World resorts that can accommodate and gives guests a larger variety of dishes to choose from. While we were really appreciative that the chef took the time to talk to us and tried to accommodate as best he could, the limited menu options make it a location we'll skip for breakfast on most occasions.
Have you been to Docking Bay 7? What did you think of the breakfast options?