Disney with Allergies

[hswillia07]

Hi there,

I have posted this question before, but not in this area of the Boards. My daughter will be 3 at the time of our trip and is anaphylactic to wheat, milk, and egg. I have been doing a lot of research about how to proceed and have spoken with the Special Diet folks at Disney already and I do feel fairly safe. We don't currently eat out at all here at home because I worry about cross-contamination, so it certainly is quite a leap to be in someone else's hands food-wise for 10 days. I'm very interested in hearing anyone's experiences with respect to this topic. Every little bit of info helps

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I say this based on working food in a small park check the book or with chef all the time not just what special diets say. will make meals take longer. also since outside foods are allowed in be prepared to watch closely even outside of mealtimes. granted it is different food, peanuts for grandson but he reacted while in a ride line. we never saw any peanut or peanut butter but we did end up with trip to ER

 

[Dis703]

We are very similar in that we very rarely ever eat out at home because I have three boys with multiple severe food allergies. Disney is typically the only place they get to eat out and it's a fabulous experience. We avoid those three allergens for my twins, as well as many more foods, and they are still able to find a meal at pretty much any TS restaurant. QS locations are a bit more limited but still have some foods they can eat.

Only reaction we had was when I decided to okay French fries that "might have contained soy" but that was on me as I wasn't sure if soy oil was an issue so we went ahead and gave it a try. Luckily, it wasn't severe but they had awful stomach aches all night that had them tossing and turning and crying in their sleep.

They do have allergy menus now that are helpful, but I will mention one thing. Don't ask a server or cashier for information about food allergies if you have questions about ingredients or something like that. We had a not so great experience a couple months ago where a cashier CM seemed to know all about how they would make safe fries for us and it turned out everything she said was completely wrong. That was the first and only time we experienced this but we will always ask for a chef or manager to confirm what is safe from now on.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[hswillia07]

We are very similar in that we very rarely ever eat out at home because I have three boys with multiple severe food allergies. Disney is typically the only place they get to eat out and it's a fabulous experience. We avoid those three allergens for my twins, as well as many more foods, and they are still able to find a meal at pretty much any TS restaurant. QS locations are a bit more limited but still have some foods they can eat.

Only reaction we had was when I decided to okay French fries that "might have contained soy" but that was on me as I wasn't sure if soy oil was an issue so we went ahead and gave it a try. Luckily, it wasn't severe but they had awful stomach aches all night that had them tossing and turning and crying in their sleep.

They do have allergy menus now that are helpful, but I will mention one thing. Don't ask a server or cashier for information about food allergies if you have questions about ingredients or something like that. We had a not so great experience a couple months ago where a cashier CM seemed to know all about how they would make safe fries for us and it turned out everything she said was completely wrong. That was the first and only time we experienced this but we will always ask for a chef or manager to confirm what is safe from now on.

I hope you have a great trip!

Thank you SO much! It's great to hear from someone else in the same boat When you order something at a quick service restaurant off of the allergy menu, do you still look at the ingredient binder? If they have certain things that are safe ie. french fries or chicken fingers, can one assume that they've been fried in a separate oil than everything else? I'm still super scared lol, but I'm trying...

Thanks again!

 

[Dis703]

Thank you SO much! It's great to hear from someone else in the same boat When you order something at a quick service restaurant off of the allergy menu, do you still look at the ingredient binder? If they have certain things that are safe ie. french fries or chicken fingers, can one assume that they've been fried in a separate oil than everything else? I'm still super scared lol, but I'm trying...

Thanks again!

The allergy menus will list things under categories like Soy Free, Nut free, Wheat free, etc. so you kind of have to find something that fits all three. Fries are tricky because not every location has dedicated fryers and TBH I can't recall seeing fries on any of the wheat free lists probably because of this. Many also have coatings that sometimes include undeclared modified food starch so if small amounts like that are a concern be aware. If they offer gluten free chicken fingers, for example, yes you can assume those will be cooked in a fryer separate from any other gluten containing foods. You might not need to look at the binders, but you can always ask if it makes you feel more comfortable. For us, we avoid far more than the top 8 so the allergy menus really aren't helpful.

 

[SGMCO]

I can not eat Meat (land animals) because of an Auto-immune Arthritis and have been to Disney several trips with the DDP. If I eat meat or meat products, I could be sick for weeks and I end up in bed with swollen joints, and exhaustion.
I first get in contact with Disney Dining and they make notes on all of my allergies, then when you go to the restaurant the note of your allergies will show up with your Reservation. The Chef cooking the food will come out and talk with you: please give him all the information about what you are allergic to and about the reactions that could happen in case of cross contamination. If the server doesn't mention anything about the Allergy note, please let them know to that it can be addressed. I have never had a bad experience while at Disney but have been cross contaminated at local eat out places near my home. Disney is ultra careful and are very nice about it, they don't act like you are bothering them and are wanting to make sure that your Dining experience is a good one.

 

[hswillia07]

The allergy menus will list things under categories like Soy Free, Nut free, Wheat free, etc. so you kind of have to find something that fits all three. Fries are tricky because not every location has dedicated fryers and TBH I can't recall seeing fries on any of the wheat free lists probably because of this. Many also have coatings that sometimes include undeclared modified food starch so if small amounts like that are a concern be aware. If they offer gluten free chicken fingers, for example, yes you can assume those will be cooked in a fryer separate from any other gluten containing foods. You might not need to look at the binders, but you can always ask if it makes you feel more comfortable. For us, we avoid far more than the top 8 so the allergy menus really aren't helpful.

Thank you very much! I'm sorry that you have to deal with this - it's tough But I'm so thankful for the info and your story makes it think that it's possible for us to have a great trip

 

[hswillia07]

I can not eat Meat (land animals) because of an Auto-immune Arthritis and have been to Disney several trips with the DDP. If I eat meat or meat products, I could be sick for weeks and I end up in bed with swollen joints, and exhaustion.
I first get in contact with Disney Dining and they make notes on all of my allergies, then when you go to the restaurant the note of your allergies will show up with your Reservation. The Chef cooking the food will come out and talk with you: please give him all the information about what you are allergic to and about the reactions that could happen in case of cross contamination. If the server doesn't mention anything about the Allergy note, please let them know to that it can be addressed. I have never had a bad experience while at Disney but have been cross contaminated at local eat out places near my home. Disney is ultra careful and are very nice about it, they don't act like you are bothering them and are wanting to make sure that your Dining experience is a good one.

This is great to hear, thank you so much for the advice!

 

[1stTimeDisneyer]

I have a shell fish allergy and Disney has been great about it. Do not just go by the menus, at QS ask to see the ingredients and at sit downs ask to speak with the chef. A few places do fry things in the same oil, however, we have found if you are willing to wait a few minutes that they are willing to heat clean oil for you. I have even had a head chef come to QS at the hotel to talk with me, instead of just going by the menus, because they felt it was better to have him make my QS meal.

 

[mistysue]

My son is allergic to wheat, soy, egg, dairy, peanut, tree nut, shellfish, sesame, buckwheat and cottonseed. We don't eat out around home but go back to Disney because we can eat there.
Every time you get to a dining location, just ask for the chef or manager. They have allergy menus now and that is an option because all of your allergies are top-8, but you can still ask if you have questions or concerns about cross contact and you absolutely should not feel bad doing so. We find that table service is just easier for us to deal with because they have fewer items that are pre-made. The sit down kids meals now usually include one or two entrees that are major allergen friendly to start with so that will be helpful.

Counter service will take longer... often about as long as a table service meal while at table service he usually gets his allergy food around the same time the rest of us get the normal food and often before we do.

I would take a look at menus and there are certain places, like some of the EPCOT countries where if the menu is really dairy heavy it can be a bit of a hassle... like I wouldn't recommend going to Italy for pizza unless she is a huge salad fan. I've read reports where the table service in Mexico can have a bit of a communication barrier issue with dairy allergies and the French menus have cheese on everything.

Where are you staying?
For breakfast, you are probably looking at allergy waffles and a meat/fruit side every day. A few places in the parks are only going to offer you the van's frozen waffles but at resorts you can ask for the mickey shaped allergy waffles. I would not- absolutely not- plan to have a quick service breakfast in the parks unless you pack her food from home. They are going to look at you like you have three eyes. Everything has wheat, everything has dairy and everything has egg. It's just not meant to be.
If you are on-site and want breakfast to be quick or on the go, I would have an adult run over to your resort quick service and pick up breakfasts and an order of the allergy waffles. My kids will eat those while on the move and they hold together well. Once we figured out our kids loved them I actually would bring a baggie hand each kid a waffle and put the one or two we had left in the bag. When they wanted a snack in an hour or two we didn't have to stop and we knew we had a safe backup snack.
Is it sad that this is one of my favorite parts of Disney, that somebody made my kids fresh waffles every morning? ETA- the ONLY time anybody ever stole something from our stroller at Disney is the time somebody stole my waffles in a baggie! I'm not sure if it was a squirrel or a person but they had good taste.

 

[hswillia07]

My son is allergic to wheat, soy, egg, dairy, peanut, tree nut, shellfish, sesame, buckwheat and cottonseed. We don't eat out around home but go back to Disney because we can eat there.
Every time you get to a dining location, just ask for the chef or manager. They have allergy menus now and that is an option because all of your allergies are top-8, but you can still ask if you have questions or concerns about cross contact and you absolutely should not feel bad doing so. We find that table service is just easier for us to deal with because they have fewer items that are pre-made. The sit down kids meals now usually include one or two entrees that are major allergen friendly to start with so that will be helpful.

Counter service will take longer... often about as long as a table service meal while at table service he usually gets his allergy food around the same time the rest of us get the normal food and often before we do.

I would take a look at menus and there are certain places, like some of the EPCOT countries where if the menu is really dairy heavy it can be a bit of a hassle... like I wouldn't recommend going to Italy for pizza unless she is a huge salad fan. I've read reports where the table service in Mexico can have a bit of a communication barrier issue with dairy allergies and the French menus have cheese on everything.

Where are you staying?
For breakfast, you are probably looking at allergy waffles and a meat/fruit side every day. A few places in the parks are only going to offer you the van's frozen waffles but at resorts you can ask for the mickey shaped allergy waffles. I would not- absolutely not- plan to have a quick service breakfast in the parks unless you pack her food from home. They are going to look at you like you have three eyes. Everything has wheat, everything has dairy and everything has egg. It's just not meant to be.
If you are on-site and want breakfast to be quick or on the go, I would have an adult run over to your resort quick service and pick up breakfasts and an order of the allergy waffles. My kids will eat those while on the move and they hold together well. Once we figured out our kids loved them I actually would bring a baggie hand each kid a waffle and put the one or two we had left in the bag. When they wanted a snack in an hour or two we didn't have to stop and we knew we had a safe backup snack.
Is it sad that this is one of my favorite parts of Disney, that somebody made my kids fresh waffles every morning? ETA- the ONLY time anybody ever stole something from our stroller at Disney is the time somebody stole my waffles in a baggie! I'm not sure if it was a squirrel or a person but they had good taste.

lol I would be upset about the waffle thief for sure! Thanks for all of the great information Okay, so we're staying at Art of Animation. I'm hoping to ship a box of safe snack-type foods from home, and then supplement at the grocery store. We're Canadian, so brands are a bit different from what I'll find in the US - I just need to do some research. My plan was to have breakfast in our room most days, but I am tempted by Character breakfast - maybe at the Chef Mickeys? I've been hearing about the allergy waffles and my question was whether or not they had egg in them, but after hearing from you it seems that they're safe. So, if we went to the cafeteria at AoA and told them about the allergies, she could likely get waffles, fruit and bacon? do they use a separate waffle maker do you know? All I can think about is the cross-contamination! Do you happen to have any experience at Cinderella's Royal Table for dinner? I would love to take my daughter there on her birthday while we're on our trip. Thanks again, I really so appreciate the info!

 

[cmph]

My husband has celiac and is very sensitive to gluten cross-contamination. In two WDW trips and two DL trips in the last few years, he has yet to have a reaction to any table or quick service restaurants. And yes, we ate at Cinderella's Royal Table for dinner (last May) and it was fine! The chef came to our table without prompting, and HE was the one to deliver each course, not even our server. Book that, for sure!!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

The allergy menus will list things under categories like Soy Free, Nut free, Wheat free, etc. so you kind of have to find something that fits all three. Fries are tricky because not every location has dedicated fryers and TBH I can't recall seeing fries on any of the wheat free lists probably because of this. Many also have coatings that sometimes include undeclared modified food starch so if small amounts like that are a concern be aware. If they offer gluten free chicken fingers, for example, yes you can assume those will be cooked in a fryer separate from any other gluten containing foods. You might not need to look at the binders, but you can always ask if it makes you feel more comfortable. For us, we avoid far more than the top 8 so the allergy menus really aren't helpful.

I can not say for Disney but at the small park I work at gluten free chicken tenders ate baked in oven not fried and take longer to prepare

 

[cgh]

My son has dairy, egg, sesame, peanut and tree nut allergies. He's 2. We were just there in January and he ate like a king and didn't have any reactions. WE opted for 2 TS meals a day. The advantage of TS restaurants is that they can be more creative and do things off the menu if need be. It really is the absolutely best place to go with allergies. It is the only place I feel like I'm on vacation.

 

[pa. dad]

I have allergies to tree nuts especially peanuts.

Inform them of allergies when making reservations and remind them again when you arrive. You'll have to wait for a specially trained chef who will inform you of what items on the menu are OK and what items of the buffet table. The regular waitresses and waiters may not be fully aware of all the items and how they are prepared.
We had a good experience at Tusker House in the AK. Hopefully they are as knowledgable with your child's allergies as they are with my more common allergies. You may want to bring some snacks from home so you don;t have to ask every snack vendor who may not be that informed. The larger places will be better equipped to handle your needs though.

 

[720L]

My DD is allergic to tree nuts & coconut. Never had a problem. We usually eat QS, it just takes a little longer to order because you have to read ingredients. She loves Disney because she feels safe eating there.

 

[720L]

Thank you SO much! It's great to hear from someone else in the same boat When you order something at a quick service restaurant off of the allergy menu, do you still look at the ingredient binder? If they have certain things that are safe ie. french fries or chicken fingers, can one assume that they've been fried in a separate oil than everything else? I'm still super scared lol, but I'm trying...

Thanks again!

I feel like I found an inconsistency once on the allergy menu...which I only found because coconut is not an allergy addressed on the allergy menu. So I would read ingredients. it might have just been a "made in a place" thing, (allergy menu said it was ok, but ingredients listed it as "made in a place with nuts")(which for some people not good).

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Hi there,

I have posted this question before, but not in this area of the Boards. My daughter will be 3 at the time of our trip and is anaphylactic to wheat, milk, and egg. I have been doing a lot of research about how to proceed and have spoken with the Special Diet folks at Disney already and I do feel fairly safe. We don't currently eat out at all here at home because I worry about cross-contamination, so it certainly is quite a leap to be in someone else's hands food-wise for 10 days. I'm very interested in hearing anyone's experiences with respect to this topic. Every little bit of info helps

We have been doing Disney for 6 years with my daughter who is ana to peanuts and tree nuts, when at home we rarely ever go out to eat, I make everything so I know whats in it. Its the only place I trust going out to eat (but even though I trust disney I do check and check before she eats anything there) but the chefs are great. Some are very very accommodating (Chef TJ is one, I am not sure what restaurant he is at now but he was at 1900 PF a few years ago I know he is not there now however) has always done something special for my daughter at dessert. The only 2 places that was kind of worrisome was mama melrose (chef never came out) and le celleir accidentally brought my daughter a sundae wih the banana chips that may have had CC issues (when I asked the chef what my daughter could have for dessert he said the sundae was fine but the banana chips may have CC, but the waiter brought it out with chips so that was how i knew it wasn't safe.) So i quickly took the food away from her before she ate it and explained that it wasn't safe and they got her a new one. But that was it in over 6 years and omg....like 70 sit down meals there. For QS they give you a binder to look through so you can see the ingredients. I don't know if you are on facebook but it you are there is a great group called "Disney Chefs Rock Food Allergies", look it up, its great, there are people there with lots of different/multiple allergies, the admin has multiple as does her daughter and they go very often. Its worth it to check out, she also makes dining cards up with your kiddos pic and their allergies listed.

 

[rjb123]

We had an issue with Chefs a few years ago with my DD. She is allergic to many oils, sensitive to dairy, and they were very "put out". I asked for just a plain either roast chicken/ fish for her and they said that she couldn't have it because she was a CHILD and it wasn't on the kids menu! What? I ended up just ordering my meal for HER and she ate it. He acted like he didn't believe she had allergies.

 

[Dis703]

We had an issue with Chefs a few years ago with my DD. She is allergic to many oils, sensitive to dairy, and they were very "put out". I asked for just a plain either roast chicken/ fish for her and they said that she couldn't have it because she was a CHILD and it wasn't on the kids menu! What? I ended up just ordering my meal for HER and she ate it. He acted like he didn't believe she had allergies.

Just curious were you on the dining plan? We have had to order off the adult menu occasionally when there were no safe kids options, but nobody ever gave us a hard time about it. Usually, we are charged for the adult meal, but once in a while they will charge us a kid's price.

Once in a blue moon I've had a chef who just appears annoyed at having to deal with us, but the vast majority have been great. Sorry you experienced some of the not so great ones.