Food Allergy Dining Report

[5 blind mice]

We got back from our trip a couple days ago, so I wanted to report our dining experiences with our DS5 who has dairy, egg and peanut allergies.

All in all it was a great trip for him, and all of us. He loved his meals, and I felt very comfortable with the knowledge of the chefs we dealt with. Here is a rundown of our meals:

Ohana's dinner: My son could have bread, plus a wide variety of the grilled meats. The chef left the butter off the steak for our table, and they did not include the peanut sauce with our appetizers. Also, my son could have eaten the salad, but he didn't want any. He got fries instead of scalloped potatoes. He loved his food at Ohanas. We were offered Tofutti for dessert, but my son was too full!

Liberty Tree Tavern: one of his favorite meals...he had turkey, flank steak, dairy-free mashed potatoes, dairy-free gravy, steamed green beans and rolls. Also Tofutti for dessert.

Coral Reef: This is the only place where the chef did not personally talk to us. I felt like the waitress was very knowledgable, but I would have preferred to speak with the chef. DS had grilled chicken and french fries. Also offered Tofutti for dessert, but we had already been there for 2 hours and were ready to leave. While the food was very good, the service was way too slow. Our waitress was nice as can be, but still...2 hours is too long with three young children.

CRT Breakfast: Dairy and egg-free waffles, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit. DS loved it! Also got a sword, which made up for all the princesses roaming around. DD6 loved the princesses, but DS was hoping for Aladdin or Prince Phillip or someone with a little testosterone. Loved the food, though!

Chef Mickeys dinner: DS had mickey-shaped pasta with tomato sauce and grilled chicken strips. Gobbled up his food, then polished it off with some Tofutti and Divvies choc. chip cookies, which are allergen-free. There were a couple things in the buffet he could have had, but he was perfectly happy with the food the chef made him.

Ohana's breakfast: Fruit, Mickey-shaped waffles, bacon, sausages. My son loved it. He would eat that breakfast everyday! The morning chef at the Polynesian was great. She made him the same breakfast when we were at Captain Cook's counter service as she made him at the Ohana character breakfast.

The counter service meals were a bit trickier. Each cashier had a big notebook with the ingredients, but all were very crowded and I felt sort of rushed. We stuck to the basics, and used the lists we got from Brenda Bennett. Same with snacks. We were able to buy Divvies products at the Main Street bakery. We got choc. chip cookies, jelly beans and caramel corn, which was delicious. We also got Itsakadoozies several times. DS and DD both loved these! Seemed like Silk (plain and vanilla) was available everywhere.

I can't think of anything else to report. It was a great trip!

[Selket]

Sounds like a great trip!

My biggest problem is that they *love* to trot out that tofutti and my son - who is only allergic to peanut/tree nut - doesn't like ice cream often, much less tofutti. I'm happy to see they served you Divvies - I plan to keep some handy.

I also think looking at that binder is about as useful as trying to read "War and Peace" while everyone behind you in line patiently waits of course! I understand they have to have "the book" cause the allergies are all different but I wish there was some easier way.

[mom2zandjsquared]

When I go to CS I ask for the manager then step aside to wait for the book to be shown to me by that person to help me make the proper decisions as Brenda Bennett states to do. It is a pain but worth it in the long run for us; the Tofutti just calls to me when we are there and its so awful for you but I just can't say no.

The Mickey Waffles are my favorite and the chef at Cape May Cafe told me the basics of how they make them but I can't get them to come out the same way at home.

[LuckyMamaInDE]

It works best for us to hit the CS locations early, like by 11:30a for lunch. That way dd13 and I can take our time reading the binder and talking to the chef if need be, without worrying about other people in line behind us :)

She's allergic to soy, sesame, hazelnut, and a bunch of fruits. The soy is pesky!

[5 blind mice]

When I go to CS I ask for the manager then step aside to wait for the book to be shown to me by that person to help me make the proper decisions as Brenda Bennett states to do. It is a pain but worth it in the long run for us; the Tofutti just calls to me when we are there and its so awful for you but I just can't say no.

The Mickey Waffles are my favorite and the chef at Cape May Cafe told me the basics of how they make them but I can't get them to come out the same way at home.

If you can share how to make the mickey waffles, that would be great! My son loved them, and it would be fun if we could make them at home some time. He likes Van's waffles, but they're not as soft as the waffles he had at Disney World.

[5 blind mice]

Sounds like a great trip!

My biggest problem is that they *love* to trot out that tofutti and my son - who is only allergic to peanut/tree nut - doesn't like ice cream often, much less tofutti. I'm happy to see they served you Divvies - I plan to keep some handy.

I also think looking at that binder is about as useful as trying to read "War and Peace" while everyone behind you in line patiently waits of course! I understand they have to have "the book" cause the allergies are all different but I wish there was some easier way.

Lucky for us, our son loves Tofutti. Otherwise, the dessert situation would have been sort of lackluster for him.

The binder at the counter service places was definitely not very user-friendly. At least they have it, though. Even though I hated making everyone behind me wait, it was better than my son having a reaction and having to use the epi-pen.

Also, next time we go, I think I'll bring some hamburger and hotdog buns from home.

[Selket]

The time I remember getting handed "the binder" - first I had to wait in a long line just to get up to the counter. There was no way to ask for the manager or the binder ahead of time unless I butted in front of someone.

Then you are in these little "holding pens" (bars with handrails) for the line so there you are - at the cashier - where you are supposed to order and then walk forward to the counter to get the food. There was no "off to the side," no place to sit the binder down and really look at it, etc. She just handed it to me and was waiting for my order. I could not go forward, backward, sideways, etc. It was spring break/Easter and the lines were already long at 11:30 - it was busy!

I ate at the Plaza last summer and they brought me that binder and I about flipped out! I wanted the chef - not the binder! I eat at the sit-down JUST so I don't have to deal with the binder! LOL! The chef came too. I didn't even think sit-downs HAD a binder! :headache:

As you can tell I have never fully recovered from my "binder" experience.;)

I like the pamphlets like at McDonalds where they list all their foods and there is a table set up for all the allergens - you can quickly locate your food on the right and follow across to the allergen going down. If they could POST something like that up on the wall where we could look at it before we get in line - that would be perfect. That would take care of most allergens and for those with less common allergies (like pepper, etc) they would still have the binder.

[twinnersmama]

I am glad that you and your family had a positive experience. Your post has given me some hope! My 4 y/o twins have severe dairy allergy and this will be our first trip where I am not the one preparing their food. I even always take food for them every time we go to any restaurant.

I feel confident about the TS meals. I have heard good things about that. Yet I am concerned about the CS meals ("the binder" and making 25 hungry people wait in line behind me).

If you can remember any of the CS places you ate and what your DS ate there, I'd love to hear it ... it would give me a starting place for our CS meals.

Here are the places we are eating TS: Crystal Palace, 50s Prime Time, Sci-Fi, Mama Melrose, Chef Mickey's, Rainforest Cafe, Teppan Edo

I've contacted Brenda Bennett and noted allergy on our ressies.
Is there anything else I should know/do before our trip?

[sherabby]

If you can share how to make the mickey waffles, that would be great! My son loved them, and it would be fun if we could make them at home some time. He likes Van's waffles, but they're not as soft as the waffles he had at Disney World.

I bought a Mickey Waffle Maker on ebay and I use bisquick since it is dairy free. My son can eat eggs but you can add egg substitute to the batter.
This is the one that we have:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Disneys-Mickey-Mouse-Single-6-Waffle-Maker-NEW_W0QQitemZ230226939334QQihZ013QQcategoryZ20683Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It was well worth the money. My son loves the waffles!:banana:

[sherabby]

I am glad that you and your family had a positive experience. Your post has given me some hope! My 4 y/o twins have severe dairy allergy and this will be our first trip where I am not the one preparing their food. I even always take food for them every time we go to any restaurant.

I feel confident about the TS meals. I have heard good things about that. Yet I am concerned about the CS meals ("the binder" and making 25 hungry people wait in line behind me).

If you can remember any of the CS places you ate and what your DS ate there, I'd love to hear it ... it would give me a starting place for our CS meals.

Here are the places we are eating TS: Crystal Palace, 50s Prime Time, Sci-Fi, Mama Melrose, Chef Mickey's, Rainforest Cafe, Teppan Edo

I've contacted Brenda Bennett and noted allergy on our ressies.
Is there anything else I should know/do before our trip?

We ate at Crystal palace. My son didn't care for it much at all. I think he only ate rice there and sorbet!

he loved the Sci Fi and Chef Mickeys. We also ate at the rainforest cafe. They have tyson chicken dino nuggets that are dairy free. We did eat at a lot of counter service. They only place I was not pleased with was the back lot place at MGM. They would not bend for him and forced him to eat cold grilled chicken platter. I ended up eating it and giving him my adult meal. We were on the dining plan. So many places bended over backwards for him though. We also ate at Shutters at our hotel. He hugged the chef that night! It was so nice to see him get to enjoy his meal and not worry and have dessert too! We are definately going back again this summer!:yay:

[sherabby]

We got back from our trip a couple days ago, so I wanted to report our dining experiences with our DS5 who has dairy, egg and peanut allergies.

All in all it was a great trip for him, and all of us. He loved his meals, and I felt very comfortable with the knowledge of the chefs we dealt with. Here is a rundown of our meals:

Ohana's dinner: My son could have bread, plus a wide variety of the grilled meats. The chef left the butter off the steak for our table, and they did not include the peanut sauce with our appetizers. Also, my son could have eaten the salad, but he didn't want any. He got fries instead of scalloped potatoes. He loved his food at Ohanas. We were offered Tofutti for dessert, but my son was too full!

Liberty Tree Tavern: one of his favorite meals...he had turkey, flank steak, dairy-free mashed potatoes, dairy-free gravy, steamed green beans and rolls. Also Tofutti for dessert.

Coral Reef: This is the only place where the chef did not personally talk to us. I felt like the waitress was very knowledgable, but I would have preferred to speak with the chef. DS had grilled chicken and french fries. Also offered Tofutti for dessert, but we had already been there for 2 hours and were ready to leave. While the food was very good, the service was way too slow. Our waitress was nice as can be, but still...2 hours is too long with three young children.

CRT Breakfast: Dairy and egg-free waffles, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit. DS loved it! Also got a sword, which made up for all the princesses roaming around. DD6 loved the princesses, but DS was hoping for Aladdin or Prince Phillip or someone with a little testosterone. Loved the food, though!

Chef Mickeys dinner: DS had mickey-shaped pasta with tomato sauce and grilled chicken strips. Gobbled up his food, then polished it off with some Tofutti and Divvies choc. chip cookies, which are allergen-free. There were a couple things in the buffet he could have had, but he was perfectly happy with the food the chef made him.

Ohana's breakfast: Fruit, Mickey-shaped waffles, bacon, sausages. My son loved it. He would eat that breakfast everyday! The morning chef at the Polynesian was great. She made him the same breakfast when we were at Captain Cook's counter service as she made him at the Ohana character breakfast.

The counter service meals were a bit trickier. Each cashier had a big notebook with the ingredients, but all were very crowded and I felt sort of rushed. We stuck to the basics, and used the lists we got from Brenda Bennett. Same with snacks. We were able to buy Divvies products at the Main Street bakery. We got choc. chip cookies, jelly beans and caramel corn, which was delicious. We also got Itsakadoozies several times. DS and DD both loved these! Seemed like Silk (plain and vanilla) was available everywhere.

I can't think of anything else to report. It was a great trip!

Dairy free mashed potatoes! My son would love that! he only gets those at home!:yay:

[WheeledTraveler]

About a year and a half ago I was at Disney with a friend with severe food allergies (dairy, egg, peanuts, shellfish, and a couple others), although mainly for a taekwondo tournament. We pretty much only ended up eating at the resort because that's where we were staying and most of our time was spent either there or at the sports complex. The Pepper Market had dairy-free mashed potatoes, but the Maya Grille did not. Hopefully at least the Pepper Market still does now. Considering the fact that we couldn't really do ADRs as we never knew what we'd have energy to do for food after hours and hours of practice/competition, we did really well. Only once was there any sort of problem (the Pepper Market had run out of mashed potatoes and tried to tell us that the ones they'd gotten from the Maya Grille were the same, despite the fact that we'd been to the Maya Grille and the chef had been very specific that they were not dairy-free). Other than that, things went smoothly. I can't remember if we'd brought any food from home, but I think we'd brought a couple safe back-ups (beef jerky, poptarts, etc.), but not much.

[awaldo]

It sounds like you had a great time. For us, part of the entire reason we go to Disney is because of the way they treat those of us that have to deal with children with food allergies. It is so hard to sometimes look them in the face and tell them they can't have the ice cream, cookies, (and I never even thought about mashed potatoes and gravy as we don't deal with dairy allergies) etc. that "normal" kids get at regular restaurants. I love that they at least *TRY* to let us all have a somewhat normal life, at least for a while!

[mechurchlady]

You are torturing me with food. Thank you for the information. So many people ask about food allergies and it is nice to hear trip reports. I am love the food, now I so want to go to WDW for the foods. My trip report would be woke up, ate, nap, ate, nap, dinner, nap, ate, sleep, work up. lol

[Schmeck]

We got back from our trip a couple days ago, so I wanted to report our dining experiences with our DS5 who has dairy, egg and peanut allergies.


Liberty Tree Tavern: one of his favorite meals...he had turkey, flank steak, dairy-free mashed potatoes, dairy-free gravy, steamed green beans and rolls. Also Tofutti for dessert.


I thought the rolls were made off-site and couldn't be guaranteed to be nut-free? Or maybe that is just the bread at EPCOT?

[5 blind mice]

I thought the rolls were made off-site and couldn't be guaranteed to be nut-free? Or maybe that is just the bread at EPCOT?

I'm not sure where the rolls were made, but the chef said they would be safe for my son. He ate them, and had no problems. He was unable to eat any of the buns at the counter service places, though, because they contained dairy.

[5 blind mice]

I am glad that you and your family had a positive experience. Your post has given me some hope! My 4 y/o twins have severe dairy allergy and this will be our first trip where I am not the one preparing their food. I even always take food for them every time we go to any restaurant.

I feel confident about the TS meals. I have heard good things about that. Yet I am concerned about the CS meals ("the binder" and making 25 hungry people wait in line behind me).

If you can remember any of the CS places you ate and what your DS ate there, I'd love to hear it ... it would give me a starting place for our CS meals.

Here are the places we are eating TS: Crystal Palace, 50s Prime Time, Sci-Fi, Mama Melrose, Chef Mickey's, Rainforest Cafe, Teppan Edo

I've contacted Brenda Bennett and noted allergy on our ressies.
Is there anything else I should know/do before our trip?

The counter service places we ate at were Cosmic Rays (rotis. chicken and ribs), Pecos Bill's (hamburger w/o bun and grapes), Flametree BBQ (hotdog w/o bun and grapes, also had some ribs), and the CS place at the Polynesian. I'm blanking out on the name of that one, but they were great at breakfast.

We didn't eat at any of the TS places you are going to, except Chef Mickey's. That was probably my family's favorite place.

I hope you have a wonderful trip, and that your twins enjoy their meals as much as my son.

[mom2zandjsquared]

The rolls and bread are made off-site but are the ener-g brand which are free of almost everything. MK is the most accomodating of the 4 parks IMHO.

The Waffles - Bobs GF Pancake Mix, then the oil in it, no milk but water, and honey. So you have to figure out the measurements yourself since he didn't tell me and the bag measurements weren't right; I have only made one batch right and I forgot to right down what I did.

[got2luvtink]

Thanks so much for sharing!

[Disney Fan Katt]

I have a son with dairy allergies and I was wondering if anyone was able to get soymilk at the resorts?

Thanks!

[sherabby]

I have a son with dairy allergies and I was wondering if anyone was able to get soymilk at the resorts?

Thanks!

Yes I believe that they do have it at the food courts. If not call ahead. We stayed at the CBR and they they had it. They have tofutti, rice dream and sorbet at many of the disney restaurants. My son was so happy to be in Disney and he is begging to go back again!:banana:

[livndisney]

I have a son with dairy allergies and I was wondering if anyone was able to get soymilk at the resorts?

Thanks!

Soymilk is available at the resorts and is starting to be more common in the parks at well! They also have atleast one place in each park that sells dairy free ICE CREAM(rice dream or tofutti) :cool1: (Made DD's day LOL)

[Disney Fan Katt]

Thank you so much for the information. This will make the trip so much easier on all of us. We are celebrating my son's second birthday there with a lunch at Crystal Palace. I can't wait.

[5 blind mice]

Thank you so much for the information. This will make the trip so much easier on all of us. We are celebrating my son's second birthday there with a lunch at Crystal Palace. I can't wait.

You and your son will have a great time. It was so nice to be able to eat out and not worry about what they'd have for my son to eat. The chefs were incredible. Every table service restaurant we went to had Tofutti. Also, we had no trouble finding plenty of vanilla silk for my son. Thank goodness, because that is his favorite drink in the world.

[RxforDisney]

I have a son with dairy allergies and I was wondering if anyone was able to get soymilk at the resorts?

Thanks!

Beach club room service had it, but I can't remember if the Beachclub Marketplace had it.:confused3

[hematite153]

The time I remember getting handed "the binder" - first I had to wait in a long line just to get up to the counter. ...

I like the pamphlets like at McDonalds where they list all their foods and there is a table set up for all the allergens - you can quickly locate your food on the right and follow across to the allergen going down. ... they would still have the binder.

I agree that getting the binder is often tough. Since my allergies are not anaphylactic (I just get really sick) and vegetarian food is safe as long as it's actually vegetarian I often just trust the vegetarian options at the CS places. But, the "make your own" stations can be quite challenging and I have had to ask repeatedly before they would get me a chef. (WDW is one of the few places where I feel safe trusting that "vegetarian" food is actually vegetarian. One of the most popular catering companies around here puts chicken broth in all of their "vegetarian" dishes.)

I tend not to like the allergen tables because most of the places that have them do not have binders with ingredients. So, I end up either not eating, or, taking a gamble. (I'd say that the gambles lead to bad results roughly 50% of the time.)

[tholczer]

I have new food allergies that are also not anaphalactic, but make me pretty sick. Wheat, soy, sugar, onions and yeast. This makes my food choices severely limited. I keep reading that someone named Sue can help with ingredient lists? Sorry, new here and I can't find the information. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Tracy

[Selket]

I keep reading that someone named Sue can help with ingredient lists? Sorry, new here and I can't find the information. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Tracy


Tracy - I think you are looking for Brenda Bennet. You can find her email address in the disabilities FAQ at the top of this board - there is a section of the FAQ on food allergies and dining, etc.

I have found there seem to be food and beverage managers for most parks (maybe all the parks) and when you get ahold of one they can send you info on all 4. I think Brenda was out of town when I called last week (I'm on my way to WDW this morning actually!:banana: ). Someone I talked to at Epcot emailed me info for our situation. If you have made ADR's in any of the parks you might find out that calling that number will not get the restaurant directly but the Food and Bev. manager there who can help you.

Brenda is awesome though - certainly the best contact I've found for tough situations.

[tholczer]

Thanks. I emailed her and she sent a whole lot of wonderful information on all the parks. She said contacting everyone else would just duplicate the info (FYI).

I didn't realize I had to call all the TS restaraunts 72 hours in advance, though. Glad I found out in time!

Thanks for the help!

Tracy

[HeatherinVT]

Thanks for the food report!
I am traveling with my DD5 (PN and TN allergies) and it was nice to see your report!

:wizard:

[GoofyFairie]

We went to wdw last month. My DD is severly allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. I made all her meals, just like at home. My DH and I did eat in the CS at the WL for our first meal and I saw the lady behind the counter cross contaminate all the food. The chicken strips contain eggs and she filled every order with the same gloved hand. She touched every sandwhich, frech fry, pizza, nugget, grape etc. so every persons plate was cross contaminated. We love the World and will return when we can save up enough money to go again, but I can't be comfortable letting someone else make her food. It's too risky IMO.

[RxforDisney]

We went to wdw last month. My DD is severly allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. I made all her meals, just like at home. My DH and I did eat in the CS at the WL for our first meal and I saw the lady behind the counter cross contaminate all the food. The chicken strips contain eggs and she filled every order with the same gloved hand. She touched every sandwhich, frech fry, pizza, nugget, grape etc. so every persons plate was cross contaminated. We love the World and will return when we can save up enough money to go again, but I can't be comfortable letting someone else make her food. It's too risky IMO.


I can understand your concern. You need to stick with what you are comfortable with. The severity of the allergies makes a big difference, and the training and knowledge of food service personnel at counter service places is inconsistent with regard to allergies. It just depends on who I get and how they respond in our conversations how comfortable I am. But, on the other hand at the table service places, we have consistently had great experiences. The chefs are VERY well versed in allergies, and go above and beyond. I think they enjoy the challenge sometimes.

[momsavealot]

One of the women in my food allergy support group just got back and had an awful experience with Narcosees (sp?) in the Grand Floridian. Her son has a dairy allergy and was given the wrong whipped cream causing him to go into ana. She said she talked to the chef, had the allergy noted on the ressie, but still this happened. Unfortunately, it was the first night of her trip and she had to take him to the ER. Also on her trip, at the GF, a different rest., a plate of eggs was mistakenly put in front of her son when he has a severe egg allergy as well. Needless to say, she warned our entire group when she got back to be careful. Altho, Disney represents they are careful, you still can not let your guard down.

[RxforDisney]

A bit off topic, but has anyone been watching the Celebrity Aprentice? I think it is awsome the publicity that food allergies have gotten from that show as a result of Trace Atkins!

[momma of 2]

my ds2 is allergic to milk and peanuts. We are eating at crt for lunch and chef mickey for dinner. No idea what to do about cs meals. When we went last year it seemed everything for the kids was peanutbutter and jelly. Do they have like grilled chicken or dairy free chicken nuggets. Are the fries dairy free. So many questions

I would love any help I could get,

[RxforDisney]

my ds2 is allergic to milk and peanuts. We are eating at crt for lunch and chef mickey for dinner. No idea what to do about cs meals. When we went last year it seemed everything for the kids was peanutbutter and jelly. Do they have like grilled chicken or dairy free chicken nuggets. Are the fries dairy free. So many questions

I would love any help I could get,

Brenda Bennett can answer many of these types of questions for you with the current information. If you tell her what he is allergic to, she will send you a list of safe foods at CS places.

That said, last I checked NONE of the chicken nuggets were dairy free. But, the fries were. We ended up just getting a hamburger patty (no bun) with grapes and/or fries most of the time. The buns that they serve have milk or egg one in them - can't remember since my DS is allergic to both. But, they usually have Ener-G buns available (that are safe) if you request them. Also, last I checked, the rotisserie chicken at several locations was safe for milk/peanut allergies. The Turkey legs were safe too when we went in 2006.

[mechurchlady]

momma of 2:
you have to check with Disney and get their lists ahead of time. Chicken can be a raw chicken cooked with added seasonings and possibly sauces which usually is safe for people with allergies but some places like McDonald's use a grilled chicken breast that has a lot of stuff added. That is why you need to check with Disney for their ingredients list. Not all battered food contains dairy but in fast food restaurants there is a chance of cross contamination in a communal deep fryer.

You have to tell them your allergies so they do not pick up a slice of cheese then touch your dairy free meal. French fries are cooked in a dedicated fyer at CS but other deep fried food usually is not.

McDonald's has a "griled chicken breast" that looks like a pure white meat piece of chicken until you read the ingredients. It has wheat, unidentified plant additives, unidentified animal based additives, corn, paprika, onion, soy, potatos, caramel, unidentified source of food starch, cottonseed oil, unidentified spices, beta carotene, and citric acid.
http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.ingredients.in dex.html

[RxforDisney]

Hey guys! I just found this website for chocoloate that is free of most allergens. You may have seen it before, but it is new to me!

http://www.wheyoutchocolate.com/

[mechurchlady]

Hey guys! I just found this website for chocoloate that is free of most allergens. You may have seen it before, but it is new to me!

http://www.wheyoutchocolate.com/

you are very mean, sigh, I do not get paid until the third and oooh chocolate. I should bookmark that link, sounds very good.
http://www.vancesfoods.com/
Found a link of the site you posted for Vances which has some great dairy free products.

[chaospearl]

I hope this is an appropriate place to ask my question -- I've been reading along the thread purely for entertainment and information and I'd never intended to post anything because I haven't got any food allergies at all. Then, after seeing so many people mention dairy allergies, something occured to me. My little sister is severely lactose intolerant and she's had to give up a lot of her favorite foods. We've found dairy-free substitutes for some things. Ice cream, waffles, soymilk, probably a few others I'm forgetting because I don't pay as close attention to it as she does, obviously.

I'll be visiting WDW by myself in a few months without any family members, and what I was wondering is, are there any selections of non-perishable dairy-free snacks or other foods easily available there that I could bring home for my sister as a little gift\souvenier offering? Specifically I've heard that the Main Street Bakery carries sweets and desserts that are dairy-free and I'm curious if there's anything such as a wrapped chocolate bar or along those lines that could be taken back home with me. It's been years since she could eat chocolate safely and she's not partial to dark chocolates without milk because she says they're too bitter. Mostly I'm just wondering if perhaps Disney has a special selection of items for food allergies that might not be available elsewhere.

[BeckyScott]

I don't know that they have anything *special* per se. Looking at my sheets, it looks like they carry things by Divvies... there are also the Mickey rice krispie treats... I'm sure if you go to the bakery and ask, they could point you in the right direction. Might not be chocolate, but something that would be a good gift.

[utmemmom]

food allergy and microwave in theme park?

Hello, I just read flynnmnstr post from 03-15-2007, 01:20 PM, where it was mentioned that one can use a microwave in the baby centers at the theme parks.

"We need a food bag also between picker eater and severe DAIRY allergy; I am a human refrigerator. You'd be amazed at what meals I was cooking in the microwaves at the baby centers."

Does anyone know if this is still available? My 3 y.o. son has anaphylaxis to dairy (and hives to contact) and I tried to contact Disney re:use of microwaves in the park and got no answer. I know we can't ask for them at the restaurants but didn't even know they were accesible anywhere. Thanks. We are planning to visit in May 08.

[Disney Fan Katt]

food allergy and microwave in theme park?

Hello, I just read flynnmnstr post from 03-15-2007, 01:20 PM, where it was mentioned that one can use a microwave in the baby centers at the theme parks.

"We need a food bag also between picker eater and severe DAIRY allergy; I am a human refrigerator. You'd be amazed at what meals I was cooking in the microwaves at the baby centers."

Does anyone know if this is still available? My 3 y.o. son has anaphylaxis to dairy (and hives to contact) and I tried to contact Disney re:use of microwaves in the park and got no answer. I know we can't ask for them at the restaurants but didn't even know they were accesible anywhere. Thanks. We are planning to visit in May 08.


I have a son with dairy allergies and had a great experience there. The ice cream shop on Disney's Main Street has a special allergy room where they keep tofutti and rice dream and only one CM has access to it and he does not handle any other items there. We had a great experience with how the chef's and CM handled his issue.

As for the microwave, I found a website with pictures of the baby care centers and there is a microwave in them. Here is the link:

http://www.explorethemagic.com/disney-world-baby-care-center.asp

Good luck!

May I also suggest using Gardengrocer.com and have food delivered to your room. We had soymilk and soy yogurt delivered, it was very easy.

[utmemmom]

Disney Fan Katt,
Thanks so much for answering and sorry for the "accessible" typo. This is the first time ever where I've had to let go and let someone else be responsible for so many of his meals and I'm terrified b/c his allergies are so SEVERE. We plan to do most breakfasts in the room - soy milk and cereal (that's what he pretty much eats everyday) - along with CS, TS, and now we can maybe bring some things into the park with us to heat up at the baby centers! Have already made some ADR and asked them to note his allergies. I read that dairy-free, egg-free pancakes and waffles are available at some character breakfasts. Looking forward to everything but still nervous.

Any other tips from parents with food allergic kids would be welcomed!

[Selket]

Disney Fan Katt,
Looking forward to everything but still nervous.

Any other tips from parents with food allergic kids would be welcomed!

I remember going to WDW for the first time after my younger son had developed the severe food allergy (he is anaph. to peanut/tree nut - touch is enough) and he also has type 1 diabetes. He was 3 years old on that first trip!

The Disney chefs and Brenda Bennett were very professional and patient with me and all of my questions and requests. They were just fantastic. I have been back to WDW many times since (and a Disney cruise) and had pretty much great service everywhere and he hasn't reacted to anything served to him.

I think with a 3 yr old it is easy to single out some things they really REALLY like and focus on finding those for your trip. For us it was hot dogs so I made sure that each place we dined had a hot dog that was safe - and some other items that were dependable. Even if the TS place doesn't normally serve this item - if it is something simple I had never had a problem with any place not being able to get it for us with some advance notice. I really would take advantage of calling those chefs ahead of time....and Brenda Bennet.

If you can dine at Boma and get TJ as your server you will have an awesome dinner (or your 3 year old will). We just were there last month and met TJ for the first time and he is worth a special trip.

I have also had chefs at the Disney resort hotels offer to make him a boxed lunch to take to the parks. If you are staying on property this might be an option. It does take some persistence to get ahold of those chefs but it can be worth it. This might be easier than trying to make a hot meal in the baby room from what you bring. I have seen people be able to arrange a special meal for someone with allergies for the CS places too. It is worth asking about.

Good luck with your trip!:thumbsup2