Gluten Freedom-- The DDP with a Food Allergic Kiddo (Updated with Toy Story Pizza PL)

[ekatiel]

We just got back from our first trip to WDW, and we had an AMAZING time :cool1:. Part of that amazing time was due to my food allergic almost-five year old being able to eat a variety of foods in the World. So, I just had to come back here and do a gluten-free dining review of kids' meals in WDW:goodvibes!

Here's the cast: Me (the Mommy), DH, our two boys, Aidan who is almost three and has no food allergies, Brendan who is almost five and has multiple food allergies, and my mom and dad (hence forth known as Memaw and Grandpa). Part of the reason we chose a WDW vacation was that we had heard how great they were with food allergies :thumbsup2. Brendan is allergic to wheat, barley, rye, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. So, dining out is not easy for us. At home, we eat out once a week at the SAME restaurant EVERY TIME :sad2:. Brendan also occasionally has fast food. His "choice"-- and yes, I mean the singular form of "choice"-- when we go out to eat is almost always a cheeseburger with NO bun and french fries (he seems to do ok with fryer oil that may be cross contaminated). When we found out that he could get a cheeseburger WITH a bun at WDW, we were sold :yay:!!!

Those of you who do not have kids with food allergies may not realize what a big deal it is to be able to get "normal" looking food at a restaurant, but it literally makes me tear up thinking about all the "normal" food that DS got to eat this week :lovestruc. He had pizza in a restaurant for the first time EVER (he gets it at home, but never in a million years did we think he could eat pizza somewhere else). He had multiple burgers with a bun everytime :thumbsup2. And he had a veritable FEAST the night we ate at 'Ohana (I'll brag about chef TJ more later) :banana:. He truly had a magical time, and we had a magical time watching him beam as he ate until his tummy was tight as a drum each night :goodvibes!

Here's the line-up of where we ate (I got pics of most of the food, but sometimes I forgot!).
Dinner day one: Chip and Dale's Harvest Feast at the Garden Grill (Epcot)
Lunch day two: Flame Tree BBQ in AK
Dinner day two: Mama Melrose (DHS)
Lunch day three: Cosmic Ray's (MK)
Dinner day three: 'Ohana (at the Poly-- you DON'T want to miss this review!)
Brunch day four: Crystal Palace with Pooh (MK)
Dinner day four: Everything's Pop CS (Pop)
Lunch day five: Toy Story Pizza Planet (DHS)
Dinner day five: Le Cellier (Epcot)
Lunch day six: Restaurant-osaurus (AK)
Dinner day six: 1900 Park Faire (GF)
Lunch day seven: Cosmic Ray's (MK)
Dinner day seven: Chef Mickey's (Contemporary)
Lunch day eight: Pecos Bill's (MK)

Whew-- that was a lot of places to eat!! I think I'll include a couple of things in each review. First, I'll include a rating of the allergy friendly food. Then, I'll include a rating of the chef and how helpful he or she was. Finally, I'll include a rating of the food the rest of us ate. So, here we go :woohoo:!! Up next: Garden Grill!

[ekatiel]

We arrived at Garden Grill just before our 7pm ADR. I made sure to mention that we had food allergies, and they told us that it was already noted on the reservations :thumbsup2 and that the chef would be out to talk with us when we were seated. They gave us a buzzer and we waited for just a few minutes until our buzzer went off. The chef came out shortly and gave us a few options that were safe for Brendan. Brendan ended up having gluten free tapioca rolls (made by Ener-G foods)-- we saw these a lot this week, turkey, french fries, and veggies. For dessert, he got an Itzakadoozie bar. It was the first time he'd seen one of these, since we had just arrived, and he LOVED it :love:. Here are some pics of his food:
The Entree:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4354.jpg

The Dessert:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4368.jpg

We had them bring an itzakadoozie for Aidan, our two year old, also, so the boys were HAPPY :yay: after this meal.

On our food allergy reference sheet, I had requested that the chef make some kind of special gluten free/egg free brownie or cupcake for Brendan, and this did not happen, but he was extrememely happy with his popsicle, so we were happy, too. Here are the ratings for Garden Grill:
Allergen Free Food Rating: A-
Chef Rating: B+
Other Food Rating: A-

[natalielongstaff]

im glad you had a good time, looking forward to hearing more :thumbsup2

[Head_in_the_clouds]

Thank you so much for this!!!!!!!!:worship::worship::worship:

I was taken to hospital with a form of anaphylactic shock last week following some sort of allergic reaction and I am now on a wheat free yeast free dairy free diet and trying to figure what I am going to live on for three weeks when we go to WDW next month.

Will read your reviews with interest!

[ekatiel]

Thank you so much for this!!!!!!!!:worship::worship::worship:

I was taken to hospital with a form of anaphylactic shock last week following some sort of allergic reaction and I am now on a wheat free yeast free dairy free diet and trying to figure what I am going to live on for three weeks when we go to WDW next month.

Will read your reviews with interest!

im glad you had a good time, looking forward to hearing more :thumbsup2

Thanks for reading, guys! I know this is kind of a "niche" review, but I thought it might be helpful to those with food allergies or intolerances.

Head in the Clouds-- If you don't already have a ressie for 'Ohana, I'd try to get one-- chef TJ there was SO awesome!--Katie

[ekatiel]

Sorry, guys-- I forgot to take pics of this one. We got to Flame Tree right at 11am when it opened (we found this was best time to be able to talk with a manager). We told the clerk that we had food allergies, and she immediately went to get a manager. The manager brought out the big binder of the ingredients of the food there, and we decided to get Brendan a baked chicken leg, grapes, and jello. His food looked good, and he ate the whole chicken leg, so it must have been good. I'm pretty sure the ribs were safe for him as well, but they weren't an option on the kid's meal. The rest of us had either ribs or chicken. We decided that the chicken was better than the ribs. The ribs were a bit tough, but they had good flavor. The baked beans were WAY to sweet for me (and this is a women who makes baked beans by adding extra butter, onions and brown sugar to a can of Bush beans!). Overall, the food was ok, but IMO, this place is over-hyped.

Allergen Free Food Rating: B+
Manager Rating: A-
Other Food Rating: B

[Disney owl]

great start look forward to reading more

[MeLaNie9]

Those of you who do not have kids with food allergies may not realize what a big deal it is to be able to get "normal" looking food at a restaurant, but it literally makes me tear up thinking about all the "normal" food that DS got to eat this week .


I wanted to post as soon as I read your intro - will read the rest shortly...
In Dec 07 we took our DS1 to WDW for the first time - we STILL have never taken him to a restaurant at home and ordered food (he's 2 1/2 now, we bring him his meal from home) and at the first WDW TS restaurant when the chef came out to discuss his meal, I ordered with tears in my eyes! We have now had 2 wonderful WDW vacations with our son getting to eat at restaurants and we leave Thursday for another!!! After that 1st trip, we said we will never go to another vacation destination as long as he has to avoid certain foods. Lucky for us, he now only has to avoid dairy (we were avoiding all common food allergens on the prior trips). Looking forward to reading the rest of your report!

[hellokittiemama]

This is perfect timing for me.

We still haven't hit our 90 day window for ADRs but my son's food issues are similar in that he is also gluten free (as well as dairy free).

I look fw to reading more!

[clanmcculloch]

I am now on a wheat free yeast free dairy free diet and trying to figure what I am going to live on for three weeks when we go to WDW next month.

Be aware that ALL of the gluten and dairy free bread at WDW has yeast. This was a bit of a frustration for us (my daughter also can't have these) but she still had PLENTY to eat. As much as you might have been salivating over the idea of a hamburger with a bun, it's still not going to happen because of the yeast. In no way will that take away from your experience though because you will have PLENTY of options.

On our last trip, she chose to eat mac & cheese and chicken fingers almost every single night and she ate eggs, bacon and Mickey waffles almost every morning. She had plenty of other choices but this is what she kept choosing. We only had the QSDP so all of this was at QS restaurants, mostly our hotel (we're not stay at the park until you drop kind of people). The main chef at Pop actually picked up some Kinnikinnick muffins and Silk yogurt specifically for us while we were there, based on conversations we had earlier. I was in heaven with the wide variety of foods I could eat as well (I have the same problems plus several others). We knew we'd be eating most meals that trip at the hotel so I had spoken with the main chef by phone ahead of time.

One of her favourite TS meals from other trips was the princess dining in Norway. The chef actually had chocolate chip muffins ready for her and brought out this huge fruit plate with it for the APPETIZER. She could hardly eat the amazing chicken strips with hand cut pototo strips though she did save room for her beautiful ice cream brownie sundae (she eats these for just about every dessert because they're so good and it's so rare to get them, though occasionally she'll substitute a cookie at the places where they're available). We brought a big container of fresh fruit and chicken strips back to the hotel that night.

Her favourite cold treat around the parks was the frozen bananas. The Itkadoodle popsicles are also safe but she couldn't have them due to additional citrus problems (they contain lemon and orange). Most people swear by the Dole Whips (she kept choosing the bananas though). The popcorn all over the parks is also safe as are the frozen Cokes. We were definitely both in heaven. There are good reasons that we keep returning. It's the only place we can vacation stress free as the food issues are a lot of stress anywhere else we travel.

Because we travel with a child with these intollerances, I like having the chefs actually call me at home before we go. Brenda arranges this for me. This allows me to prepare her for what kinds of options they will have (not all places have the Galaxy soy cheese for instance), plus sometimes the chefs will prepare something special (like those chocolate chip muffins) or they'll get something that they don't normally have at their location in from another restaurant. Chefs really are amazing at all of the Disney operated restaurants (make sure all your reservations are at Disney operated restaurants).

So we could just walk in an order without having to scour over a huge book of allergy info or ask all sorts of questions everywhere, I created my own list of what safe food is available at which QS and snack location at each park. I would then just bring the list from the individual park we were going to on any given day. We would still have to wait for managers to come out to talk to us and serve us, but it still saved LOTS of time because we new what we wanted right away plus we new which QS places could accomodate us easier. Take the time to go through the info that Brenda sends and preplan what foods you can find where. You'll be SO glad that you did.

[svalencia1]

Thank you so much for these reviews My DD is gluten and dairy free. I can't wait to read you Ohanas review. We have a ressie there and have heard wonderful things.

[ekatiel]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. And thanks for the extra info. I know everyone's dietary needs are slightly different, so it's great to hear from people who have had a great experience with different accomodations! Next up is Mama Melrose dinner!

We booked the Fantasmic package at Mama Melrose and were nearly late for our ADR. I had DH run ahead of us and tell them we were on our way. When we got there, I mentioned the food allergies again, and again I was told that it was already noted and that the chef would come out to see us (just what I wanted to hear :wizard:!). Once we sat down, the chef came right out and she was very nice. She offered to make Brendan a pizza on a tapioca pizza shell (made by Ener-G). He was THRILLED to eat pizza in a restaurant :banana:! I'm assuming that they could do this one dairy free, too, since she used the shell and added the sauce and cheese-- I'm not sure if they have dairy free cheese there or if it would be just sauce and meat/veggies!

They asked if it was ok that the pizza come out a little early-- We were very happy for it to come out early b/c kiddos tend to get antzy sitting in restaurants anyways. The pizza looked great and was served with its own side salad. The chef brought the salad dressing packet to me so I could read the ingredients. She also brought us chocolate milk in a nesquick bottle so we could read that, too. She gave us the option of tofutti or a strawberry popsicle for dessert. Since Brendan is not dairy allergic and is used to eating real ice cream, we went for the strawberry bar instead. Their gelato has cross contamination warnings for eggs and nuts, I believe, so we stayed away from it. Here are a few pics of Brendan's food:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4415.jpg
His pizza-- He ate it too quick for me to snap a picture before a piece was gone!
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4416.jpg
His half-eaten strawberry bar-- you can't very well tell a kid to not eat dessert yet b/c you have to take a picture!!!

Allergen Free Food Rating: A
Chef Rating: A
Other Food Rating: A (the steak was REALLY good and we each got appies b/c of the F! package!)

Up next, lunch at Cosmic Ray's and THEN, our favorite meal of the trip--- 'Ohana!!! --Katie

[abc123mom]

I love how you are reviewing each meal experience. Our oldest daughter has multiple food allergies, as does my husband and our two youngest strictly avoid peanuts and treenuts due to Dad and older daughter's allergies. We've been to Disney twice now and it seems that each time eating there gets a little easier. I can't wait to read more! Thanks for doing this!!

Laura

[ekatiel]

We've been to Disney twice now and it seems that each time eating there gets a little easier.

Laura

They seem to really be on top of the whole Food allergy issue! I wonder if someone in top management has a kid with food allergies. . . Brenda Bennet from special diets told me that they will be getting the Enjoy Life products in soon-- we didn't see any while we were there, but hopefully, they'll be around soon-- those would have opened up even more dessert possibilities for us!! We are hoping to go back for free dining in 2010-- by the second day we were there, DH told me that we could come back next year!! --Katie

[ekatiel]

We spent Monday at the Magic Kingdom, so just after 11am, we headed to Cosmic Ray's for some lunch. We told the cashier that we had food alleriges, and he got a manager for us right away. Brendan decided to have a cheeseburger on an Ener-G bun with fries and chocolate pudding. The manager offered to bake the fries (it would take about 15 minutes, he said) so that they wouldn't be cross contaminated, but Brendan doesn't react to cross contaminated fryer oil, so we were ok with the regular fries. Also, we didn't notice until the second time we had the pudding that there is an egg cross contamination warning on the pudding :scared1:-- oops-- Mommy should have read the labels better. Luckily, he didn't have a reaction to the pudding either time. Here are the pics of our food:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4449.jpg
Brendan's meal. Hamburger, complete with bun :banana:!

And here's how he ate the hamburger anyways:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4450.jpg
That's right, he took the patty out and ate it by itself! I guess when you've eaten just the patty for nearly five years straight, you stick with what you know ;)! He was clearly happy that he HAD a bun, though, to eat it or not was his choice :woohoo:!

Allergen Free Food Rating: A-
Manager Rating: A
Other Food Rating: B+

Up Next-- the moment you've all been waiting for--;) 'Ohana!!! --Katie

[hellokittiemama]

Was that "soy" pudding or regular pudding? Just wondering.

Loved how he hate the patty not the bun! That is something I could see my son doing too!!!

[allyphoe]

Was that "soy" pudding or regular pudding?

That's just regular Cozy Shack brand chocolate pudding.

[Lisa Poppins]

I too have a son with gluten/wheat allergy (celiac). We have made tons of trips to Disney and each time we can't believe how accomodating they are. My son feels so special and "normal" when he can eat out and be able to eat what everyone else is. popcorn:: Thanks for all the reviews. I have not tried Ohana yet and am waiting for your review. I always shy away from foods with asian flair due to sauces, rubs etc. How was the gluten free choices at Ohana? :):)

[ekatiel]

Ok Guys-- It's finally time for the 'Ohana review. Brendan had the absolute BEST dinner of his life there :goodvibes, and it was all thanks to Chef TJ :cool1:! From reading the Disboards before we left, I had heard good things about Chef TJ-- that he went out of his way for food allergy kids, and that he made some really awesome meals. At the time I was making my ADR's, though, I *thought* he was still working at Boma, and the menu there just didn't sound all that appealing to me, so we did not book it.

Well, just a few weeks before our trip I hear (here on the Disboards again, of course), that Chef TJ is now working at 'Ohana. We already had a reservation there, so I was hoping that we'd get chef TJ.

So, fastforward to Monday evening: We arrive for our ADR at the Poly a bit early, so we walk around for awhile (boy do I wish I had $350 to spend on a room for a night!!). It was beautiful! We checked in a few minutes early for our ADR, and were seated almost immediately. I mentioned the allergies again, and the server said the chef would be out shortly to talk with us. So, would it be Chef TJ?? Could we possibly be that lucky??!

Well, the Chef came out to us, and he was VERY nice, but I only got a glance at his name tag, and his name was SUPER long-- it was certainly longer than "TJ". Oh well, I thought-- this chef seems nice enough. He told us that none of the meat skewers they serve would be safe for him asked us about what Brendan would like to eat (what types of meat) and a few other questions about foods that might be ok (ie-- can he have soy, etc). Then, he comes out with this AWESOME appetizer-- seriously, we would have been completely happy if this was DS's entire meal. But alas, it was just his appetizer. Here's a pic:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4511.jpg
That's cheicken wings on top of mashed potatoes, with a roll to the side. I'm not sure if it was the Ener-G roll to start with or if he actually made the dough himself, but he definitely did SOMETHING to the roll to make it taste like the Hawiian bread that the rest of us were eating-- maybe he glazed it with a sugar/pineapple glaze?? Whatever it was, it was sweet and yummy (DH and I both tried it once Brendan had his fill). We didn't get to try the wings, b/c Brendan ate ALL of them!!! They looked fabulous, though!

At this point, I start to clue in, and wonder if this is, in fact, the famous "TJ" that I had been hearing about. Then, I took a better look at his name tag-- the name, although REALLY long, starts with the letters T and J-- it's gotta be him!!! When he came out to deliver the entree. I asked if he was chef TJ. He said he was, and I told him that he was famous b/c all the food allergy moms who have been to Disney World brag about him!! He smiled :). Now, about that entree-- Brendan had the best looking food in the entire restaurant. Here's a pic:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4517.jpg
And from another angle:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4516.jpg
He had made Brendan his own personal skewer of each type of meat (shrimp, turkey, pork and beef), then set it on a bed of broccoli, carrots and a pile of rice noodles. It was gorgeous-- the pics really don't do it justice! Brendan ate and ate and ate!!!

But chef TJ wasn't done yet-- it was time for dessert. He interviewed us about what Brendan can and can't eat for dessert-- asked about certain fruits and ice cream, and then, he brought out this:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4522.jpg
He drizzled (or should I say poured!) the chocolate syrup on it at the table! Here's a closer look:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4524.jpg
And here's a pic of Brendan eyeing it:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4523_edited-1.jpg
From the bottom up, that's pineapple, ice cream, banana, banana, ice cream, banana, banana, cherry, and cotton candy on top-- all covered in chocolate syrup! It was a kid's DREAM :thumbsup2-- Brendan was on :cloud9:! So, he ate and ate and ate some more!!! We joked that this was a great way to get his weight up before his five year old check up this Summer (he's always hovering around the 5th percentile).

Chef TJ saw what a good time Brendan was having with the dessert, and he came by for a picture:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4526_edited-1.jpg
I think Brendan was in a sugar coma by this point-- he looks a little dazed in the pic! Anyhow, without a doubt, this was our BEST eating experience at WDW. We had tears in our eyes when Brendan's dessert was delivered. He had the BEST dessert in the WHOLE place, and he knew it :banana:! Our little man who is always stuck with a cupcake from home at birthday parties and who has to give away half of his Halloween candy, finally had the best dessert out of everyone :cool1:-- I could have hugged Chef TJ then and there :hug:-- I settled for saying thank you aobut a million times. So, if you have a kid with food allergies, you just have to get over the fact that they serve peanut sauce in this place. Ask them to wipe the table down extra well (which we put in our FA guest form), and let Chef TJ work his magic! You will not be disappointed!!

Allergen Friendly Food Rating: A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chef Rating: A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Other Food Rating: A+

Up next: Brunch at Crystal Palace!

[Lisa Poppins]

Thank you soooo much for that review!! I made ADR's for Ohana when we go. I'm sitting hear with tears in my eyes as I read your review. I know exactly how your heart sinks every time your son has to "bring a dessert from home". He must have felt so special with that dessert! That's what i love about Disney----even if it's just for a short time my son feels like the special one not the "odd" man out!! Thanks again for this great review!:goodvibes

[hellokittiemama]

oh Wow!!

Wow! Wow!

That is amazing :) I got chills just reading it, completely can relate and definitely booking Ohana for dinner now!!!!

:) Thanks!!!!!!

[PPP_NKY]

Thank you for doing these reviews. I am tearing up after reading them (I want to hug Chef TJ for you...what a great soul) and am hopeful we have similar experiences. This will be the first time ever I possibly allow my 4 year old to eat cooking other than my own. I am so nervous but am gaining hope from reading this. I will try in the morning to get a reservation at Ohana (maybe luck will shine on me?)

ps - did you find any quick snacks that you liked or did you bring those?

[LuckyMamaInDE]

We have a soy-allergic dd14, who was diagnosed only two years ago, right before a WDW trip. I cried (in a good way!) in so many restaurants that trip because the chefs were so helpful. Dd felt "normal" that week after a month of serious stress and change.

I'm enjoying your reviews :)

[momsavealot]

Great dining report so far!!! I have to admit, as one with kids with peanut allergies, I never even considered Ohana b/c of the peanut sauce on the tables. But, I've heard about the famous Chef TJ before, and reading your report, it may be time to go there! I know what you mean about kids getting to eat "normal" food for once. I have one big question. When we went last August, I was told all breads were off limits for peanut allergic b/c they were brought in from off premises and they couldn't guarantee ingredients. Did things change? It sounds like he is eating bread everywhere. Also at Cosmic Ray's, we were able to get the manager to give us Divvies cookies for dessert and they were safe. I would also like to personally recommend the Chef from Tony's in MK - he made a safe meatball for my daughter that was huge!!! She felt so special - biggest meatball in the place! Keep up the good work!! We are going this August again and I am looking for new restaurants to try!

[CrabbyPatty]

Thank you so much for posting about your GF eating in WDW. As a GF adult, I'm very encouraged to learn that WDW is really helpful about pointing out the GF foods and/or making GF substitutions. I can't wait for our trip!

I'm so glad your son had a wonderful time!

[scanne]

I am in tears reading your reviews. Not in a bad way - I'm so touched by the amazing service you received for your son.

I am in the beginning stages of trying to diagnose a possible food allergy in my DD4. We're starting day 1 of the elimination diet tomorrow. I went to Whole Foods tonight and reading the labels was mind-numbing. We have a trip to WDW in 34 days and reading your post has given me the confidence to know that IF something should turn up with my DD and a food allergy, I know our WDW vacation won't be ruined.

Thanks so much for sharing. I am looking forward to reading more!

[ekatiel]

Sorry for taking so long to update, guys! It's my kiddos' last week of preschool, and we've been super busy (I really think I'm going to burn through my whole freezer stash of cupcakes for Brendan before the week's over-- there have been so many special snacks at school!). I will try to get the Crystal Palace review out sometime this evening.

Thank you for doing these reviews. I am tearing up after reading them (I want to hug Chef TJ for you...what a great soul) and am hopeful we have similar experiences. This will be the first time ever I possibly allow my 4 year old to eat cooking other than my own. I am so nervous but am gaining hope from reading this. I will try in the morning to get a reservation at Ohana (maybe luck will shine on me?)

ps - did you find any quick snacks that you liked or did you bring those?

So, were you able to get the ADR? I hope you guys have a great time while you are there! It really was neat seeing Brendan eat like a normal kid.

As far as snacks go-- Brendan liked the popcorn, the itzakadoozies and the Mickey's Ice Cream bars. He used a lot of his snack credits on the ice cream bars. We went to Sea World (in San Antonio) last summer, and the Shamu bars have egg in them, so we were really happy to find out that these were gluten, nut and egg free! He also had hand-scooped ice cream once (which we NEVER do at home). We told them about the allergies, and they called a manager to the stand (it was the ice cream place right outside of ToT at DHS). The manager showed us the binder with all the ingredients and opened up a new carton for us to avoid cross contamination! Brendan also had a rootbeer float at Aloha Isle with the vanillla Dole Whip and rootbeer (I think it was Barq's). He enjoyed that, too. Oh, and we found out you can use a snack credit to buy a PEZ dispenser at the Pop food court! That was a great way to use up a credit on the last day!

We have a soy-allergic dd14, who was diagnosed only two years ago, right before a WDW trip. I cried (in a good way!) in so many restaurants that trip because the chefs were so helpful. Dd felt "normal" that week after a month of serious stress and change.

I'm enjoying your reviews :)

I still cry when I think about his experience at 'Ohana. I sent Brenda Bennett a thank you email a few days ago, and I was crying as I was typing :goodvibes! We can't wait to go back!

Great dining report so far!!! I have to admit, as one with kids with peanut allergies, I never even considered Ohana b/c of the peanut sauce on the tables. But, I've heard about the famous Chef TJ before, and reading your report, it may be time to go there! I know what you mean about kids getting to eat "normal" food for once. I have one big question. When we went last August, I was told all breads were off limits for peanut allergic b/c they were brought in from off premises and they couldn't guarantee ingredients. Did things change? It sounds like he is eating bread everywhere. Also at Cosmic Ray's, we were able to get the manager to give us Divvies cookies for dessert and they were safe. I would also like to personally recommend the Chef from Tony's in MK - he made a safe meatball for my daughter that was huge!!! She felt so special - biggest meatball in the place! Keep up the good work!! We are going this August again and I am looking for new restaurants to try!

Brendan is contact allergic to peanuts, and he did not have a problem at 'Ohana-- I think it's defnitely worth a shot since chef TJ is there now. As far as the bread goes-- since DS is allergic to the three gluten containing grains, we can't do regular bread. All his bread is gluten free. I'm not sure if the regular bread is safe for a peanut allergy or not (many gluten free products are ok for peanut allergies but have tree nut warnings (b/c of almond flour in the factories)-- we tend to just bite the bullet and try these anyways, b/c DS is pretty much only avoiding tree nuts b/c of his peanut allergy and mildly elevated RAST numbers for tree nuts. Maybe someone else can pipe up about the regular bread. I'll have to think about Tony's for our next trip. That chef sounds great!

Thank you so much for posting about your GF eating in WDW. As a GF adult, I'm very encouraged to learn that WDW is really helpful about pointing out the GF foods and/or making GF substitutions. I can't wait for our trip!

I'm so glad your son had a wonderful time!

I'm glad you're finding this review helpful-- I know it's got a ton of "kid" food on it.

oh Wow!!

Wow! Wow!

That is amazing :) I got chills just reading it, completely can relate and definitely booking Ohana for dinner now!!!!

:) Thanks!!!!!!

I hope chef TJ is working the night you're there! He really was incredible.

Thank you soooo much for that review!! I made ADR's for Ohana when we go. I'm sitting hear with tears in my eyes as I read your review. I know exactly how your heart sinks every time your son has to "bring a dessert from home". He must have felt so special with that dessert! That's what i love about Disney----even if it's just for a short time my son feels like the special one not the "odd" man out!! Thanks again for this great review!:goodvibes

I hope you guys have a great time-- be sure to post after you return and let us know how it went. Give chef TJ a hug for us!

I will try to post the Crystal Palace review after I get the boys in bed tonight!--Katie

[ekatiel]

Tuesday morning we had our first (and only) breakfast ADR. We thought it would be nice to switch things up a bit since all our other ADR's were for dinner, so we decided on a late breakfast at Crystal Palace.

We arrived about 10 minutes early for our 10:30am ADR. We mentioned the allergies, and once again, we were told that they were noted. Once we were seated, the chef came out and walked me through the buffet. He mentioned what was safe and what we needed to stay away from for Brendan's allergies.

At first, he did not offer to cook Brendan anything in the back, so I asked about waffles or pancakes. He then offered to get him some Vann's waffles (basically gluten free eggos). In my best polite southern girl voice, I told him how thrilled Brendan would be if he could have a pancake shaped like Mickey Mouse. The chef then seemed to perk up a little and told me that he would bring a Van's waffle out now to start, and then try to make Brendan some mickey pancakes :goodvibes. I was thrilled!!

The pancakes looked great. Along with them, and his Vann's waffle, Brendan had bacon, cheese cubes (he LOVES cheese), grapes, and skillet potatoes. I think he pretty much filled up on the waffle b/c he didn't eat much of his Mickey pancakes. He was very happy to have them on his plate, though. So, I guess the moral of this story is-- find out before you leave what the chefs have available (I knew they had GF pancake mix), and ask nicely for something if they don't offer it! Here are a few pics:

The boys with Pooh:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4567.jpg
Brendan's food, including the mickey pancakes!:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4569.jpg
Brendan with Tigger:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4592.jpg
Aidan with Tigger:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/ekatielarson/100_4589.jpg

We all had a great time and really enjoyed the characters! I'm thinking we may try Crystal Palace for dinner next time and Chef Mickey's for Breakfast, just to switch it up!

Allergen Free Food Rating: A
Chef Rating: At the beginning: B-; By the end of the meal: A
Other Food Rating: A-

[sleepingbean]

Thanks for that Ohana review! I have been very curious about that one. We tried Kona, and it was a TOTAL BUST! Like one of the very worst places we dined with allergies in WDW and I have heard bad reviews from others with allergies at Kona, as well, so I was thinking that Ohana would be the same?! But From what you posted, I guess not!

Hmmm...maybe have to change some plans around. Wow, Bean would be ecstatic if she ever got a dessert even HALF that elaborate!
LOL
Heck, she would be thrilled with a scoop of rice dream with some cotton candy on top!

[MelanieC]

Awesome review. I had dinner at Ohana once with a vegetarian and Chef TJ came out and made her the best looking dinner! He also brought our table fried oreo's - HEAVEN!!

Loving the reviews so far!

[Ctsplaysinrain]

This is a wonderful report. SO nice that allergy kids are treated so special.. Now, I have a related question sorta.. My boys have special needs but do not have allergies.. My younger son who is 11 has ADHD, some sensory issues and has been struggling with anorexia.. Puberty may be winning and we have made much progress but mainly because we let him eat what he will eat.. He is still very,very picky and I still need to watch him eat or he is likely to trash the food if I'm not watching. For the most part, he subsists on chocolate milk, baked beans and chicken strips... Since he is now consdiered an adult for disney meals, this makes the restaurant choices harder.... I know many will say "go to buffets", there is something for everyone.... BUT, that leads to son #2... My 13 yr old has Asperger's... Buffets just do not work- too loud, too chaotic, too many people moving around etc...He has recently become an eating machine but his choices are not very adult either....
Has anyone ever been able to get "special" meals made in any restaurants at WDW due to these kind of issues versus allergies??? It has gotten even harder lately since they are making the kids meals so healthy and have gotten rid of chicken strips etc at most of the restaurants they were served at... My 13 yr old will not even consdier eating anything if a veggie has touched the plate....

[ekatiel]

Thanks for that Ohana review! I have been very curious about that one. We tried Kona, and it was a TOTAL BUST! Like one of the very worst places we dined with allergies in WDW and I have heard bad reviews from others with allergies at Kona, as well, so I was thinking that Ohana would be the same?! But From what you posted, I guess not!

Hmmm...maybe have to change some plans around. Wow, Bean would be ecstatic if she ever got a dessert even HALF that elaborate!
LOL
Heck, she would be thrilled with a scoop of rice dream with some cotton candy on top!

We will definitely be re-doing 'Ohana next trip! Brendan was over the moon aobut that dessert.

Awesome review. I had dinner at Ohana once with a vegetarian and Chef TJ came out and made her the best looking dinner! He also brought our table fried oreo's - HEAVEN!!

Loving the reviews so far!

I'm glad you're liking the reviews! I had heard about the fried oreos and I was REALLY tempted to try and slip some gluten free oreos to chef TJ so that he could fry them up in rice flour. That's probably against health code, though, so I refrained!

This is a wonderful report. SO nice that allergy kids are treated so special.. Now, I have a related question sorta.. My boys have special needs but do not have allergies.. My younger son who is 11 has ADHD, some sensory issues and has been struggling with anorexia.. Puberty may be winning and we have made much progress but mainly because we let him eat what he will eat.. He is still very,very picky and I still need to watch him eat or he is likely to trash the food if I'm not watching. For the most part, he subsists on chocolate milk, baked beans and chicken strips... Since he is now consdiered an adult for disney meals, this makes the restaurant choices harder.... I know many will say "go to buffets", there is something for everyone.... BUT, that leads to son #2... My 13 yr old has Asperger's... Buffets just do not work- too loud, too chaotic, too many people moving around etc...He has recently become an eating machine but his choices are not very adult either....
Has anyone ever been able to get "special" meals made in any restaurants at WDW due to these kind of issues versus allergies??? It has gotten even harder lately since they are making the kids meals so healthy and have gotten rid of chicken strips etc at most of the restaurants they were served at... My 13 yr old will not even consdier eating anything if a veggie has touched the plate....

I would email special diets and tell them about your situation. I'm sure that they will have some suggestions for you (or at the very least give you a list of places that still carry the chicken strips).

I'll try to get the next review up soon. Coming Next: Pop Century Food Court! --Katie

[Minnie]

This is a wonderful report. SO nice that allergy kids are treated so special.. Now, I have a related question sorta.. My boys have special needs but do not have allergies.. My younger son who is 11 has ADHD, some sensory issues and has been struggling with anorexia.. Puberty may be winning and we have made much progress but mainly because we let him eat what he will eat.. He is still very,very picky and I still need to watch him eat or he is likely to trash the food if I'm not watching. For the most part, he subsists on chocolate milk, baked beans and chicken strips... Since he is now consdiered an adult for disney meals, this makes the restaurant choices harder.... I know many will say "go to buffets", there is something for everyone.... BUT, that leads to son #2... My 13 yr old has Asperger's... Buffets just do not work- too loud, too chaotic, too many people moving around etc...He has recently become an eating machine but his choices are not very adult either....
Has anyone ever been able to get "special" meals made in any restaurants at WDW due to these kind of issues versus allergies??? It has gotten even harder lately since they are making the kids meals so healthy and have gotten rid of chicken strips etc at most of the restaurants they were served at... My 13 yr old will not even consdier eating anything if a veggie has touched the plate....

I would ask this question on the disabilities section of the boards. There are some great people there who are experts with these types of questions:goodvibes

[Minnie]

Thank you for writing this report :goodvibes

I was diagnosed with a food allergy that really makes it difficult to eat out. On a quick one evening trip to WDW (end of a business conference) I tried to get CS at the Poly and had a horrible experience :sick:

I have been very worried about our upcoming week long trip so this report gives me hope :wizard:

[dd53]

Thanks so much for your reports! We are traveling to DW in August for our first trip ever with a gluten free 9 year old and we are booked for dinner at 'Ohana! I so hope Chef TJ is there that night!!!!

[MeLaNie9]

Thanks for that Ohana review! I have been very curious about that one. We tried Kona, and it was a TOTAL BUST! Like one of the very worst places we dined with allergies in WDW and I have heard bad reviews from others with allergies at Kona, as well, so I was thinking that Ohana would be the same?! But From what you posted, I guess not!

Hmmm...maybe have to change some plans around. Wow, Bean would be ecstatic if she ever got a dessert even HALF that elaborate!
LOL
Heck, she would be thrilled with a scoop of rice dream with some cotton candy on top!

We have avoided Ohana because we (the adults) didn't like the food on a prior trip, but maybe we should go back when chef TJ is there!!!

I have to say that we just got back and ate at Kona on our last night and had a wonderful time as far as my DS2's allergy - maybe above poster had a different chef??? The chef on our visit was wonderful and made everything I asked for, including throwing in a 2nd hot dog when DS2 inhaled the 1st. And, at dessert time, when DH ordered the Kona cone and DS2 was eyeing the cotton candy, he brought out a huge pile of cotton candy just for him just because the cotton candy on the cone could have possibly touched the ice cream. Frankly, we had great experiences at every TS meal this visit! The servers and chefs were all extremely attentive!

[ekatiel]

So, after our late breakfast at Crystal Palace and an afternoon at MK, my mom and I headed over to the GF for afternoon tea (which was WONDERFUL, BTW), and DH and my dad took the boys swimming at the resort and then ate dinner in the food court. DH said everything went really smoothly, and Brendan was able to have some GF cookies that the chef had prepared for him earlier in the week.

Let me back up a little bit to let you know what a great job Pop did preparing for us: Chef Dan from Pop actually called us the day before we left to ask what kind of cookies Brendan would like him to make!! I was REALLY impressed that he called us before we left for Oralando. He also asked us to "stop by" when we arrived jsut to introduce ourselves and say hi. So, the day we arrived, we stopped by the food court and introduced ourselves. Chef Dan wasn't there, but the chef who was on duty told us that Dan had made cookies for Brendan :goodvibes. So, fastforward to Tuesday evening, and I was glad that the boys would get to eat at least one meal at Pop, and that Brendan would be able to try his cookies! Brendan was able to have a cheeseburger on an Ener-G bun, french fries, and of course, the Gluten Free Kneads cookies that chef Dan had made for him! I don't have any pictures of his food, b/c my mom and I were off enjoying our tea. But, Dh said everything looked good, and they saved the cookies that Brendan wasn't able to finish so he could eat them later. Overall, they had a nice experience at the Pop Food court.

Allergen Free Food Rating: A
Chef Rating: A+
Other Food Rating: B (DH and my dad both said their food was ok, but not great)

Next review: Toy Story Pizza Planet Lunch (and I have pics this time! :cool1:)

[momsavealot]

So glad to hear about POP and food allergies. We'll be staying there in August. Can I ask, how did Chef Dan know to call you? Did you do anything with Disney prior to your stay regarding the food allergies? I would like the Chef to prep for our arrival too.

[sleepingbean]

Great to hear you were so well taken care of at the Pop Food court!

[ekatiel]

So glad to hear about POP and food allergies. We'll be staying there in August. Can I ask, how did Chef Dan know to call you? Did you do anything with Disney prior to your stay regarding the food allergies? I would like the Chef to prep for our arrival too.

In my emails to Brenda Bennet at special diets, I had realized that WDW didn't offer any prepackaged gluten free AND egg free desserts, so I requested the Gluten Free Kneads cookies. Brenda called Pop about the cookies and found out that they had them in stock. She told me that they would make some for Brendan. It was a complete surprise when Chef Dan called to ask us what variety we'd like, though! Anyhow, if you'd like the chef to contact you, I'm sure that if you let special diets know, then they will make sure that the chef calls you! Have a great trip! --Katie

[Steamboat Girlie]

We just got back from our first trip to WDW, and we had an AMAZING time :cool1:. Part of that amazing time was due to my food allergic almost-five year old being able to eat a variety of foods in the World. So, I just had to come back here and do a gluten-free dining review of kids' meals in WDW:goodvibes!

Here's the cast: Me (the Mommy), DH, our two boys, Aidan who is almost three and has no food allergies, Brendan who is almost five and has multiple food allergies, and my mom and dad (hence forth known as Memaw and Grandpa). Part of the reason we chose a WDW vacation was that we had heard how great they were with food allergies :thumbsup2. Brendan is allergic to wheat, barley, rye, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. So, dining out is not easy for us. At home, we eat out once a week at the SAME restaurant EVERY TIME :sad2:. Brendan also occasionally has fast food. His "choice"-- and yes, I mean the singular form of "choice"-- when we go out to eat is almost always a cheeseburger with NO bun and french fries (he seems to do ok with fryer oil that may be cross contaminated). When we found out that he could get a cheeseburger WITH a bun at WDW, we were sold :yay:!!!

Those of you who do not have kids with food allergies may not realize what a big deal it is to be able to get "normal" looking food at a restaurant, but it literally makes me tear up thinking about all the "normal" food that DS got to eat this week :lovestruc. He had pizza in a restaurant for the first time EVER (he gets it at home, but never in a million years did we think he could eat pizza somewhere else). He had multiple burgers with a bun everytime :thumbsup2. And he had a veritable FEAST the night we ate at 'Ohana (I'll brag about chef TJ more later) :banana:. He truly had a magical time, and we had a magical time watching him beam as he ate until his tummy was tight as a drum each night :goodvibes!

Here's the line-up of where we ate (I got pics of most of the food, but sometimes I forgot!).
Dinner day one: Chip and Dale's Harvest Feast at the Garden Grill (Epcot)
Lunch day two: Flame Tree BBQ in AK
Dinner day two: Mama Melrose (DHS)
Lunch day three: Cosmic Ray's (MK)
Dinner day three: 'Ohana (at the Poly-- you DON'T want to miss this review!)
Brunch day four: Crystal Palace with Pooh (MK)
Dinner day four: Everything's Pop CS (Pop)
Lunch day five: Toy Story Pizza Planet (DHS)
Dinner day five: Le Cellier (Epcot)
Lunch day six: Restaurant-osaurus (AK)
Dinner day six: 1900 Park Faire (GF)
Lunch day seven: Cosmic Ray's (MK)
Dinner day seven: Chef Mickey's (Contemporary)
Lunch day eight: Pecos Bill's (MK)

Whew-- that was a lot of places to eat!! I think I'll include a couple of things in each review. First, I'll include a rating of the allergy friendly food. Then, I'll include a rating of the chef and how helpful he or she was. Finally, I'll include a rating of the food the rest of us ate. So, here we go :woohoo:!! Up next: Garden Grill!

Thank you so much for your post. My son (5) cannot eat gluten or casein, and I know that he will eat well at WDW.
I am just upset that I was unable to get an ADR for Ohana. I have heard so many wonderful things about chef TJ!

[suebenjamin]

So glad to hear about POP and food allergies. We'll be staying there in August. Can I ask, how did Chef Dan know to call you? Did you do anything with Disney prior to your stay regarding the food allergies? I would like the Chef to prep for our arrival too.

If you haven't already done so, email Brenda Bennett (sorry, I can't post her email...it won't let me. Apparently I haven't made enough postings yet!:confused: Search the forum and you'll find it elsewhere.) She will send you a form to complete and return, in which you will list your allergies, dining reservations, etc. and they will notify all of the restaurants. You can also email her with questions and she will get back to you very quickly.

I had a couple of last minute questions Friday (yesterday) for our upcoming trip (we leave Monday!!:goodvibes). I sent an email to Brenda and got an "out of office reply"...so I re-sent to the Magic Kingdom Park Special Diet Line (again, can't post address). Not just one but TWO people called me by 2 PM Friday afternoon.:yay:

If you want a particular person/resort to contact you, ask...we are going to Beaches and Cream and I had questions...I did have to ask twice, but then I spoke to George from the Beach Club, and he was extremely helpful, and I am hopeful that our meal Monday at Beaches and Cream will go great!

[suebenjamin]

Overall, they had a nice experience at the Pop Food court.

Thanks, I've been hoping you'd post your POP review! We leave on Monday for 10 days there, our first time at POP! :yay::yay::yay: I will be sure to look up Chef Dan - I haven't made a pre-contact there because I know that we'll be OK with my son's peanut allergy, we did fine at CBR in 2007. Don't think we'll eat much at POP but it's good to know it's available.

By the way, I really enjoyed all of your reviews...thanks for taking the time to post reviews and photos. The pics of your son with his dessert at Ohana brought me to tears. Reminded me of our 2007 trip, when we had lunch at (the now defunct) Alfredo's in Epcot. They made a special cannolli for my son, and when they brought it out, I think his eyes were as big as the dinner plate. I captioned the picture in my scrapbook, "Holy cannolli!!"

Friends of mine had a meal when Chef TJ was at Boma (06??) and raved about him there. Unfortunately, Ohana's menu is just not really a great one for my son and I, so we won't be meeting him this trip. He is quite the legend...

Well, I am off to work on the packing!!

[j3momma]

Thank you so much for posting the photos/testimonies that you had at WDW. Our daughter has FA to wheat, egg, milk, tree nuts, peanuts. We always carry her food for her. I just emailed Brenda our reservations and hope to meet Chef TJ at Ohanas.

Like you, I hope to plan out the meal options before we arrive, so it keeps the wait and indecision to a minimum. Plus, I would love to NOT have to read labels for every site we visit.

I was wondering about the idea of having a lunch sack packed for her with safe foods. Having gone to WDW, what kinds of things would you ask to be packed?

Thanks again for posting! I can't wait until we bring our kids to WDW for their first time!

[ekatiel]

If you want a particular person/resort to contact you, ask...we are going to Beaches and Cream and I had questions...I did have to ask twice, but then I spoke to George from the Beach Club, and he was extremely helpful, and I am hopeful that our meal Monday at Beaches and Cream will go great!

Let us know how your Beaches and Cream meal goes! I would LOVE to order an allergen free "kitchen sink" the next time we go. I wonder if they'd be willing to do that for us.

Thank you so much for posting the photos/testimonies that you had at WDW. Our daughter has FA to wheat, egg, milk, tree nuts, peanuts.

I was wondering about the idea of having a lunch sack packed for her with safe foods. Having gone to WDW, what kinds of things would you ask to be packed?

Thanks again for posting! I can't wait until we bring our kids to WDW for their first time!

Disney has so many allergen free food options that I doubt you'll need to bring a lunch for her anywhere. We did pack safe snacks in our backpack each day-- I made sure to bring Gluten free pretzels and kinni-toos (gluten free oreo-type cookies) with us in our luggage. Honestly, we didn't use them too much, but it was nice to have them. Hopefully, WDW will have the Enjoy Life foods products soon, so those will be another treat/snack option for your DD.

So, a few days ago, I was sitting at home when the phone rings-- the caller ID says "Hollywood Studios" and the number is an Orlando area code-- could The Mouse really be calling my house??!!! I answer the phone, and it was someone from the corporate offices at Disney. She said she was forwarded the thank you email that I sent to Brenda Bennett (I sent her an email after we got back thanking her for arranging everything and making sure we had a wonderful time-- I also raved about chef TJ to her and asked if she could forward the email on to him. In the email I included the pic of Brendan with his super huge dessert at 'Ohana). Anyhow, the woman from Disney explained that she had gotten the email, and that Brenda would receive special recognition at their next meeting. She was going to print out and frame the pic of Brendan with his dessert and give it to her :goodvibes. She said that many times people do not send thank yous after their trips and that she was so glad that we did so that they could recognize all the hard work Brenda does. So, if you have a good trip, be sure to send a thank you-- the people you thank really will get some recognition. Oh, and she also promised me that the email would get put in chef TJ's file, too :thumbsup2! I'll try to post our Pizza Planet review later today-- My sister and I are taking the boys swimming today, so maybe during nap time! --Katie

[momsavealot]

Thanks, I've been hoping you'd post your POP review! We leave on Monday for 10 days there, our first time at POP! :yay::yay::yay: I will be sure to look up Chef Dan - I haven't made a pre-contact there because I know that we'll be OK with my son's peanut allergy, we did fine at CBR in 2007. Don't think we'll eat much at POP but it's good to know it's available.

By the way, I really enjoyed all of your reviews...thanks for taking the time to post reviews and photos. The pics of your son with his dessert at Ohana brought me to tears. Reminded me of our 2007 trip, when we had lunch at (the now defunct) Alfredo's in Epcot. They made a special cannolli for my son, and when they brought it out, I think his eyes were as big as the dinner plate. I captioned the picture in my scrapbook, "Holy cannolli!!"

Friends of mine had a meal when Chef TJ was at Boma (06??) and raved about him there. Unfortunately, Ohana's menu is just not really a great one for my son and I, so we won't be meeting him this trip. He is quite the legend...

Well, I am off to work on the packing!!

Sue, have fun on your trip!! We will be heading to POP in early August and my ds and dd both have peanut allergies. Please let us know how it went - maybe a trip report (hint, hint). Anyway, I'm a scrapbooker and you made me laugh out loud with your holy cannolli comment. Too funny!! I felt the same way when my dd got an allergen free meatball at Tony's that was bigger than her head!!!! Lots of pics there!

[DVC_Princess]

Hi! Thank you so much for posting these great reviews :hug:

I have celiac so no wheat, barley, rye for me and Disney is my favorite place in the world... being able to eat safely at a restaurant is the best! :woohoo:

I'm really excited to hear about O'Hanas and Chef TJ... I've heard good things about their food, but wasn't sure about how they would handle allergies.

I think I might have to put that on my ADR list for Sept. :banana:

[ekatiel]

OK, so I know i promised pics, and I really THOUGHT I took pics of this lunch, but alas, there are no pics :sad1:. So, here's the picture-less review: We arrived at Pizza Planet right around 11am. We told the cashier we had food allergies, and she went to get the manager. DS ended up ordering an Amy's rice crust pizza-- they were happy to add pepperoni to it, since it only comes with cheese. As with most couter service places, it took us a while to get our food. DH took the kids to the arcade (isn't it GREAT when they still don't know you have to put money in the games to play them :thumbsup2?!!) while I waited up front for the food. Since they had to cook Brendan's pizza, it did take a while, but I was happy to wait. Brendan enjoyed his pizza, and ate most of it by himself-- those pizza are BIG for a little man, too! The boys both had fruit bars for dessert (they weren't on the menu, and since they couldn't figure out how to charge us for Aidan's fruit bar, they just gave it to us for free!).

Allergen Free Food Rating: A
Manager Rating: A+
Other Food Rating: A-

Up Next: Le Cellier Dinner (I do have one pic from this dinner-- the app-- I was too busy eating my yummy steak to take more pictures!)

[Minniespal]

Thanks for the fantastic reviews:thumbsup2

[Minnie]

Up Next: Le Cellier Dinner (I do have one pic from this dinner-- the app-- I was too busy eating my yummy steak to take more pictures!)

Can't wait for this one! One of favorite places to eat :thumbsup2

[minniebeth]

As many other posters have said, thank you so much for your sharing your dining experiences and photos. It truly is a great help to many, even myself who has done dining with food allergies at WDW. You learn something new every time. I have kids with major food allergies so I truly know what it is like to not only live everyday life, but to go on vacation and deal with meals and treats.
So many always ask why we go back to WDW time and again, they just don't get it. Your dining reviews explain it all! There is NOWHERE else that accomodates and makes it special for dietary needs.

I did get sappy when I saw your DS have so many wonderful things made special for him to enjoy! How magical! Oh, and yes, 'Ohana/Chef TJ is the best!!

Thank you again for sharing!

[roscoepc1]

Thanks for that Ohana review! I have been very curious about that one. We tried Kona, and it was a TOTAL BUST! Like one of the very worst places we dined with allergies in WDW and I have heard bad reviews from others with allergies at Kona, as well, so I was thinking that Ohana would be the same?! But From what you posted, I guess not!

Hmmm...maybe have to change some plans around. Wow, Bean would be ecstatic if she ever got a dessert even HALF that elaborate!
LOL
Heck, she would be thrilled with a scoop of rice dream with some cotton candy on top!

Wow! My mom has Celiac, and we LOVED Kona for her! She loved it too, lol...but her fave was the fried chicken at 50's Primetime!

[minniebeth]

We stay at the Polynesian frequently when we travel to WDW, so along with that have tried their restaurants often. We've done Kona twice and it was a disaster for us both times. 'Ohana on the other hand is a must do for us each time and I can see how people with food allergies can be scared off from 'Ohana, but they are one of the best.
This is just our experience...

[adsrtw]

I am so excited for both you and your son. Can't wait to read more.

[Minnie]

We stay at the Polynesian frequently when we travel to WDW, so along with that have tried their restaurants often. ...

Since being diagnosed with the allergy I have only been to the Poly food court area and it was a terrible experience :sad1: - Only thing I had that night seriously was a Diet Coke :sad1::sad1:

[suebenjamin]

I've been meaning to post since we returned from our trip but things have been so hectic...will post more details in the future but here's a quick run-down. Reviewing - DS - age 13 - has severe peanut allergy but no other allergies:

--Beaches and Cream - Ice cream portion of meal went well...actually watched the server scrub her hands up to her elbows prior to making our desserts. :) They also went out of their way to get and add Divvies cookies/French Meadow brownie to our desserts. However, our burger experience was not so good. Turns out that ALL resorts get their buns from the Beach/Yacht Club bakeries, so because there was a risk of cross-contamination, they would not give my son a regular bun - only an "allergy-friendly bun" (which is peanut-free, nut-free, and GLUTEN-FREE). Well, he doesn't have a gluten issue and is not used to eating gluten-free, so ended up taking the bun off and just eating the burger patty. Since everyone from our eye doctor to the Disney people raved about the burgers, this was a disappointment. In 2007 we faced a similar issue at the Contemporary Resort, but the chef offered to put his burger on a "Wonder bun" (typical store-bought white bread). Could resorts not keep a couple of packages of these on hand for such needs???

--Also then learned that he could not have a burger at ANY resort, including ours (POP Century). However, he could have burgers in the parks - different supplier of buns. Chef Dan at POP was outstanding, and we felt incredibly comfortable at POP and had several good experiences there. Since buns were not OK, we learned that he could eat Philly Steak Wrap sandwich - YUM. Had to get that one again, it was SO GOOD.[/COLOR] Also had cinnamon roll at POP, which was a treat (comes from dedicated Disney bakery in Canada and says "processed with tree nuts" - since tree nuts are NOT an issue for us, we OK'ed it) and DS also enjoyed a pre-packed chocolate cake dessert, same labeling. DIVVIES popcorn, choc chip cookies, and French Meadow brownies were available as snack/dessert options at POP food court.

--BEST experiences -
50's Prime Time Cafe --Fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans was outstanding and very safe + they BAKE their own gluten and nut-free brownies, which could then be used in their brownie/hot fudge sundae dessert (OK, so we had to skip the M&M's and caramel corn on top, but it was still one of the few places where DS actually got to get a "real" dessert from the menu and not just ice cream or a gluten/nut/peanut free brownie).
Chef Mickey's--- DS loved this so much that he begged to go back, and on our last day we took a chance and left the Magic Kingdom (extremely hot and crowded), took the monorail to the Contemporary, and asked if they were taking any walk-in reservations. We had to wait an hour, but that was OK...Both times, chefs were incredibly attentive...walked us through buffet line and visited our table... and also offered to bring food from the kitchen (which we did take advantage of, for dessert toppings). Second time, DS was even given a special "celebration cupcake" that was safe to eat (again, it was peanut/nut/gluten but he said it was "OK").
Liberty Tree Tavern--Had the turkey and stuffing dinner, terrific...ordered the Tavern fried cheese (heaven)...DS had cinnamon ice cream, something different, for dessert

Random thoughts:

Allergy was NOT on all reservations at check-in even though we specifically mentioned when making ADR's + I filled out form with Brenda Bennet @ Disney Dining.
Chef Dan at POP told us that - once a server knows that you have an allergy - it is Disney policy that a a chef must come to talk to you about the food ingredients - the server cannot do this. This is true even at counter-service places. However, we had at least one experience (Coral Reef) where server began to talk about ingredients ("Oh, there's no peanuts there") and I had to ask for chef to come to table.
We felt that we had fewer options this trip than 2007. Not entirely sure why, maybe a combination of stricter food labeling laws nationwide (ie, now more and more labels say "may contain..." and so Disney has to pass that warning along - anything chocolate/chocolate flavored was now a NO-NO as Disney uses Nestles),...Maybe us being there at a busier time of year? It seemed that on our last trip, they were willing to "step out of the box" a little more and try to find creative ways to accomodate the allergy...we didn't feel so much of that on this trip. I think the low point was when we went to Tony's (last day, least favorite) and DS' dessert was a French Meadow packaged brownie thrown on a plate, partially frozen and partially warm (from the microwave).


All in all, we still had very positive experiences with Disney dining, and ate WAY too much food.:thumbsup2 We were proud to say that we used EVERY one of our meal credits (OK, so we got some DIVVIES snacks to bring home...) I'll try to gather some more thoughts and post more again soon!