Allergy surcharge?

[ZPT1022]

Does anyone know if this was ever put into effect? I remember hearing a few months ago that Disney might be changing their policy and charging more for the special allergy friendly meals they prepare. If I recall, they were not going to add an additional charge if you were already using the dining plan though. I'm curious if this change ever happened, we're trying to plan for next year.

[Keri]

We were on the dining plan, but nothing was ever said. The chefs were awesome about the kids' allergies and even prepared a special plate for my 1 year old at Garden Grill, and she got egg free waffles at Chef Mickeys and Crystal Palace.

[EEyorelover22]

Goodness...I hope not. Most places there is nothing on the menu that I could eat!

[livndisney]

Does anyone know if this was ever put into effect? I remember hearing a few months ago that Disney might be changing their policy and charging more for the special allergy friendly meals they prepare. If I recall, they were not going to add an additional charge if you were already using the dining plan though. I'm curious if this change ever happened, we're trying to plan for next year.

Yes, it is effect per "Special diets"@ WDW (Also confirmed by higher charge at Pizza Planet). HOWEVER if you are on the dining plan they do not charge you more.

[ZPT1022]

We were on the dining plan, but nothing was ever said. The chefs were awesome about the kids' allergies and even prepared a special plate for my 1 year old at Garden Grill, and she got egg free waffles at Chef Mickeys and Crystal Palace.

They are so awesome about allergies, it's really nice to relax and know that everything is taken care of. It's really a highlight of vacationing there. That and being able to eat a normal meal while everyone else does, and not just sitting there and then eating some dry GF cereal later

Goodness...I hope not. Most places there is nothing on the menu that I could eat!

It stinks, I know, but it's well worth paying for a safe meal. I'd just rather know ahead of time then when I get down there

Yes, it is effect per "Special diets"@ WDW (Also confirmed by higher charge at Pizza Planet). HOWEVER if you are on the dining plan they do not charge you more.

Thank you! We're debating offsite vs. onsite and this is part of the consideration. I'm just not willing to cook all my own meals on vacation, that's not really relaxing for me to have to rush back to the room and cook.

[EEyorelover22]

I am not sure I can get one...I have developed an allergy to citric acid along with all my other allergies. I may have to eat in my room...breakfast seems easier, but dinner will not be.

[chell]

Yes, it is effect per "Special diets"@ WDW (Also confirmed by higher charge at Pizza Planet). HOWEVER if you are on the dining plan they do not charge you more.

What did Special Diets tell you? They have said nothing to me about this.

I can understand the pizza at Pizza Planet costing more than the pizza on their regular meal if you are referring to the GF pizza. It is larger and is very expensive.

I hope they don't do this because I'll have to adjust my budget. I don't want to have to do that this late in the game. Anything now will have to come out of my spending money. And I'm not ready to give up any more of it! Car repairs and meds are already taking their toll on it.

[livndisney]

Sent you a PM.

What did Special Diets tell you? They have said nothing to me about this.

I can understand the pizza at Pizza Planet costing more than the pizza on their regular meal if you are referring to the GF pizza. It is larger and is very expensive.

I hope they don't do this because I'll have to adjust my budget. I don't want to have to do that this late in the game. Anything now will have to come out of my spending money. And I'm not ready to give up any more of it! Car repairs and meds are already taking their toll on it.

[tiredsigh]

Wow. I am trying to figure out how this will play out. Food allergies should be considered a disability under the ADA. Can they really charge extra to those with a disability?

Let me use an example: They need to build a ramp for wheelchair access. Can they charge the users a surcharge for that?

You may say that eating on site is optional, but so is going to the resort. That hasn't stopped federal law from requiring the parks to be accessible.

I'm just glad I am on the DxDDP. We have the chef come out for every meal at WDW due to my food allergies. While we would pay it, since I do not worry about eating while at WDW, I think that it is a slippery slope.

[turkeymama]

I've been watching this thread, because we were considering dropping the DDP next visit. DD will be 10 and we were thinking it would be more cost-effective since she will be a Disney adult by then. This may change everything.

[vicki_c]

Yes, it is effect per "Special diets"@ WDW (Also confirmed by higher charge at Pizza Planet). HOWEVER if you are on the dining plan they do not charge you more.

I would check into this further before accepting as fact. I just checked with a friend who is the Special Needs moderator on another Disney touring site -- and she just returned a few weeks ago from a trip with her DH who has allergies -- and said she never has heard anything about any kind of surcharge - OOP or DDP.

I would ask the question in the DISabilities forum here -- those are the folks that would know the best, or perhaps one of the moderators here has the facts on it if something is changing.

[livndisney]

I have the email from Brenda @ Special diets and have been charged more.

I would check into this further before accepting as fact. I just checked with a friend who is the Special Needs moderator on another Disney touring site -- and she just returned a few weeks ago from a trip with her DH who has allergies -- and said she never has heard anything about any kind of surcharge - OOP or DDP.

I would ask the question in the DISabilities forum here -- those are the folks that would know the best, or perhaps one of the moderators here has the facts on it if something is changing.

[Micca]

But...what if you're allergic to surcharges???:confused3

[chell]

Sent you a PM.

Thank you. I wonder what items are included in this. I'm going to send her an email this evening to see what she says about my trip. I really need to know so I can adjust the budget accordingly.

[Tricia1972]

I think that this subject would be better suited to our disABILITIES forum, as they have much more experience in this area than the average Disney restaurant patron.

Moving it over there now :goodvibes

[Hannathy]

If the special food costs more and most of it really does cost a lot more-why shouldn't you be charged more? Why should others be asked to pay for it?

[vicki_c]

livndisney - it would be helpful if you would share more of what information is in the e-mail you received from Disney instead of sharing it by PM. Obviously no one is asking you to share any personal information, but I'm just curious as to what they are saying the policy or charges are.

Please don't take my question the wrong way - I am not questioning that you were told/charged what you said - I'm sure you were. But I can't find anyone else to say the same - I've asked a few of my Disney visitors / allergy sufferers and no one else has ever heard that., even people that were just there. So if they have started some surcharge, it would be good to know what Disney is saying.

[turkeymama]

If the special food costs more and most of it really does cost a lot more-why shouldn't you be charged more? Why should others be asked to pay for it?

I can only speak for us, but not all of DD's special foods cost more necessarily. Sometimes it is just a matter of ordering a separate side of vegetables that haven't been simmered in butter. That wouldn't cost any more to make and I wouldn't expect to pay more for that.

[ZPT1022]

livndisney - it would be helpful if you would share more of what information is in the e-mail you received from Disney instead of sharing it by PM. Obviously no one is asking you to share any personal information, but I'm just curious as to what they are saying the policy or charges are.

Please don't take my question the wrong way - I am not questioning that you were told/charged what you said - I'm sure you were. But I can't find anyone else to say the same - I've asked a few of my Disney visitors / allergy sufferers and no one else has ever heard that., even people that were just there. So if they have started some surcharge, it would be good to know what Disney is saying.

I'd love to see it too. Again, not because I don't believe you but it would just be nice to know for planning. I've heard that this is the new policy but no specifics as to what it will actually mean or any idea what the surcharge will be

[ZPT1022]

I can only speak for us, but not all of DD's special foods cost more necessarily. Sometimes it is just a matter of ordering a separate side of vegetables that haven't been simmered in butter. That wouldn't cost any more to make and I wouldn't expect to pay more for that.

Exactly- leaving a sauce off is a different thing entirely than a specially made something. I'm just curious how this all works- is it an extra dollar amount per person, a percentage, just the cost of the special product used if any?

[peemagg]

Another thing I would like to know is if this is for only special meals beacuse of allergies?

Are they charging extra for special order meals like those who need kosher meals? If they aren't then that may not only be against the ADA, but also discrimination. That would be a big problem for them.

[olan719]

I'm just adding that we just returned last week and ate several meals at TS restaurants. There was no additional surcharge for dealing with allergies (although to my knowledge, with the exceptions of a dessert or two, no "special" meals were created - just avoidance of nuts in prepping and cooking) and we were not on the DDP, everything was OOP.

[kaytieeldr]

NOT official, just my recollection: the issue was a poorly-worded e-mail or announcement or similar. Again, recollection only - it actually referred to kosher meals served in a buffet (ordinarily all-you-care-to-eat) location. Because those meals are prepared and packaged by an off-site vendor, the diner requesting the meal would not have the option of seconds without arranging and paying in advance for a second entire meal.

The confusion came because the information was interspersed, unclearly, with special allergy meals.

Or, I could be remembering something entirely different.

[bicker]

That makes a lot more sense. Thanks Kaytie.

[clanmcculloch]

If I'm remembering the thread from a month ago correctly then it's things like the pre-prepared foods like pizzas and maybe chicken tenders that would have a surcharge. Somebody in that thread had been charged extra for the pizza which IMO is totally understandable since it is much more expensive to buy than the regular pizzas.

One of the big reasons we'll likely always purchase a dining plan every time we travel is because with a dining plan the cost of the meal is covered no matter how expensive or cheap. Also, I don't need to worry about how it gets rung into the computer since many of our CS meals at our resort are nowhere on the menu. When my daughter ordered mac & cheese with chicken fingers, the cashier rang it in as chicken alfredo since it was chicken with pasta and was definitely an adult portion (actually it was a huge portion, much bigger than the regular portion). I didn't have to worry about this kind of thing though with a dining plan.

To the person who said this would violate ADA, not even close. Nobody has to eat the food at WDW. Disney allows people to bring a soft sided cooler and has benches and other little places to sit down and eat. The fact that they even offer such an amazingly broad range of foods that are safe for us allergy sufferers goes very far beyond ADA requirements. They're not a charity though so if they need to charge a little more to cover their greater costs of purchasing the necessary ingredients and maintaining the clean allergy safe kitchens then so be it.

[chell]

The gluten-free pizza sells about $10 in our area, so I can see why WDW would charge more for it. I have no idea how much the chicken strips may cost. I can see them passing along that cost to us. It is only fair.

But I wouldn't think they would give us an up-charge on other items just because of special handling.

[pudge the fish]

was at Epcot and HS today and I can report that there was:

No added charge for a the GF bun with my sandwich today at Epcot

Sit down meal at HS- No added charge for my meal there either

Nothing extra was done except I had a GF bun and rolls today.
Dessert was the normal price as if anyone was ordering it regular - mine was just GF:)

Now the GF pizzas are EXPENSIVE and I know they have gone up a bit but they were always 12-13 dollars anyway, so I can see that WDW has raised prices for most CS meals so I can see a price increase for all CS items.

[SueM in MN]

If I'm remembering the thread from a month ago correctly then it's things like the pre-prepared foods like pizzas and maybe chicken tenders that would have a surcharge. Somebody in that thread had been charged extra for the pizza which IMO is totally understandable since it is much more expensive to buy than the regular pizzas.......
That is correct. Several posters who have mentioned they were told there would be an extra charge for things that were not regularly on the menu at that restaurant.
Wow. I am trying to figure out how this will play out. Food allergies should be considered a disability under the ADA. Can they really charge extra to those with a disability?
To the person who said this would violate ADA, not even close. Nobody has to eat the food at WDW. Disney allows people to bring a soft sided cooler and has benches and other little places to sit down and eat. The fact that they even offer such an amazingly broad range of foods that are safe for us allergy sufferers goes very far beyond ADA requirements. They're not a charity though so if they need to charge a little more to cover their greater costs of purchasing the necessary ingredients and maintaining the clean allergy safe kitchens then so be it.
That is correct. They can charge extra.
The ADA says that reasonable accommodations need to be made. That would include things like omitting an ingredient when making a portion of food. The ADA does not require them to even omit an ingredient unless it can be done easily.

Here's what the ADA Information page for "Reaching Out to Customers" says: (http://www.ada.gov/reachingout/lesson11.htm)
A customer with a food allergy may ask a restaurant if it is possible to omit a sauce or ingredient from a dish he or she wishes to order. When it is easy to do, the request should be honored.
and a bit farther on the next page:
The ADA has limits. Businesses are not required to change their policies and procedures in any way that would cause a “fundamental alteration” in the nature of their goods or services, would undermine safe operation of the business, or would cause a “direct threat” to the health or safety of others.
"Fundamental alteration"

A "fundamental alteration" is a change that is so significant that it alters the essential nature of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations offered. For example:
If a bookstore places special orders for customers, it should do so for all of its customers. A bookstore that does not place special orders for customers is not required to place special orders for customers with disabilities. This would be a “fundamental alteration” in the nature of the bookstore’s services.

A restaurant is not required to prepare special dishes for customers who have disabilities. This would be a “fundamental alteration” in the nature of the restaurant’s services. However, if it is easy to omit a sauce or ingredient from a dish that is listed on the menu, a customer can request that the item be omitted. This would not be considered a fundamental alteration.

When WDW has made special meals or provided a more expensive item, they could charge for them unless they also provide those things for anyone on requests for free, whether or not they have an allergy.
In the past, they provided a lot more than they were required to provide.
The changes are probably being made for at least 3 reasons:
more people with allergies requesting special foods/preparation;
some of the food items being more expensive;
the economy cutting into profits and making them look for ways to save money

Here's a good link from the Peanut Allergy Awareness site that also talks about it. (http://www.peanutallergy.com/awareness-and-advocacy.html)

[chell]

was at Epcot and HS today and I can report that there was:

No added charge for a the GF bun with my sandwich today at Epcot

Sit down meal at HS- No added charge for my meal there either

Nothing extra was done except I had a GF bun and rolls today.
Dessert was the normal price as if anyone was ordering it regular - mine was just GF:)

Now the GF pizzas are EXPENSIVE and I know they have gone up a bit but they were always 12-13 dollars anyway, so I can see that WDW has raised prices for most CS meals so I can see a price increase for all CS items.

Sorry to go OT but how were the buns since they are fresh on your mind? How is the texture? I've never had them. Our WDW trip will be my first experience.

[chell]

Thank you Sue!

[videogal1]

Wow. I am trying to figure out how this will play out. Food allergies should be considered a disability under the ADA. Can they really charge extra to those with a disability?

Let me use an example: They need to build a ramp for wheelchair access. Can they charge the users a surcharge for that?

You may say that eating on site is optional, but so is going to the resort. That hasn't stopped federal law from requiring the parks to be accessible.

I'm just glad I am on the DxDDP. We have the chef come out for every meal at WDW due to my food allergies. While we would pay it, since I do not worry about eating while at WDW, I think that it is a slippery slope.

The ADA does not work that way. There is no "list" of applicable conditions approved as disabilities. Allergies, as a condition, do not get an automatic slot as disabilities and it may be an even slipperier slope to have the Disney waitstaff decide whether or not someone's allergy qualifies as substantially disabling under the ADA.

[pudge the fish]

the Hamburger - hot dog buns are DRY:) ask them to give them a bit of a warming in the microwave
or use lots of ketchup:)
it sounds weird but I use a fork and knife to cut up meal meal as I find the buns fall apart. But they taste ok to me:)

The Dinner rolls are a bit chewy bu I like them- taste wise.

you will love the way they treat you at WDW!