Thread for allergy foods updates

[ls15]

Hi everyone,
I contacted special diets the other day regarding my trip in February, and they said that they were in the process of updating everything and adding new (or removing old) products from the parks!

This is exciting because a lot of the stuff they had I couldn't have (because it would contain one of the allergens).

I thought I would start an "official" thread for those with allergies who are travelling between now and until they send out the updated forms, that way, we can say if we saw new products or comment if they took any away.

Anyone interested?

 

[Leota]

I hope they add some more dessert options. Thank God for Babycakes or else last trip would have been berries every night!

 

[ls15]

I hope they add some more dessert options. Thank God for Babycakes or else last trip would have been berries every night!

I wonder if it will be more of the quick service/counter service type options? Who knows! But hopefully people can add in here as they go.

Honestly, I thought Babycakes wasn't very good. Except for the tea cake.

 

[livndisney]

I wonder if it will be more of the quick service/counter service type options? Who knows! But hopefully people can add in here as they go.

Honestly, I thought Babycakes wasn't very good. Except for the tea cake.

The problem with "people adding in here" is the food items change often at WDW. So what was safe yesterday, may not be safe today which is why it is best to contact Special Diets directly for the most up to date information.

Plus then you don't get personal opinions, for example we go to Babycakes just about every week and love it! It is nice to have safe options that are not "prepackaged".

 

[ls15]

The problem with "people adding in here" is the food items change often at WDW. So what was safe yesterday, may not be safe today which is why it is best to contact Special Diets directly for the most up to date information.

Plus then you don't get personal opinions, for example we go to Babycakes just about every week and love it! It is nice to have safe options that are not "prepackaged".

Hi there,
Sorry for the confusion.

This thread was because Disney is updating their allergy forms, and it was more of a look out that when they do, we can notify each other. Currently, there is no up-to-date info from Special Diets, I just emailed them. They said they are in the process. This will give us an idea of what other options are available as they come.

That's what I meant! I do know what you mean about things being safe, but if, for example, they got in a new nondairy ice cream, we can tell each other.

 

[snorris49]

While I don't have any updated forms from WDW, I do have some experience with some of the new changes, as they are in the works. I have to tell you from what I experienced, I was not so happy with the changes (nor were the chefs I spoke with). I will preface this by saying that I have multiple food allergies (gluten and dairy) and also live about 1 1/2 hours from WDW so go there on average right now 1 x a month (sometimes more), up until beginning of November, I had not noticed any new changes (was told they started a few weeks ago). In any event, here's what I experienced yesterday and today when I was at the MVMCP.

Was at LTT for dinner and normally get the Ener-G tapioca rolls. Now they do not have those anymore--they are using Udi's rolls and they have dairy in them. They are gluten free, but contain dairy. The chef even commented that he was not too thrilled with this change (and that it was global) b/c those Ener-G rolls were used for lots of allergies across the board, and he felt the new rolls were very limiting. However, lucky for me, they did have some Ener-G rolls that they found in the back, so I did get some. They still have the Earth Balance vegan margarine there too.

When I was at the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary, I went to see if they had the French Meadow cookies and brownies there; however, I found the OMG...it's gluten free brand brownies and cookies. The brownies had dairy in them, but the chocolate chip cookies were gluten and dairy free. I tried the cookie, and it was ok. Not very chocolatey, but a big soft cookie. Checking in the parks later, I discovered that the FM brand was now being replaced by the OMG...it's GF brand. BLech. When I went to the MVMCP I went to try to get a cookie for the night. Nope. They had the OMG brand of butterscotch cookie (which has dairy in it). Greaaaattt (sarcasm). At one station (we tried multiples to see if anyone had gf/cf kind) @ tomorrowland terrace we got the Enjoy Life cookies, but they had to scrap them up from the back (yeah, thank you kind CM!).

Went to Kona cafe this morning for breakfast and thank the heavens, they still have the gluten free/dairy free/egg free/soy free, etc. etc. mickey waffles...good thing or there would have been a very unhappy me at that breakfast. This girl needs mickey waffles!!

Overall, I really saw a pattern of new products that served only gluten free, not dairy free folks. Too bad, b/c there are a lot of us who have multiple allergies and this product change seems to be making things harder for us and the chefs. Yuck! I'm not sure why the change. Is it the money? I'm just very confused at Disney and very disappointed. I sure hope it doesn't last.

Thank goodness Babycakes is there. I got sugar cookies, gingerbread men (hot out of the oven), mounds, and cupcakes this morning....

That's what I have to report. Will be interested to hear other views. I'll be back next weekend for Osborne lights, so I"ll update any new things I see and hear.

 

[livndisney]

While I don't have any updated forms from WDW, I do have some experience with some of the new changes, as they are in the works. I have to tell you from what I experienced, I was not so happy with the changes (nor were the chefs I spoke with). I will preface this by saying that I have multiple food allergies (gluten and dairy) and also live about 1 1/2 hours from WDW so go there on average right now 1 x a month (sometimes more), up until beginning of November, I had not noticed any new changes (was told they started a few weeks ago). In any event, here's what I experienced yesterday and today when I was at the MVMCP.

Was at LTT for dinner and normally get the Ener-G tapioca rolls. Now they do not have those anymore--they are using Udi's rolls and they have dairy in them. They are gluten free, but contain dairy. The chef even commented that he was not too thrilled with this change (and that it was global) b/c those Ener-G rolls were used for lots of allergies across the board, and he felt the new rolls were very limiting. However, lucky for me, they did have some Ener-G rolls that they found in the back, so I did get some. They still have the Earth Balance vegan margarine there too.

When I was at the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary, I went to see if they had the French Meadow cookies and brownies there; however, I found the OMG...it's gluten free brand brownies and cookies. The brownies had dairy in them, but the chocolate chip cookies were gluten and dairy free. I tried the cookie, and it was ok. Not very chocolatey, but a big soft cookie. Checking in the parks later, I discovered that the FM brand was now being replaced by the OMG...it's GF brand. BLech. When I went to the MVMCP I went to try to get a cookie for the night. Nope. They had the OMG brand of butterscotch cookie (which has dairy in it). Greaaaattt (sarcasm). At one station (we tried multiples to see if anyone had gf/cf kind) @ tomorrowland terrace we got the Enjoy Life cookies, but they had to scrap them up from the back (yeah, thank you kind CM!).

Went to Kona cafe this morning for breakfast and thank the heavens, they still have the gluten free/dairy free/egg free/soy free, etc. etc. mickey waffles...good thing or there would have been a very unhappy me at that breakfast. This girl needs mickey waffles!!

Overall, I really saw a pattern of new products that served only gluten free, not dairy free folks. Too bad, b/c there are a lot of us who have multiple allergies and this product change seems to be making things harder for us and the chefs. Yuck! I'm not sure why the change. Is it the money? I'm just very confused at Disney and very disappointed. I sure hope it doesn't last.

Thank goodness Babycakes is there. I got sugar cookies, gingerbread men (hot out of the oven), mounds, and cupcakes this morning....

That's what I have to report. Will be interested to hear other views. I'll be back next weekend for Osborne lights, so I"ll update any new things I see and hear.

According to the chefs I have spoken with the change has to do with money. Disney can get the new stuff cheaper. We "may" have to deal with this new line for a year. I personally won't eat the Enjoy Life stuff. I LOVE the French Meadow brownies and I am not happy to hear they are gone.

Just means more business for Babycakes!

 

[snorris49]

According to the chefs I have spoken with the change has to do with money. Disney can get the new stuff cheaper. We "may" have to deal with this new line for a year. I personally won't eat the Enjoy Life stuff. I LOVE the French Meadow brownies and I am not happy to hear they are gone.

Just means more business for Babycakes!

I kind of figured it was about the money. Too bad b/c I agree about the Enjoy Life stuff--I'll eat them but don't love them, buy I LOVE the FM brownies...I fully plan on writing them a letter about the whole thing. It's a shame and seems like a business loss for them considering how many people are in need of special diets related foods that cover multiple allergies.

Yep, more business for Babycakes...

 

[clanmcculloch]

Thanks for sharing this even if I'm not happy to read it. It just seems like a bad business move to take continued steps to alienate a market for whom they've worked so hard to position themselves as a world leader in that market. Maybe they're losing money on us with all the extra effort the chefs have to take? At all you can eat restaurants and on the dining plan they can't even charge anything extra for these more expensive foods and at all you can eat places, chefs do tend to bring us out handfuls/platefuls of packaged treats for us to take with us. I'm not saying I agree with or like this move and in fact this continued trend towards less options and less support of allergies does make me rething how often we go but I am saying that I can kind of understand the direction. I just means I and people like me (and you) need to spend more time investigating other vacation destinations as well. All the other major vacation destinations seem to be slowly working towards building up their allergy support, at least based on some reports we've been seeing around here (though they all still have a long way to go to get to even the degrated level of support we get at WDW but they seem to be working on it).

Did you see if the Enjoy Life products are still available everywhere? Last August they seemed to be making an effort to get them into as many CS locations as they could around the parks. I know not everybody's a fan but we like them a lot (they're free of all of our laundry list of allergens and we do seem to enjoy eating them and even eat them at home). At least they're something we know we can all eat and it's nice having SOMETHING we can find around the parks.

Is it still the Bob's Red Mill mix for the waffles as far as you know?

 

[livndisney]

Thanks for sharing this even if I'm not happy to read it. It just seems like a bad business move to take continued steps to alienate a market for whom they've worked so hard to position themselves as a world leader in that market. Maybe they're losing money on us with all the extra effort the chefs have to take? At all you can eat restaurants and on the dining plan they can't even charge anything extra for these more expensive foods and at all you can eat places, chefs do tend to bring us out handfuls/platefuls of packaged treats for us to take with us. I'm not saying I agree with or like this move and in fact this continued trend towards less options and less support of allergies does make me rething how often we go but I am saying that I can kind of understand the direction. I just means I and people like me (and you) need to spend more time investigating other vacation destinations as well. All the other major vacation destinations seem to be slowly working towards building up their allergy support, at least based on some reports we've been seeing around here (though they all still have a long way to go to get to even the degrated level of support we get at WDW but they seem to be working on it).

Did you see if the Enjoy Life products are still available everywhere? Last August they seemed to be making an effort to get them into as many CS locations as they could around the parks. I know not everybody's a fan but we like them a lot (they're free of all of our laundry list of allergens and we do seem to enjoy eating them and even eat them at home). At least they're something we know we can all eat and it's nice having SOMETHING we can find around the parks.

Is it still the Bob's Red Mill mix for the waffles as far as you know?

I don't think this change is because they are losing money on us. For the most part the Chefs I have spoken with love the challenge of cooking for allergy people. I think the problem comes in when they started getting overwhelmed with people with "requests". A simple lunch service went from having maybe 10 people with allergies for 1 chef had to deal with, to over 50 people in a meal service. And while I do understand allergies are on the rise, in my personal experience people take "advantage". People who "claim" allergies just to get some perceived special service. I have seen suggestions on the internet to claim allergies just so you can have the chef bring you food from the back so you don't have to go up to the buffet, or to get the chef to make you something special. Some people don't seem to understand that a "picky" grown adult is not the same as having life threatening food allergies.

In my experience guests are making unreasonable demands and expecting the chefs/staff to accomadate them (vegan guest insisting that no meat be served to the other guests while she was there, lady overheard telling the server "I don't feel like walking to the buffet, just tell the chef I have allergies so he can bring me my food", and of course the lovely woman at Chef Mickeys that saw the dessert the Chef made for my DD who began yelling and screaming that she get the same thing-she suddenly had allergies she had forgotten to mention while eating her dinner.)

This type of behavior is what is costing WDW and sadly it looks like we are the ones that are going to pay the price.

I will say-we have been able to eat at SW twice with no problems. Humm I wonder if I can get SW to serve FM brownies LOL.

 

[ls15]

Thanks for keeping us updated. How disappointing! I can't eat Udi's, and I'm sure that this is going to be frustrating for a lot of people. Though I didn't really like the Ener-G stuff, it was nice to get a random item here and there.

I hope that they keep in some of their other stuff. I can't have French Meadow things, either...

Oh, darn! Well, let's keep each other posted.

 

[ls15]

Okay, so I just got off the phone with Reservations AND Special Diets, after about 1/2 an hour.

The short version: yes, all Ener-G stuff is phased out and replaced by Udi's. She was really nice and said she understood, and basically, it was requested by people because "it tastes better". It wasn't a cost thing. It was a request from people going to Disney.

I told her it was frustrating for those who can't have these because they have multiple allergies and celiac disease (like myself). We talked for awhile and she said that she is going to contact many of the quick service locations in the parks (since Table Service is pretty easy) and see what is available now that things are gone.

She said she would call me back in the next couple days, and I would definitely be hearing from her soon.

As soon as I hear from her I will report back!

 

[livndisney]

Okay, so I just got off the phone with Reservations AND Special Diets, after about 1/2 an hour.

The short version: yes, all Ener-G stuff is phased out and replaced by Udi's. She was really nice and said she understood, and basically, it was requested by people because "it tastes better". It wasn't a cost thing. It was a request from people going to Disney.

I told her it was frustrating for those who can't have these because they have multiple allergies and celiac disease (like myself). We talked for awhile and she said that she is going to contact many of the quick service locations in the parks (since Table Service is pretty easy) and see what is available now that things are gone.

She said she would call me back in the next couple days, and I would definitely be hearing from her soon.

As soon as I hear from her I will report back!

Respectfully, from what I have been told by several managers and Chefs it is a cost issue. Several of the Chefs I have spoken to do not like the Udi products and are not happy about the change. They are trying to get the products changed back.

Just to clarify, as my screenname suggests I spend a lot of time in WDW, have several friends who are Chefs/managers at WDW. My information does not come from someone on the phone, but rather from firsthand knowledge.

 

[dizcrazee]

Honestly, I thought Babycakes wasn't very good.

We are only dealing with peanut and tree nut allergies, and most gluten free stuff tastes bad and/or has an unpleasant texture to us. I wish there were more dessert options at WDW for those with just peanut/tree nut allergies that is more like standard fare.

 

[KristenFNJ]

Respectfully, from what I have been told by several managers and Chefs it is a cost issue. Several of the Chefs I have spoken to do not like the Udi products and are not happy about the change. They are trying to get the products changed back.

I'm curious as to what they don't like about Udi's? Not second-guessing their opinions just genuinely curious, if they're harder to work with cooking-wise, the taste, the company... just curious! (Maybe there is something I don't know, that I should!) We (well, my DH and DS1&2) are celiacs and LOVE Udi's! For them, I'm very happy to hear that I don't have to carry Udi's rolls in my backpack at WDW anymore!

But, from a universal brotherhood standpoint, I think it's awful that they're alienating other allergies as a result. Too bad they can't have both options. I would think demand would be high enough that they could stand to do it since they are not fresh baked (Udi's). I would rather carry my rolls, for you guys!!! If it were my guys being limited, I'd be very upset! It just seems like a big step backwards.

 

[Disneynut5]

I did not like the Ener-G rolls that we were served at Kona. But several places served these little brown gluten free rolls. They were so good. Anyone know what they are? I also loved the donuts that we were served at Boma but have no idea what they are either - they were chocolate.

I really do not like being given the same OMG It's Gluten Free brownie every where we went. I also think most GF items are better heated and this does not always happen at Disney.

 

[Disneynut5]

I did not like the Ener-G rolls that we were served at Kona. But several places served these little brown gluten free rolls. They were so good. Anyone know what they are? I also loved the donuts that we were served at Boma but have no idea what they are either - they were chocolate.

I really do not like being given the same OMG It's Gluten Free brownie every where we went. I also think most GF items are better heated and this does not always happen at Disney.

 

[snorris49]

I'm curious as to what they don't like about Udi's? Not second-guessing their opinions just genuinely curious, if they're harder to work with cooking-wise, the taste, the company... just curious! (Maybe there is something I don't know, that I should!) We (well, my DH and DS1&2) are celiacs and LOVE Udi's! For them, I'm very happy to hear that I don't have to carry Udi's rolls in my backpack at WDW anymore!

But, from a universal brotherhood standpoint, I think it's awful that they're alienating other allergies as a result. Too bad they can't have both options. I would think demand would be high enough that they could stand to do it since they are not fresh baked (Udi's). I would rather carry my rolls, for you guys!!! If it were my guys being limited, I'd be very upset! It just seems like a big step backwards.

The chef I spoke to last week said he likes Ener-G better than Udi's b/c the Ener-G rolls cover multiple allergies and the Udis doesn't. Essentially, the ener-g rolls were a one stop shop that could be used for lots of different allergies and intolerances--Udi's limits it by some degrees. Now they don't have as many all encompassing standbys.

While I agree that perhaps things like Udi's might taste better, I can't eat them b/c of the dairy. For me, I feel like the gluten allergy/intolerance has become the main focus with other allergies being put on the secondary list. Coming from a company that has been so good in the past, it's a little disappointing to have a lot less options. I was totally bummed at the Christmas Party this year--I was looking forward to French Meadow brownies or cookies and didn't have any options but fruit b/c the new product for GF is only GF....bummer.

I'm heading back this weekend, it will be interesting if I hear some more from chefs on this decision and change.

 

[Minnie]

Very frustrating to read as I am also gluten / dairy free and WDW has been my safe place to eat out

This reminds me of the addition of soy to the french fries which is an issue for many people - why in the world would WDW choose to use products that have many common food allergens - sad very sad.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I just saw on another message board that they've completely done away with Divvies cookies. So basically, get rid of the milk and egg free cookies because you've got a new gluten free cookie even though those cookies contain milk and eggs. Yeah, that makes sense.

Over the next couple of days I'm going to put together an email to both Special Diets and Guest Communications to basically ask *** is going on and voice my concerns about the direction they're taking with allergy options for those of us with multiple allergies.

Everybody, PLEASE contact Disney if you're unhappy about this. They only way they'll know that this was a poor decision is if people let them know. My guess is that the people who were making the decisions have never actually spoken with a single person dealing with anything other than gluten issues and they just didn't consider the ramifications of this decision so we HAVE to let them know. Disney does seem to respond when enough people contact them so we have to make sure our voices are heard loudly.