Food Allergy Dining Report

[5 blind mice]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Selket]

Sounds like a great trip!

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

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

 

[mom2zandjsquared]

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

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

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

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

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

 

[5 blind mice]

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

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

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

 

[5 blind mice]

Sounds like a great trip!

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Selket]

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

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

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

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

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

 

[twinnersmama]

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

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

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

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

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

 

[sherabby]

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

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

http://cgi.ebay.com/Disneys-Mickey-...ryZ20683QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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

 

[sherabby]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[sherabby]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[WheeledTraveler]

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

 

[awaldo]

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

 

[mechurchlady]

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

 

[Schmeck]

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


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

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

 

[5 blind mice]

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

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

 

[5 blind mice]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[mom2zandjsquared]

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

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

 

[got2luvtink]

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[Disney Fan Katt]

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

Thanks!