Food allergy email to SpecialDiets@DisneyWorld.com

[clanmcculloch]

And I want to add something to my last post. Within 10 minutes of posting this, I received a email from Casey with Special Diets saying that she's forwarding my form to all of the chefs at each location (we have 10 ADRs plus I asked questions about my resort). She did also stress the importance of speaking with a chef or manager at each location.

Within 10 minutes of receiving her email, my phone was ringing with WDW in the caller ID. It was a chef from Coral Reef. Woo Hoo!! I had listed a bunch of questions in my email but none of them were specific to CR so I was very surprised. Most of the food there is easy to modify to make safe if any modifications are even necessary which they aren't for many dishes so it was a short conversation. I told him not to worry about the fact that none of the bread is safe for them; it was one of my questions for Plaza and we really don't need bread at CR (neither the regular nor the allergy breads at WDW are safe for them). He was saying he'd try to find something so that's why I told him not to bother. My girls were very happy to hear that there will be dessert other than plain old Tofutti ice cream for them. DD13 has lately been asking about getting mangos more often so hearing that the chef said they have a mango sorbet that's be safe has her very excited. DD10 loved her sundae with shaved chocolate and the chef explained that they have a dedicated grater just for shaving chocolate for allergy sundaes. How great is that? DD13 went for spending much of the day in autistic meltdowns to suddenly being VERY happy. Funny how food can get her so excited. I really can understand. How great is WDW!!

Anyway, for the moment I'm feeling pretty good about the Special Diets department again.

 

[livndisney]

And I want to add something to my last post. Within 10 minutes of posting this, I received a email from Casey with Special Diets saying that she's forwarding my form to all of the chefs at each location (we have 10 ADRs plus I asked questions about my resort). She did also stress the importance of speaking with a chef or manager at each location.

Within 10 minutes of receiving her email, my phone was ringing with WDW in the caller ID. It was a chef from Coral Reef. Woo Hoo!! I had listed a bunch of questions in my email but none of them were specific to CR so I was very surprised. Most of the food there is easy to modify to make safe if any modifications are even necessary which they aren't for many dishes so it was a short conversation. I told him not to worry about the fact that none of the bread is safe for them; it was one of my questions for Plaza and we really don't need bread at CR (neither the regular nor the allergy breads at WDW are safe for them). He was saying he'd try to find something so that's why I told him not to bother. My girls were very happy to hear that there will be dessert other than plain old Tofutti ice cream for them. DD13 has lately been asking about getting mangos more often so hearing that the chef said they have a mango sorbet that's be safe has her very excited. DD10 loved her sundae with shaved chocolate and the chef explained that they have a dedicated grater just for shaving chocolate for allergy sundaes. How great is that? DD13 went for spending much of the day in autistic meltdowns to suddenly being VERY happy. Funny how food can get her so excited. I really can understand. How great is WDW!!

Anyway, for the moment I'm feeling pretty good about the Special Diets department again.

Want to send some pixie dust my way? LOL We are planning two (possible third) trips onsite for the next couple of months and the whole "food" thing is holding me back. I guess we can't eat just from babycakes the whole time, but man baked potatos in MK get boring after awhile.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Want to send some pixie dust my way? LOL We are planning two (possible third) trips onsite for the next couple of months and the whole "food" thing is holding me back. I guess we can't eat just from babycakes the whole time, but man baked potatos in MK get boring after awhile.

I can sympathize. I really can. I've got 10 ADRs for our upcoming 8 night trip and we'll be eating breakfast every day in our room using food from Garden Grocer and hopefully some treats from Babycakes if they get their delivery sorted out (they told me they think they will in time for our August trip).

What foods can't you eat? At MK if we're looking for CS then we typically go to Columbia Harbour House for chicken tenders with fries or Cosmic Ray's for either rotisserie chicken or burgers (in our case bunless since the Ener-G buns aren't safe for us). I know somebody not long ago mentioned that CR wouldn't make fries for them but they did for us in February. We walked in around 11:15 so well before the lunch rush and the manager had to bake them since there wasn't a dedicated fryer (he was so cute with his excitement over the possibility of getting a dedicated fryer in the near future). Maybe he could do it for us since the place was nearly empty and he had time and room in the oven? It did take a good 20 minutes to get our food but it's so worth the wait.

I just heard from a chef at Beach Club which covers 5 of my 10 ADRs plus questions I had about our resort (we're staying at YC). Because we're eating there so often and staying there for our trip he's going to get the chefs together to see what kind of dessert options they can come up with for DD13 since she can't eat any of the packaged allergy treats. I'm SO excited for her. He's also going to see if they can come up with some kind of fun sundae for my girls at Beaches & Cream. He gave me his email address so I can email him lists of any foods I'd like for them to have on hand for us and he'll see which ones he can manage. He's also going to talk with chef Dan at Pop who helped us find the bread that we now use at home and has helped us several times. I am disappointed that nowhere at BC/YC can we get CS chicken tenders but I was told that we can ask for them to go at any of the TS restaurants. It just stinks that we'll have to pay TS prices for them (the chef didn't say that; I'm assuming). They don't make them even at Beaches & Cream but he did say I could order them there if I want and they'll make them in the Captain's Grille kitchen. The chef also discussed how they handle food allergies in club level (for future trips since he brought it up) and it sounds very similar to Poly which was such a great experience for us both times.

I'm feeling so good about our trip right now.

 

[nfceagles]

Thanks for posting that information @clanmcculloch. That explains a lot of questions we've been having recently. Not sure if it's good news or not. Sounds like you need 4+ allergies to get the same custom experience we've all grown accustomed to. Never been so glad to be in that category.

 

[HsvScrapGirl]

Another source to back up this change is WDW website. If you go to the section that talks about food allergies at table service locations, it indicates that they don't even want you contacting special diets anymore unless you have multiple food allergies or one that isn't on their list. They are just encouraging you to have it noted on your reservations and tell them when you arrive.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/

This is very disappointing when you consider that Disney just received recognition/an award from Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network last year. Why break something that works? This change messes with my comfort zone a bit.

 

[Minnie]

I've never had much luck with the special diet form. I don't remember a restaurant or hotel that ever mentioned receiving the form.

I do note the allergy on the reservation, ask for dairy free / gluten free info, and then due to multiple allergies inform the CM when we check in.

Thankfully all chefs I've dealt with have been great - some better than others - and I've always found something safe to eat.

 

[CarrieR]

To a degree, I can understand that. I would think for, say, a dairy allergy, they have "systems" in place that kick in. If I was just dealing with a single, simple allergy, I'm not sure I would feel the need to contact special diets though, kwim?

When you are dealing with a host of unusual allergies though (as is the case with my party and I know most on here,) it's not really an option to go in "blind."

That said, we've been told (more or less) at a few restaurants lately that they get so many forms they don't even read them. I can see where, if they see a ton of forms that are peanut free, tree nut free, gluten free OR dairy free (or whatever single allergy,) their eyes start to glaze over and it's easy to miss the person who's allergic to ALL of that as well as half the fruits and veggies in the civilized world? Perhaps this is an attempt to put the focus on the MFA people, for whom there are not pre-designed systems in place.

I feel like Disney has a pretty good grasp on the common stuff. I have also been *thrilled* at how much they've taken our non-common allergens in stride. This is typically without having a clue WHAT the allergens are; they just get the red 'allergy' stamp on our ticket and send the chef on out. I have to say I'm not too panicked about not sending the forms in advance since my recent experiences have been great (despite advance preparation.)

 

[Minnie]

I have multiple food allergies/intolerance issues and have had good luck most of the time. I'm GF/DF/FF (most fruits/veggies) so it's tough. Sometimes the chefs just don't understand - how about a nice plate of fruit for a FF diet but once explained it worked. Though the options are at times very very limited so calling ahead is probably the best idea as many have had great success with this option.

The worst time I've had was at Captain Cooks (quick service Poly) - ended up having a Diet Coke for dinner that night and at Hurricane Hannah's at the BC - ended up grabbing chips from the BC marketplace The event parties at the MK are also almost impossible so I eat early or forget it....

 

[davebon23]

I have multiple food allergies/intolerance issues and have had good luck most of the time. I'm GF/DF/FF (most fruits/veggies) so it's tough. Sometimes the chefs just don't understand - how about a nice plate of fruit for a FF diet but once explained it worked. Though the options are at times very very limited so calling ahead is probably the best idea as many have had great success with this option.

The worst time I've had was at Captain Cooks (quick service Poly) - ended up having a Diet Coke for dinner that night and at Hurricane Hannah's at the BC - ended up grabbing chips from the BC marketplace The event parties at the MK are also almost impossible so I eat early or forget it....

Minnie,
Off topic here, I know.
Is the FF, fructose free? If so, how were you diagnosed if you don't mind my asking? I have Celiac and have been having some problems since last year. So just wondering and what symptoms you had. If you don't want to answer here, can you email me at davebon23@msn.com. Thanks in advance!

 

[chou4555]

My understanding is that it is.

But I am not a doctor!

I read this thread with interest as I have a relatively mild Lactose intolerance, which I am going to raise with my Orlando Hotel well in advance of my family's trip to Disney. I'm not anticipating any problems, in my experience reports and hotels will go the extra mile in trying to make sure you have the diet you want.

For many months thought I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) but saw this video on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V81uwYDa0Q
and that got me thinking it may be lactose intolerance.

It turned it it was, so I was very grateful as I might have been taking the wrong medication!! I hope others don't make the same mistake as the symptoms are similar!

By the way, saw something funny in a frenct hotel the other day. On TV they were showing Donald Duck cartoon- he was saying "What's up Doc" in French... it came out as something like:

Quest-ce-que ce passe monsieur le Docteur s'il vous plait?!!!"

 

[davebon23]

My understanding is that it is.

But I am not a doctor!

I read this thread with interest as I have a relatively mild Lactose intolerance, which I am going to raise with my Orlando Hotel well in advance of my family's trip to Disney. I'm not anticipating any problems, in my experience reports and hotels will go the extra mile in trying to make sure you have the diet you want.

For many months thought I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) but saw this video on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V81uwYDa0Q
and that got me thinking it may be lactose intolerance.

It turned it it was, so I was very grateful as I might have been taking the wrong medication!! I hope others don't make the same mistake as the symptoms are similar!

By the way, saw something funny in a frenct hotel the other day. On TV they were showing Donald Duck cartoon- he was saying "What's up Doc" in French... it came out as something like:

Quest-ce-que ce passe monsieur le Docteur s'il vous plait?!!!"

I thought that's what it was, but wanted to make sure. Thanks for the info about the video, I'm going to check it out. I'm thinking it may be lactose or fructose that's giving me the problems. I have Celiac and was told I also have IBS. I'm hoping to find out soon. I made appt with specialist at Columbia University is Sept. so hopefully they can help me figure out which it is. Thanks again.

P.S. very cute about Donald duck!

 

[clanmcculloch]

I thought that's what it was, but wanted to make sure. Thanks for the info about the video, I'm going to check it out. I'm thinking it may be lactose or fructose that's giving me the problems. I have Celiac and was told I also have IBS. I'm hoping to find out soon. I made appt with specialist at Columbia University is Sept. so hopefully they can help me figure out which it is. Thanks again.

P.S. very cute about Donald duck!

Lactose intollerance is very common in celiacs. For many celiacs, it goes away after around 6 months gluten free, as the gut heals. When the body is struggling health-wise, one of the first coping strategies that the body employs is to shut of the production of lactase which is the enzyme required to digest lactose. As the gut heals, the body resumes production and issues with lactose goes away. The other common issue seen among celiacs is that many also react to casein which is a protein found in milk. For those of us with this problem (and there are many of us), this problem never goes away and we have to avoid casein for the rest of our lives just like we have to avoid gluten. This is known as a GFCF diet (gluten free casein free).

Do NOT accept a diagnosis of IBS. IBS means doctors just haven't figured out what's wrong. You have celiac. It will take time for your gut to heal. Since you have celiac, you have a significantly higher likelihood of additional immune responses to foods. Eliminate milk along with gluten and see how you do. If you do improve without milk then try a challenge after around 6 months to see if you can now tollerate it. If the elimination of gluten and milk doesn't do it then insist on further testing to determine the ACTUAL problem.

 

[Minnie]

Minnie,
Off topic here, I know.
Is the FF, fructose free? If so, how were you diagnosed if you don't mind my asking? I have Celiac and have been having some problems since last year. So just wondering and what symptoms you had. If you don't want to answer here, can you email me at davebon23@msn.com. Thanks in advance!

FF is fructose free - I was diagnosed with fructose intollerance through a breath test analysis. With the help of my doctor and a dietician I've added some low fructose fruits/veggies back to my diet but it's a very slow process. Unfortunately the diet is extremely unhealthy so it's important to be properly diagnosed by a medical professional. Do a search for HFI or fructose malabsorption and you will find a lot of information.

 

[davebon23]

Lactose intollerance is very common in celiacs. For many celiacs, it goes away after around 6 months gluten free, as the gut heals. When the body is struggling health-wise, one of the first coping strategies that the body employs is to shut of the production of lactase which is the enzyme required to digest lactose. As the gut heals, the body resumes production and issues with lactose goes away. The other common issue seen among celiacs is that many also react to casein which is a protein found in milk. For those of us with this problem (and there are many of us), this problem never goes away and we have to avoid casein for the rest of our lives just like we have to avoid gluten. This is known as a GFCF diet (gluten free casein free).

Do NOT accept a diagnosis of IBS. IBS means doctors just haven't figured out what's wrong. You have celiac. It will take time for your gut to heal. Since you have celiac, you have a significantly higher likelihood of additional immune responses to foods. Eliminate milk along with gluten and see how you do. If you do improve without milk then try a challenge after around 6 months to see if you can now tollerate it. If the elimination of gluten and milk doesn't do it then insist on further testing to determine the ACTUAL problem.

SORRY THIS IS SO OFF SUBJECT EVERYONE. SORRY TO HIJACK OP!

Thanks for your input. I have tried to avoid dairy, or at least I think I did as best I could, without any difference really, so I don't really know about the lactose intolerance being the problem. Maybe it is casein and not just lactose. I was diagnosed in March 2008 with Celiac. I was doing really great with the gluten free diet and feeling healthy and losing weight. (I am one of those few celiacs that has constipation and not the other way around). Then last October starting having problems with bloating and severe constip.

I have also had positive small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Had antibiotics with some relief. But it came back and I look 6 months pregnant no matter what I eat, no matter what time of day. Very uncomfortable. I also gained 30 pounds since about November of last year. It's crazy.

I didn't want to settle with it's just your IBS and your constipated. So I am going to doctor in Columbia University where they have a Celiac center.

Wish me luck!!

 

[davebon23]

FF is fructose free - I was diagnosed with fructose intollerance through a breath test analysis. With the help of my doctor and a dietician I've added some low fructose fruits/veggies back to my diet but it's a very slow process. Unfortunately the diet is extremely unhealthy so it's important to be properly diagnosed by a medical professional. Do a search for HFI or fructose malabsorption and you will find a lot of information.

Thanks for the reply. I tried to talk to my gastro about doing tests like this. He wouldn't even hear me and he said we'll talk when I have our appt. Which wasn't going to be until September. I have had this since last October with no help. The doctors at Columbia university do this breath analysis, among other things. That's why I'm going to try there. Unfortunately, no appts available until September also. I also had some malabsorption found in Upper GI series that was done. It was just kind of blown off by my doc. Thanks for the info. Sorry to go on. Just frustrated at this point. Now I have to go to Disney and look pregnant. I was hoping to at least be diagnosed before I went so I can try to help myself. Everyone is going to ask me when the baby is due when they see me.

AGAIN SORRY EVERYONE FOR HIJACKING

 

[DLM462]

I just sent off an email to Special Diets and quickly received an email back. It was just a generic email but said I should hear something within the next few days. My daughters have milk, egg, peanuts, and all other forms of nuts. I made our ADR's back in March for the following resturants:
Via Napoli
Le Cellier Steakhouse
Cape May Cafe
1900 Parkfare (Cinderella Dinner and Breakfast)
Crystal Palace (Dinner)
Mamma Melrose
Kona Cafe (Breakfast)
California Grille
Liberty Tree Tavern
Coral Reef Resturant

Any opinions on as to how willing the Chefs are to help with specific allergies we are on the Deluxe Dining Plan so adult vs kids meals are not a problem.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Thanks for the reply. I tried to talk to my gastro about doing tests like this. He wouldn't even hear me and he said we'll talk when I have our appt. Which wasn't going to be until September. I have had this since last October with no help. The doctors at Columbia university do this breath analysis, among other things. That's why I'm going to try there. Unfortunately, no appts available until September also. I also had some malabsorption found in Upper GI series that was done. It was just kind of blown off by my doc. Thanks for the info. Sorry to go on. Just frustrated at this point. Now I have to go to Disney and look pregnant. I was hoping to at least be diagnosed before I went so I can try to help myself. Everyone is going to ask me when the baby is due when they see me.

AGAIN SORRY EVERYONE FOR HIJACKING

And here I am continuing the hijack. LOL

Since you had a bacterial overgrowth and you took antibiotics, I bet you now have a yeast (candida) overgrowth. Ask your doctor to test your stool. If that is the problem then a course of Diflucan along with a low carb diet and a good quality probiotic should set you right. A yeast overgrowth can definitely do this. Heck, certain bacteria overgrowths can do this and aren't necessarily killed off with a single round of antibiotics so ask your doctor to retest for the bacteria as well.

 

[davebon23]

And here I am continuing the hijack. LOL

Since you had a bacterial overgrowth and you took antibiotics, I bet you now have a yeast (candida) overgrowth. Ask your doctor to test your stool. If that is the problem then a course of Diflucan along with a low carb diet and a good quality probiotic should set you right. A yeast overgrowth can definitely do this. Heck, certain bacteria overgrowths can do this and aren't necessarily killed off with a single round of antibiotics so ask your doctor to retest for the bacteria as well.

Thanks for the info. I will talk to the doctor. Unfortunately, I have to wait until September. But I can try the Diflucan and the low carb and probiotic for now to see if I get any relief. Thanks so much for your insight!

Also my MD said he may try another round of antibiotic for the overgrowth after the colonoscopy. When I called and asked about it, he said wait til I see you, but I can't get an earlier appt, so I just have to wait and be uncomfortable. I will try what you said and see what happens.

 

[queenof3]

Special Diets will also email you info about some of the Counter Service places and what they serve there.

 

[davebon23]

Special Diets will also email you info about some of the Counter Service places and what they serve there.

I was able to get this, but I don't know if they are voluntarily sending it out to everyone like they used to anymore. It seems some people are not getting as much info as others. I suggest if anyone doesn't get enough info the first time, to try again and see if they will give all info about counter service and table service restaurants.