Gluten Free, Beef Free, and Alcohol Free - one of each - oh my!

[Tricia1972]

Hi~

I am not a regular on this board, but I am working on finalizing our trip that is coming up soon, and I am hoping for some advice.

Our group is riddled with crazy food allergies. My mom has Celiac, my 2 year old son has a beef protein allergy, and my sister is unable to consume any alcohol (even if it's used in cooking) because of her chemo and kidney meds.

Knowing this, I requested Dietary Restriction information from Disney in June. They were very prompt with their reply, and I've sent them my specifications for TS on the Guest Allergy-Dietary Request Form.

They also sent us a Food Allergy Dietary Reference Sheet that is dated June 24, 2010. Does anyone know if this is the most current sheet and how accurate has it been for you in the past?

Another thing...I feel like a big old pest with this much wrong with our group. Has anyone else had so many different things going on and how were chefs towards you? I sincerely wonder how much will the chefs hate us when 3 of the 7 of us have allergies or restrictions - all very different restrictions.

Sorry to ask so many questions. I got a ton of great links on a thread on the restaurant board today about GF Counter Service, and it sounds like the chefs are great, so I am hopeful.

You can blame that post for my post here as well. I found my way over here from there as well. (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2628068)

Thanks in advance for any and all advice and suggestions!!

 

[clanmcculloch]

In our party of 4, both my kids have food allergies and DH is a type 2 diabetic. That makes most of our group with special needs. Chefs are WONDERFUL!!! Almost every one of them has made us feel like they really enjoy helping people like us. I really do suspect that chefs who have a passion for working with food allergies make a point of applying with Disney. We've had lots of chefs tell us of their own loved ones with food allergies. Obviously there are exceptions (you'll see a few not so great reviews if you look through the numerous reviews on the board) but the majority really are fabulous.

How long ago did you email Special Diets? I just got my email from them yesterday and my Dietary Reference Sheet says updated 12/13/10. The No Gluten Added Products document says 12/15/10. I'd email them back asking for the latest and greatest. Something I learned to do this summer is to wait until maybe 1.5 - 2 months before the trip because things can and do change frequently. I had emailed about 2 months before our June trip and when I returned I emailed for our August trip and I was shocked to see several changes on the list between the two trips.

The info has been very accurate as long as I request it fairly close to my trip. It's been interesting when I've known what locations carry but the CMs there don't. I've had managers explain what buttons on cash registers are for because CMs had never known what they were and never had anybody order the items. I've also had to have managers search for things that Special Diets assured me would be at locations resulting in very surprised managers who didn't even know what they carried. I'm very grateful for those lists.

 

[snorris49]

WDW is absolutely great for allergies! I am gluten free and dairy free, plus I have Crohn's disease on top of it. I rarely eat red meat (only a hamburger on occasion). All of your allergies are very reasonable for Disney to handle, and they are great at doing it too!

I agree with clanmcculloch to make sure you ask for new dietary reference sheets close to your trip. they do change frequently.

I've eaten at restaurants with other folks w/allergies, and the chefs will speak to each one to make sure they provide the best service and appropriate food for each individual.

I always bring the dietary sheets with me on trips to refer to. I'd be lost without them. CS and snacks can be a little more challenging than TS (just b/c you see a manager instead of a chef usually), and having those sheets are so helpful.

Best of luck on your trip--once you go Disney with food allergies, it is sure hard to go anywhere else! They spoil you so much!

 

[mom23tiggers]

How long ago did you email Special Diets? I just got my email from them yesterday and my Dietary Reference Sheet says updated 12/13/10. The No Gluten Added Products document says 12/15/10.

This is fascinating - especially since I'm planning are ADRs right now using sheets that are several months old and I realize probably out of date! I think they're probably good enough for planning table service, but I'll make sure to e-mail them a month or so before we go one our trip in August so I have up to date info for table service.

It never occurred to me that the CMs might not know what they had in stock. We've been dealing with allergies at WDW for years now, and I just assumed. Wow. Also very useful to know. Thank you!

 

[FreeTime]

As others have said, you will have no problem at all. I have a daughter with celiac (who only wants to vacation at Disney because she says she gets to eat whatever she wants like the rest of us), a hubby who can't eat red meat or shellfish and a daughter who can't eat eggs and peanuts. Disney is great!

At CS to speed up the wait for us and other guests I always get the allergy book (at most registers) to look through while other guests are ordering. Then, I ask for the manager who will put the order on and direct me to a specific line to pay. Then I will order everyone else food.

At TS they will usually give you a few options. If it isn't something you want, ask if they have what you do want that is similar to something on the menu. They will likely come up with it.

Enjoy!

 

[clanmcculloch]

This is fascinating - especially since I'm planning are ADRs right now using sheets that are several months old and I realize probably out of date! I think they're probably good enough for planning table service, but I'll make sure to e-mail them a month or so before we go one our trip in August so I have up to date info for table service.

For TS and ADRs it really doesn't matter. I go more off the regular menus to see if there's anything that looks like something my kids would like and easily modifiable to determine if we want to eat there (though if they carry chicken tenders then that'll do as well). It's more the CS and snacks where it matters for us.

 

[chb]

I am gluten free and dairy free. I know I am only one person in my party, but the chefs at Disney were so sweet to me. I HATE having to draw attention to myself and they acted like it was no big deal. I am leaning towards asking DH if we can go back for our 20th anniversary in a couple of years, just because it was so nice for me to feel so well taken care of.

 

[Tricia1972]

Thank you for the positive responses!

I am like you guys and hate being a "bother" and am so glad to hear that the chefs truly aren't bothered by special requests.

So for you who are Gluten Free, what are your favorite snacks?

 

[snorris49]

Ah food at Disney...there are so many things I like for snacks or small meals.

For sweet things, you can always get French Meadow brownies (but I get those offered for dessert a lot, so I get a little burnt out on them over the course of a week!) which are yummy. Occasionally, I'll get the Enjoy Life brand chocolate chip cookies (I'm gluten/dairy free). They also sell Minnie Mouse brand gluten free cookies at the Confectionary and other places that sell the Disney made cookies. They have dairy in them, so I haven't been able to try them. I love Itzakadoozie bars and the Nestle pineapple juice bars for cold treats. Dole whips are also gluten free (but sadly not dairy free--they are lactose free--sad, it was my favorite frozen snack of all time at WDW)

For non-sweet things, I enjoy french fries and turkey legs. The turkey legs are soooo amazing! Sure, they are more like a meal I believe the popcorn is gluten free, but I haven't tried it b/c of my Crohn's disease.

I tend to do more sweets than savories for snacks...but there are so many choices at WDW! You can also check out your sheets from special diets and it will give you some other options/information! Hope that helps!

 

[clanmcculloch]

My kids have much bigger lists that just gluten so I'm sure there are things that would be safe that we just can't do. The only baked good that's safe for DD12 is the Enjoy Life cookies so obviously they're a favourite. DD10 loves the French Meadow brownies and chocolate chip cookies (the few places that carry them) but as snorris said, you do get burned out on them since the brownies are what's offered at all TS locations. My kids love popcorn, lays chips, Tofutti ice cream or milk shakes (they're also dairy free), frozen strawberry bars, DD10 misses the Itzkadoozies since we realized citrus is a problem for her, Enjoy Life chocolate bars (we've only found them at Sunshine Seasons), french fries, Divvies jelly beans and fresh fruit. Popcorn is pretty much a daily snack for DD10 while DD12 prefers the lays chips even though she gets them at home too (she's autistic and the familiarity I think is comforting). Really, we don't do a lot of snacking since there's so much food in the meals.