severe and pervasive allergies - dining options

[Babsy]

Hello all,

well, it looks like I am going to be in WDW with someone who has severe allergies to most foods. You can list on a single page the foods that she can eat! This includes most spices, condiments, sauces, coatings etc. Every box in the allergies listed when making reservations is ticked as allergens as well as the 'other'. The allergies are not limited to common allergens. Is there anywhere that I can call to speak to chefs about her ability to eat in WDW during our trip? She would like to eat with us, even if she has to bring/prepare her own food, but she would rather not pay for food that she cannot even touch.

For example, she cannot eat any beef, chicken, pork or fish other than sockeye salmon. She can eat plain lamb. That is it for protein. She cannot eat potatoes or rice or bread. The list of what she cannot eat is massive. This is not something that the chef would be able to plan for with only one day advance notice.

Has anyone had experience with this? What should I do? I am hoping that WDW will accommodate her at least some times. We plan to go to a supermarket and have some food in the room for her so she will be able to survive, but we would all like to eat out sometimes. She NEVER gets to eat out. It would be a real treat for her.

Thanks for any advice, experiences!

 

[hildarumpole]

Contact Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com for help. For a limited number of allergens, checking the boxes on ADRs works fine, but with the allergens you've listed, pre-planning by chefs is necessary. Special Diets usually responds quickly and will give guidance on which restaurants may be able to accommodate.

Best wishes for a wonderful trip!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hello all,

well, it looks like I am going to be in WDW with someone who has severe allergies to most foods. You can list on a single page the foods that she can eat! This includes most spices, condiments, sauces, coatings etc. Every box in the allergies listed when making reservations is ticked as allergens as well as the 'other'. The allergies are not limited to common allergens. Is there anywhere that I can call to speak to chefs about her ability to eat in WDW during our trip? She would like to eat with us, even if she has to bring/prepare her own food, but she would rather not pay for food that she cannot even touch.

For example, she cannot eat any beef, chicken, pork or fish other than sockeye salmon. She can eat plain lamb. That is it for protein. She cannot eat potatoes or rice or bread. The list of what she cannot eat is massive. This is not something that the chef would be able to plan for with only one day advance notice.

Has anyone had experience with this? What should I do? I am hoping that WDW will accommodate her at least some times. We plan to go to a supermarket and have some food in the room for her so she will be able to survive, but we would all like to eat out sometimes. She NEVER gets to eat out. It would be a real treat for her.

Thanks for any advice, experiences!

remember she will not be able heat any food brought into the park other than at the baby centers.

 

[Babsy]

hildarumpole,
THANK YOU!!!

 

[Babsy]

remember she will not be able heat any food brought into the park other than at the baby centers.

yes, it will be a poor diet if she cannot be accommodated

 

[Dis703]

Definitely contact special diets and complete their dietary request form. I'd send it in at least 3 weeks out and request to speak to a chef at each restaurant. My kids are severely limited as well and it's most helpful to give them a list of what they can eat vs. what they can't. I usually pick restaurants that seem to have some of the basics but they do sometimes have to order an ingredient or two that they may not normally have on hand.

We end up bringing food for my boys when the adults dine at most quick service locations be so far they've done well with TS meals.

 

[Gracie09]

I would start by looking at the menus. Find restaurants that offer sockeye salmon or lamb. If they have it, it is easy enough for a chef to grill it plain then pair it with whatever veg they have that she can eat, also plain.
I do not think they will bring in food especially for her, but they will work around the allergies the best they can with the food on hand.

It looks like the Captains Grill in Epcot has lamb chops. Raglan Road has lamb shank and salmon although it doesn't say if it sockeye just atlantic

 

[LovesTimone]

So with no bread... I am assuming pasta is out..

Is Duck a no go?

And you stated Fish...but what about Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels

Chef's de France - Has salmon it comes with rice & sauce but could be omitted. Also a nice Salade Niciose with Ahi Tuna, but can be omitted with dressing on the side.

Rose and Crown has Shepherds pie with ground lamb, with veggie... I have had it and I thought it was fairly plain, this might be a spot where they could help accommodate easily.

Tutto - has a Eggplant parmigana, Salmon, & Rack of lamb

With the protein options so limited I would check out all the vegetarian options, and have her look at everything. A list with what's okay would be easier than what she can't.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I would add to have a list of things she can eat as well. For example plain salmon and x veggie to help give the chefs a starting point. Most of us with allergies have a safe meal that's our go to. I would ask her what hers is and then look at menus that seem to have related items making it easier for the chefs.

 

[Babsy]

So with no bread... I am assuming pasta is out..

Is Duck a no go?

And you stated Fish...but what about Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels

Chef's de France - Has salmon it comes with rice & sauce but could be omitted. Also a nice Salade Niciose with Ahi Tuna, but can be omitted with dressing on the side.

Rose and Crown has Shepherds pie with ground lamb, with veggie... I have had it and I thought it was fairly plain, this might be a spot where they could help accommodate easily.

Tutto - has a Eggplant parmigana, Salmon, & Rack of lamb

With the protein options so limited I would check out all the vegetarian options, and have her look at everything. A list with what's okay would be easier than what she can't.

Yes, pasta is out.
Also:
No duck, no shrimp, no scallops, no mussels, no rice, no sauce, no tuna, no dressing, no eggplant, no cheese of any kind, very limited veggies, no potato, no herbs or spices except salt, no oils, etc........you get the picture. She can only eat sockeye salmon or lamb, plain. No other meat/fish in any form. It is a VERY limited diet! EVERYTHING that she can eat fits in a list on a single sheet of paper. It drives me crazy and it isn't me that has to live this way.

I have looked at the menus on All Ears. There is nothing on any of them that she can eat without modification/being cooked separately for her.

Thank you for the suggestions, but the menus just don't work for someone as restricted as she is.

 

[Babsy]

I would add to have a list of things she can eat as well. For example plain salmon and x veggie to help give the chefs a starting point. Most of us with allergies have a safe meal that's our go to. I would ask her what hers is and then look at menus that seem to have related items making it easier for the chefs.

That is sort of what we are trying to do. I have sent a list of all the foods that she can eat to the Special.Diets email provided above. We are waiting to hear back from the different Chefs in the restaurants that we have booked. So far we heard from Be Our Guest chefs and they are attempting to accommodate her diet. It is very encouraging how kind the are.

Some restaurants would be better matches for her than others, but we can't always get a reservation at those. Thanksgiving is a busy week.

One thing that I have learned is to work on this earlier. I was a bit afraid that it would be too early for them to look at it even now, but it would have been easier if I had emailed a few days ago.

thank you for your suggestions!

 

[Babsy]

Definitely contact special diets and complete their dietary request form. I'd send it in at least 3 weeks out and request to speak to a chef at each restaurant. My kids are severely limited as well and it's most helpful to give them a list of what they can eat vs. what they can't. I usually pick restaurants that seem to have some of the basics but they do sometimes have to order an ingredient or two that they may not normally have on hand.

We end up bringing food for my boys when the adults dine at most quick service locations be so far they've done well with TS meals.

i wish that I had realized this earlier. This is only a week out, I'm afraid, as we will be there on Nov 19th. I have sent them the list of what she can eat, which is very short, and I sent a list of the restaurants where we have reservation, requesting to speak with a chef.
I am just hoping that we can get a few meals for her. Otherwise we will be eating in the room with her or she will bring food to eat in the food courts with us. It is tough with a hotel room and only a small fridge to keep a few things in. Her limited diet will be bland and cold and even more limited than usual.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

One other suggestion, realize that several of the world showcase restaurants (Japan, Italy, France for sure and possibly more) are not operated by Disney and tend to be more difficult in dealing with allergies/restrictions.

 

[SteveMouse]

..... Raglan Road has lamb shank and salmon although it doesn't say if it sockeye just atlantic

Pretty much by definition, Atlantic salmon isn't sockeye.

You can use tools at http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningmain.cfm to search menus by item (e.g, "lamb").

It's not going to tell you whether its allergy-safe, but will hit the high points. I didn't easily see anything with sockeye, and usually restaurants would identify that they're serving sockeye (and again, by definition, would be serving fish that had been frozen, at least September-May as sockeye season is May-August).

Lamb appears in a number of places, though not always in a chop form.

Good luck!

 

[Pumbaa_]

It's too late now but staying in a place w a full kitchen would be a boon in the future

 

[TwoMisfits]

I would also look to places that serve all 3 meals of the day, since you didn't mention fruit, eggs, and oats as allergies (maybe they are...just having all the different options in the kitchen should give the chefs more options for food...

 

[DCDisney]

You can just make ADRs where ever you want to eat because every restaurant will need to have special items for her that they order just for her. Even if a restaurant serves lamb it may be marinated or seasoned far in advance. It is easiest for them if she is very direct and says something like I want a lamb chop cooked only with olive oil and a side of steamed broccoli. No seasoning other than salt. That way they know exactly what to do and order. Being direct helps a lot with the multiple allergy orders. Be sure to speak to the chef in the resort where you are staying because they have full kitchens and can also stock safe items for her which they will cook in the back to her specifications. If some of the chefs don't get back to you with enough notice the resort TS places tend to have more items because they can get things from all the restaurants in that resort. Keep trying to get through to all the chefs though and it will be fine. She may have to eat the same 2 or 3 items all week but that sounds like that might be her norm anyway.

 

[LovesTimone]

Yes, pasta is out.
Also:
No duck, no shrimp, no scallops, no mussels, no rice, no sauce, no tuna, no dressing, no eggplant, no cheese of any kind, very limited veggies, no potato, no herbs or spices except salt, no oils, etc........you get the picture. She can only eat sockeye salmon or lamb, plain. No other meat/fish in any form. It is a VERY limited diet! EVERYTHING that she can eat fits in a list on a single sheet of paper. It drives me crazy and it isn't me that has to live this way.

I have looked at the menus on All Ears. There is nothing on any of them that she can eat without modification/being cooked separately for her.

Thank you for the suggestions, but the menus just don't work for someone as restricted as she is.

I spoke to my friend that has a Grandchild that it close to your friend dietary restrictions, not as many but close. When I say this... he is not suppose to have milk/cheese or dairy.. when he was a baby they used goats milk, and he did wonderful on it.. now its only dairy product he can have must be goat milk based/organic/she buys a lot at a farm near where they live and some specialty store on line and Whole Foods has been a wonderful source for them ...

She said that they opt for a DVC with a full kitchen when traveling with the whole family, so that her DIL can make up some meals for him... They normally stay at the Boardwalk Villas or Beach club Villas... Some will go back to the resort room warm up his dinner put in one of those collapsible coolers, with a gel pack thing heated up... and ask for a extra plate for him when they enjoying table service. As far as QS options they make up his lunch and snack and just use couple of those gel cold pack to keep everything cold till lunch.... or have lunch in the room.

I am sure its to close to change to a DVC... But you might want to check out David's DVC to see how the cost is, I'm sure this is a long shot the week of thanksgiving. But maybe for future trips... I am not sure where you are staying, but you can request a micro-wave in room, not sure on the cost but it might be worth it ...Having it might help a little if she needs to warm up something.

Also there is a Whole Foods at Palm Park way and Sand Lake road.

Oh and Garden Grocer to have some things delivered...

I don't know if any of this will help... Good Luck... Pixie Dust coming your way

 

[Babsy]

LovesTimone,

Thank you for your encouraging words. Your ideas are great and it is exactly what we plan for when we will be travelling with my grand son next year (similar situation to your friend's grandson). He has allergies to all dairy and nuts and seeds. He also manages with goat's milk, coconut oil and the like. His Mom always brings his food into restaurants for him. I expect that it will be much easier to feed him in WDW because the list of what he CANNOT eat is shorter than the list of what he can. Also, they will allow me to provide accommodations, so we will stay DVC with a full kitchen. We are hoping for BLT for convenience, but we won't know that until 7 months out, I guess! We can always stay at OKW, if necessary, I expect.

For this trip:
Yes, I would have loved to stay DVC but the other people that I am travelling with wanted completely separate rooms for a number of reasons and price was a huge factor for some people. So, needing three completely separate rooms and a budget of a max of $200 per night, DVC just wouldn't work. I considered off site, but again this was not a welcome idea and fraught with complications due to my elderly Mom travelling with us.

So we are dealing with the allergies as best we can. She is willing to live off what we can get delivered to the room via Garden Grocer or by taking a trip to Whole foods using Uber. I have travelled with her before and we lived off some nuts, red peppers, canned salmon - that sort of thing - in the room. I would just like to get her a few meals that aren't that simple and boring. She rarely travels because of the difficulty that food causes her. She is only travelling this time Mom's sake. It is hard for her so I would like for her to at least be able to enjoy some meals this trip to WDW.

She says that she doesn't want to cause any trouble and not to bother anyone. But isn't this part of what makes WDW wonderful? The fact that they make trips possible for those that would otherwise never be able to enjoy vacations in the way that most of us take for granted? So, I am trying to set this up for her so that it is effortless when we are there. The special diets email was something I didn't know about. I called Disney Dining and the CM didn't know what to do. She just suggested making a note of the allergies on the dining reservations. There are just too many for that to be helpful.

Knowing that Whole foods is at Sand Lake road and Palm Park Way is very helpful!! Thank you, LovesTimone!


To everyone that responded to my post:
The Dis rocks!!! You are all so wonderful, knowledgeable and kind people. I knew that I would get the help that I needed here.

Thank you so much!!

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Food allergies in my family, but no where near as extensive. What I want to add is a backpacking trick that we use when we want a warm meal at a value resort. Some foods can be placed in a freezer zip-top bag and dunked into hot water to warm the food. We don't do this regularly due to plastic on food concerns, but occasionally seems fine to us. We use a hot-pot (no exposed heating elements, but quicker to heat and much smaller than a crock pot) to heat water then turn off the hot-pot before dunking the bag of food to warm.
The other trick we use is something you'd need to master at home first, but may help for next time. We make safe meals at home that are easily dehydrated in our oven. We then dehydrate the meals to make our own just-add-hot-water meals that don't need refrigeration. We found a book at the library that walked us through the do's and don't's of making your own dehydrated meals that are food-safe and allergy-safe.
We don't travel without our hot-pot for allergy safe meals.