Tree Nut Allergy Question

[texasroni75]

My son has a severe tree-nut allergy that was diagnosed after our last trip so we never had to deal with allergies in the park before. Planning a trip shortly and trying to be prepared. I know to speak up about his allergy at all restaurants and QS locations before ordering. But, I noticed most people saying their kids were given Enjoy Life cookies as dessert option. Can anyone tell me what flavor these cookies are? It seems most nut-allergy-free desserts offered are chocolate or chocolate chip, etc - and he hates chocolate Do they offer fruit instead? Of course we can skip dessert at the meal itself and get dessert separately somewhere else, or bring something allergy-safe along. But, I'd prefer to know what to ask for if there's something he will eat that is available.

So, basically - does anyone have recent experience with nut-free non-chocolate dessert options in the parks?

 

[Mum23]

Most places will offer fruit if that is what works. Enjoy Life has several kind of cookies. Chocolate, chocolate chip, sugar crisp, honey "graham" in crispy and a bunch of others in soft variety. I have been told that without the sprinkles, the cupcakes at BOG are safe as well as cinnamon rolls and something else at Gastones perhaps? We have a long list of allergies so I am not 100% on what exactly is safe at the last one.
And bring 2 epis! And they also have them around the park now as well incase!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

remember to put the tree nut allergy on all table serve ressies. also other guests are allowed to bring food into parks so you can run into people eating nuts anywhere in the parks. this includes chains in the line for rides that people have touched with nut oils on their hands. granted grandson has a peanut allergy but had him react while in line where we could not see anything that should have made him react but he still did

 

[gap2368]

I second the bring the EPIs with you even though they have then at the park they may not be able to get one in time

disney is great about accommodation food allergies I would just ask when you get your food and have a plan B for if they can not accommodate him and it sound like you already have a plan B

enjoy your trip

 

[texasroni75]

Thank you for your quick responses. We do have 2 EPI-Jrs on us at all times plus benadryl (for suspected nut exposures without symptoms, to give as a precaution). It's good to know that Enjoy Life offers all of those varieties, but I was just wondering if Disney actually carries all of those cookie options, since he may begin to tire of fruit after a week in the parks and he definitely will refuse anything with even a speck of chocolate in it It's good to know what I'm asking for so there's no confusion or frustration at mealtime!

 

[hildarumpole]

My kids have peanut and tree nut allergies. There are some pretty good options available at most TS that are nut-free. They've had cupcakes, creme brulee, bread pudding, ice cream, cake, trifle, and fruit cobbler. At QS, they get fruit or yogurt. I can only remember them getting Enjoy Life cookies once at Biergarten a few years ago. They were chocolate chip. The TS restaurants now have special allergy menus that list the items with notes about what allergens they are safe for. It made ordering a whole lot easier this year.

 

[Thing 1]

We are peanut only, but have had great experiences at WDW. We have only been given the chocolate chip cookies but we never asked for anything different. For us, they almost always offered Edy's vanilla ice cream as a choice. If we did counter service, we would take our dessert with us and get him a safe ice cream from the ice cream cart. TS it was mostly ice cream offered. BOG cupcakes were safe for us but we do not avoid tree nuts so not sure for you guys. We always felt safe and have had a couple above that experiences. We have eaten at a lot of the places at WDW and really only avoid Asian and sadly Ohana, because of the peanut sauce at every table. We have had trouble in lines a few times as well. Mostly kids eating PBJ in lines. We of course have two epi on us at all times and two more back at the hotel for back up. We no longer carry benadryl per our doctor recommendation. The newest guidelines now say to epi for suspected ingestion as benadryl can mask the symptoms of a major reaction.

 

[milza26]

Disney is awesome about dealing with food allergies! My DS has Tree Nut and Peanut allergy. Make sure to list the allergy on the ADR for TS places. At QS ask a CM before getting to the counter to have the manager bring you the big book of ingredients to look at if you have any doubts about anything.

 

[dixielanfan73]

My daughter also has a tree nut allergy. We just came back from a quick trip this past weekend and she was offered enjoy life cookies at our resort bakery (POR). They had chocolate chip cookies and brownies for choices. She liked the cookie and said the brownie wasn't so good. We also take her to Tusker House every trip (her favorite) for breakfast. It is the first and only place we have been where she can have any of the baked goods..the glazed doughnut holes! In fact this time we were told by the chef that there are no longer tree nuts on the breakfast buffet at all. Sounds too good to be true but she mostly sticks to fruit, bacon and eggs...and the doughnut holes. Kona gave her an allergy free menu, they prepared her food separately and brought her it out first. At BOG she was able to have the cupcakes and Grey stuff with out the sprinkles. We have found that for the most part, the gluten free baked goods, rolls, desserts are usually what she is offered as safe for her tree nut allergy.

 

[greentea]

We also take her to Tusker House every trip (her favorite) for breakfast. It is the first and only place we have been where she can have any of the baked goods..the glazed doughnut holes! In fact this time we were told by the chef that there are no longer tree nuts on the breakfast buffet at all.

Yes, we also had this confirmed by the Tusker House chef when we went for breakfast last year. He still showed us around to confirm everything was safe, and said they have gone nut-free, even the granola.

 

[Mum23]

The Chef at Tusker house was a ROCK STAR for our kids! He was the best. We have marathon PN/TN so it was Enjoy Life and berries BUT he hooked them up with extra cookies to take with us AND the light up cup clips for them as well. It's still one of the things they still talk about!! Oh and he also took me around and made plates from the back to the kids that were full and untouched by anyone but him!!! (Sorry but he made that meal amazing for our kids so I have to gush a bit )

 

[Selket]

I'm chiming in late but my younger son (who is now 13) has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy since he was 2 and we visit WDW a lot. The sit-down restaurants are somewhat "hit and miss" on what sort of dessert he will be offered. Sometimes you get a great chef who goes out of their way and other times the only thing is a prepackaged cookie (like Enjoy Life which...to me...is only "ok") or some plain vanilla ice cream or some jello, etc. For example - another poster in this thread said they got offered a prepackaged item at Biergarten whereas when we were there the chef made him a HUGE dessert plate full of stuff plus about 3 prepackaged items to take with him - it was incredible.

Of course you can never be sure what you will be offered where. Really...after my son got to be 5 years old - it just didn't work so well for us to have these fancy awesome desserts and he have a bowl of soft serve or a packaged not so great cookie. I usually tried to find some place he could have dessert that was safe (he loved Itskadoozie popsicles out of the carts, Dole Whip, etc) and we'd pick him up one. Be Our Guest for dinner has so far consistently had great dessert options (but I can't remember if they had any chocolate in them). Overall the dining experience with allergies is fantastic - I'm not complaining....just noting that the biggest problem we've had are lackluster desserts at some places.

 

[dancemonkey]

We had a very positive experience in regards to a nut allergy at the ice cream place in France. My daughter is specifically allergic to pistachios and cashews. The ice cream she wanted was next to the pistachio ice cream. They went in the back and opened a new container and used and unused scooper!

 

[Larry Welnowski]

There's a great help group on FB with a ton of info also Facebook.com/groups/disneyfoodallergygroup

 

[monorailsilver]

My son was given oreos at the Poly one day, the CM/lead chef even opened a new package for me. And it was no charge!! My son has a dairy, peanut, tree nut (except he can eat cashews and almonds now) & egg white allergy.

We only did 2 sit downs so dessert for him was dairy free ice cream. He also had a few pineapple dole whips, pretzels, popcorn, slushies, fruit pops and I made him Rice Krispy treats since I brought RK, marshmallows, his dairy free butter and parchment paper.

He isn't a big cookie eater other then oreos and mallomar store brand. I make him choc chips/oatmeal ,etc...won't eat them. Takes a nibble and says it is gross. OT, but he just started eating zucchini muffins last year and he ate pumpkin ones this year and he has always refused (he is 12) and he won't do cake/cupcakes yet.