11yo w/ Limited Food Preferences

[Minniemouse07]

We are headed to DL for our first visit in June and I've been reviewing the menus with horror.

Our 11yo son is on the spectrum which means he isn't thrilled w/ change and has a good bit of sensory issues. This translates to a limited amount of foods that he is willing to eat..and he will rarely try something new. In the greater scheme of things, it is a lot...but not when it comes to restaurants. We are okay with breakfasts because he loves pancakes and waffles, but lunches and dinners are more challenging.

Basically he eats:

pasta - preferably with butter but will do marinara if necessary
pizza - plain cheese
quesadillas - plain cheese with salsa to dip
grilled cheese - not a favorite, but will eat if pressed
veggies - plain, with butter - broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, carrots
fruit - bananas, apples, pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries
french fries
yogurt - again, picky about brand and can't have lumps, etc
PB&J - but must have grape jelly

So this translates to the kids menu, sometimes...but he needs larger portions than that. Would I have a problem getting him a plate of plain pasta at most TS restaurants? ...even if it isn't on the menu?

You will note there are no burgers, chicken nuggets, or hot dogs on that list...he really doesn't like the consistency of meat (but will eat homemade chicken fingers at home with some complaining). This rules out most counter service options unless they have pasta or pizza. I can get around counter service...we can get food from multiple places if necessary...but the TS options are more challenging.

Thoughts? I know WDW and how to navigate the TS choices there for him...but DL is an unknown. We have until June to figure this out.

 

[SMD]

I would pack his preferred brands of yogurt and PBJ to make sure you always have that as an option.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I would pack his preferred brands of yogurt and PBJ to make sure you always have that as an option.

Unfortunately, he prefers Trader Joe's yogurt and we are flying to CA from PA. we will not have a car in CA.

As for PB&J, I think he would be fine with other kinds of PB and J...but it has to be grape jelly and the one mention I saw on a menu said sugar free strawberry. But I could pack a jar of each in our luggage.. that's a good idea, thanks!

I think one of my goals before June is to get him to eat different yogurts. It could help immensely on the trip.

 

[VandVsmama]

We are headed to DL for our first visit in June and I've been reviewing the menus with horror.

Our 11yo son is on the spectrum which means he isn't thrilled w/ change and has a good bit of sensory issues. This translates to a limited amount of foods that he is willing to eat..and he will rarely try something new. In the greater scheme of things, it is a lot...but not when it comes to restaurants. We are okay with breakfasts because he loves pancakes and waffles, but lunches and dinners are more challenging.

Basically he eats:

pasta - preferably with butter but will do marinara if necessary
pizza - plain cheese
quesadillas - plain cheese with salsa to dip
grilled cheese - not a favorite, but will eat if pressed
veggies - plain, with butter - broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, carrots
fruit - bananas, apples, pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries
french fries
yogurt - again, picky about brand and can't have lumps, etc
PB&J - but must have grape jelly

So this translates to the kids menu, sometimes...but he needs larger portions than that. Would I have a problem getting him a plate of plain pasta at most TS restaurants? ...even if it isn't on the menu?

You will note there are no burgers, chicken nuggets, or hot dogs on that list...he really doesn't like the consistency of meat (but will eat homemade chicken fingers at home with some complaining). This rules out most counter service options unless they have pasta or pizza. I can get around counter service...we can get food from multiple places if necessary...but the TS options are more challenging.

Thoughts? I know WDW and how to navigate the TS choices there for him...but DL is an unknown. We have until June to figure this out.

Re: pasta - is he picky about the shape of the pasta? Because you could certainly try to get buttered pasta at the Pizza Port in Tomorrowland or at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta in DCA. Both of those also have plain cheese pizza as options, too.

I recommend if you're flying to So Cal to make a stop at a grocery store between the airport and your hotel to pick up his favorite brand of yogurt and to also get some PB&J fixings. And be sure to not forget some ziplock bags to pack the sandwiches in so you can bring them with you into the park each day in a soft-sided cooler.

French fries - LOTS of options for these all over the parks

Fruit - they sell these here and there at various fruit stands, but it's a lot cheaper to bring in your own. Add some of his favorite fruit to your grocery shopping list.

Quesadillas - they sell chicken quesadillas at DCA in Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill. It's on the kids' menu, but it's CS, so you could order a few of these and they won't care that he's over age 9. Plus, just ask them to leave off the chicken. Just tell them that it's for a vegetarian or something like that. You can also get cheese quesadillas from Tortilla Joe's Taqueria in DTD, which is the CS version of Tortilla Jo's.

 

[Mysteryincorp]

I think you are going to be fine....you will be able to find pasta or pizza at many locations. Many QS have a power pack, which is a banana, yogurt, gold fish and something else that's slipping my mind right now. I rwould go on the Disney site and check out some of the menus for table service.....but I think you will be fine.

 

[VandVsmama]

So for TS restaurants, which ones were you interested in going to? Maybe we can suggest some substitutions that you could ask for at those places.

For example:
If you want to eat at Cafe Orleans, you could bring a container of yogurt for him and then order some pomme frites off of the appetizer menu, but tell them to leave off the parmesan, garlic, & parsley and to substitute the sauce with ketchup (if your DS eats ketchup).

Carnation Cafe for lunch or dinner:
Order the penne pasta w/shrimp, but explain your son's disability & food requirements and the server will understand. Have them leave off the sauce, the shrimp, and the mushrooms. So just penne pasta with butter and the broccoli with butter but don't mix the broccoli with the pasta. I'm assuming that your son is probably picky enough that he doesn't like stuff like that mixed together.

CS - Plaza Inn for lunch or dinner:
Order off of the kids menu for him. Get the kids' pasta & marinara, but have them leave off the marinara sauce. Probably best to call Disney Dining before you arrive and ask them whether the pasta & sauce are kept separate or if they're mixed together ahead of time. If memory serves me correctly, I want to say that they pour the marinara sauce over the top of the noodles, but it's been awhile since I've been there.

Wine Country Trattoria at DCA:
Let's say you decide to do 1 of the World of Color dining packages and want to do it at this TS restaurant. You could ask to order off of the kids menu but have them charge you the adult price. somebody posted about this exact thing the other day only it was about Blue Bayou and some folks replied that they've done this before...ordered off of the kids menu for an older child who's super picky and they got an adult sized portion and an adult sized price. So it is possible. Your DS to get the choose your own pasta & vegetables or cheese pizza.

Another CS option:
Get your DS an ear of corn at Don Toma's Snacks in DCA in Paradise Pier. I don't know if it automatically comes with spices & stuff on it, so maybe call Disney Dining before your trip and ask.

 

[VandVsmama]

Unfortunately, he prefers Trader Joe's yogurt and we are flying to CA from PA. we will not have a car in CA.

As for PB&J, I think he would be fine with other kinds of PB and J...but it has to be grape jelly and the one mention I saw on a menu said sugar free strawberry. But I could pack a jar of each in our luggage.. that's a good idea, thanks!

I think one of my goals before June is to get him to eat different yogurts. It could help immensely on the trip.

If you use Lansky's car service for transportation from the airport to your hotel, Lansky's will make a stop at a grocery store for you. There's a Trader Joe's in Orange at 2114 N. Tustin St, Orange, CA 92865. It's ~5 miles from Anaheim. Or if you don't use Lansky's, you could always take a cab or Uber it over there.

FWIW, I totally understand picky eaters. YDD is a picky eater. Disneyland has LOTS of families who visit the parks with autistic family members, so they will be used to what may initially sound like an unusual request. I guarantee you that it's not as unusual as it may seem.

 

[Abbey1]

My son is also on the spectrum and has a limited diet, sometimes very limited. We've found that it works best for us to always have plenty of foods my son will eat with us on hand in the parks, even if its just crackers and snacks that aren't particularly healthy. It takes away the stress of what to do if we eat somewhere where there is literally *nothing* he will eat. Obviously this isn't the best course of action for every day, but we don't stress over it for a few days at Disneyland. When we get home, we get back on track.

As for the restaurants, we've found the TS restaurants at Disney to be very accommodating. For instance, at Cove bar, they made my son a flatbread pizza with no sauce and just plain cheese. We've also ordered plain pasta at one of the TS restaurants before, maybe Wine Country Trattoria?

Good luck!

Edited to add a few restaurants I thought of:

Carnation Cafe has a build-your-own PB&J on the kids menu. It comes with quite a lot of food and might be something your son would enjoy. It's served with raw veggies and raisins. They also have a bacon and cheddar melt on the adult menu that I am sure they could change into a regular grilled cheese.

Cafe Orleans has their famous monte cristo, which can be made with just cheese- this one might be a little too out of your son's comfort zone though. My son actually liked it. They also might be able to make their pomme frites without the seasoning.

Goofy's Kitchen would have quite a few options for your son as well, if you wanted to eat there for a character dinner.

 

[Minniemouse07]

These are all great ideas. Thank you...I really appreciate it.

We are WDW veterans and I know the restaurants and menus there pretty well so I can navigate them okay....but this is new, along with fewer options so I'm trying to figure it out.

Pasta-we are good with whatever shape. Since it is a staple in his diet, we have a wide array of shapes to keep it interesting.
...and yes, you are correct that the broccoli and pasta cannot be mixed.
Ketchup is a must for fries. I didn't put it on the list since it really isn't food...but then again salsa is also a condiment.

I've been looking over menus for the last couple of days and I definitely see items here and there. I just hope I can come up with a plan for the 4.5 days of meals we need.

 

[SMD]

Is he picky about the brand of ketchup? They don't use Heinz anymore at DLR.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Is he picky about the brand of ketchup? They don't use Heinz anymore at DLR.

Nope, we use Trader Joe's at home and he eats whatever is available when we are out.

He eats way more than many kids on the spectrum, but his choices are still pretty narrow.

 

[VandVsmama]

Another thought re: the whole bringing food with you each day:

You could pack the peanut butter in your luggage. Is your son picky about the brand of grape jelly or can it be any kind of grape jelly? Also I assume jelly and not preserves because preserves tend to have chunks in it.

Is he picky on the type of bread? If it's bread that you get from Trader Joe's all the time then you could get the yogurt AND bread from there. And if Trader Joe's has the jelly that you know he will eat then that's another reason to cab or Uber it to that store for some essentials.

Then pack a small soft sided cooler with you in your luggage. Bring a ziplock bag to use for ice. Fill up ziplock bag with ice in the am before you depart for the parks. Repeat if you take a break back at your hotel.

At DL, LOTS of people bring food with them. What you can't do is bring a whole loaf of bread, whole container of peanut butter, etc. you have to prepare the sandwiches ahead of time.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I work in food service type business & what your son eats is actually a pretty big variety. Any place that has pasta can do plain pasta. Cheese pizza fairly common. Bring the grape jelly; even easier bring jelly packets. You can buy at a restaurant supply type place (like Gordon Food Service) or ask at a local restaurant (offer to pay but they may just give some to you). If WDW isn't a problem, DLR should be ok.

Good luck.

(PS, my sisters kids are not on the spectrum & are pickier. Tonight we had Chinese food: chicken & broccoli, beef & peppers, vegetable lo mein, potstickers, sautéed book choy. They each ate plain noodles & 1 bite of baby bok choy)

 

[StarlitNight05]

If transportation is an issue getting to a grocery store, pack some grape jelly (and peanut butter if there is room) and head to White Water Snacks at the Grand Californian hotel. It's a DVC property, so there are grocery staples there. They do have Jif peanut butter and loaves of bread. The only issue is they only carry strawberry jam, thus the need for grape jelly.

As for the pasta, as others have said, requesting buttered noodles shouldn't be too much of an issue. Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta at DCA (CS) or Wine Country Trarttoria (TS) should be good options. Plain French fries will also be easy to come by... Smoke Jumpers Grill at DCA is quite good IMO.

I hope you have a magical time at the Land!

 

[krispin41]

I used Amazon Pantry on my last trip and had things shipped to the hotel. It was held at the front desk for me. I had all sorts of snacks and a case of water as well. Things I didn't have space in my luggage for.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Remember to pack your PB and jelly in checked luggage. TSA threw out my full PB and full jelly when I didn't realize they were not allowed on carry on.

Jolly Holiday has grilled cheese sandwiches. The normal order comes with soup, but you can order the sandwich a la cart and it is very good.

Anywhere you go, if he wants something on the kid's menu, you can ask if they will provide an adult size portion. Some places can do that easily.

 

[Figaroo]

My DD is not on the spectrum, but very picky. At WDW we made sure to have breakfast items, pbj items, and snacks that we know she will eat available to us in our room. I used Garden Grocer for some items, but packed other non perishables that we could not get through GG in our checked luggage (peanut butter and jelly jars because she has preferred brands!). We ate breakfast in room most days (she does like Mickey waffles though ) and would pack a pbj and snacks to take with us for lunch/snacks. We would have dinner at QS or TS and see how she did with what she chose off the menu (usually pizza, grilled cheese, or nuggets). We figured if she could eat a good breakfast and lunch it would be OK if dinner wasn't stellar- she could have another snack in our room before bed. This worked well for us and we will be doing it again!

I know Garden Grocer is in WDW, but maybe you can do Amazon Pantry or even Amazon Now (if available) to order some items? If it were me, I'd probably swing by Trader Joes to get the yogurt if it wasn't too much trouble and would give me piece of mind about my DDs eating while on vacation. Good luck!

 

[Malcon10t]

I have a daughter on the spectrum and the mac and cheese is Stouffers. Once she tried it, she was fine. If he will eat that, he should be fine. Plaza Inn and Pizza Port both do plain noodles.

If there is something on the kids meals, you can get those for him. My daughter is 26, and frequently does the kids meal, they double the portion and double the price. Works out great for us.

 

[Realfoodfans]

We have similar problems for my gorgeous grandson (on the spectrum) at home no problem and generally in the UK but one of his limited food choices is sausages - but they don't often appear. He too will eat plain cheese pizza. Baked potato and cheese accepted too. Vegetables are not on his menu apart from corn on the cob. Drink is a tough issue for is in the US as he only drinks Ribena (I don't think we've ever seen it in US) and milk. When ever we travel abroad each suitcase has triple wrapped cartons of Ribena! We have to accept that for the duration of Disney he eats a lot of snacks, pizza and fries! He is 7 so as yet portion size not a problem.

 

[Aladora]

We have similar problems for my gorgeous grandson (on the spectrum) at home no problem and generally in the UK but one of his limited food choices is sausages - but they don't often appear. He too will eat plain cheese pizza. Baked potato and cheese accepted too. Vegetables are not on his menu apart from corn on the cob. Drink is a tough issue for is in the US as he only drinks Ribena (I don't think we've ever seen it in US) and milk. When ever we travel abroad each suitcase has triple wrapped cartons of Ribena! We have to accept that for the duration of Disney he eats a lot of snacks, pizza and fries! He is 7 so as yet portion size not a problem.

I don't think you can find Ribena easily in Anaheim but you do have a few possibilities. It looks as though you can order it on Amazon.com and have it delivered to your hotel. There are also a few British specialty shops that you can get it. I would google "Where to buy ribena in Anaheim, CA" and see what pops up.

Or just come up to British Columbia, they sell it at just about every grocery store here!