Beaches and Creme. Should I do anything?

[MNRMommy]

I have been stewing on this awhile but when we were there in December we stopped by Beaches and Creme for ice cream. DH has always wanted the kitchen sink but nuts make me sick. I don't think I am allergic to them, i won't go into shock, it just seems every time I eat anything with nuts I end up with stomach pain and it usually revisits me if ya know what I mean.

Anywhooooo the waiter happened to overhear me tell DH that he and the kids should just get the Kitchen Sink and I would have a root beer float. So the waiter asked why I didn't want the Sink and I said nuts make me sick. He then said oh then no worries, we don't put nuts on it because of all the allergies. I knew that sounded fishy but I figured this is Disney and this guy must know what he is talking about. It wasn't inconceivable that they had stopped putting nuts on it to insure there weren't allergy problems right?

Well first bite into the Sink and I ended up with a big spoonful of peanut butter which I quickly spit right back out into my dish. The waiter saw me and asked what was wrong. I said there is peanut butter in this, and DH quickly added that there were snickers bars too. All the waiter said was Oh and quickly disappeared. Someone else brought us our bill later and no mention or apology was ever made.

Since again, I don't have a deathly allergy I let it go but now I think maybe I should write Disney and let them know about our experience. I know if my child was allergic to something and I specifically had the waiter tell me it was OK to eat I would be livid. Should I write them and make them aware? If so how would I even go about doing that? I don't have the waiters name and I don't really want to ruin someones job but they should re-asses their training if this can happen. I could probably tell them exactly what day we were there considering the charge is on my room bill. Should I just leave it alone?

 

[Googilycub]

I am the type of person who doesnt complain about anything. I get annoyed when I go places and somebody in my party complains. I have the view that not everything is going to be perfect every time...so get over it. With that being said, I have a major issue with your experience. I have several food allergies. I go into anaphylactic shock, my tounge and throat swells, and I cannot breath. It normally results in a trip to the ER, with several IV's full of benedryl. After the benedry, I need a day or two to recover. I would read somebody the riot act if they told me the wrong info about my food. Even if it was just a sick tummy that was the result, I would be sure to do something about it.

 

[gayles]

If you have food Allergy's or don't like a certain food --- Always read the Ingredient's in what you are ordering .. Example -- Don't like mushroom's --- read what the sause has in it ....
Now if something is not listed --- That is a different sorry ----- I would go further with it ....

 

[TDC Nala]

Not sure what exactly you'd like to do about it at this time. You've now been home about a month. The most effective way to handle this would have been to ask to see a manager while you were still in the restaurant.

You can send Disney a letter (at this point a letter on paper will probably get more attention than an e-mail) but I'm not sure if you are looking to have the server disciplined - since you don't have his name I doubt there's much chance of that - or you just want to remind Disney that their restaurants need to be careful regarding food allergies.

Don't write a long letter with every detail of your visit to the restaurant - all you need to say is that your sundae was served with peanut products even after you were told that nuts would not be used in deference to allergies.

 

[MNRMommy]

Nope. I don't want him diciplined and I should have spoken up at the restaurant. I just think maybe they should be aware that if this had been a more serious allergy they could have had a serious incident. I guess it would just be nice to know that they have addressed it with the restaurant so no one ever quotes this as nut free again.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think that a reminder to the manager to better educate the servers is a good idea.
DGS is allergic to peanuts and I know that asking about nuts is NOT enough. In an ice cream shop you have to ask about peanut butter, any baked goods that might contain peanuts, cross contamination of the ice cream in the plant and when serving it.

Ice cream shops are scary places for peanut allergy people and we just pretty much avoid them except for soft serve style.

Glad you were ok.

 

[aussietravellers]

Oh Goodness that just gave me shivers

I can not wait to go to Beaches and Cream (and I have been before and had a milkshake) but I have anaphylaxis to peanuts, pine nuts and an allergy to variety of other nuts, but the peanuts is very severe as I have had the allergy since childhood and every time I've had a reaction the reaction is much worse than the one before. The last reaction they said I could be dead in about 10 minutes and my allergist has never seen as high a results for the peanut allergy test. Now if that had happened to me, I could have lost my life, due to that error! It is a very serious thing, your allergy may be devloping who knows, but to tell you they make it without nuts and then serve it, that is really bad!!!!

WDW is always one place I felt quite safe eating, have always trusted that when I ask what is in something that I could die if I eat peanuts or nuts that they take it very seriously. Well it always seems to have been, maybe thats why we eat at a lot of TS restaurants more than CS restaurants because we can talk to the chefs. But B&C is a table service isn't it not a CS?

Anyway I am not sure if you can do anything now, but I would still write a letter. They would have known about it at the time if it were me as they would have to have called the ambulance!!!!!! and they would be paying my hospital bill as the Peanut allergy is not covered on international travel insurance. But if you have the servers name it may be worth sending a letter to Disney pointing out the seriousness of what happened, because it is serious, even with it making you sick, you told the server you did not want nuts! He said there were not nuts in it. That could be life or death for someone and yes there are epipens and antihistamines, but sometimes it's too late and those things are not enough!

Golly, I am about going there now. But if I do, I will be screaming "NO NUTS" from the rooftop (no not really), but I will be asking for the manager as we cant make an ADR there to note the allergy.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Being WDW, I wonder if Beaches does a better job than most places controling nuts in an ice cream place??? WE were at Cold STone the other day (without DGS) and there were nuts everywhere on the counter!! We of course avoid that place, but anywhere they add the chopped nuts, there is a huge risk of one getting into something else. We have not done Beaches with DGS and doubt we will but just wondering????

 

[pilesoflaundry]

You have to be very aware of what you are ordering because often people don't "get it". You would be shocked how many people try and give my son ice cream because I only said "no milk products" Not no ice cream.

For no nuts again people don't think about peanut butter, just nuts.

If I had a peanut allergic child I would never trust an ice cream place, to me they just aren't safe.

I'm not saying you shouldn't complain but it's very clearly in the menu that there is peanut butter in it. You also said you weren't allergic so maybe they weren't as careful as they would be. I know disney is usually very careful and accomodating about this.

I wouldn't have waited this long if I was going to send a letter, I would have taken care of it on the spot.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Since the time has long past, I would just chalk it up to experience. Something should have been said to the manager at the time. Not a month later as an FYI.
I can't see a letter will hurt. But I don't see much point in it now, other than you getting it off your chest.

 

[hoverpumpkin]

I really think you need to notify them about this. It is NOT too late. If they have a server who has a cognitive disconnect between "peanuts" and "peanut butter ice cream," that is DEFINITELY something that they need to address.

Even if they do not discipline the server in question (he was just confused, not malicious, I'm sure) they need to gather their staff and make them seriously aware of this situation and aware of what is actually in the food they're serving.

I do NOT envy any of you who have peanut allergies. I am severely allergic to peaches and that's easy to avoid - I can't imagine having to be on the outlook for peanuts all the time. They seem to be in EVERYTHING.

Do send a letter. That was an absurd experience and I'm just glad you came out of it all right.

 

[Mommytobree]

I think it is definately a good idea to let the restaurant know. As someone WITH a nut allergy, that could have been very very serious. They need to educate their servers that even though they are not sprinkling nuts on it, having peanut butter and snickers in it is just the same.
I'm planning on going there, so thanks for the heads up!

 

[Joan S.]

Hi, I also think that you should contact WDW and tell them your story. Go to the WDW.com site,scroll all the way to the bottom and all the way to the right it will say CONTACT US. It is a form you can fill out and submit. I have done this a couple of times and have gotten a PHONE CALL back about the issues I contacted them about. And like you I JUST wanted to let them know. You will feel better and possibly be helping another person by reporting your experience. Joan