Best multiple food allergy dining experiences Please!

[candacewi5]

Hi everyone! We are going to WDW at the end of January for the 1st time and are currently booked at POR for 8 nights. We plan on eating on property 90% of our meals and have booked the dining plan. My frugal nature is really beating me up on this one and I don't know if I should just redo this whole vacation and rent a condo, buy tickets from undercover tourist, and pay out of pocket for the meals we eat on property. Too many decisions!
My son has multiple life threatening food allergies (milk, peanut, tree nut, & soy). Eating out is a VERY rare occurrence for us and every vacation involves me making every meal from scratch and isn't much of a vacation for me. We chose Disney because this will give us a real vacation without cooking, stress, and my son can actually eat out at restaurants and eat more than French fries. What are the best FA friendly restaurant experiences you have had?

Also am I nuts for booking a package with hotel, dining plan, and tickets through Disney? I hate not knowing what is the best way to go. This is likely , to be our one and only WDW trip and I don't know if I want to go offsite and save enough $ to take a second week long vacation this summer to the Gulf Coast, or just eat it and go all in. Grrr, I hate not having a definite plan. So anyway, best allergy friendly restaurant experience you have had? If you have any inputs on any of my other ramblings, go ahead and share too!

 

[SweetieinVT]

Following as I'm in a similar boat with DS with PN/TN/milk/egg allergies. I have heard really good things about the chefs working with you to ensure you have safe and appealing options. You can contact guest services for specifics too before your trip for pointers on menus that are most likely to have safe options for your son too.

 

[Funky Chicken]

We are park and DCL veterans with DD9, allergic to eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. We have done the dining plan and eaten with her all over WDW.

At table service restaurants, we note her allergies when making our ADRs. When we arrive, the seating ticket is stamped "ALLERGY" in red. We have been given red carpet treatment at each and every one of the following-
Akershus
Boma
Cinderella's Royal Table
Cape May Cafe
San Angel Inn
Narcoossee's
The Wave
Crystal Palace
Ohana
Kona Cafe
Boatwright's
At buffets we are given a tour of the ENTIRE buffet by a chef. At tables a chef will come out and chat with you about choices and in many cases will make something from scratch for us.
At counter-service restaurants you can ask to see "the book" at the order stations. "The book" lists every item on the menu and allergies for them.
Snack kiosks have a book too.
Don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask-we have never felt like anyone wasn't happy to help us. I think it is becoming more common all the time.
One of the reasons that we have become repeat Disney vacationers is the fact that they take worry away from us at mealtimes. Feeding our family becomes a non-issue, and that is an enormous weight off of our shoulders.

 

[sleepingbean]

Freedom from the kitchen is half the appeal of a Disney World vacation! If you can swing it, get the dining plan and just go for it.
We eat gluten free, dairy free and sometimes my mother in law joins us and she can't eat shellfish or berries, and we have never had trouble finding food for everyone! (and yummy food and desserts, too!)

My link shows all our meals over the past few years. I can tell you my favorite, but you may have a different food preference. For instance, our family LOVES Biergarten, but we love saurkraut, tomato onion salad, pickled anything! LOL We love Crystal Palace, Coral Reef, Garden Grill, and so many other fun and yummy places.

 

[Random Ninja]

I'm allergic to dairy, soy, fish, shellfish, mustard, tapioca, Brazil nuts, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and I'm celiac. Disney World is one of the very few places that I feel comfortable eating. My favorites table services are Kona Cafe, The Wave, and Tusker House. I actually find counter service at the resorts to be easier then sit down places.

 

[Dis703]

We have been to WDW four times now with our kids who have severe allergies and food limitations that go well beyond their known allergens. We have had mostly great experiences.

Between the three they are allergic to milk, soy, wheat, strawberries, rice, oats, banana, tapioca, peas. The list of unknowns we still avoid is much longer.

Crystal Palace and Biergarten have been the best experiences with chefs who really went above and beyond for us. But pretty much all restaurants had chefs who were willing to come up with something our kids could eat.

I did do extensive research of the menus though and even contacted chefs in advance because some of our allergens are harder to identify and I found this saved timeline we were there.

Disney is pretty much the only place my kids eat out.

 

[sleepingbean]

Crystal Palace and Biergarten have been the best experiences with chefs who really went above and beyond for us. But pretty much all restaurants had chefs who were willing to come up with something our kids could eat.

agreed!

 

[DCDisney]

Table service dining is no problem at all. They will cook him something he can eat. It's helpful if you can make suggestions though they often just ask what you would like so I'll say something like grilled fish, a starch, and a green veggie and then they will make suggestions based on what they have like would you prefer salmon or mahi mahi, mashed potato or rice, etc. Desserts can be rough it's mostly an ice cream product (in your case I'd guess rice dream? and a prepackaged cookie usually enjoy life choc chip cookies) or fruit. For quick service they have a list of park locations that carry allergy safe specialty foods and it's easiest to stick to those. Soy is in almost everything--if he can not have soybean oil and soy lecithin it's tough. On our spring trip even the fries had soy though I'm personally allowed to have those 2 ingredients just have to avoid the protein. Most of these places carry an allergy safe chicken tender which is nice. The burgers are 100% beef so a burger without a bun is always a back up plan for me. (I have carried in a safe bun in my purse before--they will offer an ener-g gluten free bun but I personally can't have those) For QS At MK I eat at Columbia Harbor House (grilled salmon or allergy free tenders plus steamed broccoli). They sometimes will bake french fries (if those are safe now) because the fryers aren't safe for soy allergy. At Epcot I eat at Sunshine Seasons they have a number of grilled items (pork chop, fish, or chicken) and salads I can eat. They usually have a bin of allergy safe treats too here like surf sweet gummies and rocky mtn caramel corn and a few enjoy life products like the choc bars. Not sure if these are available on the ddp because they are $$$ but that varies. At DHS I eat at Backlot and get allergy safe tenders or a burger. I usually don't eat QS at AK. To get better QS options you can go to resorts QS locations where they have more ingredients and full kitchens. POR QS has always done a great job for me. They have a make your own pasta station that I enjoy (they make the allergy safe in the back). The marinara they use has soy but they keep Amy's organic on hand most of the time in the back which is soy free. I like that I can get different things there. For me buffets are hit or miss with multiple allergies I often get shown safe foods that I KNOW are not even possibly safe. Yes they will make you a plate from the back but they usually have to be pressed to do that. They either want you to eat off the buffet or have something special made. I have not had good experiences at Crystal Palace--yes they were nice but I usually end up with a very upset stomach which is a sign for me that I got small amounts of soy. I have had numerous good experiences with liberty tree tavern for lunch--love the turkey dinner. Pretty much all the sit down places owned by WDW (some at Epcot are not) are consistently safe and good. Definitely bring some treats as essentially all the baked goods and candies have nut warnings. Yes they have popsicles, rice dream, and enjoy life cookies but none of those appeal to me. I hope this helps a bit. I tried to give some of the brand names they tend to use so you can google ingredients before you go--the brand of the chicken tenders is allergy free foods.

 

[ekatiel]

All of the table service chefs should be able to help you, but if you want the BEST, try to track down Chef TJ. I did a little googling, and it looks like he's at Trail's End now. It's always a roll of the dice whether or not he'll be scheduled to work the date/time you are there, but if he is there, you will have an AWESOME meal. We were lucky enough to get Chef TJ at 'Ohana on our very first trip to WDW. I still tear up thinking about DS's meal that night .

 

[ptisme]

I have had an intolerance to pork for most of my adult life. I was just recently diagnosed celiac. Have been to WDW with the pork allergy many times with great response from the chefs. We just got back from Disneyland for the half marathon weekend and I was so impressed with all the dining there. Even the QS restaurants, the chef came out to talk to me and help me find something safe to eat. It helps when you ask questions. The chef at Goofy's kitchen made me my own plate of veggies since they were cooked in the same water as the pasta (a common occurrence at restaurants so ask!) I got my own GF mickey waffle made for breakfast too. It was harder in downtown Disney were the restaurants are not owned by Disney. I was not sick once the entire weekend. I did miss some of my favorite treats but found others I could have.

Now my GI doc wants me to be lactose free too as I am not responding to GF as well as I should. We leave soon for WDW and my husband doesn't understand my reluctance to eat offsite like we have in the past. I have so many issues eating out here in my own town, I can't imagine going to another place and eating. Talk to the chefs and ask questions. They are really good at making accommodations.

 

[wheezard]

I have a daughter with Dairy, Egg and PN allergies. Dining out has always been a challenge, and one of the reasons we love to visit WDW is because of the dining options! We have had some chefs who seemed a little put-out, but for the most part they are generous and helpful and so I just have to shrug those chefs off. Some stand-outs were 1900 Park Fare (but that was three years ago), O'Hana for breakfast and Akershus (I can never spell or say that correctly). One stand out CS was Flame Tree barbeque for our allergens. Everyone enjoyed the food and it was super easy to order off their menu. But it completely depends on the chef at the time what kind of treatment you get. But they will ALWAYS accommodate.

And I disagree with PP - we have found it is much easier to get allergies accommodated at TS rather than CS. I hate standing around and asking for a manager at CS only to find that my daughter can only eat apple slices. At TS they can always create something. We have TS reservations for nearly every meal. Yes, its expensive, but it's worth it.

 

[Random Ninja]

I have a daughter with Dairy, Egg and PN allergies. Dining out has always been a challenge, and one of the reasons we love to visit WDW is because of the dining options! We have had some chefs who seemed a little put-out, but for the most part they are generous and helpful and so I just have to shrug those chefs off. Some stand-outs were 1900 Park Fare (but that was three years ago), O'Hana for breakfast and Akershus (I can never spell or say that correctly). One stand out CS was Flame Tree barbeque for our allergens. Everyone enjoyed the food and it was super easy to order off their menu. But it completely depends on the chef at the time what kind of treatment you get. But they will ALWAYS accommodate.

And I disagree with PP - we have found it is much easier to get allergies accommodated at TS rather than CS. I hate standing around and asking for a manager at CS only to find that my daughter can only eat apple slices. At TS they can always create something. We have TS reservations for nearly every meal. Yes, its expensive, but it's worth it.

The food courts at the value and moderate resorts send out a chef to discuss allergies. Yes, CS at the parks can be ridiculous but the resorts are great. They have a lot more ingredients to work with. I really recommend the food courts at POR and AOA. I regularly leave the parks to eat at these two instead of sitting around at a TS.

 

[mistysue]

As is being said I would like to suggest you eat at the counter service at your resort then save your table service meals for in the parks. Counter service at resorts is very accommodating and will do as good of a job as table service places do. At park counter service they can serve you but it can occasionally ends up being disappointing or taking forever!

The table service in the parks is nearly always wonderful- the exception being that the table service in EPCOT in the world showcase are not run by Disney so they can be hit and miss plus there are occasionally language barriers. With a life and death situation, inside EPCOT I would stick with either the German table service because it is usually great or with Sunshine Seasons which is the counter service in the land pavilion.

I recommend the character buffet at Tusker House in animal kingdom, we always love that.

 

[geek+nerd]

I have 10+ allergens to avoid and Disney is the only place where eating out doesn't completely stress me out.

My favorite places to eat are Sanaa at AKL, Liberty Tree Tavern in MK, AoA food court (Chef Dan is awesome!), and Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge.

QS tends to be limited, but I know that I can always at least get a burger and carrots.

Places where I will not eat again are 50s Prime Time in HS (chef seemed really put out; meal was blah; I ended up in tears in bathroom) and Yak and Yeti in AK (I had a reaction about 15 minutes after leaving; had to take Benadryl and anti nausea med and was done for rest of day; they were busy and the chef seemed less than thrilled to have to deal with me).

 

[MSSANDRA]

DS is just peanuts now but we were eggs when he was really little. We have never had an issue anywhere on property. Desserts are pretty limited but the chiefs are very knowledgeable and some do go out of their way to make it extra special for you. We had some counter service places tell us that he could get an adult meal instead of kids if that was better for us, and we had one CS place load us up with safe cookies. He mostly had eddy vanilla ice cream and sprinkles at TS. We did avoid a couple places, Ohana because of the peanut dipping sauce, and Pinocchio House as we were warned that they sell PBJ and that kids tend to run to the window overlooking Small World and smear it on the window. We avoid Asian almost every where so we did there too. Our best experience anywhere on property was at the rainforrest cafe and they are not even Disney owned!!! They were beyond helpful and made sure our little guys felt very special. We of course carry plenty of epi pens but thankfully have never had ANY reaction at WDW.

 

[spacecanada]

We dined fabulously in WDW for 9 days with the following dietary restrictions:

Allergies: tree nuts, peanuts
Intolerance: dairy, soy (Disney treats intolerances as allergies)
Preference: vegan

Some high notes:

Trail's End at Fort Wilderness - I think the chef made me more food than I could have eaten in two DAYS, yet alone one meal... It was all incredible! (Yes, this is a buffet, but the chef made special plates for me because the buffet wouldn't be safe.)

The Wave at Contemporary Resort - The chef modified some existing menu items to fit my allergies, brought out some special bread (only bread I could eat the whole trip) and when we returned (because the food was that memorable), the chef remembered me and asked if I wanted the same thing (I said yes.)

Mickey Waffles!! (Namaste brand with pure maple syrup and strawberries) - They were at the food court at Port Orleans. The Special Diets chefs (via email) can tell you where they are available for your allergies. I ate these every morning and loved each and every bite!

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - Whilst the regular treats weren't safe, they had apple slices, apple juice, and Enjoy Life cookies available on request. It was nice to get free cookies like everyone else.

Autumn Salad at the California Grill at the Contemporary Resort - A bit pricey, but worth it to have dinner up there during fireworks. (Especially because it was close to freezing outside that night and we were indoors.)

Everywhere else we went was able to make safe food. Some meals were better than others. We only dined at quick service places at our resort and only table service in the parks - which we prefer over relying on Quick Service for the variety. All the allergies were noted on our reservations and we didn't have to sift through the quick service allergy binders to find something (if anything turned out to be safe); the chefs at table service can create just about anything, even if there aren't any safe menu items.

Best of luck and enjoy your vacation!

 

[Mainemama]

We are returning for our 6th disney trip in 4 years, because it is the best place for families with mfa! Our dd has allergies to egg, peanut, tree nut, dairy, turkey, chicken, beans, sesame, and sunflower. Our favorite restaurant is the Grand Floridian Cafe. Our dd was always served large portions on the dip at ts restaurants. She was typically limited to fruit for her dessert, but all 3 of my kids would share in her portion! There are lots of treats like Popsicles in the parks, so she was happy with this. I personally prefer to avoid buffets... The chefs were great, but it was hard for me to attend to the needs of 3 different kids in a buffet! Also, Tusker House, though delicious, led to allergic reactions each time we ate there. It is possible she was exposed to sunflower oil, prior to us identifying that allergen. Buffets are harder to keep track of ingredients, I find. Other favorite allergy meals were at Yak and Yeti, and Prime Time. You should go all in. Chances are, you will want to return.