Can you help me help a friend plan?

[tinkercat]

I am helping a friend plan her family's first trip to WDW in June.

She has 2 children with disabilities, as well as food allergies. I tried searching the WDW website for info, but didn't have much luck. If anyone here could help me with these questions, I'd be so grateful! This friend is such a great mom to her kids and she just doesn't have the time to research herself...help me to help her!!

Now, the questions...

1. Friend's DD uses a wheelchair and also has PDD-NOS and energy storage issues. Will she need any sort of medical note or info in order to obtain the GAC? Also, do you get a new GAC for each day of the trip (at Guest Services maybe?) or can you get one that is good for the length of the trip?

2. The family has severe egg and peanut allergies...would they still be able to make use of the dining plan, or would the accomodations be to difficult at many of the WDW restaurants.

3. Do you have any recommendations of places to eat that are exceptionally good at ensuring allergy safety with the foods? Or is there a number at WDW that my friend could call for info about this topic?

4. Is there anything else that I could pass along that would be helpful for a family with disabilities to make the trip more enjoyable and fun?

Thanks in advance for any responses and advice! The DIS boards have never let me down, and I'm certain I'll get great info here.

 

[Selket]

The FAQ has a lot of great info in it. If you scroll down a few pages there is more info on food allergies - under something like "dietary." There is a special office now to contact and the info is in the FAQ.

We've done the dining plan and my younger son has severe food allergies (peanut, tree nut and shellfish). We tend to do more sit-downs than fast food because we like to have the food made to order for him. If anything the counter service places are harder with allergies but they are manageable and those allergies are common enough that it should work for them.

There are a few places that folks have had bad experiences but it is not consistent, IMHO. It VERY VERY much depends on the night you show up and who your chef is - the chef makes or breaks the experience and there is more than one chef. I've only had one experience that was bad (just annoying really - not dangerous) - all others were great and some were awesome for my son.

If Chef TJ is at Ohana's when they go then it is an absolute MUST - he is phenomenal.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

As mentioned, we have a very useful FAQ. If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. Post #6 deals extensively with the GAC. Post #3 has problems linked together, scroll down in that post to the section on diet.

Ging to WDW is probably the best vacation for people with any disabilites as so much is done to provide accommodation.

Or, if you want an easier route, click on the link in my signature.

 

[clanmcculloch]

1. Friend's DD uses a wheelchair and also has PDD-NOS and energy storage issues. Will she need any sort of medical note or info in order to obtain the GAC? Also, do you get a new GAC for each day of the trip (at Guest Services maybe?) or can you get one that is good for the length of the trip?

She will get the GAC at the very beginning of the trip. The Guest Services Cast Member will ask for the day that they leave and will write it on the GAC which is then the expiration date.

2. The family has severe egg and peanut allergies...would they still be able to make use of the dining plan, or would the accomodations be to difficult at many of the WDW restaurants.

She can definitely get her money's worth out of the Dining Plan. Disney is the greatest place on earth to vacation if you have to deal with food allergies. It's the only place we've ever vacationed where I don't have to worry about our allergies. I'm a huge fan of the Passporter Open Mouse Special Needs Disney book. There's a huge section discussing all sorts of aspects of dining at disney.

3. Do you have any recommendations of places to eat that are exceptionally good at ensuring allergy safety with the foods? Or is there a number at WDW that my friend could call for info about this topic?

Every single WDW OWNED restaurant is amazing for their accomodations. I stated owned because there are a few that are not owned by Disney and they aren't as good. Chefs de France and the Morocco restaurants at Epcot are not owned by Disney and do not have the same kind of allergen alternative foods that you'll find at the Disney owned restaurants. The new T-Rex restaurant as well as the Rainforest Cafe restaurants are also not owned by Disney. We now choose to avoid these restaurants after having a mediocre experiece at Chefs de France. You really get spoiled everywhere else so mediocre just doesn't cut it any longer. At home it's fine, but at WDW you really get spoiled.

We like doing our counter service meals at the hotel. Because of my daughter's Asperger Syndrome, we make a point of not doing full days at the parks so it's very easy to have a meal at the hotel every day. Because of this, we get to know the chefs and they get to know us. Because of this, we have an even better experience with counter service meals than the usually amazing experience that we would normally have.

4. Is there anything else that I could pass along that would be helpful for a family with disabilities to make the trip more enjoyable and fun?

Don't worry if you don't do everything. Ahead of time make a "must do" list that covers the things that each person REALLY wants to do. Make sure to do those things. Anything else that gets fit in is bonus. You don't want to try to do too much. We've been 3 times in 1.5 years and there are still things we haven't done. The point is to have a good time.