Can't accomodate food allergies....my experience....

[seven dwarfs]

I hope you didn't think I was trying to dismiss your concerns, but I just wanted to pull out one part of what you've just said:
We spend hours planning food to bring, having to pack it each morning, and sometimes my other children pay for his allergies by missing out on experiences. My son did not develope allergies until the age of four and it has taken us six years to figure it out completely, so I know the difference

It's taken you, his mother, 6 years to figure it out completely. You spend hours planning food. Disney - their chefs - cannot possibly do this. But if you're saying it's not complex, then what's the issue? You know what your child can eat.

Look, I'm totally sympathetic to the fact that kids have special needs. I live it. I get it. I wish everyone in the universe cared as much as me about what my child has to go through, but the simple fact is that they don't, and they're under no obligation to do so. So I do the best I can because in the end, it's my responsibility.

I think maybe you are reading into my post way to much. LOL It took us six years to figure out he had allergies to food and which foods he can not have. The dr. didn't even think it was allergies in the beginning. He was so sick, throwing up 100 times a day even in his sleep. His reactions were not in the norm. We went through years of testing, some over and over again. At first we removed gluten. And then we realized he couldn't have nuts. And on and on. I know what my son can and can not have and this list was provided to Disney and I was led to beleive all was well.

I don't spend hours at home thinking of and cooking his dinner. lol I do spend hours trying to think of foods that I can pack for the parks that are easy and can be placed in a lunch box and kept cool or hot. (x8 people) Then I have to figure out how to carry it all around the parks. And yes, it is very time consuming to make food for eight people every single day for each meal when on vacation in a place like Disney where we are commando style. And yes, it would be nice to be able to not have to worry with that and be able to sit somewhere and have someone else prepare our food! Kinda hard to cook a steak and potato at MK! It doesn't take hours here at home trying to plan his meals. It is not complex to me at all. If I had my little kitchen in MK then it would take me minutes. lol


If a chef at Disney is told I need real eggs and can't handle that we have an issue. If a Chef at Disney is told no seeds and brings out squash, well that doesn't sound complex to me. If a chef is told no grains and brings out a roll, that is not catering to allergies. If you consider that complex then complex we are in your opinion. And if disney can't handle that, then they should not advertise that they can. I don't go to Mcdonalds because I know better. But Disney says they can handle my sons allergies and they failed. Period. I have the right to let others know. Had I been aware of this I would have thought twice before taking my son to eat.

I am not sure what you mean by "you do the best you can and it's your responsibily." I beleive all Mom's feel this way no matter if you have a disabled child or not. Don't we all love our children/family and want whats best and ultimately feel responsible? I felt bad a chef was inconvinced by me. I felt bad my son felt bad for the same reasons. I felt bad when my other children didn't want to eat in the restaurants anymore. It was heartbreaking when my son felt bad that he was creating this drama all over eggs! I am not responsible for a Disney chef who is told no grains and brings my son a roll. That is silly. And for anyone here who says no nuts and if handed a dish with nuts, of course that is Disney responsibilty. Are you saying I wasn't a responsible parent by taking my son to a restaruant who told me they could handle it? Or are you saying if you have allergies don't eat at Diseny period.

I felt like I did everything Disney told me to do. Our reservations were clearly marked. I was led to beleive they could handle it. I am pretty sure after talking to others my sons allergies are nothing compared to others. I was as responsible as I could be. I didn't eat at any CS as I think it would be way to hard. Had I known that it would turn out as it did I wouldn't have tried it. And I have already stated for our next trip, until I feel more comfortable with Disney chef's, I would not be eating any TS.

I am not asking Disney to care for my child as much as me. I don't think any Mom's would think that would ever happen. I am only asking for them to deliver to the allergies or don't. I only wanted the experience disney says they could deliver. And it is important to me for others to know who may go through what I did to first be prepared and second, be on guard because it may not be as smooth as one may think.

I am wondering if the higher ups at Disney even know that situations like mine happen. Can't fix things if you don't know they are broke. That is why I beleive disboards is such a wonderful site. You can get the good with the bad. It has been the differnce in a good verses a bad vacation for me!

My original reason for posting was to let the person know who posted this thread that with her allergies being what they were and with my recent experience, she may be better off not eating at any of the TS.

Hopefully I have helped someone else on these boards. That is my only intent. I don't want to argue/discuss what allergies we have, who is complex or not. Who is responsible or not. I think we all love our children/family or we wouldn't be on this board. We all want what's best for our family and others or we wouldn't spend the time to be on this board. But I do expect a product to do what is advertised as most people would agree.

And I will end with saying, again, I appreciate the fact that disney has taken on allergies at all. I understand that it is a huge liabilty on their end. But, it needs to be improved. I know that Disney caters better then most other places to people with disabilities. This is why I continue to visit Disney even if my trip wasn't full of pixie dust this time.

 

[seven dwarfs]

Same here! I've been allergic to peanuts for 22 years (basically my entire life). But I've only been allergic to eggs and shellfish for about 4 1/2 years and I just found out about 11 weeks ao that I am allergic to all tree nuts, wheat, oats, coconut, broccoli, sesame, and ginger. I also just found out about 6 weeks ago that I have oral allergy syndrome and can't eat most raw fruits and veggies.

Needless to say, I miss burger king and McDonald's. I miss cheesesteaks and Quiznos. I miss chicken pot lies and banana splits. I miss hummus and pita. The list goes on. And yes, while it is definitely easier for me as an adult than for a child since I do understand why I can't eat it, it's not "easy" by any means. Some days I deal with it very well but there are other days where I resent everyone around me for what they can eat and I get upset because of it. There are a few restaurants around here where I can eat but I can only eat a couple of things at each restaurant so it's repetitive and boring. I do avoid going out with people a lot if they are going to eat b/c most of the time it's not worth it ans it's just too soon for me to deal with.

But Disney is the one place I can usually get something that is safe. I had the most amazing steak and garlic mashed potatoes at storytellers cafe in Disneyland. And the chef was amazing! I know Disney is not perfect but I've personally never had issues with Disney dining but that just my experience. But I also go in having looked at the menu and see if there is anything they would be able to modify for me from what they have. Burgers w/ no buns, grilled chicken, steaks, fries, and cooked veggies are my staples. I might be eating those for a week but I will gladly eat it just to be in Disney! I do bring my own snacks because basically nothing snack wise is safe for me but that's okay with me most of the time. I make sure I have cookies, cotton candy, candy, chips, etc so I can still have "junk" when we are there.

I also can't eat grains like my son. So far nuts are ok and seeds are ok so I am not as bad as him. There are many times where I would kill for a pizza! Sometimes I think TV is worse. Have you seen all the food commercials that are all wheat! All the fast food, Red Lobster biscuits. UGH! Its awful. I think if I had never had it before maybe it woud be easier. I find Disney hard because of the smells piped in. It is so hard to walk by all that food knowing we can't have it. I have tried to come up with neat treats that we don't get normally to make it easier.

I can't imagine how hard it is for him. I get so sad when we go to birthday parties, picnics, and Holiday parties. We just had a trip to lancaster. That was so hard for him! We tried to stay away from places that had a bakery but there were whoppie pies everywhere! We have a party coming up soon and the first thing he said was what am I going to eat? It is a huge buffet of foods at a friends house. I told him we would do our best. (the only cool thing is free helicopter rides!!!!) It is heartbreaking. Before he went grain free totally he was able to try a donut from Babycakes. I cried like a baby when he cried! It's the small things in life....who would have thought....

I am glad Disney had been a positive for you. Maybe one day my son can have the same experiences! We did have three good meals with good chef's so that gives me hope! Maybe it is certain chef's whom are better then others.

 

[buffettgirl]

I TOTALLY GET IT. I 100% understand your frustration. I really don't want to sound adversarial here at all. I do understand why it's frustrating. I really want you to know that what I'm trying to say (probably poorly) is simply coming from another mother who understands and who is walking in similar shoes to you. Mom to mom. Seriously, if I could go on vacation and even spend 1 meal not thinking about every morsel of food, then that would be a very happy day for me. Every meal in our house, every meal when we go out to eat revolves around first figuring out the carbs in my child's food, based on whatever info we have. No kid, no mom should have to spend this much time and energy on something that should be an enjoyable part of life. but these are the cards we have been dealt.

Like I said, I do understand, we ALL here in this forum have lots of issues with ourselves and our kids, and we all want a vacation free from worry. Unfortunately it doesn't happen. It's still our own issue. I have to fight tooth and nail for all sorts of things which my son needs to stay alive and healthy - fighting with doctors and insurance companies etc. The last thing I'm going to do is bother fighting with people who are only trained in a general sense of what my child's illness entails.

There's a great story buried somewhere in this forum about a parent with a child with diabetes who put that fact on the reservation. She also noted that it was her daughter's birthday. They brought her daughter a plate of fruit. All she could do was laugh and realize that in the end the responsibility for what goes into her chid's mouth is ultimately hers.

These aren't doctors. Disney isn't even claiming they're nutritionists (which would be a far better person for Disney to have staff the dining rooms) But the chefs cannot be expected to know the ins and outs of each particular allergy or disability. Yes, it's laughable that after saying "no grain" they bring you a roll. And that's the problem -they're NOT trained well. They were probably bringing you something gluten free which they assumed was what you meant by "no grain." where is the rolleye smily? assume. In my case, Disney fails to provide the one item (carb counts) that I need most. Instead they send out plates of fruit - loaded with carbs, loaded with sugar, and expect that to be ok. Again, they've assumed something about a disease which they only have a marginal knowledge.

And even if they advertise that they can accommodate, they can't always do that. And I totally understand your want to make that known - I've been doing the same with disney and their carb counts. Disney isn't perfect. And everyone in this forum is really very honest about what Disney does right, but also what they do wrong.

What I'm trying to say, for me and my family, and what I have begun advising others to do when at all possible, is leave that whole system out of our dining out experience. It's not worth it. The times when it works well, well, that's great. But often it doesn't work well. You've had failure with it, I've had failure with it. But YOU know best just as I know best what my child can eat. Not Disney.

A better fight for all of us is to get appropriately labeled nutrition information on ALL their foods. Ingredients, nutritional info. To get a disney nutritionist with availability to us. Not so much a chef becuase we really all do know better what our kids can eat, but perhaps their menus can be reviewed, they can get them online and updated frequently and we can access that information from our smartphones (or from tablets they provide in each facility). Perhaps they need to create a guest panel where we can weigh in on WHY these things are important, in a way that makes sense to them, because they're certainly NOT getting the message.

I am on your side. I just want you to know that.

(and a quick ps. Disney does have nutrition help for their conference facilities. Every other year a large diabetes conference is held at Coronado. The people who run the conference have a nutritionist and work with disney to get nutrition info on every single bit of food that is served. And that includes a whole gluten free area. And it takes into account any child with allergies. So Disney CAN do it. They just fail to do it in the parks. And the extreme pleasure of walking through a buffet line and just seeing the info we need is priceless. It's a little thing. But it's a BIG thing too. )

 

[clanmcculloch]

If a chef at Disney is told I need real eggs and can't handle that we have an issue. If a Chef at Disney is told no seeds and brings out squash, well that doesn't sound complex to me. If a chef is told no grains and brings out a roll, that is not catering to allergies. If you consider that complex then complex we are in your opinion. And if disney can't handle that, then they should not advertise that they can. I don't go to Mcdonalds because I know better. But Disney says they can handle my sons allergies and they failed. Period. I have the right to let others know. Had I been aware of this I would have thought twice before taking my son to eat.

I'm confused. You said before that he was served powdered eggs and not real eggs. How do you know this? Did a chef tell you this? The scrambled eggs that they serve are real eggs that have been pre-blended and arrive to the kitchens in big vacuum sealed bags. I bet that there are preservatives in them (I haven't asked but if any of us had corn allergies I'd definitely be asking as it seems as though preservatives frequently have corn) but they ARE real eggs. I definitely do taste the difference between these and FRESH eggs which is what I think you're asking for but chefs aren't lying to you when they say that they're serving real eggs. They're not fresh, but they are eggs.

Squash isn't a seed. Why is it a problem to serve it to somebody with seed allergies? Do you mean that you avoid all fruits because they have seeds and he's allergic to seeds? Most people take seed allergy to mean sesame, mustard and possibly nuts though they'd also avoid other seeds such as poppy (sesame and mustard I think are the most common along with obviously nuts). If all fruits is what you mean then you really need to be clear about this with chefs. As a parent of kids with laundry lists of allergies, I didn't take it that way so I can't imagine a chef taking it that way either.

I've also encountered the whole bringing out a roll when the roll isn't safe. I don't sweat that one. My kids can handle cross contamination of the ingredients in the gluten free breads to which they are allergic so I just have the chef remove it so they can't see it. Chefs do always offer to bring a fresh plate of new food but I know that this is unecessary for my kids so I always tell them it's not necessary unless my DD14 starts OCDing over it (she has OCD and Asperger Syndrome so this has happened but it's not needed for safety reasons). For DD12 it's more a matter of just wanting to get the Udi's bun that she CAN eat rather than an Ener-G which she can't but she doesn't care if it was on her plate since that won't hurt her. Now if it was cheese on her plate, you'd better believe we'd be asking for a new fresh dish as that is a safety issue for both of them. But I also understand that mistakes do happen and that as long as I'm diligent in overseeing what's brought to our table and questioning chefs then we're all good. We've had a few close calls in our trips including our recent one but I'd never write off Disney or even get upset with chefs unless they're being obviously negligent or refuse to acknowledge their mistake. I make sure to thoroughly review everything that gets put in front of us and I never hesitate to question chefs. This is my responsibility even with the reputation that WDW has built up. I never let down my guard which is good as we have had more than a few mistakes over the years.

 

[seven dwarfs]

I TOTALLY GET IT. I 100% understand your frustration. I really don't want to sound adversarial here at all. I do understand why it's frustrating. I really want you to know that what I'm trying to say (probably poorly) is simply coming from another mother who understands and who is walking in similar shoes to you. Mom to mom. Seriously, if I could go on vacation and even spend 1 meal not thinking about every morsel of food, then that would be a very happy day for me. Every meal in our house, every meal when we go out to eat revolves around first figuring out the carbs in my child's food, based on whatever info we have. No kid, no mom should have to spend this much time and energy on something that should be an enjoyable part of life. but these are the cards we have been dealt.

Like I said, I do understand, we ALL here in this forum have lots of issues with ourselves and our kids, and we all want a vacation free from worry. Unfortunately it doesn't happen. It's still our own issue. I have to fight tooth and nail for all sorts of things which my son needs to stay alive and healthy - fighting with doctors and insurance companies etc. The last thing I'm going to do is bother fighting with people who are only trained in a general sense of what my child's illness entails.

There's a great story buried somewhere in this forum about a parent with a child with diabetes who put that fact on the reservation. She also noted that it was her daughter's birthday. They brought her daughter a plate of fruit. All she could do was laugh and realize that in the end the responsibility for what goes into her chid's mouth is ultimately hers.

These aren't doctors. Disney isn't even claiming they're nutritionists (which would be a far better person for Disney to have staff the dining rooms) But the chefs cannot be expected to know the ins and outs of each particular allergy or disability. Yes, it's laughable that after saying "no grain" they bring you a roll. And that's the problem -they're NOT trained well. They were probably bringing you something gluten free which they assumed was what you meant by "no grain." where is the rolleye smily? assume. In my case, Disney fails to provide the one item (carb counts) that I need most. Instead they send out plates of fruit - loaded with carbs, loaded with sugar, and expect that to be ok. Again, they've assumed something about a disease which they only have a marginal knowledge.

And even if they advertise that they can accommodate, they can't always do that. And I totally understand your want to make that known - I've been doing the same with disney and their carb counts. Disney isn't perfect. And everyone in this forum is really very honest about what Disney does right, but also what they do wrong.

What I'm trying to say, for me and my family, and what I have begun advising others to do when at all possible, is leave that whole system out of our dining out experience. It's not worth it. The times when it works well, well, that's great. But often it doesn't work well. You've had failure with it, I've had failure with it. But YOU know best just as I know best what my child can eat. Not Disney.

A better fight for all of us is to get appropriately labeled nutrition information on ALL their foods. Ingredients, nutritional info. To get a disney nutritionist with availability to us. Not so much a chef becuase we really all do know better what our kids can eat, but perhaps their menus can be reviewed, they can get them online and updated frequently and we can access that information from our smartphones (or from tablets they provide in each facility). Perhaps they need to create a guest panel where we can weigh in on WHY these things are important, in a way that makes sense to them, because they're certainly NOT getting the message.

I am on your side. I just want you to know that.

(and a quick ps. Disney does have nutrition help for their conference facilities. Every other year a large diabetes conference is held at Coronado. The people who run the conference have a nutritionist and work with disney to get nutrition info on every single bit of food that is served. And that includes a whole gluten free area. And it takes into account any child with allergies. So Disney CAN do it. They just fail to do it in the parks. And the extreme pleasure of walking through a buffet line and just seeing the info we need is priceless. It's a little thing. But it's a BIG thing too. )

I think this post explains it better to me how you were feeling and I think we are both on the same side. I agree that is is to much for a chef to go to all the tables, have to remember/write down the allergy and then go cook the meal. The chef's I dealt with seemed overwhelmed and I felt bad for them. I did mention to one it would be nice if disney had a nutritionist or an allergy coordinator to help. I am sure this is a " it would cost to much money" issue.

I did not let my son eat the roll or the squash. I did however allow the potato bake and the manager was sorry they we were misinformed. I also didn't catch the egg until it was to late. It wasn't just the food, it was the bad attitude we received as if we were a bother. it made my son feel so bad/sad. My point in this was for anyone who may be severe and could stop breathing due to being given the wrong food, I would stay away.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

I think the OP just needed to vent and get her story out in hopes that it might help others. I think that we have admonished her enough though. As for the powdered eggs verses the real thing. Powdered eggs and things like Egg Beaters are made from real eggs. They are however processed foods. So I would assume that it is the Processed part the child is allergic to. Good luck to you in the future. I know that Disney is always trying to improve things and hopefully this will help.

sending some pixie dust your way

 

[seven dwarfs]

I'm confused. You said before that he was served powdered eggs and not real eggs. How do you know this? Did a chef tell you this? The scrambled eggs that they serve are real eggs that have been pre-blended and arrive to the kitchens in big vacuum sealed bags. I bet that there are preservatives in them (I haven't asked but if any of us had corn allergies I'd definitely be asking as it seems as though preservatives frequently have corn) but they ARE real eggs. I definitely do taste the difference between these and FRESH eggs which is what I think you're asking for but chefs aren't lying to you when they say that they're serving real eggs. They're not fresh, but they are eggs.

Squash isn't a seed. Why is it a problem to serve it to somebody with seed allergies? Do you mean that you avoid all fruits because they have seeds and he's allergic to seeds? Most people take seed allergy to mean sesame, mustard and possibly nuts though they'd also avoid other seeds such as poppy (sesame and mustard I think are the most common along with obviously nuts). If all fruits is what you mean then you really need to be clear about this with chefs. As a parent of kids with laundry lists of allergies, I didn't take it that way so I can't imagine a chef taking it that way either.

I've also encountered the whole bringing out a roll when the roll isn't safe. I don't sweat that one. My kids can handle cross contamination of the ingredients in the gluten free breads to which they are allergic so I just have the chef remove it so they can't see it. Chefs do always offer to bring a fresh plate of new food but I know that this is unecessary for my kids so I always tell them it's not necessary unless my DD14 starts OCDing over it (she has OCD and Asperger Syndrome so this has happened but it's not needed for safety reasons). For DD12 it's more a matter of just wanting to get the Udi's bun that she CAN eat rather than an Ener-G which she can't but she doesn't care if it was on her plate since that won't hurt her. Now if it was cheese on her plate, you'd better believe we'd be asking for a new fresh dish as that is a safety issue for both of them. But I also understand that mistakes do happen and that as long as I'm diligent in overseeing what's brought to our table and questioning chefs then we're all good. We've had a few close calls in our trips including our recent one but I'd never write off Disney or even get upset with chefs unless they're being obviously negligent or refuse to acknowledge their mistake. I make sure to thoroughly review everything that gets put in front of us and I never hesitate to question chefs. This is my responsibility even with the reputation that WDW has built up. I never let down my guard which is good as we have had more than a few mistakes over the years.

I was very specific. I told the chef that he was gluten free and grain free. including corn, brown rice, oat and buckwheat...no grains. I told them only cracked fresh eggs. And I said powered eggs in my post as I wasn't sure what to call the eggs in the bag. And yes, he was given the eggs from the bag instead of cracked eggs. And yes the chef eventually admitted after I questioned it due to the taste and color. At first he denied it as he denied the piece of glass in it that came from a rim of the juice glass! Thank God he had picked throught the egg and found it before he put it in his mouth!

The chef at Boma was wonderful and treated him like a king. He had no problems with cracked eggs and understanding what he could have/not have. He still seemed overwhelmed and it wasn't that busy, but he didn't take that out on us.

I also stated he can't have any seeds. I then list things with seeds as an example, no watermelon, squash, tomato, peppers, cucumbers etc. The chef's would say, "I know I know, as if they didn't want me to list them." At tusker house not only did he give him the bagged eggs, but he also brought out a dish of squash, tomato mix. He can't handle the seed that is in squash. He can't handle the seed in tomato. He didn't eat it. He knew he couldn't. I never thought that I needed to check the eggs, but lesson learned. I do have five other children, all young, so it is normally crazy at food time.

I did not feel like I did anything wrong and did everything right. I was met with some pretty bad attitudes from chef's. If this had been one meal I wouldn't have cared. But it was over and over and over. Most of our meals were breakfast or lunch which is where we had the issues. The meals we had no issues with were dinner. Maybe that makes a difference. I am glad others have had great experences with disney dinning, but we did not. I feel like I have the right to post our issues as maybe they could help someone else out there.

 

[SDSorority]

I wonder if you could order eggs "sunny side up" or "over easy" anywhere? If you can order them that way, I'm sure you could ask them to scramble real eggs in the kitchen for you.

Looks like a few restaurants have real eggs for breakfast (sorry to put Allears on here... they describe a little better detail as to what is on the menu). Note that they have poached eggs- that makes me think they're not pre-prepared, but rather just regular eggs in shells:

The Wave http://allears.net/menu/menu_waveb.htm

Kouzzina http://allears.net/menu/menu_kouzb.htm

Grand Flo Cafe http://allears.net/menu/men_gfcb.htm

Kona http://allears.net/menu/menu_kcb.htm


This probably doesn't help at all?

For us, with our allergies, this is why we choose to rent points and stay DVC- so we can have our own kitchen. Ah the joy of food allergies. Oh well, preparing my own food makes me and my tummy happy... as well as my nerves.

 

[SDSorority]

I was very specific. I told the chef that he was gluten free and grain free. including corn, brown rice, oat and buckwheat...no grains. I told them only cracked fresh eggs. And I said powered eggs in my post as I wasn't sure what to call the eggs in the bag. And yes, he was given the eggs from the bag instead of cracked eggs. And yes the chef eventually admitted after I questioned it due to the taste and color. At first he denied it as he denied the piece of glass in it that came from a rim of the juice glass! Thank God he had picked throught the egg and found it before he put it in his mouth!

The chef at Boma was wonderful and treated him like a king. He had no problems with cracked eggs and understanding what he could have/not have. He still seemed overwhelmed and it wasn't that busy, but he didn't take that out on us.

I also stated he can't have any seeds. I then list things with seeds as an example, no watermelon, squash, tomato, peppers, cucumbers etc. The chef's would say, "I know I know, as if they didn't want me to list them." At tusker house not only did he give him the bagged eggs, but he also brought out a dish of squash, tomato mix. He can't handle the seed that is in squash. He can't handle the seed in tomato. He didn't eat it. He knew he couldn't. I never thought that I needed to check the eggs, but lesson learned. I do have five other children, all young, so it is normally crazy at food time.

I did not feel like I did anything wrong and did everything right. I was met with some pretty bad attitudes from chef's. If this had been one meal I wouldn't have cared. But it was over and over and over. Most of our meals were breakfast or lunch which is where we had the issues. The meals we had no issues with were dinner. Maybe that makes a difference. I am glad others have had great experences with disney dinning, but we did not. I feel like I have the right to post our issues as maybe they could help someone else out there.

Unfortunately, I SO get the bad chef thing. It seems to be hit or miss. We had one chef try to give us nuts when we told him we were nut-free "just to try it".

Ok, no thank you, we're nut-free, and I'm not going to eat your hazelnuts "just to try them".

Believe me, WDW got an earful when I got home.

 

[Elinor Dashwood]

Wow, how does "no grains" translate into a roll?? I don't get that. I can understand the chefs feeling overwhelmed as I've read that Disney has been making cut backs, etc. There probably aren't enough chefs to go around. And given the internet (like here on the Disboards) the word of mouth that Disney is THE PLACE for food allergies probably just compounds the problem.

Last time we were at Disney (over 2 years ago now) I was served food that I explicitly said I was severely (anaphylactically) allergic to at one restaurant. At another restaurant, they served my daughter dessert covered in coconut which she is very allergic to. It was confusing to me since we were very up front about what our allergens were and it wasn't like they were hard (like artifcial colors, etc.). We filled out all the forms and and everything like they say you're supposed to.

I really think these chefs are overworked and run down. One chef we spoke with in great detail told us that all she does is run from one table to the next and then back to the kitchen to cook. If they can't handle allergies, I'm totally fine with that and I'll make other plans or work around it. But I don't want to head into a place that claims they can and turns out they can't because they make mistakes. And I'm not talking like if my daughter or I eat our allergic food than we just have behavioral issues. I'm talking like we get covered in hives, vomit and our throats close up. Not how I'd like to spend my vacation.

 

[Talking Hands]

Sevendwarfs Mistakes happen everywhere. It isn't just Disney. An since your son is a kid it is still your responsibility to look at the plate and make sure all is in order. For me, my husband and kids check my plate as well as myself. They have caught mistakes that I missed. I am anaphylatic to mango and at Chili's they were told and they still sent out my dish with mango salsa. My daughter realized the mistake and grabbed if off my plate and returned it to the kitchen (she worked there at the time as well as her sister) At Disney I had a chef told me that a Rice Krispie treat was an acceptable dessert for me as a diabetic. No. Not at all. Did I eat it. No. Same with a cheesecake dessert I was offered. Allergic to dairy.
In the end we are responsible for our own medical needs or in a child's case the parent is and getting upset because our needs are not met does nothing to help. Overall Disney does a good job at meeting our dietary needs but it sometimes means we are disappointed because a certain need can't be met at that restaurant or that time.

 

[seven dwarfs]

Sevendwarfs Mistakes happen everywhere. It isn't just Disney. An since your son is a kid it is still your responsibility to look at the plate and make sure all is in order. For me, my husband and kids check my plate as well as myself. They have caught mistakes that I missed. I am anaphylatic to mango and at Chili's they were told and they still sent out my dish with mango salsa. My daughter realized the mistake and grabbed if off my plate and returned it to the kitchen (she worked there at the time as well as her sister) At Disney I had a chef told me that a Rice Krispie treat was an acceptable dessert for me as a diabetic. No. Not at all. Did I eat it. No. Same with a cheesecake dessert I was offered. Allergic to dairy.
In the end we are responsible for our own medical needs or in a child's case the parent is and getting upset because our needs are not met does nothing to help. Overall Disney does a good job at meeting our dietary needs but it sometimes means we are disappointed because a certain need can't be met at that restaurant or that time.

Wow, you are so harsh. Of course I checked my sons plate. He didn't eat the roll or the squash mix. He did eat the potato because we were told it was safe and it wasn't. Flour can be hidden in so many things, it's not like you can see it. You depend on the chef assisting you. And as far as the egg goes, who in the world would have thought after stating I needed a real cracked egg that the chef would use the bag eggs. It is hard to tell at first until you taste it and cut into it. There is not one person on this board who would have gone through what my family did and not be upset/disappointed. I never asked for anything to be perfect but when someone says "I can't have flour" and then is served something with flour this is a huge issue. Disney states it can handle allergies or else we would never had attempted it.

I think your statement of both myself and my son needing to get used to not having a perfect life is a very mean thing to say. I am to assume since this is the disabilities board, all of us already know how our lives are less then perfect. I am pretty sure that since my son is so sick and missing out on so much, he is used to his unperfect life. I paid a very expensive price to Disney restaurants, which is commonly refered to as "an experience" on these boards, and Disney failed. It wasn't just the fact the chef's continued to give us bad food, it was their attitude and how they treated us. If you order a rare steak that comes out well done, most send it back. If your waiter is rude, you may not tip as well. I am sure there are places you choose not to visit anymore because the food/service isn't worth it. It is no different.

But, if it makes you feel better to be a bully then have at it.

 

[seven dwarfs]

Wow, how does "no grains" translate into a roll?? I don't get that. I can understand the chefs feeling overwhelmed as I've read that Disney has been making cut backs, etc. There probably aren't enough chefs to go around. And given the internet (like here on the Disboards) the word of mouth that Disney is THE PLACE for food allergies probably just compounds the problem.

Last time we were at Disney (over 2 years ago now) I was served food that I explicitly said I was severely (anaphylactically) allergic to at one restaurant. At another restaurant, they served my daughter dessert covered in coconut which she is very allergic to. It was confusing to me since we were very up front about what our allergens were and it wasn't like they were hard (like artifcial colors, etc.). We filled out all the forms and and everything like they say you're supposed to.

I really think these chefs are overworked and run down. One chef we spoke with in great detail told us that all she does is run from one table to the next and then back to the kitchen to cook. If they can't handle allergies, I'm totally fine with that and I'll make other plans or work around it. But I don't want to head into a place that claims they can and turns out they can't because they make mistakes. And I'm not talking like if my daughter or I eat our allergic food than we just have behavioral issues. I'm talking like we get covered in hives, vomit and our throats close up. Not how I'd like to spend my vacation.

Thank you for understanding!!!!!!!!

 

[seven dwarfs]

I think the OP just needed to vent and get her story out in hopes that it might help others. I think that we have admonished her enough though. As for the powdered eggs verses the real thing. Powdered eggs and things like Egg Beaters are made from real eggs. They are however processed foods. So I would assume that it is the Processed part the child is allergic to. Good luck to you in the future. I know that Disney is always trying to improve things and hopefully this will help.

sending some pixie dust your way

Yes! What you said. Thank you for understanding. And yes, we stay away from the processed part as much as we can because most things like that have hidden gluten in them. I hope Disney continues to work on these issues. I know they are always trying to make improvements so hopefully one day we will be able to try again. Thanks for the pixie dust too! After my beating on here I will probably need it!

 

[dawnball]

There's a great story buried somewhere in this forum about a parent with a child with diabetes who put that fact on the reservation. She also noted that it was her daughter's birthday. They brought her daughter a plate of fruit. All she could do was laugh and realize that in the end the responsibility for what goes into her chid's mouth is ultimately hers.

I'm honestly confused here - what's the problem with fruit? Yes, fruit has carbs, but people I know with diabetes consider a plate of plain fruit to be a perfectly reasonable dessert, consumed in whatever moderation they consume other sources of carbs. Berries would be better fruit than they got, I suppose, but what is it that would have been considered ideal?

 

[buffettgirl]

I'm honestly confused here - what's the problem with fruit? Yes, fruit has carbs, but people I know with diabetes consider a plate of plain fruit to be a perfectly reasonable dessert, consumed in whatever moderation they consume other sources of carbs. Berries would be better fruit than they got, I suppose, but what is it that would have been considered ideal?

A child with type 1 diabetes who can eat any food, just like any other person, provided appropriately insulin is given to cover the carbs. The mom asked for a birthday cupcake or something for her child (maybe she'll weigh in on the story) and they brought out a plate of fruit.

A plate of fruit, or a cupcake, or whatever, is going to require insulin. Sometimes more insulin for the fruit. People with type 1, especially kids, can easily process the carbs in any item as long as they take the appropriate amount of insulin to match the food.

For a normal person, your body produces insulin based on what you eat. That's what we do with kids with type 1. They don't have any issue in how they react to that insulin once it gets in their body, their body uses it just fine. That's the difference with type 2 - in type 2 you're often trying to help the body use the insulin better, your own insulin or insulin you provide via a shot. That's why many people with type 2 limit their carb intake and watch what types of carbs they eat. None of that is really necessary with type 1 daibetes, not for kids anyway.

Therein lies the problem people have with Disney. People think they know a lot about a disease.

 

[DCDisney]

I've dealt with the egg issue too. The bagged eggs in the past are just eggs and citric acid was the only other ingredient. I'm allergic to all legumes and they are frequently used in egg beaters type products to enhance the texture. I always prefer fresh eggs but when I've gotten the bagged they have honestly been eggs and citric acid.

 

[Gumbymom]

I wonder if in the long run, Disney is going to just say hell with it, allergies are way too much of a liability for us to claim we can work with especially with how busy they are and deadly mistakes can happen without notice. I can totally picture an overwhelmed chief using peanut oil on someones food that has anaphylactic allergies, the person possibly dying, disney getting sued for negligence... bye, bye forms and pre-calling chefs.

Luckily our family does not deal with allergies, but this post intrigued me. Reading all your guys struggles is heartbreaking.

 

[disneyandme]

I've dealt with the egg issue too. The bagged eggs in the past are just eggs and citric acid was the only other ingredient. I'm allergic to all legumes and they are frequently used in egg beaters type products to enhance the texture. I always prefer fresh eggs but when I've gotten the bagged they have honestly been eggs and citric acid.

This could explain the OP issue with the bagged eggs-- citric acid is usually from corn and therefore an issue for a corn allergy.

 

[seven dwarfs]

This could explain the OP issue with the bagged eggs-- citric acid is usually from corn and therefore an issue for a corn allergy.

Yes! This is exactly why we do just cracked eggs. It seems as if some people are not as sensitive as my son. we have to stay away from all corn. Not just corn flour. Can you believe citric acid can be derived from corn?! I loved that the wax on apples can be also derived from corn!

I have learned so much about our food. My son becoming sick in ways has been so positive because my family eat so much healthier now! I get sad at how many people think they are eating healthy. My friend was in the hopital and they gave her a calorie drink, ensure (forgot the name but think thats it), and it was apple juice with an apple picture. Guess what? It had zero apple in it. She was amazed as she never reads labels. I get so tired of reading labels!