Dairy and Gluten Intolerant in WDW

[crashbb]

Hi,

I am planning on travelling to WDW in November, I will be on the dining plan. The (potential) problem is that I am gluten and dairy intolerant (not just lactose, but also cow milk proteins). I have had this noted on all ADRs made. Has anyone else travelled with food issues? Does anyone have any helpful advice or warnings?

I have read the threads at AllEarsNet, but the diagnosis (and thus diet) is new and, thus, I am particularily nervous (I still don't feel I have a great hang of things) and I didn't see posts from people who are off both gluten and dairy.

Thanks.

 

[carrie s]

I havent been to WDW yet but I heard that they are wonderful with food allergys.Ask to talk to the chef when you get to the restraunt.Its best to eat at between meal times so the chef has more time to talk to you.There suppose to have an ingrediants list at the counter service restraunts.
I remember reading somewhere that they make gluten free/dairy free waffles .The turkey legs are gluten free.Mcdonalds recently admitted to adding wheat to the oil that they cook their fries in so stay away from those.You can get gluten free spagettii and bread at Tonys and pizza at pizza planet,you would just have to get it without the cheese.The ribs and chicked at flame tree are suppose to be gluten and dairy free,but you should double check.

my brother in laws sister is going this month and her son cant have gluten,if she remembers shes going to bring me back info for my trip next summer.I'll post it if she does.

let me know how it goes.

 

[dj2]

i'm gluten-free, dairy-free, and a-few-other-free, too. my best restaurant experiences have been at wdw. really feeling satisfied and comfortable with a meal. i've always talked with a chef before the trip. then, again at the table (server calls the chef to come to the table).

i used to have the phone numbers for all four parks, but with this new (not good, in my opinion) search system, i'm not able to locate them so easily. i do have them at home, and i can post them later tonight. i think it would be helpful if they were part of the disabilities faq stickied to the top of this board.

anyway, just wanted to say that you will have a great time!

you do need to be careful, though. one time a chef on the phone told me that the turkey they'd be serving me was "real" --not processed with additives that are not good for me. we discovered that this was not true, but it all came out when i was talking with the "2nd" chef at the table, so i didn't accidentally eat anything i wasn't supposed to. just keep asking about ingredients at each step, and be prepared to actually enjoy eating in a restaurant!

also, i don't have too much experience with eating at counter service locations. usually i just watch the rest of my family eat while i munch on carrot sticks, taro chips, maybe some hummus or black beans, etc., which i've brought into the park. brenda, the mk person who handles dietary questions, told me it was ok to bring in food, and security has never given it a second glance. so you can see why it's so nice to actually be able to order something in a restaurant and eat it, and not just look on and watch others eating!

i'll try to post the phone numbers tonight, if no one else does first.

-dj

 

[HaleyB]

First of all, is it intolerance or an allergy?
How sensitive are you?

That is important because there are VERY few 100% dairy free choice at WDW.

I am not saying they are not great about it, they will bend over backwards to meet your dining needs. But the choices are limited. For instance, the Strawberry bars are 100% fruit but they have the 'may contain dairy" warning which means they are either made in the same facility as a product with whey powder or milk in it, or possibly made on equipment also used for dairy. My son has a horrible reaction to dairy.

No Strawberry bars for him. I am intolerent of dairy, but it will not kill me, I do eat the strawberry bars.

Call Disney dining and have a note added to all your ADR's about this. They should give you phone numbers to call to talk to a chef. Doing so ahead f time will increase the choices you have when dining and is well worth the time and effort.

Also, since you said you were new to this whole issue. Go to this website and print out the dairy ingrediant list, there are tons of dairy ingrediants (sorry I know nothing about gluten free)

Dairy Free list

 

[HaleyB]

Disney switchboard # 407-824-2222 from there they can put your call through to anyone/where. Ask for the direct line to the chef at XXX and be prepared to leave a message. Leave a call back time outside of 'rush' meal hours (so not 8am FL time ).

 

[dj2]

this is the list i have on my hard drive, but i'm not sure that the names will still be current, as it's been since 1/05 that i used it, and 5/03 that i compiled it:

MAGIC KINGDOM Executive Chef 407-824-5967
EPCOT Executive Chef, Sharon Schifano, Epcot F&B, 407-560-7483
MGM STUDIOS Executive Chef Michael LaDuke 407-560-1347
ANIMAL KINGDOM Executive Chef Robert R. Adams 407-938-2441

the MK number should get you to brenda, who was extremely helpful.

or you could do what haleyb suggested. we were there for such a long vacation, with so many dining ressies, that it was easier to place fewer calls.

 

[crashbb]

Thanks so much for all of your help. Haley - they are intolerances not allergies, which makes it a bit easier (I try to totally avoid all gluten and dairy, but a little bit of cross-contamination isn't deadly).

I've made sure to make as many ADRs as possible (I'm only there three nights) and they all have a note of my intolerances and I will call them them as well.

Thanks again, I feel much more confortable about the trip now.