Dining in EPCOT w/ food allergies

[heatherfeather24]

Hi Everyone --

We're planning a trip to WDW this Spring with a group of 9, one of whom has life threatening food allergies. We are hoping to plan a group dinner one night in EPCOT. Because I recall that some EPCOT restaurants are owned/managed by outside companies, I'm a bit more concerned about this meal than any other that we will do while at WDW. Does anyone have any experiences (positive or negative) that they would be willing to share about World Showcase dining and food allergies?

Thanks!
Heather

 

[clanmcculloch]

The following are the Disney owned TS restaurants in Epcot.

Garden Grill
Akershus
LeCellier

I've eaten at each of these and wouldn't hesitate to return to any of them. Our favourite is Akershus though as I said, I wouldn't hesitate to eat at any of these again (I've got an ADR for LC for February).

 

[hildarumpole]

We've had excellent experiences at Biergarten and Teppan Edo in the WS. At Biergarten, the chef walked us through the buffet line and let us know what was o.k. and what was not. Fortunately, almost everything was fine, except some of the desserts for my peanut/tree nut/shellfish allergic kids. The manager at Teppan Edo talked to us, along with the waitress and chef. They were very careful and double-checked before preparing and serving anything. Both of those restaurants are fun for large groups. We were advised by Special Diets to avoid Chefs de France. Apparently, they aren't terribly helpful about accomodating allergies. If the allergies are peanut and tree nuts, stay away from the Chinese restaurant.

After you've made your ADRs, contact specialdiets@disneyworld.com. They'll email you a form to fill out with allergies and ADRs. The info is forwarded to the chefs at the restaurants. Then when you dine the chef will visit your table and go over safe options for the food allergic guests.

 

[honugirl]

Do not go to Chefs de France! I was not allowed to speak to the chef and was very upset by it. Most of the chefs were amazing at creating something I could eat that had flavor, not at France. Very disappointing!

On the other hand, Biergarten was fantastic! Very accomodating as was the TS place in Italy (not the pizza place, we didn't eat there because they make pizza out in the open. Not good for gluten allergy).

 

[Mary976]

We also had a great experience with Teppan Edo. It turns out they don't use peanuts at all. They were great about accommodating other allergies as well, although I'd be a little nervous for someone with a severe allergy to sesame, since sesame seeds were getting on the table.

Mary

 

[vitamingirl]

We ate at rose and crown, teppan edo, akerhaus with good experiences.
for peanut/nut allergy.

tutta italia in italy was accomadating however, there was alot on the menu that DS could not have and he could not have any bread. as there are some restaurants that he is hardly limited in food selection, he does not want to go back there this year.
I would not try the chinese restaurants with his allergy.
this year we are going back to teppan edo, rose and crown and akerhaus and le cellier.
for counter service, he ate in mexico and loved the churros, american place and germany.

 

[2luvmickey]

My DS15 has a severe peanut allergy and since his first trip to WDW at 2 years old, all restaurants have been accommodating.

His favs? Biergarten, Rose and Crown and Coral Reef at Epcot. The chef always comes to the table and talks to my son regarding his allergy. Just make sure you let them know (or note it) on your ADR's.

At PoR the chef made him special dairy free pancakes, and at Boma the chef created a special dessert. My DS was thrilled with the treats!

I agree with hildarumpole, Biergarten would be a really fun place for a large group dinner!

Have a magical trip!

 

[aussietravellers]

We were advised by Special Diets to avoid Chefs de France. Apparently, they aren't terribly helpful about accomodating allergies. If the allergies are peanut and tree nuts, stay away from the Chinese restaurant.

Do not go to Chefs de France! I was not allowed to speak to the chef and was very upset by it. Most of the chefs were amazing at creating something I could eat that had flavor, not at France. Very disappointing!

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with both of you I have trace, airbourne anaphylactic peanut and tree nut allergy (have had for 40 years, so I'm not new to eating out with an allergy)

Over the last two weeks I have eaten at Chefs des France three times and not once have I had a problem. No I haven't seen the chef, but really why do you need to see the chef WDW is the only place I have ever been where the chef comes out. I simply ask the server to check that what is ordered is safe and they do.

I found Chefs des France to be excellent every time I went. Just because the chef does not come out to you does not mean it's not safe! The first time that I ordered, the waitress came back to the table, after speaking with the chef (so there is communication with the chef regarding your order) and they didn't recommend the dessert that I was wanting, but everything else was ok.
The next time we went was for dinner and again, the waiter came back and said that none of the desserts were safe except for something (which I didn't want). The third time at lunch was the same, the allergies are noted on your ADR, they mention them when you check in and the server does consult with the chef and if something that you have ordered is not ok, they do and will come back to talk to you about what is ok.

People don't need to be unnecessarily be put off restaurants. Chefs is fine for people with allergies just as much as any other restaurant! and to say it is not is untrue simply because you can't talk to a chef! I have eaten there three times with a life threatening allergy and I am here to write about it! There are some allergies that are challenging to accommodate where ever you go, not just at Chef des France.


Other places we ate that were good allergy wise were Teppan Edo, Biergarden, Via Napoli (again, no chef but the manager comes to the table), Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Garden Grill, Rose and Crown. All were really good with the allergies!

 

[honugirl]

I am new to traveling gluten free having had to start just a couple of weeks before my trip. I am not accustomed to eating out with my allergies. I had a language barrier with the waiter in France and just was not super comfortable having a go-between. That may work for some, but for me, it just didn't make me feel safe or comfortable. I probably would have been more comfortable if it had been a manager that spoke to me that had training in customers with allergies.

I also would not recommend it because their lack of effort was truly stunning compared to the other restaurants we went to. The other chefs bent over backwards to make sure I had something flavorful and wonderful to eat. This was not the case in France. I was treated more like an annoyance than a customer.

I'm glad there have been people that have had good experiences there and if you feel comfortable by all means eat there. That's the beauty of having tons of restaurants to choose from.

 

[nfceagles]

I wonder if the difference of experiences with Chefs de France is a function of which allergies we're dealing with. Asking someone to double check that a meal that appears to be nut-free actually is and that it be handled carefully is different than asking a chef to customize a meal to avoid more pervasive allergies like milk and/or gluten because nothing on the menu is free of those normally. If Chefs won't do that than their level of service is substantially different than other Disney restaurants.

Do you know what allergies your guest is dealing with?

I have eaten at Chefs (but my allergic DS wasn't with us), Le Cellier, and Biergarten. Both Biergarten and Le Cellier were good, but I'd lean towards LeCellier of the two. Here's why. Biergarten is a buffet, a huge no-no for many food allergic individuals. As pp's mentioned, the chef will go through the buffet and show you what is safe. The only reason we fed my DS off the buffet was because we were literally the first people in the restaurant that day. The first guests were just being seated when the chef took me through to get food for DS. I tend to believe that if someone wasn't comfortable with the buffet that the chef or servers would plate them food from the back, but if you got a grouchy chef on a hectic night and they wouldn't you could be up a creek. LeCellier can easily prepare a steak, fries/potatoes, steamed veggies that would be safe for most allergies.

 

[blondietink]

We ate at Akershus in August. My son has numerous food allergies, and he has become a fruit/vegetable/salad/ bread guy. However, I had noted on my ADR the he had food allergies. I did not say anything at check-in as usually we can find something on the buffet without bothering the chef. When we were seated, the waitress came and asked if we would like to speak with the chef. I explained the situation to her, looked over the buffet items and menu and told her that I didn't think it was necessary. The only thing he would not be able to eat would be the desserts, which were all made with chocolate or milk, both of which he is highly allergic to. The dinner went off without a hitch. Much to our surprsie, when dessert arrived, the chef had made my son a mixed berry sorbet so he could enjoy dessert with us instead of watching us eat ours.

 

[Sagginit]

im going to chime in on chefs de france. i have a gluten allergy and ate there two years in a row. i only went back for remy the 2nd year. i had the same language barrier but its a bit different b/c i speak french. im not currently fluent so i wasnt comfortable discussing something that important with them in french but both times just as i was about to start speaking in broken french and gesturing that bread equals death they seemed to finally figure out what i could eat.

i am very understanding but the first year i had to push to get a manager b/c my waiter didnt have a clue how to order my food. this year it was the waiters first day and he got another server. that guy was soooo helpful. he told me i could not have bread and pasta! both times it was like pulling teeth to find out what i could eat and the food they served me was awful and bland. i basically had to tell them what i could eat off the menu using an educated guess and telling them to ask the chef about that specific item. usually they are able to tell you what options you have when you sit down. overall we found the service to be terrible. i also have beef with them b/c i lived in france and i think it is a poor representation of the country overall. anyway, enough with my issues with la maison de Remy.

anyway, i found garden grill to be wonderful. seasons in epcot was great too. in fact we discovered at the second meal it was the same helpful chef. i also ate at the new one in italy, via nappoli and was amazed. i walked up with no ressie and wasnt sure if i could eat there. they had GF pasta and three different kinds of breads on hand plus brownies. it was one of my best meals. i also ate at rose & crown with no problems. as stated though your experience may vary with your allergy.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with both of you I have trace, airbourne anaphylactic peanut and tree nut allergy (have had for 40 years, so I'm not new to eating out with an allergy)

Over the last two weeks I have eaten at Chefs des France three times and not once have I had a problem. No I haven't seen the chef, but really why do you need to see the chef WDW is the only place I have ever been where the chef comes out. I simply ask the server to check that what is ordered is safe and they do.

I found Chefs des France to be excellent every time I went. Just because the chef does not come out to you does not mean it's not safe! The first time that I ordered, the waitress came back to the table, after speaking with the chef (so there is communication with the chef regarding your order) and they didn't recommend the dessert that I was wanting, but everything else was ok.
The next time we went was for dinner and again, the waiter came back and said that none of the desserts were safe except for something (which I didn't want). The third time at lunch was the same, the allergies are noted on your ADR, they mention them when you check in and the server does consult with the chef and if something that you have ordered is not ok, they do and will come back to talk to you about what is ok.

People don't need to be unnecessarily be put off restaurants. Chefs is fine for people with allergies just as much as any other restaurant! and to say it is not is untrue simply because you can't talk to a chef! I have eaten there three times with a life threatening allergy and I am here to write about it! There are some allergies that are challenging to accommodate where ever you go, not just at Chef des France.


Other places we ate that were good allergy wise were Teppan Edo, Biergarden, Via Napoli (again, no chef but the manager comes to the table), Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Garden Grill, Rose and Crown. All were really good with the allergies!

The one and only time we ate at Chefs, our waiter and chef were both very rude to us and made us feel as though we were putting them out by asking for safe food. The chef was NOT willing to do anything more than keep a bun off my daughter's burger and for a side all he would do is give her a salad without dressing. He wasn't willing to check on anything and he wasn't willing to try to modify anything. I can get that treatment at home and actually I won't go to restaurants that treat us like that. At home I limit myself to restaurants that actually understand and accomodate allergies.

At home, chefs do actually come to our table to confirm allergies. I'm not expecting anything at WDW that I don't get at home.

One of the main reasons we repeatedly travel to WDW is how amazing they are with food allergies. I'm not about to waste my time and money on a restaurant that doesn't accomodate as well as the Disney owned places. There are so many other restaurants where they will make our kids feel special and prepare delicious food for them so why in the world would I ever subject them to Chefs again?

Non-Disney owned restaurants are not as good as any others for food allergies. The Disney owned restaurants all have alternative foods specifically for people with allergies so the chefs have the ingredients with which to make something tasty. The non-Disney owned restaurants do not have these same supplies on hand and in my experience the non-Disney owned restaurants won't go nearby to get something else safe for kids while at the Disney owned restaurants several chefs have offered this. There is a HUGE difference between the Disney owned and non-Disney owned restaurants. The non-Disney owned restaurants are nowhere near as good for food allergies.

NEVER AGAIN will we eat at Chefs!!

 

[heatherfeather24]

The one and only time we ate at Chefs, our waiter and chef were both very rude to us and made us feel as though we were putting them out by asking for safe food. The chef was NOT willing to do anything more than keep a bun off my daughter's burger and for a side all he would do is give her a salad without dressing. He wasn't willing to check on anything and he wasn't willing to try to modify anything. I can get that treatment at home and actually I won't go to restaurants that treat us like that. At home I limit myself to restaurants that actually understand and accomodate allergies.

At home, chefs do actually come to our table to confirm allergies. I'm not expecting anything at WDW that I don't get at home.

One of the main reasons we repeatedly travel to WDW is how amazing they are with food allergies. I'm not about to waste my time and money on a restaurant that doesn't accomodate as well as the Disney owned places. There are so many other restaurants where they will make our kids feel special and prepare delicious food for them so why in the world would I ever subject them to Chefs again?

Non-Disney owned restaurants are not as good as any others for food allergies. The Disney owned restaurants all have alternative foods specifically for people with allergies so the chefs have the ingredients with which to make something tasty. The non-Disney owned restaurants do not have these same supplies on hand and in my experience the non-Disney owned restaurants won't go nearby to get something else safe for kids while at the Disney owned restaurants several chefs have offered this. There is a HUGE difference between the Disney owned and non-Disney owned restaurants. The non-Disney owned restaurants are nowhere near as good for food allergies.

NEVER AGAIN will we eat at Chefs!!

Thanks for posting this experience. I will definitely avoid Chefs. Our allergies are milk, egg, and peanut. While the peanut is usually pretty easy, the milk allergy (butter, cheese, and any baked good with any milk derivative in it) we can't really eat out at all without some special accommodation beyond simply providing me with a list of what isn't safe to eat. I have been thrilled with our dining experiences at Disneyland and am hoping that WDW will be just as freeing.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Thanks for posting this experience. I will definitely avoid Chefs. Our allergies are milk, egg, and peanut. While the peanut is usually pretty easy, the milk allergy (butter, cheese, and any baked good with any milk derivative in it) we can't really eat out at all without some special accommodation beyond simply providing me with a list of what isn't safe to eat. I have been thrilled with our dining experiences at Disneyland and am hoping that WDW will be just as freeing.

I'm glad to share.

Just to encourage you, my 12 year old also can't have milk, eggs or peanuts (though we don't worry about cross contamination with peanuts which I do tell the chefs; as long as she doesn't eat pieces of peanut she's fine as it's a mild intollerance) but she also can't have other foods as well. She eats really well at WDW. Her dessert options are very limitted though I believe the Divvies cookies are safe with this list (they're not gluten free so DD12 can't eat them). If you're still trying to decide on a place to dine at Epcot, we've had great experiences at Coral Reef, Garden Grill, Akershus and LeCellier. I think LC was the worst of the 4 but not due to lack of effort on the part of the chef. They just didn't carry as many options. Both of my kids are steak lovers so we're going back again but we'll be getting dessert elsewhere (I know I can get Enjoy Life chocolate bars and Tofutti ice cream at Sunshine Seasons so we'll likely go there if we even have room for dessert; FYI, both of those are safe for your list and both are delicious).

 

[laughinplace199]

We ate at rose and crown, teppan edo, akerhaus with good experiences.
for peanut/nut allergy.

tutta italia in italy was accomadating however, there was alot on the menu that DS could not have and he could not have any bread. as there are some restaurants that he is hardly limited in food selection, he does not want to go back there this year.
I would not try the chinese restaurants with his allergy.
this year we are going back to teppan edo, rose and crown and akerhaus and le cellier.
for counter service, he ate in mexico and loved the churros, american place and germany.

I've never eaten at the CS place in Mexico, but I'm sure DD would love churros. Did they have an ingredient book to check to see what is safe?

 

[SkittleKicks]

It's weird to see how many bad experiences others have had with France, as I had a wonderful experience - better than many other experiences on Disney property! I have a gluten allergy, and they confirmed it on check in. I received a basket of GF bread, they made special mac and cheese with rice pasta, it was wonderful. There was a mild language barrier, but we worked it out. The chef came to my table (in fact, I'd rather work through the servers, as disturbing the chef just seems like a hassle to me, but oh well) and seemed thrilled to have a challenge.

I did notice that everyone warmed up after we had said we weren't on the Dining Plan, maybe that's the key?

 

[Tosie]

Our dd is milk, peanut and tree nut allergic.

She's eaten sucessfully at:

Coral Reef
LeCellier
Teppan Edo (probably her favorite)
Akershus
Garden Grill (but we didn't really enjoy it)

We ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS meet and talk with the chefs - we've never had a problem!

and for CS:

Sunshine Seasons (a favorite)
FountainView Cafe (Tofutti!)
Kaki Gori (dd loves this)