Disney becoming lax with allergies?

[MinnieSweetheart]

If you see my original post I mentioned that they cooked my food separately, like they had done the last few times we visited, and like every hibachi I've ever visited will do if there is a seafood allergy. So I don't see how that effected everyone else enjoying the experience. I shouldn't be restricted from enjoying a night out with friends and family just because I can't have certain items on the menu.

It seems the issue is being asked to not leave and get medical treatment.

 

[DSLRuser]

I shouldn't be restricted from enjoying a night out with friends and family just because I can't have certain items on the menu.

Sorry, but yes. You should. If you could literally die if you are put in the wrong situation, the responsibility is on you to put yourself in the best opportunity to be safe. i would think if you are that sensitive to fish, you would want to stay as far away as possible. It is not fair to put a chef at a hibachi grill in that situation.

Again, I am not trying to be mean, just reasonable. My wife has certain restrictions, and WE take control of those restrictions. We don't ask someone to cater to us, thus potentially impacting others enjoyment. We choose to be lions, not sheep. We control our destiny, we don't let others control it for us.

 

[VictoriaAndMatt]

Sorry, but yes. You should. If you could literally die if you are put in the wrong situation, the responsibility is on you to put yourself in the best opportunity to be safe. i would think if you are that sensitive to fish, you would want to stay as far away as possible. It is not fair to put a chef at a hibachi grill in that situation.

Again, I am not trying to be mean, just reasonable. My wife has certain restrictions, and WE take control of those restrictions. We don't ask someone to cater to us, thus potentially impacting others enjoyment. We choose to be lions, not sheep. We control our destiny, we don't let others control it for us.

Ok so let’s pretend for a moment that she didn’t know she had a fish/shellfish allergy, and the restaurant reacted the same way to her allergic reaction. That would be completely unacceptable. They should absolutely have made sure she was able to get medical attention before dealing with paperwork etc. Ultimately she isn’t upset that some shrimp ended up on her plate, she’s upset at how it was handled when she had an allergic reaction, and rightly so.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Please remember to be kind. It’s really easy to play Monday morning quarterback, it’s never as easy in the heat of the moment

 

[Dug720]

I feel like the allergy menus has made them lazy as compared to before. They tried to make it so the waiters could handle stuff but they don’t even stop to listen to your actual allergies now and just throw an allergy menu at you.

I’m not eating nasty gluten free waffles because I’m allergic to fungus.

A) I have always been asked if I wanted to speak with a chef and not just go by the allergy menu. And if I can be proactive and ask to speak with one if I want to and the server has not asked if I did.

B) If your allergy is mushrooms, there is no reason you would have to have the (actually better than the original ones IMO) gluten-free waffles as there are no mushrooms/fungus in the waffles. The allergy menu (I don't even think mushrooms/fungus are included on the menu, so see A above - I'd ask to speak with a chef if you were unsure) is given to those who report one of the major allergens.

 

[judyannemorgan@att.n]

If you can't eat certain foods please don't go somewhere there can be cross contamination or as pp said be PROACTIVE I'm sick of the "allergy thing" if you have a TRUE allergy then again , be proactive... "I need to have a chef come out " really? If you have a true allergy then you know what you can eat. This kind of thing is really over the top

 

[angelmav]

I'm more concerned that they restricted you that way at the desert party. We are pretty sure my S/O has either Celiac or Crohns, but the only testing they are offering is a colonoscopy to which my spouse currently refuses... Now, grumpy didn't want me listing 'allergy' at our ADR's since it's not an 'allergy' per se, but Gluten, Eggs, and Dairy all trigger a really bad reaction and could wreck the trip. That said, we are taking a few things that help, and have a few other remedies being delivered, but I would hate to think my S/O wasn't allowed to order something that they really wanted because I put it on our reservation. I just want there to be some 'safe' options to choose from to try and have an issue free trip.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

A) I have always been asked if I wanted to speak with a chef and not just go by the allergy menu. And if I can be proactive and ask to speak with one if I want to and the server has not asked if I did.

B) If your allergy is mushrooms, there is no reason you would have to have the (actually better than the original ones IMO) gluten-free waffles as there are no mushrooms/fungus in the waffles. The allergy menu (I don't even think mushrooms/fungus are included on the menu, so see A above - I'd ask to speak with a chef if you were unsure) is given to those who report one of the major allergens.

In practice, the allergy menu is given out regardless of actual allergy. I ask for a regular menu every time I’m seated, but because there is a red allergy stamp on the ticket, I get the allergy menu. It is in fact ridiculous, because my allergen is all over the menu.

I know to speak to a chef, but it’s frustrating because now they try to prevent you. If I hadn’t come to Disney before these new menus, I might not have known that you could request that. In my experience, the waiters are hesitant to get the chefs and I’ve had to push multiple times.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I really think the problem is they’ve tried to streamline everything, so they throw an allergy plate at you and call it good. That’s scary if there is someone who doesn’t realize that they haven’t actually cross checked your allergy against the ingredients.

This is how ridiculous it is. At ‘Ohana, the assistant picks up a lot of service sometimes. He brought a plate for me with veggies (including mushrooms - my allergy) and no noodles. We, of course, sent it back. This was AFTER the chef had already come out to discuss our alternate menu. That makes it plain to me that they just make top 8 free allergy plates and dole them out to anyone regardless.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

If you can't eat certain foods please don't go somewhere there can be cross contamination or as pp said be PROACTIVE I'm sick of the "allergy thing" if you have a TRUE allergy then again , be proactive... "I need to have a chef come out " really? If you have a true allergy then you know what you can eat. This kind of thing is really over the top

“Sorry darling, you can’t go to Cinderella’s castle for dinner because mom doesn’t know if the sauces have mushrooms in them and it would be ridiculous to eat at a restaurant that could easily accommodate making a quick pan sauce.”

 

[disneysteve]

If you can't eat certain foods please don't go somewhere there can be cross contamination or as pp said be PROACTIVE I'm sick of the "allergy thing" if you have a TRUE allergy then again , be proactive... "I need to have a chef come out " really? If you have a true allergy then you know what you can eat. This kind of thing is really over the top

What part of this is over the top? The servers don't know what is in every menu item. The only way to get that info is from the chef, or at quick serve locations they have a binder listing ingredients and even then you need to find out how things are being prepared. Yes, people with food allergies know what they can't have but there's no way to know from just looking at a menu if an item is safe for you.

 

[Lilsia]

“Sorry darling, you can’t go to Cinderella’s castle for dinner because mom doesn’t know if the sauces have mushrooms in them and it would be ridiculous to eat at a restaurant that could easily accommodate making a quick pan sauce.”

I'm sorry but that is a ridiculous statement. I would hope that any decent parent would teach their kids that Mom's health is more important then any single restaurant. And my kid's have never dined in Cinderella's castle( as have many, many others) and grew up just fine. I don't like how they are grouping allergies together and not listening to people. And they absolutely should do what they can, when possible, for those with allergies. But I also believe in personal responsibility. Disney has over 200 places to eat and menus are listed online. Everyone should choose where they feel safest and most comfortable, depending on your allergy. If my allergy was gluten, there is no way that I am walking into a bakery. OP, I am sorry this happened to you. The staff did not handle this properly. I would definitely contact Disney about your issues. They need to know that the staff blocked you in and prevented you from getting medical treatment. That is unacceptable.

 

[MarkinNM]

I am lucky that in our family none of us have food allergies but I to tend to agree that person who has the allergy needs to take total control and don't allow others to even try to goof, if that means you will miss out on a certain meal or event so be it, living to me is a better option then watching some clown flip shrimp....

Asking to stay and fill out whatever is total silliness and against your will, wow now that needs attention....

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

Sorry, but yes. You should. If you could literally die if you are put in the wrong situation, the responsibility is on you to put yourself in the best opportunity to be safe. i would think if you are that sensitive to fish, you would want to stay as far away as possible. It is not fair to put a chef at a hibachi grill in that situation.

Again, I am not trying to be mean, just reasonable. My wife has certain restrictions, and WE take control of those restrictions. We don't ask someone to cater to us, thus potentially impacting others enjoyment. We choose to be lions, not sheep. We control our destiny, we don't let others control it for us.

That’s like saying if any item on the menu contains fish we can’t eat at that restaurant. Because there might be a cross contamination issue. Which is just silly.

If you can't eat certain foods please don't go somewhere there can be cross contamination or as pp said be PROACTIVE I'm sick of the "allergy thing" if you have a TRUE allergy then again , be proactive... "I need to have a chef come out " really? If you have a true allergy then you know what you can eat. This kind of thing is really over the top

But alerting the restaurant to that allergy is being proactive. I’ve never asked to speak to the chef. 9 times out of 10 a chef has been brought out to me to make sure any allergies won’t be an issue.

I'm more concerned that they restricted you that way at the desert party. We are pretty sure my S/O has either Celiac or Crohns, but the only testing they are offering is a colonoscopy to which my spouse currently refuses... Now, grumpy didn't want me listing 'allergy' at our ADR's since it's not an 'allergy' per se, but Gluten, Eggs, and Dairy all trigger a really bad reaction and could wreck the trip. That said, we are taking a few things that help, and have a few other remedies being delivered, but I would hate to think my S/O wasn't allowed to order something that they really wanted because I put it on our reservation. I just want there to be some 'safe' options to choose from to try and have an issue free trip.

Yeah I was a little surprised by that myself. DH thinks that because it’s prepackaged they may have only had so many of the regular ones. Which makes sense.

What part of this is over the top? The servers don't know what is in every menu item. The only way to get that info is from the chef, or at quick serve locations they have a binder listing ingredients and even then you need to find out how things are being prepared. Yes, people with food allergies know what they can't have but there's no way to know from just looking at a menu if an item is safe for you.

Exactly.

Everyone should choose where they feel safest and most comfortable, depending on your allergy. If my allergy was gluten, there is no way that I am walking into a bakery. OP, I am sorry this happened to you. The staff did not handle this properly. I would definitely contact Disney about your issues. They need to know that the staff blocked you in and prevented you from getting medical treatment. That is unacceptable.

Right, I look at it like if there’s plenty for me to pick and chose from then it’s fine. And yes I’ll definitely try to get in touch with Disney again.

 

[disneysteve]

If my allergy was gluten, there is no way that I am walking into a bakery.

Have you been in a bakery lately? Pretty much every decent one has a line of gluten-free products at this point since the gluten-free crowd has gotten so big. Most are doing it by choice, not for an actual medical issue, but regardless, businesses are catering to what has become a large share of the market.

It is ridiculous to suggest that a person with a food allergy should avoid any restaurant where there could possibly be cross contamination. My wife is allergic to seafood. Now you won't find us at Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack but if she followed that rule, she couldn't eat at a steak house either since they all serve salmon and lobster. There would be an exceedingly small number of restaurants that would be safe for her. It makes a lot more sense to be proactive, ask questions, speak to the chef, and make sure what you're ordering is safe based on your allergies.

 

[disneysteve]

menus are listed online

Menus do not provide the necessary information to determine if a restaurant is allergy-safe. It would be great if they did, but they just don't.

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

I am lucky that in our family none of us have food allergies but I to tend to agree that person who has the allergy needs to take total control and don't allow others to even try to goof, if that means you will miss out on a certain meal or event so be it, living to me is a better option then watching some clown flip shrimp....

Asking to stay and fill out whatever is total silliness and against your will, wow now that needs attention....

Yeah the fact we weren’t allowed to leave to go to first aid is what doesn’t sit right. We’ve eaten at Teppan Edo before with no issue so while yes you need to go places that are safe for you, we have deemed Teppan Edo and other hibachis to be safe (we go to the one in our neighborhood all the time) as we’ve eaten at them with no issue, we enjoy the food and usually have a great time.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I'm sorry but that is a ridiculous statement. I would hope that any decent parent would teach their kids that Mom's health is more important then any single restaurant. And my kid's have never dined in Cinderella's castle( as have many, many others) and grew up just fine. I don't like how they are grouping allergies together and not listening to people. And they absolutely should do what they can, when possible, for those with allergies. But I also believe in personal responsibility. Disney has over 200 places to eat and menus are listed online. Everyone should choose where they feel safest and most comfortable, depending on your allergy. If my allergy was gluten, there is no way that I am walking into a bakery. OP, I am sorry this happened to you. The staff did not handle this properly. I would definitely contact Disney about your issues. They need to know that the staff blocked you in and prevented you from getting medical treatment. That is unacceptable.

Of course my health is more important, but asking what foods contain mushrooms and don’t is so simple. I don’t even think there are table service restaurants that I can’t eat at if the requirement is they don’t serve my food allergy.

The whole reason restaurants have lots of options is because people have different requirements. It’s not over the top to speak to a chef about what is safe and what isn’t.

 

[sethschroeder]

What worries me about the one size fits all allergy cards is that I have a not top 8 allergy.

They could be feeding people their allergens because they aren’t paying attention.

And you know this from personal experience or from others reporting this? Or just a wild guess?

Just saying that it is completely possible that they review all allergies reported during the reservation process and plan food accordingly but giving just a single menu as to avoid needing to create a variety of allergen friendly meals specific to the person.

In your shoes if my allergy was serious I would be asking to speak with the chef each time I ate. If I couldn't talk with them I would leave the restaurant/party, ask for a refund, and go elsewhere to eat. Heck I will leave a place over bad enough service and I would say not being willing to talk about your allergy would be the worst service of all (regardless of how obscure it is - since you said it was not a top 8).

 

[Lilsia]

Have you been in a bakery lately? Pretty much every decent one has a line of gluten-free products at this point since the gluten-free crowd has gotten so big. Most are doing it by choice, not for an actual medical issue, but regardless, businesses are catering to what has become a large share of the market.

It is ridiculous to suggest that a person with a food allergy should avoid any restaurant where there could possibly be cross contamination. My wife is allergic to seafood. Now you won't find us at Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack but if she followed that rule, she couldn't eat at a steak house either since they all serve salmon and lobster. There would be an exceedingly small number of restaurants that would be safe for her. It makes a lot more sense to be proactive, ask questions, speak to the chef, and make sure what you're ordering is safe based on your allergies.

I am actually a baker. And I can tell you with certainty, that if a bakery makes things from scratch, then nothing in the building is safe from flour. Flour is very fine and lands on everything. You need to either be a normal bakery or a gluten free one, you can not have both and be safe. And what you said about you avoiding a seafood restaurant is exactly what I was saying. There are plenty of restaurants where it is easy to get food that is not cross contaminated, but others that are not, hence the gluten/bakery; seafood/red lobster analogy.