Disney Dining Plan/Tree Nut Allergy

[techman20]

Hi folks, I was advised in the dining thread to post my question here.

I'm planning a trip to Disney with a friend in a few months, and we were planning on using the Disney dining plan. I have a severe allergy to tree nuts, and was wondering about what they will do about desserts. I had read that most desserts are not safe for tree nut allergic individuals.

Fresh fruit is not an option (oral allergy syndrome) and the Enjoy Life products don't look appetizing. I'd like to find some restaurants where one or more of the normal desserts are tree nut safe.

If anyone has some suggestions, I would really appreciate it! Especially for quick service, which will likely be harder. Thanks all!

 

[Gracie09]

If you have table service adrs note it on the reservation and remind them when you check in. The chef will come out and go over the menu with you.
For counter service tell the cashier (or if you see a manager before you get to the cashier grab them). They will get an ingredients binder and go over the options with you. Your food may take a bit longer because it's made separate from other food.

 

[Random Ninja]

I wouldn't knock the Enjoy Life products until you've tried a couple. They taste better than they look. With tree nut allergies, it's going to really depend on your comfort level with cross-contamination. The ice creams and popscicles have a safe factory warning. Some TS can make you a sorbet that will be nut free but I'm not sure if that would upset your OAS.

Babycakes products may be okay depending on your comfort level with their flour and if you include coconut as a tree nut. Check babycakes website before going to see if you're comfortable with their products.

 

[techman20]

I wouldn't knock the Enjoy Life products until you've tried a couple. They taste better than they look. With tree nut allergies, it's going to really depend on your comfort level with cross-contamination. The ice creams and popscicles have a safe factory warning. Some TS can make you a sorbet that will be nut free but I'm not sure if that would upset your OAS.

Babycakes products may be okay depending on your comfort level with their flour and if you include coconut as a tree nut. Check babycakes website before going to see if you're comfortable with their products.

My main issue with the Enjoy Life cookies/chocolate is that there are some ingredients that make me a little uncomfortable, like date paste, buckwheat powder and millet. I have a lot of tree/plant allergies in addition to the nuts, and health foods tend to be a minefield for me.

I can check with the sorbet - if it is a flavor like strawberry, lemon or raspberry, it would be a viable option.

Coconut is not a problem, so I will check with Babycakes about the possibility of contamination with their flour.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Random Ninja]

My main issue with the Enjoy Life cookies/chocolate is that there are some ingredients that make me a little uncomfortable, like date paste, buckwheat powder and millet. I have a lot of tree/plant allergies in addition to the nuts, and health foods tend to be a minefield for me.

I can check with the sorbet - if it is a flavor like strawberry, lemon or raspberry, it would be a viable option.

Coconut is not a problem, so I will check with Babycakes about the possibility of contamination with their flour.

Thanks for the suggestions!

That makes sense. I have a few complecated allergies myself, especially tapioca.

The sorbets change but I've seen several kinds. There's a allergy food picture thread around here somewhere; I'll post it when I can find it.

 

[lovethattink]

This isn't dessert, but we ate at Le Chefs last week and I couldn't eat their baguettes, the bread in the soup or sandwich. All their bread except the gluten free allergy bread is made on the same equipment as their almond bread.

 

[hildarumpole]

At QS, my kids were able to get yogurt as a dessert. None of the regular desserts were safe. They're all prepackaged and not that appetizing even if you can eat them.

TS restaurants have improved in their offerings for nut-allergic guests. Fruit cups and plain vanilla ice cream were often the only options, but this year my kids were able to have the cupcakes at Be Our Guest (without sprinkles), the Grapefruit cake and Hidden Treasures dessert at Brown Derby, Chocolate Wave at Coral Reef, Berry Compote with Vanilla Sauce at Biergarten, and Green Tea Ice Cream at Tokyo Dining.

Watch out for the breads. My kids can't have the multi-grain bread that a lot of the sandwiches are made with. The burger and hot dog buns were o.k. Some dinner breads at TS were o.k. and some weren't. They seem to change vendors frequently, so double-check when you get there. Pretzel bread at Biergarten has always been safe.

 

[mistysue]

Just as an FYI- you may want to be very clear about your enjoy life issue. They switched a number of their recipes this last summer to use buckwheat flour. This includes many items that didn't used to include it. The chefs seem to glaze over and not notice the buckwheat flour, so you have to check your packaging.- but anyways it is now in every type of cookie we have ever had Disney give us. (all allergy cookies) My son has a buckwheat allergy and is regularly served items with buckwheat at Disney when it comes to desserts... which is probably on average every third meal... so you may want to specifically ask about those ingredients even if you have already told them while they are reviewing dessert with you. We send in a form before hand and give them a card listing allergens and they still miss buckwheat constantly. At many CS his only "dessert" options are usually the side items like carrots and grapes. Hopefully they have at least a type of yogurt you can have if nothing else.

We love babycakes if you can tolerate their stuff. A couple years ago we got DS some baby cakes cupcakes, then got DD some cup cakes from Goofy's - within a few hours they were fighting over the baby cakes ones and the Goofy's went uneaten. In 2012 I remember maybe 4 places having something babycakes to offer my son. On our 2013 trip we were on property for 12 complete days, mostly TS for every meal, and not one single Babycakes item at a TS. He was given carrots, vanilla rice dream or Enjoy life cookies he was allergic to at every meal. (except the place that brought him this ridiculous platter of sorbet) We keep snacks on us so he doesn't feel left out when things like that happen.

 

[disfan07]

Yeah it's all going to depend on your comfort level with cross contamination, etc. I've never been with just a tree nut allergy so I'm not entirely sure what products are safe with just that specific allergy but years ago when I was just egg and peanut allergic I was always able to get desserts. But that was about 6 years ago.

I have OAS as well and some of the chefs were accommodating with that. At Citricos, crystal palace, the wave, and turf club, they made me baked fruit with brown sugar and cinnamon. It was basically either apples or pears but very good.

If I remember correctly, the Walkers Shortbread is peanut/tree nut safe. At least it was about 1 1/2 years ago. I'm pretty sure the soft serve ice cream is safe. I know last year before my dairy allergy I had soft serve ice cream at crystal palace and 1900 park fare (I was peanut/tree nut/egg/wheat/soy allergic at that point)

Babycakes is very good. I used to eat there before my tree nut/coconut allergy because they were egg and peanut free. Regardless of the flour issue, I can't eat there anymore because of the coconut. The flour they use is Bobs Red Mill. My advice is to ask your allergist about the possibility of cross contamination. Some people are fine with it some are not. If I remember correctly, it's because they produce almond flour on the same line as their ther GF flours.

My advice is that you should check every label and ask at every TS or QS regardless of what you find out here just because the ingredients and CC statements seem to change all the time there and some chefs are more accommodating than others.

For example, I got a completely allergen free brownie at crystal palace last year which was amazing. But from what I've gathered from other peoples posts, that dessert is only made when that particular chef is there.

 

[techman20]

Thanks for all of the tips everyone!

Disfan07 - Thanks for the good advice! I watch for contamination but will sometimes risk it. I'm old school with allergies - my nut allergy goes back 35 years, long before they started alerting consumers to cross contamination. I figure that if I didn't get a cross-contamination reaction during all of that time, I'm probably okay with it, though I judge it on a case by case basis. Also thanks for the OAS mention - I didn't include that in my dining reservations (always seems that nobody knows what it is) but maybe I will amend them.

Mistysue - Thanks for the advice about the buckwheat flour, and I'll have to try Babycakes.

Hildarumpole - Thanks for the suggestions - Be Our Guest is on my reservation list, so that is good news. Coral Reef is too. And I do love green tea ice cream!

 

[disfan07]

Thanks for all of the tips everyone!

Disfan07 - Thanks for the good advice! I watch for contamination but will sometimes risk it. I'm old school with allergies - my nut allergy goes back 35 years, long before they started alerting consumers to cross contamination. I figure that if I didn't get a cross-contamination reaction during all of that time, I'm probably okay with it, though I judge it on a case by case basis. Also thanks for the OAS mention - I didn't include that in my dining reservations (always seems that nobody knows what it is) but maybe I will amend them.

Mistysue - Thanks for the advice about the buckwheat flour, and I'll have to try Babycakes.

Hildarumpole - Thanks for the suggestions - Be Our Guest is on my reservation list, so that is good news. Coral Reef is too. And I do love green tea ice cream!

I didn't note the OAS on my allergies either. On the reservations online, you can ony check off the top 8 allergens plus corn I think but you can check other. I have 16 food allergies not including my OAS so I just marked everything that was available and other when making the reservations. I brought with me a list of my allergies to each meal (including QS) and handed it to the manager or chef when they came out.

99% of chefs and managers had no idea what OAS is. I just told them I could not eat raw fruits or raw vegetables (excluding cherries, bananas, and broccoli which I am allergic to regardless) and they just made sure to cook everything.

 

[snowman]

Not the original poster, but i found this very helpful as well. My wife and I were discussing this tonight as I am new to life with tree nut allergies. Fortunately not life threatening, but, problematic nonetheless. I'll contact my Dreams rep and make sure my allergies are noted.

 

[HETRICKL]

My daughter was also able to have desserts at Ohana and Prime Time Cafe for tree nut allergies. Quick Service options weren't great, but she could also have popcorn from the snack carts, Popsicles and Dole Whip.