Do all restaurants cater to kids/adults with food allergies?

[OFF TO WDW!]

Maybe "cater" wasn't the right term, but work with people with allergies.

I have a friend who is looking to take her kids to WDW for the first time. As many times as I have been there I have never had to worry about food allergies and when she asked me I had no advise for her.

Are there particular restaurans that may be better suited in having a menu for people with "Dairy, peanut" or "any" food related allergies?

Can anyone recommend a strategy to planning dining with kids with allergies?

I know there is always the concerns of plates and untensils and what is in the food and so forth. I am trying to help my friend so any in depth advise would be apprecited!


Thanks

 

[TDC Nala]

Any WDW restaurant should work with guests who have allergies.

Have your friend contact Disney Special Diets. Their contact info is on the DisABILITIES board. There is also allergy information on that board. If your friend has made ADRs have her call WDW-DINE and note the allergy on all the ADRs.

 

[OFF TO WDW!]

Thank you

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

My DH has food allergies and my DS used to. They can eat safely at Disney.

One key note...make sure they mention to their server about the food allergy. It helps to make sure everyone is notified.

 

[333disneymom]

Any WDW restaurant should work with guests who have allergies.

Have your friend contact Disney Special Diets. Their contact info is on the DisABILITIES board. There is also allergy information on that board. If your friend has made ADRs have her call WDW-DINE and note the allergy on all the ADRs.

Do this first. Then, when your friend makes reservations, whether online or via phone, they need to indicate the food allergy. Online, when you make reservations, there is a box to check for food allergies. Once you click the box, you then click which foods you need to avoid. If your friend calls via phone, they need to tell the cast member to include it in the ADR. Once they arrive at the restaurant, they should request to talk with the chef to go over food allergies.

Disney, in my experience, in one of the best places to dine for an individual with food allergies.

 

[longrf01]

I have a cilantro (yes, cilantro) allergy. With one exception, I had no problems. I made my ADRs online and indicated an allergy, followed with an email to special diets, told the greeters and servers. In all cases (except one), either the chef came out or the server would run my selections past the chef and report back right away with 'everything is fine.'

My one exception was San Angel Inn, and there's a separate post about that. I'll choose to think it was a freak error not part of a pattern of behavior.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Maybe "cater" wasn't the right term, but work with people with allergies.

1) Yes, but to different degrees.
. . . allergies
. . . special diets
2) Table Service
. . . usually the chef or manager will come out
. . . he/she will speak to you about the allergy/need
. . . they will offer alternatives
. . . alternatives could be pre-packaged or cooked-special
3) Counter Service (Fast Food)
. . . the manager is supposed to come out
. . . he/she will inquire as to allergy/need
. . . they will state the alternatives
. . . seldom can anything be cooked-special
. . . most fast food alternatives are pre-packaged
. . . unless it is a case of just leaving it off the food *

* Fast Food examples:
. . . leave chicken & dressing off of Chicken Caesar Salad for vegans
. . . leave mayo off sandwich for dairy allergy

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest going to the disABILITIES Forum and look at Post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs. There is a large section in that post dealing with special dietary needs, as well as many related links. You can get directly to the disABILITIES FAQs by following the link in my signature.

This is a very common topic of discussion in the disABILITIES Forum.

 

[jillgunter]

We have had a wonderful experience with Disney and our DDs peanut allergy.

At quick service you need to alert the CM when you get up to order. They get their manager who will get the book out and go over it. They also make sure your food is fixed safely.

At table service I put on the reservation that she has a peanut allergy. When we sit down, the waiter will send over the Chef to talk to you. At buffets they take us along to tell us what's safe, and have even fixed special food for DD.

Desserts are pretty much ice cream for DD, all the bakery stuff is fixed in the same bakery so not safe. They do have some special prepacked cookies at some of the quick service.

Some times it may be a little wait before the Chef makes it out which is usually fine since we tend to make early reservations and sometimes we aren't hungry!

Your friend will have a great time, Disney is very big on making sure you are taken care of.

 

[no capes darling]

We dont' have food allergies here, but on a trip to Chef Mickeys there was a family at the table next to us that did. A chef from the kitchen came to meet with the family before going through the buffet line, then went with them assisting them on picking the safe items. Good luck!

 

[TinkerBerry]

We were at Disney this Fall for 13 days. Our DS5 has allergies to wheat, soy, and corn. I can say that every single place was beyond wonderful with my little guy at both counter and table services. Our travel agent did fill out the form to notify them so they were ready for us. They offered to make him anything he wanted at the table service locations and let me know what was safe and look through the ingredient books at the counter service locations. I can't say enough good things about Disney Chefs.