Do food allergies have to be mentioned on ADR?

[3DisneyBuggs]

I'm not sure if I have this allergy yet so I didnt include it in my ADRs. Would I be able to tell them at check in at sit down restaurants or should I call and add it to my ADrs once I am sure?

 

[ptlohmysoul]

It's fine to tell them them there. I like them on the ADRs, because we sometimes forget (due to our allergen is not in normal American food).

 

[epcotobsessed]

I always enter it and the restaurants actually receive it less than half the time. This has never been an issue as the menu/chef can always accommodate me.

 

[Teresa Andreani]

If it’s not on your ADR, just tell them when you check in. I’m in long term recovery and do not eat foods cooked with alcohol. I usually mark the allergy but alcohol is not indicated on restaurant menus so it requires a conversation with the server and/or chef.

 

[CynBeth]

I would call them and have it noted for each ADR if you can’t do it online.

 

[bookbabe626]

I’ve always entered them in advance when booking online, and they’ve always been noted on the reservation. My ADR slip that they use to ID parties’ tables is stamped in advance with a bright red “allergy” as a secondary warning for the server, and the hostess always has the allergy menu or booklet ready to hand me.

If you know in time to call and have your allergy added, do it. It saves so much time at the restaurant because everything is known in advance.

If you don’t know in time to call (but really, even calling the day before is okay) then tell them when you get there but be prepared for an extra wait.

They take allergies very seriously. I can remember one time at Ohana when the servers wouldn’t even give me a glass of water before the chef came out to talk to me...and my allergy is to finfish, which they don’t have on the menu at all in any form. This was a few years ago, and most places have gotten better with having allergy menus available for the more common allergies, but it still struck us as a little too serious maybe. I’m pretty sure there’s no fish in water or the bread you get when you first sit down...

 

[Thing 1]

It really depends on what you are allergic to as well. Top 8 is easy for any restaurant. If you have an unusual allergy or something that is in every thing knowing ahead of time can allow them to have more food choices available to you. We are just peanuts, having outgrown egg after several trips with that one as well. For a well planned trip I include the allergy note on the ADR but we have done last minute trips without even having an ADR before we leave home and it’s never been a problem either. Just ask to speak to the cheif on arrival. Bookbabe is so right. We had the save thing happen at Garden Grill. No water without a cheif approval. One trip we had a resolving egg allergy and we really only had to avoid straight eggs and were fine with everything else. Nope, if we mentioned eggs at all they insisted on egg free meal. We knew what was safe so we just quit mentioning egg.

 

[Aladora]

I have an unusual allergy (bell peppers, strange huh?) so I always mark the “Other” box when making ADRs. I always feel it is better to give the restaurant a heads up than not.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We have been with different people with different allergies. Sometimes we didn't tell them in advance and just told them when we got there - there was never a problem. The chef usually comes out to talk with the person with the allergy. Disney does do that right.

 

[Shanti]

I'm not sure if I have this allergy yet so I didnt include it in my ADRs. Would I be able to tell them at check in at sit down restaurants or should I call and add it to my ADrs once I am sure?

It helps when people note their dietary restrictions in advance, so the kitchen can be prepared to accommodate.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

My family group has a lot of food issues ...
I always made sure to put some info on the ADR, but mostly we went over all our crazy restrictions once we were at the restaurants.
I think either method will work.

 

[Dug720]

As others have said, if possible in advance is better, but at the time can usually be worked with on land.

Now if you ever transition to cruise ships? PLEASE let them know in advance because they plan their ordering for special allergy needs foods based on the numbers reported plus a tiny cushion - and if many more people are, say, allergic to wheat/gluten (celiac or otherwise allergic as there are other allergic reactions to it than just celiac) - or are just eating gluten-free but did not report because "technically a preference and not an allergy" - they can run out of gluten-free things like bread, donuts, buns, etc. and may not be where they can get more.

 

[ptlohmysoul]

When you have an "other" allergy, they do nothing in advance to prepare. No one but the chef can make any calls on the allergens (no waitstaff can say oh, we don't have that on our menu - and, if they do, they aren't necessarily right). We found that our uncommon American allergen was even in the bread at Tiffins - totally unexpected for us, as we usually only have to avoid a few things, but with ana allergies, we definitely are careful.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

If you haven't been officially diagnosed, I would wait to add it until it's official. That being said, you can call to add it to to your ADRs after the fact if you need to. Now, my older one is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, and I always have her allergies on our ADRs + I make sure it's noted when I check in for a meal and I also speak to our server (and sometimes the chef) about it once seated. And I've had to add them by phone a couple of times after the fact, so it shouldn't be an issue.

All this being said, I don't think I'd put it on there if you're not certain. Case in point, I have allergic sensitivities to certain shellfish...specifically, bivalves. I had one trip where I decided to list shellfish allergy on everything, since technically, this falls under that and I will get sick if I have things like clams, mussels, scallops, etc. and it's not uncommon for some seafood dishes to involve broth/stock from clams. I remember having drama with the chef at CRT because she refused to serve me shrimp since the allergy info on my ADR listed shellfish. She didn't want to hear about the breakdown of shellfish and how you can be allergic to some categories, but not all. I was told prior to the trip that it didn't qualify for Special Diets' attention because it falls under a common allergy. So, I had to skip the shrimp at that meal because of this and it was not a pleasant interaction with the chef. After this, I've just used my best judgement when ordering.