Epcot's F&W with food allergies

[SMorgan711]

I know how GREAT Disney is with food allergies at TS and CS, but has anyone had any experience with F&W?? I emailed Special Diets but they were most unhelpful.

I am going to a culinary seminar, wine/bev seminar and mixology seminar. I think I've just accepted the fact that I won't be able to eat whatever's made. We're also going to the 3D Dessert Party. I read babycakes has a stand there so that should be okay. I've noted my allergy on all my reservations but not sure what they can really do for me.

My family and I are going to try and hit every stand at the F&W this year. Do you think they'll have ingredients books? Would they be able to hold a sauce or is everything premade?

Any advise is greatly appreciated!!

 

[snorris49]

I know how GREAT Disney is with food allergies at TS and CS, but has anyone had any experience with F&W?? I emailed Special Diets but they were most unhelpful.

I am going to a culinary seminar, wine/bev seminar and mixology seminar. I think I've just accepted the fact that I won't be able to eat whatever's made. We're also going to the 3D Dessert Party. I read babycakes has a stand there so that should be okay. I've noted my allergy on all my reservations but not sure what they can really do for me.

My family and I are going to try and hit every stand at the F&W this year. Do you think they'll have ingredients books? Would they be able to hold a sauce or is everything premade?

Any advise is greatly appreciated!!

I've never been able to get any info out of Special Diets about the F&W Festival. I will say that I have not had good luck at the stands or the events. I did try a food demo last year and was hoping it would turn out OK because we noted food allergies on the reservations. Um, not so much. My friend and I both had allergies and we went an hour early just in case. I also picked a celebrity chef who usually makes Indian and vegan food to help just in case (thinking they might make something naturally gluten and dairy free). We actually met the chef because they didn't actually do anything with the allergy notation. He said he wished he had known because he would have done something different. They were good though and he whipped something up for us, but still disappointing (I have the full review and pics on my blog). I've been on the fence since about doing another one. However that 3D dessert party should have a big spread from Babycakes. I saw the photo last year and it looked phenomenal!

Good luck! I'd love to hear your thoughts after you get back!

 

[minniebeth]

DD and I did the F&W festival booths last year with some success of getting allergy information. It's not easy, the lines are long as it is, so trying to get to someone who can give you accurate information tries one's patience at best. We went right up to the side of a cashier to ask, ignored the cross looks from others in line. Sometimes they had someone come over, sometimes they radioed on a walkie talkie. We gave them the allergy info. and had some hits and misses. If we weren't sure or it didn't feel right that it was accurate, we skipped it, and tried another. I honestly can't remember a book of listed ingredients like the Disney CS places have, I think it was mostly relying on the inquiries to the chefs.
Of course we got back in line with the information and when ordering, told them that order was an allergy order so they could modify it if necessary. (For example, in Ireland, we could eat the cheeses, not the bread, so we ordered w/out the bread.) You can always ask them if they can modify it, it can't hurt to ask.
There was plenty that DD was able to enjoy with some extra inquiring.

I can't comment on the seminars, as we only did the booths.
Good luck, I hope you can get to enjoy many of the F&W offerings!

 

[snorris49]

I think it also depends on your special diet. If you are just gluten free, you'll likely have an easier time. I find with being gluten and dairy that it's a little trickier. Best of luck!

 

[SMorgan711]

Thanks for the info!! I know we plan on going to Epcot on a Monday and Thursday. We'll also try to go right at 11 so hopefully the lines won't be too long. IDK though because this is our first F&W!

I'm just allergic to dairy so I'm hoping that'll be easier than being allergic to multiple things. If I can't eat anything.. there's always the drinks!! LOL.

I will definitely let you guys know when I come back! Thanks again!

 

[SueM in MN]

If you have multiple allergies, it will be more difficult, but I noticed that booths last year most of the time did have lists posted that said what the common allergens in their foods were - most easy to find were peanut and gluten.

 

[alisaaaaaaa]

A gluten free list has been available for the past two years

(I can't post the link because I don't have ten posts yet, but jut google food and wine festival gluten free and it's right there)

I'm not sure about other allergies, though.

 

[snorris49]

I'm just allergic to dairy so I'm hoping that'll be easier than being allergic to multiple things. If I can't eat anything.. there's always the drinks!! LOL.

I will definitely let you guys know when I come back! Thanks again!

Haha, Yep that sounds like a good plan!

 

[SMorgan711]

If you have multiple allergies, it will be more difficult, but I noticed that booths last year most of the time did have lists posted that said what the common allergens in their foods were - most easy to find were peanut and gluten.

Was this posted at the booth or online?

IDK if anyone's been to Zoup but they label things like Chicken Noodle LF DF S V which means low fat, dairy free, spicy, vegetarian. I think Disney should do something like that with allergens! That would be super helpful. I love going to Zoup for that reason!

Just did some googling and found this:

Special Diet Planning

Bonnie F. has a helpful idea: “If you have food allergy/intolerance issues, pick up the festival cookbook first and check out the ingredients. Then make a pocket list of do’s/don’ts for the kiosks.”

In both 2010 and 2011, gluten free items were available at the World Showcase booths. But it can be difficult to find out which ones are safe. We love the idea of looking at the cookbook!

I am definitely going to check out this cookbook! I wonder if I'll be able to get it before I go down? I'm thinking it might be a thing only sold in the parks.

I found this link too: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/13/food-ingredient-lists-at-the-beach-club-marketplace/comment-page-1/#comment-359055 saying that the Beach Club Marketplace has neat little cards with ingredients listed for the items in the bakery counter. I hope it's still there when we go in October!! I think this idea is great!!

 

[SMorgan711]

One more thing.. Anyone know if they still have the black book of ingredients at the F&W welcome center?

 

[SueM in MN]

I did not look online, so not sure if things were online or not.
What I saw was at booths. I expect they would have the more common allergies covered. So, someone with multiple allergies or less common allergies may have more difficulty finding information.

The cookbook is a good idea!

 

[disney david]

Was this posted at the booth or online?

IDK if anyone's been to Zoup but they label things like Chicken Noodle LF DF S V which means low fat, dairy free, spicy, vegetarian. I think Disney should do something like that with allergens! That would be super helpful. I love going to Zoup for that reason!

Just did some googling and found this:


I am definitely going to check out this cookbook! I wonder if I'll be able to get it before I go down? I'm thinking it might be a thing only sold in the parks.

I found this link too: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/13/food-ingredient-lists-at-the-beach-club-marketplace/comment-page-1/#comment-359055 saying that the Beach Club Marketplace has neat little cards with ingredients listed for the items in the bakery counter. I hope it's still there when we go in October!! I think this idea is great!!

They had them clipped to the display case each card list the ingredient they did a good idea they put them their where you can clearly see then put nicely decorated display of baby cake products. So just in case you couldn't have the other items you have a chance to get baby cakes. When I was their in June they was almost all sold out of baby cakes so they are selling.


I found this online is list some of the items at food and wine so you can cook at one not sure how up to date it is.


http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/recipes/

 

[SueM in MN]

They had them clipped to the display case each card list the ingredient they did a good idea they put them their where you can clearly see then put nicely decorated display of baby cake products. So just in case you couldn't have the other items you have a chance to get baby cakes. When I was their in June they was almost all sold out of baby cakes so they are selling.


I found this online is list some of the items at food and wine so you can cook at one not sure how up to date it is.


http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/recipes/

even though it doesn't say there, it is the 2012 recipe list.
If you go to the International Marketplace link on the left side of the page, it will give you a list of the different countries with booths and what they are serving.

 

[disney david]

even though it doesn't say there, it is the 2012 recipe list.
If you go to the International Marketplace link on the left side of the page, it will give you a list of the different countries with booths and what they are serving.

Thanks that what I thought

 

[SMorgan711]

Thanks!

I'm going to F&W at the end of October so I'm hoping people who go before me might provide some details before I get there!

 

[MadiWI]

A few years ago - when Special Diets was a bit more helpful - they advised me that even if an item in a booth at F&W was safe ingredient-wise, that the chances for cross contamination were high becuase of the way the kitchen space was shared in the food prep area. SD didn't recommend that we trust any of the items in the booths around the world. I'm not sure if that is how it is handled today, but obviously not all of the prep is done in the small booths. I'd just keep that in mind if that would be a problem for you.

 

[SMorgan711]

This is great! I'm allergic to milk. How does the F&W Festival handle other allergies?

 

[disney david]

This is great! I'm allergic to milk. How does the F&W Festival handle other allergies?

I just got back yesterday and tey have improved since I wa their two years ago. More booths have the chefs cooking te foo their. Instead of the bak kitchen while some still do and some items are need to cook in the back. In Canada they have three chefs cooking on a grill they cook the steak their sauté the mushrooms and put them together their so you could ask for no sauce since it a truffle butter sauce and ask why the mushroom cooked with. All the booth when your ordering just let them know most time their yell you to tell the cm you give your recipet who calls out the order. If you want you could go to the counter and ask te chef questions. Most off not all I encounter loved to talk so their he happy to help you. Plus they have their chef/bosses walking around you could stop one and ask question seen a couple people do that. Some chef would walk past you while walking to their booths to heck on the cooks and would ask you how it is. They even mark the items that are vegetarian with a green v not sure if that new for this year but new for me. They even had a whole booth that feature non meat items it could terra and sponsor by a frozen food company. But I have to say the cms seem more trained and with it for the opening weekend. Just be carefully they try their best to accommodate all allergies but their might be some they can't that are Out of their control.

 

[snorris49]

I did manage to find a map on Disney's website that lists "gluten free' foods from the various booths this year (it's very small and nothing accompanies it). I put it up on my blog, and I also transposed the list too. I also found some of the recipes in the 2012 F&W Festival cookbook to see what the ingredients were. There is still some confusion about the chocolate lava cake being safe or not, the recipe in the cookbook says no, but I have heard other reports that the chefs say the booth does serve GF cake and that the recipe in the book is out of date.