Food allergies and CL level?

[Evi]

So here is my question I submitted my paper work re allergies and asked that it be shared with the chef at the resort for CL and room service. Since then I received 6 different phone calls from same resort different staff telling me how they would handle my allergy and how they would accomidate me. I honestly just stateted to get so frustrated. At one point I was told I wouldn't be able to enter cl by one staff member and long story short I decided to downgrade from cl and instead of +dining I did deluxe dining. I was just really looking forward to staying in cl and felt kinda pushed out.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I hear it really varies a LOT by resort. My only experience is at Poly. They made it so that it's very difficult for us to consider staying elsewhere. I just can't say enough good things about CL at Poly and that's with a laundry list of food allergies for multiple people. Just remember that unless you want to pay for this level of service in the future, you may want to skip it because they really do make it hard to go anywhere else (we've tried and something's always missing and we're always comparing to Poly CL). It sure does get expensive. LMAO!!

I will say that IPO at Poly had me VERY nervous before our first stay there. When I sent them an email asking about what food would be available in the lounge, they sent me a link to Garden Grocer and told me it would be better to order groceries for ourselves and that they couldn't guarantee our safety in the lounge. Seriously! When we got there though, the chefs were AMAZING!!

Looking at your signature it looks like you were planning AKL CL. I hate to say this but the last couple reviews I read aren't very good and I wouldn't stay CL there either.

 

[Evi]

I hear it really varies a LOT by resort. My only experience is at Poly. They made it so that it's very difficult for us to consider staying elsewhere. I just can't say enough good things about CL at Poly and that's with a laundry list of food allergies for multiple people. Just remember that unless you want to pay for this level of service in the future, you may want to skip it because they really do make it hard to go anywhere else (we've tried and something's always missing and we're always comparing to Poly CL). It sure does get expensive. LMAO!!

I will say that IPO at Poly had me VERY nervous before our first stay there. When I sent them an email asking about what food would be available in the lounge, they sent me a link to Garden Grocer and told me it would be better to order groceries for ourselves and that they couldn't guarantee our safety in the lounge. Seriously! When we got there though, the chefs were AMAZING!!

Looking at your signature it looks like you were planning AKL CL. I hate to say this but the last couple reviews I read aren't very good and I wouldn't stay CL there either.

I didn't have an issue with the price actually current package ended up costing more. I just was so frustrated about how chefs and ipo responded I was made to feel like my allergies were putting them out. I was actually told I shouldn't enter club level even after explaining that I have no issues with being around foods I'm allergic to. I also couldn't see how me waiting in room for a tasting while df went to lounge to get food as a convenience. In the end though it was the tone of the last ipo who called me that justmade me feel like enough is enough staying in cl is supposed to be special not feel like a challenge. I really was being made to feel like I was inconvieniencing them and how they would go out of their way to accommodate me. It wasn't coming off in a good way it really was just becoming irritating receiving phone calls on Friday evening then again on Sunday a week before you leave to tell you the same thing and then change it. I want to go on vacation and relax not stress out about my allergies over the phone over and over again.

 

[dclfun]

We've had a poor experience at AKL CL in the past, for my son with renal failure. He cannot eat many foods and definitely needs low sodium and to know the amount of potassium, phosphorus, etc. so that a decision can be made. When we asked if anything could be prepared for him, we were told "no, but here is the ingredient list" which they had in a binder at the CL desk. This did us no good as the ingredients are not the issue for us ( no allergies).---Kathy

 

[clanmcculloch]

I didn't have an issue with the price actually current package ended up costing more. I just was so frustrated about how chefs and ipo responded I was made to feel like my allergies were putting them out. I was actually told I shouldn't enter club level even after explaining that I have no issues with being around foods I'm allergic to. I also couldn't see how me waiting in room for a tasting while df went to lounge to get food as a convenience. In the end though it was the tone of the last ipo who called me that justmade me feel like enough is enough staying in cl is supposed to be special not feel like a challenge. I really was being made to feel like I was inconvieniencing them and how they would go out of their way to accommodate me. It wasn't coming off in a good way it really was just becoming irritating receiving phone calls on Friday evening then again on Sunday a week before you leave to tell you the same thing and then change it. I want to go on vacation and relax not stress out about my allergies over the phone over and over again.

The price thing was more tongue in cheek than anything else. I was trying to say just how wonderful they were.

I feel the same way as you about how IPO handled things. I'm really glad we went anyway despite being told to order groceries even just for things like silk soy milk that's available all over WDW. IPO was horrible and their emails certainly did have a tone suggesting that I was being unreasonable for having any expectations of anything safe from them. I'm really glad that I decided to keep the CL reservation figuring I could just go buy what we needed if they couldn't accomodate us and I was very pleasantly surprised with how well they did take care of us. I no longer contact IPO.

I will also warn anybody considering a CL stay that the chefs do not seem to be getting the forms from either IPO or Special Diets any longer. We've gotten to know the chef at Poly so we've talked with her about our trips. She almost never gets the notices any longer. She definitely bends over backwards for guests with special dietary needs but she doesn't get advanced warning so that first night it'll take some time for her to get things ready for you.

 

[Evi]

I do think they were trying to be helpful but I also don't think they were communicating with each other since it just turned into me receiving multiple phone calls each with a different responce on just how they would accomidate me. In the end maybe I was just being overly uneasy but I do think the one that got me was the one that said I couldnt' go into the lounge it just so did not sit well with me.

In the end I'm really sad we won't be going on the sunrise safari since I was really looking foward to that but in the end I don't want to be stressed out while on vacation and thats how some of he communications were making me. So though I will never go through all of the dining pts in deluxe dining I'm just not that big of an eater. I do dining plan because I really like the convienience. Atleast by having sit down meals I will have access to the chefs so I can address my allergies on the spot. They can't tell me I can't go into the restaurant right lol. It was just the communications they really started to take away the magic and I was on the verge of just canceling the trip. I know that alot of it is Disney trying to accomidate and lyability issues but it just felt like it was getting out of hand.

 

[dclfun]

I do think they were trying to be helpful but I also don't think they were communicating with each other since it just turned into me receiving multiple phone calls each with a different responce on just how they would accomidate me. In the end maybe I was just being overly uneasy but I do think the one that got me was the one that said I couldnt' go into the lounge it just so did not sit well with me.

In the end I'm really sad we won't be going on the sunrise safari since I was really looking foward to that but in the end I don't want to be stressed out while on vacation and thats how some of he communications were making me. So though I will never go through all of the dining pts in deluxe dining I'm just not that big of an eater. I do dining plan because I really like the convienience. Atleast by having sit down meals I will have access to the chefs so I can address my allergies on the spot. They can't tell me I can't go into the restaurant right lol. It was just the communications they really started to take away the magic and I was on the verge of just canceling the trip. I know that alot of it is Disney trying to accomidate and lyability issues but it just felt like it was getting out of hand.

I'm glad you made arrangements that you are comfortable with. At least with the Deluxe Dining, as you mentioned, you can do all TS and you can have appetizers, which sometimes, for us, is more what we want than a main course. I hope you have a great trip- it's not worth spending money on something that makes you nervous.---Kathy