Gluten Free

[lisadoll93]

My 3yo DS was recently dx'd with autism. So he is on a GF diet and was wondering if anyone knew of places in the park that can serve this type of food? We are staying at PP. Any suggestions or advice would be great.

 

[MBW]

We're currently at DLR, and ds, 8 dx autism and celiac disease, has done pretty good on hamburgers and hot dogs so far (today's our first day.) In the past, I've called special services in advance, and we've had pizza, pasta, bread, etc., all ready for him. This trip was sort of spur of the moment, and I forgot to call ahead, but Disney is generally great when it comes to dietary needs.

I'm still rather spinning, as we had an amazing day today, with a GAC which provided immediate access, something we've never had before (always got the "this will allow you to use a different entrance, but expect to wait the same or even longer, yadda, yadda.") DS 7 is profoundly autistic, and was able to actually enjoy the park with only one or two meltdowns. I'm exhausted, not from dealing with constant stress (typical when we're in crowd situations) but from having fun and going on zillions of rides, including PotC three times and Space Mountain four times. Wheeee!

Oops, went off topic there. Just wanted to also let you know it can be a great experience, despite the challenges.

 

[lisadoll93]

That is great hear that you guys are having a great time.

A few questions-
What is a GAC? Is it for special needs kids?
What is special services?

This is our first trip since the dx'd. Crossing my fingers that it goes well because ds loves Mickey Mouse (the character that he will allow to touch him).

Thanks for positive possibilities of what could be...

 

[dizzyami]

I will try to answer a few of the questions - but also want to suggest the "DISabilites" board - I have spent the last few days there and there is a lot of useful info that has helped me quite a bit.

The GAC is for special needs kids, and it is basically a pass that alerts the CM that you may need special considerations. Sometimes this will eliminate waits - but not in all cases. I have never used one personally - hopefully someone else can offer some insight - if not - definitely check out the other board. They can answer your questions on the GAC and the special diet - there are threads right now on both topics.

I hope you and your DS have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[PrincessMommyof2]

My friend, who is 21, was just dx'd last year. She did a quick check of the places to eat and then went to http://www.allears.net to check for gluten free food. Seems like a lot of work, but she is very intolerant and it worked out wonderfully for our trip in November!

 

[iceskatejen]

Most places can accomodate a gluten free diet. If you have PSs, just have it noted on the reservation. Pizza Port can make gluten free pasta and pizza, just give them a few minutes to put it together.

 

[MBW]

I also highly recommend the Dis-Abilities board, which is generally where I spend most of my time when we're in Disney planning mode. However, it is much more focused on WDW, so I found visiting this board in preparation for our DLR trip to be very helpful as well.

As mentioned above, the GAC (Guest Assistance Card) is for people with mostly "hidden" disabilities, such as autism, heart conditions, epilepsy, auto-immune disease - conditions which might need special assistance such as a place to wait out of the sun or use of an alternate entrance. In the past, it was greatly abused as a "front of the line" pass, so Disney made it need, not diagnosis, based. If you go to Guest Services at City Hall when you arrive, and let them know what special needs your child might have, such as using the stroller as a wheelchair or using an alternative entrance if crowds are a problem, then they will give you a card with stamps to show to cast members at each attraction. A doctor's note is not required (asking for it would be against the ADA) but we usually bring one anyway. This time, we forgot it, so just brought our son up to the desk. If you get the alternative entrance stamp, expect CMs to still make you wait (I noticed them do so with individuals in wheelchairs who needed to use an alternative entrance.) If your child has severe crowd/waiting issues, PM me, and I'll tell you about the accommodation which was made for us.

Back to gluten-free, I myself need to figure out where to eat in California Adventure today. Guess I'm off to do just that .

 

[DevilDuckie]

Try searching this forum for old threads with the words "atkins" or "low carb". There were discussions so time ago on the subject and while it's not exactly the same, there's a lot of cross over.

 

[ShawnaF]

Wow - I knew Disney was great about the special needs diets, but I didn't know all the extents.

MBW - thank you so much for that post - what a day brightener - hope you're having a blast the entire trip!!!!

 

[LucyKate]

My wife is celiac and we found no major problems.

A good tip was the turkey legs from the carts which were huge and tasty. We found there was a general awareness of the problem, and solutions offered in the meals.

We ate in Blue Bayou and the chef came out personally to discuss the GF meal my wife requested and personally re-arranged one dish (and the effect was only slightly diminished by the waiter who, at the last moment, noticed the meal was missing bread and plonked it on top of the GF meal!!)

 

[dizzyami]

I felt bad sending you to the other thread since the bulk of responses you got dealt with WDW. I emailed vacation planning since they have always been a wonderful resource for me on any questions that I had - and this was their response:

Thank you for your email. We do have a Chef for the theme parks that
would be happy to speak to you regarding your concerns. Chef Chris
Justesen 714-781-3569. I'm sorry I do not know his schedule but he does
have voice mail and is wonderful about returning calls

 

[lisadoll93]

Thanks everyone. I am gonna call later today. It is such a relief that can be done. We are counting down the days...5 days...