Has anyone else ever gotten sick after eating at Chef Mickey's for dinner?

[ptrbryant]

Okay, I really don't post negative things on these boards--mainly because nearly all my WDW experiences have been VERY positive ones! BUT, as I think back on my dinner experience at Chef Mickey's, I'm becoming paranoid about going back there--even though the character interaction was fantastic!
When we were there for dinner in January, I actually recalled a post here about several people getting ill from eating the shrimp at CM's. Since we'd just begun our trip, I scrupulously avoided the shrimp. I had some prime rib, the mashed potatoes, some veg and the chocolate mousse pie (?) for dessert. By the time two hours were passed, I was doubled over with nausea and stomach cramps that lasted until early morning hours. LUCKILY, I felt alright the next day, so it actually didn't interfere with our trip.
But, given what I'd eaten, what could have gone "bad"? Could the reaction have simply been because I'm not used to eating so much rich food at once? Could it have been the 2 pitchers of iced tea? Any advice to help me brave CM's again---or has anyone else had a similar incident?
Thanks!
Karla B.

 

[georgina]

No.

Didn't get sick after eating at chef mickey's, and we are planning to go back for dinner again next trip. Must admit we didn't eat the shrimp, though. I sometimes get stomach troubles after eating fast food-type meals in theme parks all day, too much fat and grease! I wouldn't be too quick to blame chef mickey's if I did have stomach cramps, I would think about what else I had eaten that day too. Traveling often does strange things to my insides.

 

[Planogirl]

I've eaten at Chef Mickey's a few times and while I didn't care much for the food, it never made me sick. I do tend to get fussy tummy aches whenever I travel though. I agree that it's probably from eating too much rich and greasy food.

 

[Disney Freak Numero Uno]

My husband and I ate breakfast there on Easter Sunday along with my brother-in-law and nieces and nephews. I was sick the next day. Since we ate in several other places that day and the day before, I can't say for sure that it was Chef Mickey's. However, I will definitely be avoiding the buffets from now on. There are too many people, including very young children, and all handle the utensils. Maybe they should set up the buffets so that there is someone there to serve the food instead of letting guests serve themselves.

 

[allicat]

Luckily, never! And DD and DH eat their share of the shrimp at Chef Mickey's.

 

[cinmell]

We've been to Chef Mickey's several times over the years and I've never been sick from it. The only time I've ever been sick from the food at WDW was Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney.

 

[dznyntnh]

It would usually take more than two hours for you to get food poisoning.

You would usually be looking at where you ate 24 hours or so before.

Often times though, the first day or two you are traveling you can get a 'sour stomach' for a variety of reasons: different foods, stress (even if you don't 'feel' stressed) and eating at a different time.

This has happened to me often when traveling. When I was in college it would always happen the first day or two back on campus.

I wouldn't blame Chef Mickey's on this, I would just make sure to pack some tums and/or immodium, both work very well.

 

[DisneyVillain]

Food poisoning in 2 hours is very rare. 6-12 is more common, and possible up to 24. What did you eat for breakfast and lunch?

 

[ptrbryant]

I tend to agree it may have been the big dose of rich food rather than food poisoning...earlier that day, I had a bagel for breakfast (in our hotel room, we'd bought a bag of bagels the day before and no problem from them) and we'd had lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern--the yummy salad with chicken and apples.
Actually, just for the record, I realized I'd made a mistake earlier in my post---I said "after a couple of hours", but we'd had reservations at CM's for 5:00 and had watched fireworks from the observation deck at the CT...it probably was more like 4-5 hours before I had symptoms. However, as I said, I think it was the richness/fat content overload that did it!
You guys have convinced me to try CM's again and just be mindful of what I'm loading up on!
Thanks!
Karla B.

 

[Local_Girl]

Yes, my DH believes he got sick from the shrimp at Chef Mickey's. We had dinner there and he had a lot of shrimp (LOL!!) and the next morning he had major cramping and felt awful. The kids and I didn't eat the shrimp and we were fine. He has had food poisoning before so he knows what it's like...and this was it.

I know such things can happen anywhere, but DH isn't interested in returning to CM anytime soon. The rest of the meal was okay, as was the character interaction, but it wasn't exceptional and we want to try other places.

 

[epcotfan]

I've avoided buffets after a bad experience at Hollywood & Vine. It is likely you picked up rotovirus or some other culprit from the shared utensils used to select food. Many people do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom. (I saw another fine example whilist shopping the other day. The woman was clearly doing #2 and was in the stall forever. She flushed and then hurried out without washing her hands. YUCK.)

I recall a thread where someone mentioned a woman who changed her baby's diaper in Chef Mickey's. She then went to the buffet without washing her hands.

Some children (and adults) will also pick up food, check it out, and then put it back.

The less people handling my food the better. I prefer counter service and Al La Carte restaurants for that reason.

 

[princessariel]

None of my family has ever gotten sick from Chef Mickey's. But DH got very sick one trip and insists it was from eating at the Crystal Palace buffet. He is a big seafood lover. He tried a few dishes with shrimp in them. On the other hand, I don't eat seafood. So when he got so sick he couldn't get out of bed the next morning, he blamed it on the shrimp. He stayed in bed all day. That trip it was just the 2 of us. So it really was the pits. I went shopping while he slept. I always pack a small drugs store before we leave home now.

 

[Geoff_M]

But DH got very sick one trip and insists it was from eating at the Crystal Palace buffet.

Again, due to the incubation periods, it's almost impossible to self-diagnose food poisoning unless you have evidence of improper food storage or handling. Most people assume it was the last meal they ate, when the AVERAGE length of time from exposure to the on-set of symptoms is 24 hours. You can't just "know" it was a certain food item.

 

[princessariel]

We ate lunch at Crystal Palace say, noon. It was the middle of the night he started to get sick. He was sick the whole next day. Call it a virus or whatever, I'll never get him to go back there again.

 

[ptrbryant]

While this is a bit off-topic, I started the thread, so maybe I can do that!?!?
Anyway, I've had two medically-confirmed cases of food poisoning in my life---fortunately, never needed hospitalization, but in both cases, the symptoms began within 8 hours of eating the contaminated food, not 24. Once, it was traced to salmonella in chicken and the other time, it was mayonnaise that had been spoiled. All other foods eaten in the previous 48 hours had been ruled out. As a matter of fact, the doctor told me that food poisoning usually hits in much LESS than 24 hours. But, I suppose everyone's doctor can have a different opinion, too.
JMHO!
Karla B.

 

[sharbear]

I know this sounds crazy but I have sensitivity to certain food additives. When I eat certain things that are highly processed or have meat tenderizer on them it will give me severe stomach cramps almost immediately. My sister and I have a problem with prime rib. Neither one of us can stomach it. I think that it is the meat tenderizer or the au jus that makes us sick. It's different that food poisoning in that only I get sick, and it happens every time I eat certain foods.

 

[ptrbryant]

Good point, SharBear!
There's SO much garbage and chemicals added to foods everywhere that I think many of us are developing sensitivities. Prime rib is an excellent example, as is chicken you get in a restaurant that's so processed with sodium and additives that the compressed meat doesn't even have any texture!
Karla B.

 

[Geoff_M]

ptrbryant,

My point is that a lot of innocent restaurants get blamed for poisoning people when the stricken assume it was the last meal that they ate that made them sick. Whether the average length of time is 24, 12, or 8 hours, that's still longer than most people go between meals. Unless you can recall something like "I probably shouldn't have eaten that mayo that was sitting out in the sun", you can't really "know" what made you sick if your illness was due to food poisoning. You can have a hunch, or make an educated guess, but food poisoning is a serious charge to level against an eating establishment and in all fairness people ought to be sure before going public with their speculation.

Report your illness to the places you ate and to the health department. They can follow up and possibly confirm the cause, like in the two cases you previously experienced. Maybe it was an extremely agressive case of poisoning, maybe it was the richness, or maybe it was a reaction to some seasoning, or maybe it was the two pitchers of ice tea. I know you didn't mean it, but one of the impacts of your post was undoubtly cause some people here to change their dining plans away from CM's.

I can understand if you no longer wish to eat there. Psychology is a strong thing. When I was a kid my mom gave me chocolate pudding with pecans in it one time when I wasn't feeling well. Afterwards I got sick, and even though I rationally know that it wasn't the pudding that made me ill, the thought of that pudding/nut combination still makes me a bit green around the gills when I think of it.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I agree with Geoff! It really is impossible to pinpoint a food unless other people have reported a problem and it can be traced. If it really is food poisoning, there will be many other cases.
Many times overeating, food sensitivities, or a virus are blamed on food poisoning.

 

[susy]

I've noticed that I get sick after eating "greasy" foods- even though they don't look or taste greasy! Gall Stones might be to blame in my case. I agree that it might just be stress or just eating "differently" or "more" on vacation. Sometimes it is the food, but sometimes it is US!!! My mom saw a show about gall stones and it said that most women (when they do autopsies) have them and never even know it!! I had two aunts die from this (way back when).