Has anyone gotten sick from the buffets?

[samiandsky]

Okay, seriously folks... has anyone heard of, or themselves gotten sick from any of the buffets at Disney? We booked all of the character buffets for our trip in 2 weeks and I've seen posts about how long the food sits out at Chef Mickeys, etc... so now I'm a little freaked? Sorry... but I am..... I would think that Disney would be careful about serving food that sat out too long, and kept careful eye on things, but I could be wrong.
Please be honest and give honest opinions about the buffets......
I was trying to give my kids as much character time as possible, thus is why I chose the buffets...

 

[Goosie Lucy]

we booked all character dinners as well and all were buffets. The food was great! We ate at Chef Mickey's on Monday and the food was great. In fact, CM was DH's favorite meal! Nobody got sick all week.
Hope you have as good a time as we did, we already miss it!

 

[Albertan mom]

OK, I may not be popular from saying this, but I don't think as many cases of reported food poisoning is really food poisoning.

I think sometimes your stomach gets upset or uneasy because you aren't used to the water there.

I think sometimes your stomach isn't used to all the rides, ups and downs, spinning around, and eventually it just feels yucky.

I think your stomach isn't used to drinking soda 2-3x a day, churros, popcorn and mickey bars and by nighttime, it is upset.

You are touching handles, railings, seatbelts and so many germ infested things that you could get a virus very easily. (plus 80% of people there got there by airplane--germ city) You don't wash your hands as often as you do at home.

Like most people, you aren't on a regular routine, so your bowels get 'irregular' and out of whack, and therefore your stomach feels yucky.

So most people that think they have food poisoning, for the most part probably only have one of the above.
Unless your whole family at the same thing and you are all vomitting 3 hours later, it probably isn't food poisoning.


That being said, on our last night we ate at Crystal Palace. I had an upset stomach that night, and felt nauseous all night. (but no vomitting). The rest of the 7 people in our party ate there and nobody else felt bad at all. So I would never jump to the assumption that it was food poisoning.

I would say this: stick to bottled water when possible, limit junk food (but still have fun--it is vacation!!), don't drink a ton of soda, wash your hands as much as possible, or use hand sanitizer, and listen to your body. It will tell you when to have a rest!

Have fun! The buffets are great! (and those places are soooo busy, the food doesn't have time to sit there for long periods of time!)

 

[kldmom2000]

With the buffets as crowded as they always appear to be when we go, I can't imagine the food having an opportunity to sit out for any period of time at all... we do the buffets all the time since they're the easiest with 2 picky eaters-no problems yet

 

[LindsayDunn228]

OK, I may not be popular from saying this, but I don't think as many cases of reported food poisoning is really food poisoning.

I think sometimes your stomach gets upset or uneasy because you aren't used to the water there.

I think sometimes your stomach isn't used to all the rides, ups and downs, spinning around, and eventually it just feels yucky.

I think your stomach isn't used to drinking soda 2-3x a day, churros, popcorn and mickey bars and by nighttime, it is upset.

You are touching handles, railings, seatbelts and so many germ infested things that you could get a virus very easily. (plus 80% of people there got there by airplane--germ city) You don't wash your hands as often as you do at home.

Like most people, you aren't on a regular routine, so your bowels get 'irregular' and out of whack, and therefore your stomach feels yucky.

So most people that think they have food poisoning, for the most part probably only have one of the above.
Unless your whole family at the same thing and you are all vomitting 3 hours later, it probably isn't food poisoning.


That being said, on our last night we ate at Crystal Palace. I had an upset stomach that night, and felt nauseous all night. (but no vomitting). The rest of the 7 people in our party ate there and nobody else felt bad at all. So I would never jump to the assumption that it was food poisoning.

I would say this: stick to bottled water when possible, limit junk food (but still have fun--it is vacation!!), don't drink a ton of soda, wash your hands as much as possible, or use hand sanitizer, and listen to your body. It will tell you when to have a rest!

Have fun! The buffets are great! (and those places are soooo busy, the food doesn't have time to sit there for long periods of time!)

What she said!

FTR, I have never gotten sick from the buffets.

 

[maslex]

We been to a few different buffets at Disney and nobody has ever got sick (and my DH has a very sensitive stomach)

Plus I'll echo what the others said.....these places are so busy that the food really doesn't have time to "sit and spoil".

 

[Princess Amy]

My husband got sick after eating at Ohanna's. Needless to say, we are not eating there again. He thinks it was the food. Although, I didn't get sick and everyone there eats the same meal. Who knows what it was, but dear husband refuses to eat there again. It is a good thing I didn't care for the food because he would have to be left out on that dinner.

 

[Merriwind]

I think Albertan Mom hit the nail on the head with her post. There's lots of stomach upset when traveling--for lots of reasons that aren't food poisoning. (True food poisoning is actually very rare.)

I did once spent a night in agony after eating at Boma. It was definitely the food--I ate way too much of it!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[GC&S]

No, we never have gotten sick. Well DH got sick once because he ate waaaaaaaay too much (but that was his fault so no sympathy from me).

 

[Newcastle]

I also agree with Albertan Mom. So many people assume that when they get sick at Disney, it must be due to food poisoning but it is more likely that they have caught some rampant stomach virus. I will say something though, I have a friend who owns a restaurant and he won't touch buffets! Not necessarily because of food spoiling issues but rather due to unhygienic serving practices of the guests who eat at these buffets. For example, you get people who will put the serving spoon right smack dab in the middle of the serving tray so that the handle, which has been touched by hundreds of inviduals, all of whom could potentially be carying a stomach virus, comes into direct contact with the food that you're about to eat! I can't tell you the number of times that I've seen young children help themselves to the cereal/candy at Chef Mickey's by thrusting their germy hands into the containers. Or, there's the classic, let's pick up a pastry with our hands and then decide that we don't want it, putting it right back onto the tray for the next unsuspecting bloak to pick up! That being said, I haven't starting avoiding buffets yet but it does kind of gross me out just thinking about it!! Just food for thought (no pun intended)!

 

[castleri]

While they usually aren't the times you might really want to eat if you make your resrvations for when the buffet starts serving a given meal at least the food has just been put out and there have been fewer people handling the serving utensils etc. We don't normally do buffets just because they don't appeal to us although we did do CM last year with DGSs age 1 1/2 and 4 and it was a good meal. We had a group of 10 and fortunately no one was sick. I agree that true food poisioning is rare. I had the misfortune to have it once and would not wish it on anyone. When we compared what we had eaten the only difference between my DH and I was the ham salad I had eaten and he hadn't. This was a buffet style Christmas party and I became ill within 3-4 hours of eating with both vomiting and diarrhea and severe abdominal pain that lasted until morning. I was ill with the pain and general exhaustion for several days after that which I attributed to the dehydration. I later learned that 40% of the people there that night became ill. I think it was the severe pain involved that made it stand out from any gastroenteritis I have ever had. If we do eat at buffets I try to look carefully to see if the food looks like it has been there overly long with signs such as skin on the gravy, meats that look dried out etc. I have not seen that at the three Disney buffets we have eaten at. There seems to more of the virus around that for awhile seemed to be prevalent on cruise ships and this may be one of the things jpeople are blaming the food for.

Enjoy your meals and have a great trip- Maybe you could change a couple of the buffets to places like the Garden Grill and Liberty Tree Travern that have characters but are not buffets if the characters are your reason for booking them.

 

[Albertan mom]

I also agree with Albertan Mom. So many people assume that when they get sick at Disney, it must be due to food poisoning but it is more likely that they have caught some rampant stomach virus. I will say something though, I have a friend who owns a restaurant and he won't touch buffets! Not necessarily because of food spoiling issues but rather due to unhygienic serving practices of the guests who eat at these buffets. For example, you get people who will put the serving spoon right smack dab in the middle of the serving tray so that the handle, which has been touched by hundreds of inviduals, all of whom could potentially be carying a stomach virus, comes into direct contact with the food that you're about to eat! I can't tell you the number of times that I've seen young children help themselves to the cereal/candy at Chef Mickey's by thrusting their germy hands into the containers. Or, there's the classic, let's pick up a pastry with our hands and then decide that we don't want it, putting it right back onto the tray for the next unsuspecting bloak to pick up! That being said, I haven't starting avoiding buffets yet but it does kind of gross me out just thinking about it!! Just food for thought (no pun intended)!

Oh ya, isn't that the truth!!

You touch it--you take it!!
I wish they would put out fresh tongs every time they change the dish. Hmmmm, gets me thinking about those dirty handles. Think people would look at me funny if I just used a clean fork to pick up the stuff I want? Just took my own (clean, unused) fork from dish to dish?
Because like PP said, tons of people with their unwashed germy hands touch the handle. Then I touch the handle. Then I pick up my bun, with dirty hands, that I had just washed before I went to the buffet!
Note to self--wash hands again after I get my food, before I touch it!

 

[disney1990]

Over the years, nobody in our group has ever been sick and we've eaten at a lot of buffets. Plus, I don't personally know anybody that has been sick after eating at a Disney buffet.

 

[pixiechick77]

Althought I agree that food poisoning is rare...we unfortunately had a true food poisoning experience a few years back. We went to a particular Disney buffet and hours later, one by one people from our party started getting sick (vomiting and terrible stomach cramps) and were sick for 24 hours. There were only 3 (out of 10) of us that survived and didn't get sick. We narrowed it down and all agreed that it was the chicken wings that were bad as that is the only food that the three of us didn't eat.
Needless to say that we will never go there again. We did call the resort the next day and were told that they had no other people report any food poisoning but we are convinced that it was the chicken wings.
So, I know that it doesn't happen often (thank goodness!) but it does happen.

 

[jimmalru80]

Nine trips, lots of buffets, never sick.

 

[the Fidge]

I entirely agree with ALberta! I usually get sick everytime I fly, I learned its not the flying as much as it is airborne viruses. WE always drive now it maybe longer but in the long run I am not losing 2 days to sickness.

ALso bear in mind germs in your rooms I use a sandwich bag that I put the rmote in and bring my own lysol wipes to use on lightswitches, drawpulls door knobs, lamp knobs and toilet shower and sink knobs. It may sound silly but for me I spend way too much time palnning and saving to lose time to being sick.

Call me a germ phob thats ok! I will not have my head in the toilet when you do!!!!

 

[starbox]

I will say something though, I have a friend who owns a restaurant and he won't touch buffets! Not necessarily because of food spoiling issues but rather due to unhygienic serving practices of the guests who eat at these buffets. For example, you get people who will put the serving spoon right smack dab in the middle of the serving tray so that the handle, which has been touched by hundreds of inviduals, all of whom could potentially be carying a stomach virus, comes into direct contact with the food that you're about to eat! I can't tell you the number of times that I've seen young children help themselves to the cereal/candy at Chef Mickey's by thrusting their germy hands into the containers.

Yup. I worked in food service for years and buffets totally creep me out - not because of the food, but because of other customers that don't wash their hands. I've seen such gross things in my day.

 

[ElizabethB]

Starbox is right. If you get sick from a buffet, it's likely not from the food. But, very likely it's from noro-virus, spread by unclean bathroom practices. Everyone touches the same tongs and utensils and that is likely to cause bacteria, like noro-virus, to spread. That's one reason that when cruise ships have a noro-virus outbreak, the first thing they do is put out hand sanitizers at the buffets and stop letting people serve themselves. They make the crew handle the utensils and put the food on people's plates.

The best way to avoid a noro-virus is washing your hands often. I've learned that from past experiences at WDW, on cruise ships and elsewhere.

Frankly, we try to avoid buffets as much as possible because we think they aren't very sanitary. If we're doing a character meal, we stick with those that plate the food and bring it to the table.

I'm not one much for the theory that different eating habits, water (Floridian?!), etc. cause illness. Rich foods might cause mild stomach upset/indigestion, but if you are so sick you want to die, you most likely have a noro-virus (unless you've contracted something like e-coli, which is a food borne illness).

 

[freshmanjs]

Starbox is right. If you get sick from a buffet, it's likely not from the food. But, very likely it's from noro-virus, spread by unclean bathroom practices. Everyone touches the same tongs and utensils and that is likely to cause bacteria, like noro-virus, to spread. That's one reason that when cruise ships have a noro-virus outbreak, the first thing they do is put out hand sanitizers at the buffets and stop letting people serve themselves. They make the crew handle the utensils and put the food on people's plates.

The best way to avoid a noro-virus is washing your hands often. I've learned that from past experiences at WDW, on cruise ships and elsewhere.

Frankly, we try to avoid buffets as much as possible because we think they aren't very sanitary. If we're doing a character meal, we stick with those that plate the food and bring it to the table.

I'm not one much for the theory that different eating habits, water (Floridian?!), etc. cause illness. Rich foods might cause mild stomach upset/indigestion, but if you are so sick you want to die, you most likely have a noro-virus (unless you've contracted something like e-coli, which is a food borne illness).

There are many other viral and bacterial infections that can cause stomach symptoms, not just noro.

 

[freshmanjs]

I entirely agree with ALberta! I usually get sick everytime I fly, I learned its not the flying as much as it is airborne viruses. WE always drive now it maybe longer but in the long run I am not losing 2 days to sickness.

ALso bear in mind germs in your rooms I use a sandwich bag that I put the rmote in and bring my own lysol wipes to use on lightswitches, drawpulls door knobs, lamp knobs and toilet shower and sink knobs. It may sound silly but for me I spend way too much time palnning and saving to lose time to being sick.

Call me a germ phob thats ok! I will not have my head in the toilet when you do!!!!

You get a 2 day illness after every flight? That is quite unusual. Must be some kind of immune deficiency. I know airborne germs are concentrated on planes, but that is quite a severe reaction.