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We found out DD5 was peanut and tree nut allergic just before our last trip. She had a horrible reaction to some pesto that shaved a few years off my life. The allergist was shocked we'd never been to the ER for this for her before b/c she's so highly allergic. I had the allergy info added to all of our ADRs. Each restaurant was different, but there was always special attention given to the allergy. In many cases, the chef came to our table to discuss allowable foods/give me a tour of the buffet, anything special they could do (offered to get me safe donuts or breads), etc. If you've already made your ADRs, call and have them add it too all of them.
We didn't do a ton of CS last trip, but we did utilize CS for snacks here and there. The standout moment was at Starring Rolls...they wouldn't serve her anything out of the case and didn't feel any of the cupcakes were safe, but they found her a brownie in the back that was OK for her to consume.
I am also happy to report that she didn't have a single reaction the entire trip.
DD5 also wears a medical alert bracelet when in the park...i.e. in case she gets lost they will know about her allergy before trying to feed her anything.
I have to say that I'm pretty nervous about CS for her just b/c there's just not as much you can control, so right now I have 2 TS per day planned. However, I know from reading other people's posts, the CS spots are pretty well versed in allergies. I read about one woman getting a kids meal for her child at Casey's and a CM ran to an area on MSUSA just so he could have a safe dessert with his meal.
Definitely check out DisAbilities as there is a lot of helpful info on there as well.
Our DS is 5.He was diagnosed at 23 months after testing.He is considered anaphylaxis to peanuts and has a less severe egg allergy that allows for eggs within baked goods. We travel often with DS including WDW. WDW is very careful with allergies but you need to know what you are looking for. Most baked goods and desserts are going to be off limits as most are made out of the facility and they will not guarantee safety of them. The only dessert we allowed DS was soft serve ice cream and ice pops. At sit downs, the chief will come out before any food, including the bread basket is brought to your table and talk with you. For us, we avoid most baked goods and dessert and avoid most Asian foods. We avoid all contains, many contain, may contain traces, made on the same equipment BUT we do allow made in the same facility. Our doctor oked this for US. A few places I have asked the chief if he would read the exact wording on a package to see if we were comfortable with the food. Some would, other preferred we avoid it all together. We tend to buy snacks, bagged and labeled in gift shops and we were good with many items. We allow the pop corn but I am not sure what the warning on it may be. At CS we just avoid the dessert and any Asian places and we have always been ok. The asian place may be ok, but we have never tried anywhere except out local place where they know DS by name
Epi-pen is no problem. You are going to have a diaper bag anyway with a toddler. We are NEVER without our pen. We travel with at least four but do not carry all of them into the parks. Know your child's protocol for benedryl and carry that if needed. We keep the single teaspoon packs.
Always carry snacks and treats for when she can not have what is available. For CS, we would take our dessert (never anything that had peanuts, but often a "may contain warning") out of the restaurant and purchase DS one of the pop-ice things he loved and eat dessert together.
In the big picture, PA are sometimes more scary that some other allergies, but often really much easier to handle once you are good at it!
Hugs and prayers, you will be fine!
I don't advise ever going anywhere with only one Epi Pen. The Epi Pen only buys you time until paramedics can arrive, so if they take longer than 15 min to get to you, you may need another dose of epi. Also, what if one pen malfunctions or something else happens to one of the pens? Better safe than sorry and always have two.
I bring 6 Epi Pens for my DD when we travel. I'm sure it's overkill, but it's what makes me feel comfortable, so that's what I do. Once you decide on how many to bring, be sure to pack all of them (as well as Benadryl and any other meds your DD may need) in your carryon. Never put those meds in your checked luggage.
As others have mentioned, you need to ask for the ingredient book at CS places. Sometimes this will result in you having to wait for a manager to talk to you. Other times, they will just give you the book (this is one area where there seems to be no consistency). Because you may have to wait for a manager, try to get to CS places before your DD is really hungry (we learned this the hard way). We had a really long wait a couple of times and the kids were starving and miserable.
At TS places, the chef will come to your table and go over buffet or menu choices with you. Sometimes the bread on the table is safe, but most often, it's not. We've been to a few places where the chef made DD some allergy safe rolls since she couldn't have the regular dinner rolls. Also, some places have given her some crackers to munch on while the rest of us are having the bread. Baked goods (both breakfast items and desserts) are tough. Most of them will be off limits due to ingredients or cross contamination. However, Tusker House has Krispy Kreme donuts on their buffet and they're safe, so we always make an ADR there. There were a few places where the desserts were made in house and DD could have them, but at most places she ended up with ice cream.
We always bring hand wipes so that DD can clean her hands before she eats. Between railings, ride lap bars, door handles, etc. you have no idea what you are touching and what allergens might be lurking there, so making sure hands are clean before eating can minimize risk.
We also bring safe snacks to the parks, but we seldom need them. We always seem to be able to find something for DD. We've even done the Wishes Dessert Party twice and both times they were able to provide safe desserts for her.
Nut allergies can be really scary at first, but you'll be fine! We've been dealing with DD's for 10 years now and Disney is the easiest vacation spot when dealing with food allergies.
Have fun!
