Hollywood & Vine...Never Again!!

[BCVBRUCE]

Originally posted by DeeCeeSW
.....We needed to see a chef due to my DS and his food allergies--the chef came out yawning and said to our waitperson and us, "Boy, am I tired." He apparently was too tired to make/bring us anything special from the kitchen (my DS cannot eat wheat, eggs or nuts, so he has a limited diet), so he told us what was "safe to eat" from the buffet. My son broke out in a rash almost immediately after consuming his "safe food.".....

I am sorry this happened to you. However, if you or anyone in family has any dietary concern/restrictions, it is best to call the WDW restaraunt that you will be dining, at least 24hrs in advance, with any dietary concerns you may have. Most of the time, the restaraunt will make a concerted effort to accomodate you and this will also ensure they have sufficient time to meet your needs.

If you did do what I suggested, then that is a real problem.

Bruce

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I have been averaging two trips a year to WDW for the past three years, with my DS with food allergies. I have always had the allergies noted in the original PS when its made, then I call the chefs one week prior, and I always speak to the CM and chef once I get to the restaurant--a three step process. So this is a process I am used to, and it usually works. Unfortunately, this did not work out at Hollywood & Vine. As I mentioned, I had a chef who was "sleepy" and did not want to make the effort to prepare something special for my son, so he just casually took me to the buffet to tell me what was "safe." My DH and I had some reservations about this, and we should have trusted our gut instinct. Instead, we gave our DS some green beans that were on the buffet. Turns out they were made in a pan that previously had shrimp and pasta cooked and served in it. So I guess one can assume that pans are not washed properly? Who knows. We have never had a bad experience anywhere else on property.

 

[BCVBRUCE]

Originally posted by DeeCeeSW
I have been averaging two trips a year to WDW for the past three years, with my DS with food allergies. I have always had the allergies noted in the original PS when its made, then I call the chefs one week prior, and I always speak to the CM and chef once I get to the restaurant--a three step process. So this is a process I am used to, and it usually works. Unfortunately, this did not work out at Hollywood & Vine.

I agree 100% with your frustration. I think it is completely unacceptable what happened to you, especially after telling them three times.

My daughter is highly allergic to shellfish. Eating something cooked in the same pan as shellfish will have a similar effect you described.

I pretty much do the same notification process as you and up to now I have had no issues. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Have Fun,
Bruce

 

[kaceyisme]

DeeCeeSW - I really feel for you. My son also has a food allergy (peanuts) and I go through the same three step process of notifying the restaurants of his allergy. We have always had great experiences and have never had a problem. I'm so sorry that you did, after making every effort to make your son safe. It just gives me chills thinking about what could happen! If my son is given something that has touched peanuts - he could die! I don't think some people realize the enormity of trust that we put in them and that chef that was so "tired" could have really hurt your son! Some people think that hives are just an irritant, but if he had eaten more of his allergen, his reaction could have been much worse.

I hope you reported this to management, so that all people with allergies will be safe in the future!

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Kacey--thanks for your kind words, and I do know what you go through. Thank goodness my son's little throat didn't close up in the middle of the night (!) as he woke up that next day completely swollen and we had to rush him to the emergency room in Orlando. After that experience, my son experienced hives on and off for two months. He was put on liquid steroids and had to be weaned off of them. I IMMEDIATELY contacted Disney and they investigated the situation and came to the conclusion that was posted earlier (mixed pans). Disney took care of our medical expenses and accomodated us in other ways (I cannot discuss specifics) and it also (most importantly) forced Disney to re-inservice their chefs on the issue of food allergies. I know this was done bc we returned to WDW 3 months after the incident and were told directly from the chefs that a lot of changes had been made. I trust the restaurants completely, this was an isolated incident. I'm sure that they are taking precautions at H&V, but just do yourself a favor and trust your instincts. It's better to have something prepared in the back than pick off the buffet. There is always a risk of cross-contamination at any buffet.

 

[kaceyisme]

DeeCeeSW - I'm glad that they made a lot of improvements, but I'm sorry that it was at your son's expense. I hope he is ok now, and hasn't had any lasting effects or bad memories of Disney because of it.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Thanks Kacey, he is doing well. We have made two trips to WDW since that incident, without further incident. He was in discomfort, but the meds helped a lot and there have been no lasting effects. We were probably more upset than he was (with due cause). He is looking forward to the next time he can have "big chicken (the wings on the lazy susan) and salad" at Ohana as well as the "special pizza" at Chef Mickey's.

 

[Minky]

I am so sorry to hear about all these bad experiences

This is actually one of my favorite places to eat!! I LOVED the food, service was flawless, everything was great! I liked it so much we had lunch there the next day!

 

[lovelyk68]

DeeCee, I am so sorry to hear about your terrible experience. Thank God your son is ok now!

This restaurant has always gotten such mixed reviews. The last time we were there was in Dec 2002 (and we all know how things change) and the food was hot and excellent. My whole family was impressed with the variety and selection that they offered. I did notice that the buffet area was a little on the messy side, but not enough to cause a concern.

That said, I doubt we will go back since they have done away with the characters, it sounds so hit or miss now, and there are sooooo many place to eat in the World. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Kim

 

[rocketriter]

Maybe it's the Fantasmic package. Last week we did that at Mama Melrose and it was the only poor meal of the week. The problem wasn't the recipes. It was the vanishing waiter, who was nowhere to be found for 45 minutes at a time. It took 90 minutes for our party of 11 to get our main courses. Mine was pasta that had obviously sat under a heat lamp so long it had begun to mutate. Of course, the tip was built into the bill, so what did the waiter care??

 

[JustHolly]

We had a similar experience there a year ago. Previously we had always had good experiences there. I don't know what happened... I think it really went downhill after they stopped doing the character breakfasts.

Yuk! Avoid this place!