ISO Experienced visitors selecting kids Gluten AND Dairy Free options

[mjasw263]

I've heard time and time again that Disney World is very accommodating to visitors with allergies. I've heard that the servers are extra sensitive to our needs, and the chefs always do a top notch job coming up with something. But I just need some confirmation from people who have actually gone through it.
My son is gluten AND dairy free. My daughter just Gluten free. As I review some posted menus, I don't see options there that fit my son. I heard they have gluten-free mickey waffles at Chef Mickeys - do they offer these waffles at all restaurants that carry regular mickey waffles?
I noticed at Cinderella's royal table, they offer chicken nuggets but they're not gluten free.

I'm just a bit worried now. Any experience, advice or words of reassurance?

 

[Mich123]

A friend of mine has celiac disease and is gluten and dairy free. He did really well at WDW and the chefs were very accommodating. He ate at Akershaus, California Grill, Artist Point, Sanaa and Riverside Mill.

I am allergic to celeriac and had the chef at CG talk to me and after a few minutes of listening to him recommend gluten free food, I had to explain that my issue was celeriac not celiac. So, the good news for you is that they definitely understand gluten free. Allergy to the root ball of celery, not so much!

 

[mjasw263]

A friend of mine has celiac disease and is gluten and dairy free. He did really well at WDW and the chefs were very accommodating. He ate at Akershaus, California Grill, Artist Point, Sanaa and Riverside Mill.

I am allergic to celeriac and had the chef at CG talk to me and after a few minutes of listening to him recommend gluten free food, I had to explain that my issue was celeriac not celiac. So, the good news for you is that they definitely understand gluten free. Allergy to the root ball of celery, not so much!

Oh my! I've never heard of a celeriac allergy! So no celery at all for you? Celery seasoning? Such a bummer!
Thanks for the info about gfdf. My kids are picky eaters on top of having allergies. So we have about 6 meals on rotation. Hopefully we can get vegan cheese there on gf bread for a "grilled cheese" sandwich.

 

[Mich123]

Luckily, I'm ok with the celery stalk, it's just the root that I'm extremely allergic to. It generally only makes appearances in fancy restaurants and French restaurants, so it's not usually an issue for me, but they did have it at CG the night I was there--both mashed and in a soup.

I wonder if you can call Disney to make further inquiries? I hope you and your kids have a great trip!

 

[rollo]

I took my son to WDW 2 years ago. He was 2 at the time and he was suffering from many allergies (eggs, milk, nuts, soy and shellfish). When I made reservations to the different restaurants we wanted to go to we listed all his allergies and had no problems at all. Actually, one of the Japanese restaurants we went to (we did the group hibachi meal) the head chef and a manager actually came out and talked to us prior to cooking the meal. They even separated his food, cleaned the grill and cooked his food before they cooked anything he was allergic to. We also had a great experience at O'Hana's in the Polynesian. We notified them when making the reservations about his allergies and again when we arrived the chef and a manager came out and talked to us and explained that they even have a separate kitchen area for people with food allergies! But what topped it all off was when we ordered desert, the chef bought out some ice cream he made for my son that had no dairy or soy in it at all. So, if you notify the restaurant prior to getting there (if possible) or as soon as you get there you should have no problems.

 

[mjasw263]

I took my son to WDW 2 years ago. He was 2 at the time and he was suffering from many allergies (eggs, milk, nuts, soy and shellfish). When I made reservations to the different restaurants we wanted to go to we listed all his allergies and had no problems at all. Actually, one of the Japanese restaurants we went to (we did the group hibachi meal) the head chef and a manager actually came out and talked to us prior to cooking the meal. They even separated his food, cleaned the grill and cooked his food before they cooked anything he was allergic to. We also had a great experience at O'Hana's in the Polynesian. We notified them when making the reservations about his allergies and again when we arrived the chef and a manager came out and talked to us and explained that they even have a separate kitchen area for people with food allergies! But what topped it all off was when we ordered desert, the chef bought out some ice cream he made for my son that had no dairy or soy in it at all. So, if you notify the restaurant prior to getting there (if possible) or as soon as you get there you should have no problems.

That is amazing!! What a reassuring testimony! Thank you! We do have the allergies linked to our reservations. Is there anything else we can do, besides remind them at the time of arrival? Everyone I've spoken to about this said "let them know ahead of time," so does that mean calling the restaurant and asking them to have certain foods (like vegan cheese) in stock? Or just linking the allergy to the wrist band is enough?

 

[rollo]

It can never hurt to remind the restaurant prior to you getting to WDW. You can email them a reminder a few days before you arrive and also let the hotel receptionist know when you check in. I did that and I also notified the consierge at the hotel and asked if she could check and ensure that my son's needs would be met. If you want certain food items like the vegan cheese, email Disney dining and see if they can accommodate. But, we mindful that some CM's aren't as cheerful as others and may give you an answer just to get you off the phone so follow-up prior to leaving and again when you arrive. Good Luck!

 

[cutigerlady]

My son loved all of the extra special treatment he got from all of the chefs. They made him feel so special and he never realized why it was happening. He had gluten issues. He doesn't drink dairy, but he can tolerate small amounts of cooked dairy and he isn't allergic to milk.

The only place we had trouble was via Napoli because the only option they had was pasta and he wanted pizza like everyone else.

I read threads on allergy food reports, so I had an idea what was possible. Dessert is going to be the hardest part for you, so plan ahead and bring some treats from home that are safe. We got around this by letting him have Fruit Popsicles or frozen slushies during the day.

Good luck! We found Disney is so much easier than any place at home!

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

My youngest daughter has intolerances to gluten and dairy (as well as several other foods). In general, the special diets team will not forward your info to chefs these days if you have 1 or 2 allergies in the common 'top 8'. They may send you a pdf list of alternative allergy food options available throughout the parks and resorts but those change frequently so get an updated list closer to your travel date. It won't say 'gf/df grilled cheese' but it will say if a location carries vegan cheese and what brand, same thing for the bread. The locations where you can find allergy chicken tenders can also be found on the pdf.

Table service restaurants are able to handle a gluten and dairy allergy without any notice and give at least 1 or 2 entree options but depending on the eating habits of your child they may not be appealing. We haven't had any issues finding options for my daughter and nephews on our multiple trips.

Also, not all locations with Mickey waffles have a gluten free version. I know that Crystal Palace does not have gf/df Mickey waffles, they serve Vann's frozen waffles instead. You can't get any allergy waffles in Magic Kingdom unfortunately.

Since they've gotten so good at gf/df options and the new allergy menus, in my experience they seemed to have pulled back on chefs coming out to your table or being able to speak with chefs in advance. They have increased their advanced dessert options and I've been able to order gf/df cakes, cupcakes and even a Cinderella slipper dessert!

There's a gf/df in Disney blog as well as a Disney chefs rock food allergies group that may be helpful. You also may get more answers posting on the Disabilities forum. Best of luck!

 

[canadiandisneynut]

We have travelled four years in a row and both my daughter and I have eaten gluten free dairy free everytime. Mark your reservations as such and the chef will come to your table and be able to create a meal! We have had the waffles at Akershus, Tuskers, Mickeys, 1900 Park Fare. We are always offered freshly made eggs that have not been exposed to butter or milk. For dinners, we are often offered fresh meat, potatoes prepared just for us, fresh vegetables. At buffets, the chef will always show us what we can have on the spread and then will make us special items and always special dessert. In our experience, 1900 Park Fare is an excellent option for both a breakfast and dinner visit, Cinderellas Royal Table as fantastic as well.
For Quick Service, do some blogging. We make sure that we are aware of which restaurants have options for us close by on a park map. We also tend to eat earlier for lunch so that when we approach a cast member for special menu, they are not bogged down. We have had excellent experience at MK and Epcot especially
Here are some great resources
http://www.glutenfreedairyfreewdw.com
http://www.allergyfreemouse.com/top-8-allergies/dairy-milk-allergy/
http://www.glutenanddairyfree.com/restaurants.html

 

[InTheWick]

The last poster added some great links... My son has allergies to wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, nuts, shellfish, and beef. We've taken him to Disney three times, soon to be four, and I can't think of another place that caters to his every need. I just wanted to add the following: Many sit down restaurants now offer Rice Dream "ice cream" as a dessert. He eats it at home and we were so excited to find it available at many dinners. We also saw that they are adding Enjoy Life cookies, which cover all of the big allergies. These things may not always be on the menu, but could be offered if they know you have an allergy. We actually pack a carry on with some of his "safe" snacks and ziplock bags to bring into the parks. As he eats them, it makes room for souvenirs. The table service restaurants are easier to deal with food allergies than the quick service. The other thing we've learned is that not every restaurant in Epcot is owned and operated by Disney. Those restaurants we've found can't always accommodate allergies as well as the Disney ones. I think allergy free mouse has a list of those restaurants. Good luck and enjoy your trip!!!