Magic Kingdom Bigtop- peanuts in walkways and allergies

[minnie mum]

Shakespeare's theater floor is covered with hazelnut shells. They have been there sense Shakespeare's time, and they are not rotten, and they are still there! Its possible, that's why I asked.

No one ever told you that the Shakespeare theatre isn't actually the original one? That it was built relatively recently? See what I mean about doing research?

 

[gigi1313]

Someone who could die from the mere exposure to peanut/tree nut residue would not be visiting WDW unless they were in a hazmat suit. I'm not making light of the peanut allergy just being very realistic.

My son had anaphylaxic peanut/tree nut allergies (ingestion, touch and/or airborne) and we visited WDW frequently... we used the same precautions we used everywhere else... "don't touch what doesn't belong to you," no eating anything w/out checking ingredients, be keen observers, clorox wipes for certain situations (i.e. airplane), etc... he does not go to WDW in a hazmat suit any more than he lives the rest of his life in a hazmat suit!

The only time we had a real issue was when a family in front of us on a line was eating shelled peanuts and dropping their shells on the floor and we had to follow that "trail" of shells... we did what we had to do, and turned around, left the line, asked a CM to please have someone do a clean up (this was an inside line btw, which brings up a whole 'nother topic for discussion!) so we could get back on line. The CM kindly let us through the FP line (not that we had asked) so we could ride then and there... it was a kind gesture and an example of Disney's consideration for allergy situations.

We visited the new area of Dumbo w/the peanuts in the ground in May and my 4yo got distressed and concerned as he had a peanut sensitivity (not allergy like my older son)... once assured that they were fake and harmless, we managed to salvage the day, but again, not without some distress and a LOT of reassurances. He was absolutely fine when we were there last week, didn't give it a second glance.

 

[minnie mum]

Just because someone has a disability doesn't mean they should be excluded. Proper precautions must be taken, thats all.

At Disney, said child rides in a wheelchair, not because he has any issue walking, but because it provides a barrier between the child and seats/the ground, touching railings, etc.
.

You actually consider an allergy to be a disabillity? You place your priceless little prince in a wheelchair to prevent him from touching the ground or anything else??? And you don't consider this an overreaction?? If this doesn't verge on paranoia I don't know what does. I think you need to stop trying to think for yourself- it's not working. Make an appointment with an allergist to review SENSIBLE precautions that you need to take. The bubble that you have built around your son is doing him a serious disservice.

 

[gigi1313]

Thank goodness all of these kids were tested and found out about their deathly allergy before they ever encountered a peanut.

nice... my son found out about his "deathly allergy" by having an anaphylaxic reaction... not a nice memory for him nor me, seeing my child mere minutes from death...

peanut/tree nut allergies are mostly cumulative... that means with each exposure the level of reaction gets more severe... we did not connect the dots that the rash he got on his face (at age 7) while flying was related to nuts... nor did we connect it again two months later when he got hives on his belly... but when he got the rash, the hives, the vomiting and the inability to pass air, we figured it out... it's not like i (or most allergy parents) just had our kids randomly tested so we'd have something to complain about!

 

[Sparkly]

And yet again, this board takes the exact same route as the others..

 

[North of Mouse]

I just read an article about the new big top at magic kingdom. One of the "features" is "peanuts embedded in the walkways"

http://wdwnews.com/releases/2012/12...sts-in-classic-disney-stories-magical-places/


Are these REAL peanuts? If so, what on earth were they thinking?!?!!? SO many kids we know have severe peanut allergies, they can't even be in the same room as a peanut without literally dying.

What about parents who don't realize that there will be peanuts there? It could be very dangerous!

Even if they aren't real peanuts, or if they are 'sealed in' or whatever, the whole idea as a parent of a food allergy child makes me very nervous to go there.

For real? Even fake peanuts?

 

[gigi1313]

So I only fly southwest, jet blue and virgin America.

Southwest serves peanuts... while they will make a "peanut free" flight announcement at the commencement of the flight, the flight before yours could easily have had peanuts served... we have found peanuts in the oddest places (but mostly down the back of the seat or in the seat-back pocket)... we also try to fly the first flight of the day (even if that means a 4am DME bus!) and do a pre-board/pre-wipe...

 

[bumbershoot]

Are these REAL peanuts? If so, what on earth were they thinking?!?!!? SO many kids we know have severe peanut allergies, they can't even be in the same room as a peanut without literally dying.

What about parents who don't realize that there will be peanuts there? It could be very dangerous!

Even if they aren't real peanuts, or if they are 'sealed in' or whatever, the whole idea as a parent of a food allergy child makes me very nervous to go there.

I just want to give you this :hug

Since it's not your son with the peanut allergy (from what you said later, I believe), sometimes it's easier to be more outraged when it doesn't directly affect you. I know I'm outraged by O'hana's menu change (ONLY peanut sauce now, and they put fruit that can cause allergies into the salad) when I have never had a plan to go there, and those changes wouldn't mess with us at all! I'm outraged for others, and sometimes that outrage can be stronger than for the families that will actually be affected.

And I undertsand the feeling. DS doesn't have allergies but he has a different sort of sensitivity to anything made with an ingredient based on corn syrup, and it bugged me the other night to watch a show where they were using corn syrup. It's just irksome (especially since it's such a cheap shortcut to make caramel, but I digress). And i bet I'll be annoyed to see the fake peanut shells, too.

My son does have reactions sometimes, and sometimes its because he has asked an adult the ingredients of a cracker, and they just say "oh yeah that doesnt have ___ in it" and they haven't really looked, or don't know the alternate words for that item (i.e. milk is called a ton of things other than 'milk', or maybe the adult just doesn't understand why the kid is asking. My kid can be too trusting and not understand himself that adults don't always understand allergies.

I'm sorry that he's been around adults who don't do due diligence. And it makes me so glad for the teens that work at the Y who have actually read, out loud, ingredients of things so that DS knows if he can eat things.

Shakespeare's theater floor is covered with hazelnut shells. They have been there sense Shakespeare's time, and they are not rotten, and they are still there! Its possible, that's why I asked.

Whoever gave you the tour didn't understand something. Just in a quick google...

for the original theater that burned down,

"There they stood on a floor, made either of mortar or a softer surface of ash mixed with hazelnut shells."

"spectators (called "groundlings") would either stand or sit on the ground to watch the performance. Groundlings would eat hazelnuts, oranges, and other snacks during performances, as evidenced by the discovery of nutshells and orange peels during the excavations."

"When combined with cinder and earth, they provided a tough floor surface—"so tough, indeed, that 400 years later archaeologists had to take a pick axe to it to penetrate it".[9] Initially the floor of the yard (including the area beneath the raised wooden stage) had a screeded mortar surface but when the building was extended a compacted layer of silt, ash and clinker, mixed with hazelnut shells, was used."

Nothing says that the remake copied that.

Yes.

We were at the zoo with my friends son at a play area and someone opened up one of those uncrustible sandwiches. He son didn't see it, didn't know it was there, but was coughing all of a sudden, we couldn't figure out what his issue was at first, took a while before another mom in our group spotted the cause. He was fine, because he wasn't too close to it and his mom gave him his medication and got him out of the area quickly, but it was outside, open air, and he didn't touch anything.

I've read repeatedly, by people with peanut problems, that the *oil*, the paste, doesn't cause airborne problems. That it's the *dust*, which isn't present in peanut butter, that causes the problems. So your friend's situation is different than what I've read repeatedly. Interesting.

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

Heck, they are in the ground, and if you arent looking for them, you may not even see them..i didnt see them until someone pointed the out to me lol

 

[Allison]

And yet again, this board takes the exact same route as the others..

You have said board a couple of times. Are you talking about the thread?

 

[larryz]

Real nuts couldn't be embedded in the ground because they would ROT and disintegrate. Full stop.

If the site of fake peanuts is going to be distressing to a child, then the parent has failed to explain to them the difference between real and fake. A real shark can kill you...but kids seemed to understand that the one in the JAWS ride was fake. A real gun can kill you...but kids grasp that the cannon fire and gun fire in PIRATES is fake.

If a child were to have a reaction to these fake nuts it would be a panic attack, not an allergic one. I have panic attacks when i see the witch from Snow White...should Disney stop using her likeness because of me and others who have a genuine fear of her and an actual physical reaction from just seeing her?

Happy 20,000th post!

 

[gigi1313]

You actually consider an allergy to be a disabillity?

FYI, Leighi is not alone in considering a food allergy a disability... the Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes peanut allergy as a disability.

 

[larryz]

Shakespeare's theater floor is covered with hazelnut shells. They have been there sense Shakespeare's time, and they are not rotten, and they are still there! Its possible, that's why I asked.

Not to worry -- apples and oranges... Hazelnuts are tree nuts, peanuts are actually legumes (beans).

Tree nuts have harder shells. It's a design "feature" to give squirrels something to do when they're not chasing you around for your french fries. Helicopter mechanics have been known to clean off their engines' turbine blades by throwing walnut shells into the intakes -- that's how hard tree nut shells can be!

 

[ohboyx3]

Obviously you don't understand the seriousness of allergies. I know it was hard for me to wrap my head around before I had an allergic child, its insane to think that a pb&j sandwich could kill someone, and no one thinks twice. But when you have a kid who suffers from allergies, it becomes a daily challenge that you have to deal with. It really really sucks but you just have to deal with it. Its not fair for you to judge if you don't understand what its really like.


Actually... I, myself, have a peanut allergy. I just never would think that Disney would ever risk putting their consumers at risk. It just seemed silly to even think it would be anything other than a prop.

 

[North of Mouse]

If I, or my child, had a peanut allergy so severe that just being in range of someone eating a peanut, or the smell of peanut butter, etc. could cause death, I don't think I could honestly go in crowds like Disney or the zoo.

Those are prime places (like many others) that these type foods are consumed by others. We almost always take trail mix with us which does contain some peanuts, have never even thought about allergies. It definitely isn't intentional to possibly harm someone, but it such a common thing.

I think, from reading about peanut allergies, that the main risk (sure there are rare exceptions) is *consuming* the peanut, kissing a person that has been eating them, or something very related --- not just being in the presence of them. I think the idea just makes some people very paranoid.

 

[Luvchefmic]

this thread is sad I was an emergency medical technician for over 20 years so I am wel aware of how life threatening anaphylactic shock brought on by an allergic reaction is

That being said, education & preparation are key You said you were doing research , with all due respect you call Disney any line and they can direct you to dept that knows

I can tell you love and want to protect your child but for me the sad part is the wheelchair to avoid surfaces people etc Sad because I do not consider an allergy a disability Can symptoms be disabling ? Of course I think though that a child can be so consumed with fear that emotional growth will be stunted and that will become the real disability

You can safely get him through childhood phydicslly but there may come a time when he feels so smothered he rebels

It reminded me of a movie put out in the 1970's starring John Travolta
'The boy in the plastic bubble'

I know its scary but IMHO there's a saying The road to hell is paved with good intentions

 

[GiJohnsGirl]

But...but... the image of an angel is itself an angel!

But seriously, I don't think Disney would be able to keep real peanuts intact with the type of abuse they'd take on the ground. Also I think if they considered the idea of using real peanuts it would fail the "is it safe?" test.

Nice doctor ref. Props.

 

[larryz]

Nice doctor ref. Props.

Oops... I thought it was a Gandalf ref...

 

[Sparkly]

You have said board a couple of times. Are you talking about the thread?

Oops, yes. Excuse my terminology.

 

[mousermerf]

If your child is that allergic then don't walk 10 yard directly north of Dumbo either...