Mickey ice cream bars and Special Diets Team rant

[cinderella73]

There has been a lot of confusion about the Mickey ice cream bars. For the last 4 years we were told they were safe by Disney. But because I didnt want to take chances I called Nestle anyway. I got the standard " We clean the lines etc. but cant promise anything . " thing. I told them Disney swore to me the Mickey bars were made on a separate line. The woman told me to hold and came back 10 minutes later with a "Yes, the Mickey bars and Itsakadoozie ice pops are both made on dedicated lines."

So I figured okay, I would let my extremely allergic son have them. And I did , no problems. Fast foward to this year and I get a woman that says they are not safe. I question her and ask if there was a policy change as they used to be safe. " Not that I am aware of" she says. I was pretty upset thinking someone is really getting things wrong here. Then even though I intended to call Nestle I just figured I would play it safe and keep my kid away from them.

Next week I see a friend with a PN allergic child posted pics from her Disney cruise and her daughter was eating the Mickey bars. No one told her they were not safe anymore?!

I am calling Nestle now. I dont think I would ever want to let my kid have them after this but I am not happy with Disneys new special diets people on any level.

BTW Pizza Planet is not safe anymore either. I am told now that the gluten free pizza is made in a dedicated oven but has nut warnings. And the other ovens bake cookies with nut warnings.

At Art of Animation we were told they could not prepare anything safe for my child with a PN/TN allergy because even the pizza oven had stuff with pine nuts bakes in them. The snacks they carried catered to gluten free but not nut free. The chef was a absolute sweetheart and gave us a entire package of gluten free muffins that said no nuts ( but not made in a a nut free facility) and my sons throat was itchy afterward so we didnt let him have anymore. had to go to Wilderness Lodge Resort to feed him.

There are still some really great sweet people at Disney that really try to help . But it seems Disney needs to retrain or rehire their Special Diets Team and realize that gluten free is not always nut free. I miss all the great products they used to have. I heard they were just voted one of the top places to visit with a gluten allergy. Sure not if you have a nut one though anymore. (Correction- They are still great compared to most places. But sadly declining fast.)

Columbia Harbor house has a new manager from when I went years ago and they are back on their game again. Had some great experiences there.

Sorry If I rambled a bit. Typing as I am getting my hair done. I wanted to add that I just moved down here 5 minutes from the parks so I will try to start up some kind of list with our experiences each week.

 

[jennifer in canada]

Thank you for this post.....will be following it further as we are travelling to disney in may after a year break. Had nothing but positive experiences in our first two trips but have read a few posts lately and am nervous this time around as it seems the special diets team members have changed and people are being given conflicting information.

Peanuts and tree nuts (along with egg, kiwi, oats, fish and shellfish) are anaphylactic allergens for us and not taken lightly. I was hoping the mickey bars were safe but I cannot take that chance. We have had two major scares (thankfully not at disney) and not ones I wish to have again!! It is horrifying watching your child's mouth and face swell up, and gasping for air as they cannot breath. Some people truly do not understand what can happen.....

 

[disfan07]

See I've always had a completely different experience with the Mickey bars. I have NEVER been told that they were safe for me. But I also avoid made in the same facility so even if they were made on a dedicated line I still wouldn't eat them.

We must have been very lucky this past trip because I got nothing but exceptional service with my allergies. I am anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, shellfish and also allergic to soy, wheat, oats, coconut, broccoli, sesame. The chefs were wonderful and I ate very very well. Only had one reaction and that was my fault (decided to try something with soy the first night....had just been diagnosed with a very mild soy allergy but had not had a reaction previously...I had a reaction that night....after that, no more soy and no more reactions)

 

[cinderella73]

Thank you for this post.....will be following it further as we are travelling to disney in may after a year break. Had nothing but positive experiences in our first two trips but have read a few posts lately and am nervous this time around as it seems the special diets team members have changed and people are being given conflicting information.

Peanuts and tree nuts (along with egg, kiwi, oats, fish and shellfish) are anaphylactic allergens for us and not taken lightly. I was hoping the mickey bars were safe but I cannot take that chance. We have had two major scares (thankfully not at disney) and not ones I wish to have again!! It is horrifying watching your child's mouth and face swell up, and gasping for air as they cannot breath. Some people truly do not understand what can happen.....

I totally understand. Its hard for others I guess sometimes to grasp the severity of it if they have had no experience with it. Still if its their job , then it should be pretty clear to them how important it is that they give us clear information. I tried to call Nestle yesterday but they were closed. I am calling today and will post back with what I hear. I will make sure that I get a post started just listing off our different experiences. It always depends on the manager working but it might help some if I post up to date experiences. Oh and dont worry. I did sent a bit but there are some great people who will be extremely helpful and kind about everything. I was just sad to see the decline in what was once outstanding care. If you have any specific questions about certain places feel free to ask. Theer are a lot of places we still havent eaten but we are working on it! lol ( I dont take my kids everywhere, but when I visit with my daughter we always ask about PN/TN free options for next time so we are not always trying new places with them. We tend to stick with the same safe ones we have known.

See I've always had a completely different experience with the Mickey bars. I have NEVER been told that they were safe for me. But I also avoid made in the same facility so even if they were made on a dedicated line I still wouldn't eat them.

We must have been very lucky this past trip because I got nothing but exceptional service with my allergies. I am anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, shellfish and also allergic to soy, wheat, oats, coconut, broccoli, sesame. The chefs were wonderful and I ate very very well. Only had one reaction and that was my fault (decided to try something with soy the first night....had just been diagnosed with a very mild soy allergy but had not had a reaction previously...I had a reaction that night....after that, no more soy and no more reactions)

We always have and always will avoiding anything that made on shared lines or even just in the same facility. I went back into my email and sure enough was a email from Disney stating the Mickey Bars were safe for PN/TN. I dont want to paste and copy it because I believe it states you are not allowed to.

I mean things might have just changed. Its okay if they have , but I was told no it was always that way and that means someone at some point was very wrong. Coming from them its kind of scary. Its their job to know. The person I spoke with didn't seem to want to be bothered in answering a few questions.

I am glad you had some great experiences and I dont want to make it seem like we haven't either. We have had some great ones, but its been getting less and less so. Did you do mostly sit down meals? It seems that they are most accommodating with table service .

Again we have a few great counter services but I was really upset when we had to trek all over HS to find a safe quick service , couldn't feed anyone at our hotel, etc. . If special diets had told me more before I arrived I could have anticipated what to bring , or rather book at another hotel like Wilderness Lodge that could actually feed us.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

i work at a small park in Pa in food & bev. last season the warning wording on some items changed. from what we were told nothing changed but the wording. the dedicated line may be close enough in plant for cross cantamation. someone in office answering the phone probably has no idea of what happens in the plant if even at the same plant or building. noy saying this is the same as what happened to you, just letting you know what i saw last season.

 

[disfan07]

I totally understand. Its hard for others I guess sometimes to grasp the severity of it if they have had no experience with it. Still if its their job , then it should be pretty clear to them how important it is that they give us clear information. I tried to call Nestle yesterday but they were closed. I am calling today and will post back with what I hear. I will make sure that I get a post started just listing off our different experiences. It always depends on the manager working but it might help some if I post up to date experiences. Oh and dont worry. I did sent a bit but there are some great people who will be extremely helpful and kind about everything. I was just sad to see the decline in what was once outstanding care. If you have any specific questions about certain places feel free to ask. Theer are a lot of places we still havent eaten but we are working on it! lol ( I dont take my kids everywhere, but when I visit with my daughter we always ask about PN/TN free options for next time so we are not always trying new places with them. We tend to stick with the same safe ones we have known.



We always have and always will avoiding anything that made on shared lines or even just in the same facility. I went back into my email and sure enough was a email from Disney stating the Mickey Bars were safe for PN/TN. I dont want to paste and copy it because I believe it states you are not allowed to.

I mean things might have just changed. Its okay if they have , but I was told no it was always that way and that means someone at some point was very wrong. Coming from them its kind of scary. Its their job to know. The person I spoke with didn't seem to want to be bothered in answering a few questions.

I am glad you had some great experiences and I dont want to make it seem like we haven't either. We have had some great ones, but its been getting less and less so. Did you do mostly sit down meals? It seems that they are most accommodating with table service .

Again we have a few great counter services but I was really upset when we had to trek all over HS to find a safe quick service , couldn't feed anyone at our hotel, etc. . If special diets had told me more before I arrived I could have anticipated what to bring , or rather book at another hotel like Wilderness Lodge that could actually feed us.

We did half TS half QS.

Table service:
Crystal palace (twice)
1900 park fare
The plaza
50s prime time
Sci Fi dine in

Counter service:
Sunshine seasons
Columbia harbor house
Cosmic rays
Studio catering company
POP century food court
Art of Animation food court

Some places we're more limited than others but I was always able to find something to eat.

BUT I also went with the expectation that I would not be able to eat any "treats" while there. I brought my own treats. Cookies, brownies, popcorn, etc. babycakesnyc is not safe for me either.

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to get an allergen free brownie with safe ice cream at crystal palace, enjoy life cookies with ice cream and surf sweet treats at 1900 park fare. I was offered dessert at all TS places but I didn't eat it at anywhere else because I was too full.

All the QS places had enjoy life cookies (which I personally LOVE) and some places had rocky mountain popcorn which is nut and gluten free.

But I have to admit that I've never emailed special diets before a trip. Even with all my allergies I've never seen it to be necessary. But that is a personal choice. Sme people are more comfortable with emailing. I just know that things can change on a whim and what I find out beforehand might not be true when I get there. But it's personal choice and personal preference. All I know is that it was so great to be able to eat out for a week. I can't eat out at home. We haven't found safe restaurants here.

 

[jennifer in canada]

Both years we visited I spoke with special diets and was told both times they were not safe, so we avoided the Mickey bars altogether. Looks like we will be doing the same this time.

All of the table service meals we had were great, chefs were all fantastic. But, like you said, it depends on the chef. Crystal Palace chef was the best we experienced both trips, the second trip he even specially made Mac and cheese that my son could eat and a huge chocolate brownie dessert that he specially makes in the kitchen himself. We ate at CRT the first year no issues, wilderness lodge whispering canyon cafe was great as well as Ohana breakfast.

We usually stick with favorites when we feel comfortable there but hoping to try a few new dining places this year.

 

[disfan07]

Both years we visited I spoke with special diets and was told both times they were not safe, so we avoided the Mickey bars altogether. Looks like we will be doing the same this time.

All of the table service meals we had were great, chefs were all fantastic. But, like you said, it depends on the chef. Crystal Palace chef was the best we experienced both trips, the second trip he even specially made Mac and cheese that my son could eat and a huge chocolate brownie dessert that he specially makes in the kitchen himself. We ate at CRT the first year no issues, wilderness lodge whispering canyon cafe was great as well as Ohana breakfast.

We usually stick with favorites when we feel comfortable there but hoping to try a few new dining places this year.

I wonder if you had the same chef at crystal palace that we did. The brownie was so dang amazing!!

Gluten free, egg free, nut free, dairy free, soy free.....OMG it was wonderful. I was so sick later that day from eating the whole thing but crystal palace was absolutely amazing!

I also personally don't trust nestle at all. I think their labeling is terrible. But that is a personal opinion. Ive never been satisfied with answers I've gotten from Nestlé about their products.

 

[cinderella73]

We did half TS half QS.

Table service:
Crystal palace (twice)
1900 park fare
The plaza
50s prime time
Sci Fi dine in

Counter service:
Sunshine seasons
Columbia harbor house
Cosmic rays
Studio catering company
POP century food court
Art of Animation food court

Some places we're more limited than others but I was always able to find something to eat.

BUT I also went with the expectation that I would not be able to eat any "treats" while there. I brought my own treats. Cookies, brownies, popcorn, etc. babycakesnyc is not safe for me either.

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to get an allergen free brownie with safe ice cream at crystal palace, enjoy life cookies with ice cream and surf sweet treats at 1900 park fare. I was offered dessert at all TS places but I didn't eat it at anywhere else because I was too full.

All the QS places had enjoy life cookies (which I personally LOVE) and some places had rocky mountain popcorn which is nut and gluten free.

But I have to admit that I've never emailed special diets before a trip. Even with all my allergies I've never seen it to be necessary. But that is a personal choice. Sme people are more comfortable with emailing. I just know that things can change on a whim and what I find out beforehand might not be true when I get there. But it's personal choice and personal preference. All I know is that it was so great to be able to eat out for a week. I can't eat out at home. We haven't found safe restaurants here.

If you dont mind my asking, what where they able to fix for you at AOA? We were told there was nothing really safe there at all. I was shocked because I would have thought that with a PN/TN allergy and no other extensive allergies that there would have been something. The chef was very nice. He just said he had kids with food allergies and that he personally wouldnt trust it because of the set up they had with so many shared ovens and surfaces. Again nicer as could be. He even gave us his own personal card. talked for a hour and said he was going to be off for the next 4 days but that when he came back he would see if he could make us up some safe waffles.

 

[Schmeck]

I got a mickey bar once, ages ago (10+ years?) and it had a chunk of peanut in it, under the chocolate covering. Looked like Mickey had a pimple on his ear! Luckily, none of us have a peanut allergy, but it was surprising.

 

[disfan07]

If you dont mind my asking, what where they able to fix for you at AOA? We were told there was nothing really safe there at all. I was shocked because I would have thought that with a PN/TN allergy and no other extensive allergies that there would have been something. The chef was very nice. He just said he had kids with food allergies and that he personally wouldnt trust it because of the set up they had with so many shared ovens and surfaces. Again nicer as could be. He even gave us his own personal card. talked for a hour and said he was going to be off for the next 4 days but that when he came back he would see if he could make us up some safe waffles.

They made me some grilled chicken with some fresh grilled veggies. It was great. No problems at all and the food was good. It was similar to what I got at POP. At pop I was able to get chicken Parmesan not breaded....so grilled chicken with cheese and sauce. I also got mickey waffles, hashbrwns, allergy chicken tenders, fries, sauted veggies, etc. Pop and AOA were oth very good when we were there. It should not have been that much trouble with just the TN/PN allergy.

 

[mistysue]

I'm surprised you had so much trouble with AOA too, have you thought of staying at POP? They did a really amazing job for my son.
He can't have wheat, soy, egg, dairy, peanut, some treenuts, sesame, buckwheat or shellfish and it was the only CS that was fun to take him to.
They did a lot of waffles, sausage, bacon, chicken, spaghetti, broccoli, I think I remember rice... that can't be all but nuts were not at all our limiting factor. We got him a lot of pre-packaged things off the shelves there too, most of the issue was with wheat/egg/dairy though, not nuts.

It's a shame you were so close and didn't wander over. We actually made a specific trip to get babycakes from AOA because they had them and POP didn't.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I'm also surprised that you were told they couldn't prepare anything at AoA. We ate a lot of meals there in August. Granted our nut allergies aren't anywhere near as severe as yours and granted not all chefs were as good as others (the breakfast chefs made mistakes a couple times; it was a REALLY good thing I was looking closely) but the chefs at dinner were definitely very aware of cross contamination risks. For instance, nothing that came out of the tandoori over was considered safe for us since many of the things in there contained dairy making anything from that over a risk. For those with soy allergies they won't use the fryer because french fries are cooked in the same oil. But, they did have the ability to prepare safe foods for us in the allergy area of the kitchen.