Need some positive experiences for food allergy dining...

[09disvac]

It's been awhile since I've been on here and am so disappointed to read the negative experiences of so many fellow food allergy sufferers. We have our third trip planned with DS7 allergic to milk, egg, chick pea, peanut and am scared after reading many of the threads that this is not going to be a good experience. So, I need some help finding some positive dining experiences. Help me find some Disney Magic, because I feel like I might cry.

 

[disfan07]

Disclaimer: the last time we went was in December 2010, so about 15 months ago. However, I wanted to chime in with something positive to start the thread!

I am anaphylatic to peanuts. Cross contamination is a huge issue. I am also moderately allergic to eggs (cant have them baked in anything either) and I am also moderately allergic to shellfish. I also avoid tree nuts based on my allergists recommendation.

We have had nothing BUT positive experiences with the restairants in WDW. Both CS and TS.

For TS, we ate at:
Crystal Palace-- the chef came out and walked the buffet with me. He showed me what was safe and what was not. He also offered to bring me food fresh from the back if I wanted instead. That wasnt an issue because there was nothing with peanuts on the buffet (not even PB on teh kids section....I'm not sure if that is unusual or not). BUT, there was a salmon with an aioli sauce on top of it on the buffet and he saw that I was disappointed when I saw that because I LOVE salmon, but I told him it wasnt a problem because there was so much else that I COULD eat. Well, about 5 minutes later, he showed up at our table with a HUGE piece of salmon without the sauce. He but a piece for me before putting the aioli on. It was SOOOO good!

50s PT cafe-- Again, the chef came out after we sat down. It was great...even the chef was in character! It was so much fun. For that, I already knew what I wanted and was already pretty sure it would be okay (the pot roast) so I just asked him about that and he assured me that it was safe so thats what I got. It was so good and teh chef was so nice.

Rainforest Cafe (Animal Kingdom)-- Talked to the chef here as well. This one took a lot longer because the menu is so big and there were a lot of things that were not safe because of the eggs. When we were there, the hamburger buns were not safe but I really wanted one of teh burgers (it had like sauteed mushrooms, onions and swiss cheese or something like that) so he brought be the burger (no bun) with a side of their pita bread which is safe and extra fries. He was also very very nice and accomodating. We were not charged extra for the fries.

Liberty Tree Tavern--we went for dinner (so family style). The chef came out to talk to us. The macaroni and cheese was not safe for me so he brought me my own (very large) serving of mashed potatoes. In addition, the dessert was not safe but he brought me the ice cream with a package of divvies cookies to go with it

For CS, we went to:
Cosmic Rays
Flame Tree BBQ
Pop Food court (thats where we stayed)
Sunshine Seasons
Tangierine Cafe
Studio Catering Company
Caseys Corner

At all the CS restaurants,I mentioned that I had allergies adn they got the manager who brought out a binder (HUGE binder) with all the ingredients. We were on the QS dining plan and they were always willing to make substitutions for me. For example, at Flame Tree BBQ, since i cant have coleslaw, they gave me a side order of fries instead. They were also more than willing to either substitute the dessert out for fruit or, if they had it, one of their allergy safe desserts (either divvies or Enjoy Life treats...often times they would give me extra dessert). They were all very accomodating and I felt very very comfortable eating out for the week we were there.

Now, as I said before, this WAS about 15 months ago. I dont know if things have changed, or what, but we had an amazing experience the last time we were there.

Hope that Helps!

 

[Fuhnuh]

Our DD11 has allergies to dairy, egg, peanuts and tree nuts, but not chickpeas. We have been to Disney World with her four times since she was seven and it has worked out well every time. Our daughter usually has a plain meat, a plain vegetable and a starch (fries, rice, pasta with olive oil). Disfan07 pretty much sums up our experience. DD11 never has had any problems at DW. We also go to the Whole Foods on Turkey Lake Rd. and stock up on her favorite snacks. The important thing is to let the server know that you have someone with allergies in your party and they will send someone who specializes in dealing with allergies to help you with ordering.

You can contact specialdiets@disney.com and they may provide you with more information. I don't know if they have a current reference sheet because from what I hear there allergy offerings are in flux, but if they do release one before you go, they are very handy in giving you an idea of what is available for CS meals and snacks. Also, I think each park has a CS restaurant that has more allergen free options than the others. When we were there last summer it was Columbia Harbour House in MK and the Back Lot Express in HS. We also had good luck at Sunshine Seasons in Epcot and the Yak and Yeti at AK.

I think most of the complaints have been about the change in allergen free snacks and breads. It seems that the theme there is that they are offering more gluten free options that have an egg or dairy component frustrating those of us dealing with dairy and egg allergies. That being said we are returning this August and expect to have another great trip with a few minor adjustments. If Divvies brand snacks are really gone, DD11 with miss them. If you have any specific worries not addressed by Disfan07's or my post, please let the Dis community know. There is a lot of information to be had here.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Are you planning for mostly CS or mostly TS meals? If you're planning for mostly TS then I think you'll still be pleasantly surprised at how wonderful WDW can be for those with allergies. The chef still comes out to your table and still customizes your meal in order to be safe. If the chef has the ingredient then he can make something with it.

The problem you'll encounter is CS meals. At resorts, you can speak with a chef who can customize a meal using fresh ingredients but in the parks, you're pretty much stuck with whatever they've got on hand. With your allergies, you won't be able to eat the allergy breads around the parks (no buns, no sandwiches) and I can't recall if the chicken tenders have chick peas in the breading or not (Special Diets can tell you for sure one way or the other). The french fries should be safe as long as they're baked. At Epcot, if you eat at Sunshine Seasons then you can speak with a chef who will have the ability to customize something though you should be able to eat a few things there that would just be plated from an area with no cross contamination. You can likely also eat the roasted chicken and ribs that are found at several CS locations in the parks though you'll want to confirm. The turkey legs should also be safe. If you have a dining plan then desserts will be frustrating but you can always get fruit or bottled water or chips (their regular/plain WDW brand chips should be safe) if they don't have anything else that's safe.

It looks like the Enjoy Life products (chocolate chip cookies and chocolate bars) are safe for you and I'd also look into which locations carry Tofutti ice cream. Where available, you should also be able to eat the frozen pineapple bars. I think the strawberry ones may have changed so I'm not sure if they're safe any longer; we're not strawberry fans so I didn't check them but the package did look different from what I recall them being in the past. The popcorn should also be safe.

The only place we found Divvies cookies was at Biergarten of all places. I guess they don't go through a lot of them and still have some in stock. One chef I spoke with who special ordered some things in for us said she couldn't even order the Divvies cookies any longer (she did special order things so I know she was trying and not just paying lip service).

I just got back from WDW this past Thursday so this is pretty recent experience.

 

[Random Ninja]

I have a Florida Season pass so I'm usually in Disney once or twice a month at least. Most table service restaurants do very good jobs with my allergies and I have a couple odd ones. (My allergies are dairy, mustard, aspartame, sucralose, seafood, and tapioca.) At table service, they send out a chef to go over your allergies and go over the menu to find something allergy free. The CM at Sci-fi even warned me when the couple at the front of the car ordered a hamburger and would have mustard at their table. I was able to take a Benadryl beforehand and have it kick in before their food came out. My only real disappointment lately was at Cosmic Rays when I wanted a chili dog and the new hogs have mustard seed in them. Fortunately they do have an allergy fryer and they made me a huge plate of chili fries. My favorite places down at Disney are:

Counter Service
Cosmic Rays - Magic Kingdom
Sunshine Seasons - Epcot
Contempo Cafe - CR
Yak and Yeti Counter Service - Animal Kingdom

Table Service
Sci-Fi - Hollywood Studios
Teppan Edo - Epcot
Marrakesh - Epcot
Whispering Canyon - Wilderness Lodge

Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are half-day parks for me. I eat breakfast in the room or on the way and only eat a late lunch in the park. Animal Kingdom does have a nice fresh fruit stand in Harambe Village on the way to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride if you want to eat in the park.

Allears.net has restaurant menus you can view to see if you can easily modify something to be allergy safe. I try to eat at off-times as it can be a hassle at peak hours.

 

[09disvac]

Our last trip was Nov of 2010, and this will also be our third trip. It seems like we have had similar experiences as you folks- excellent chefs who really care and take the time to help us- AMAZING! We don't stay on property, and don't do many CS meals, so hopefully we won't be too disappointed. I am concerned that so many GF items have chickpea flour, and was so very disappointed to learn that BabyCakes uses it as well. We have been so happy with being able to eat out and feel normal, I really don't want to lose the magic of that for my son. Thanks for your responses, I'll be sure to share any updates that I get from Special Diets.

 

[Fuhnuh]

I thought Babycakes uses fava/garbanzo flour in their gluten free preparations. I don't know that they use chick pea flour. It may be worth checking with Babycakes about their current ingredients.

 

[disfan07]

I thought Babycakes uses fava/garbanzo flour in their gluten free preparations. I don't know that they use chick pea flour. It may be worth checking with Babycakes about their current ingredients.

Just checked their website.....they use rice flour or garbanzo/fava bean mix.
Of course, you can always ask, but thats what they list on their website.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I thought Babycakes uses fava/garbanzo flour in their gluten free preparations. I don't know that they use chick pea flour. It may be worth checking with Babycakes about their current ingredients.

Garbanzo beans ARE chick peas. These are just two different names for the same item.

 

[Eliserose]

We had a great experience with my daughter who is peanut and shellfish allergic (and egg at the time). We ate at Teppan Edo, California Grill, Chef Mickeys, The Wave, Mama Melrose, Peco Bills and were graciously accommodated everywhere.

 

[Fuhnuh]

Thanks for the clarification on garbanzo beans being chick peas. I pride myself in the knowledge I have of allergens, but it's a complicated thing knowing all the allergens and the various names.

 

[09disvac]

Anyone with experience with T-Rex Cafe? Honestly, my kids will be so taken with the atmosphere, they won't likely eat. Still, I want it to be safe...

 

[Fuhnuh]

We went there with DD11 (dairy, egg, tree nut, and peanut allergies) and enjoyed the dinner. I can't remember what she had but someone (manager, chef, I can't remember) came out and let us know what she could have. She has very simple tastes, so I can't remember the variety of foods available. She was able to get a protein and a starch at least or she wouldn't want to go back. Hopefully some Disers with better memories will have more information.

 

[Shadow02]

We are at Disney now and have had great experiences at Kouzzinas and Cookes of Dublin, as well as Babycakes. We are gluten, dairy free and one of my son's is also egg free.

 

[Mrs K]

My DD has multiple food allergies and we have had great experiences eating at WDW. She isn't a huge desert person, so sorbet or fruit is usually ok. She has grown out of her milk and egg allergies, but is still anaphylatic to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.