No GF Pirate Cruise For You*! *If you have a nut allergy, that is!

[DeeCeeSW]

Hi all,
Just a warning that if your child has a peanut or tree nut allergy that the GF Marina will not accomodate you bc apparently the boat they use is "used for other functions such as the Fireworks cruise" and it cannot be guaranteed that the boat "will be clean" and free of any "nut residue" by the time the children sail.

I was told this by a chef at GF who also stated that due to the size of the boat and amount of passengers that it would not be "cost effective" to substitute the peanut butter and jelly uncrustables they provide with an alternative. My only choice is to have my DS separated from the rest of the passengers (in other words, eat alone at the front of the ship) and *hope* that he does not become contaminated by another child who may have peanut butter residue on him/her after eating.

Wow is all I can say. This is a far cry from the experience I had at the Beach Club last year when my DS sailed on the Albatross Cruise. The peanut butter was replaced with bagels and jelly and the parents of the other passengers were contacted prior to the cruise to explain the change. NONE of the other parents minded. This a PIRATE CRUISE, not a peanut butter sandwich cruise. The chef at GF told me that contacting the other participants' families would be "too much work" for the GF Recreation Department and therefore, they would not do it.

I told the chef exactly what I thought about this--how my son would feel ostracized if separated fromthe other children and how common food allergies are, particularly peanuts, and that perhaps they should reconsider what they are serving so that ALL can participate. I spoke with a CM who was trying to put me through to someone in catering to discuss this further, but no one has gotten back to me and I am very frustrated. I hung up the phone crying after the conversation with the chef.

I guess this means that my son will never get to experience the GF Pirate Cruise. I actually had a CM say to me, "Well he went on the Albatross Cruise didn't he and that is pretty much the same, isn't it?" "Why don't you have him do that again?"

No thanks. Been there, done that. Just didn't know this would be my son's last pirate cruise.

Thanks for letting me rant!!!

 

[Dale-n-Chip]

WOW! That was a response I would have never expected from WDW! You must be both crushed for your DS and angry about their comments. I know I would be!

Especially after how attentive they are in all the restaurants. We had a server in Le Cellier who walked us through DS's meal choices AND ours, pointing out "safe" choices relative to DS's nut allergy! He was outstanding! This was a place that asked us about food allergies when we checked in for our ADR. I was so impressed!

I can't believe they can't come up with an alternative to the Uncrustables sandwiches. Hello? What did you do before Smuckers came up with those?! Pretty lame excuse, as far as I am concerned.

OTOH, at least they didn't assure you it *could* be clean when they knew it couldn't be. Thank goodness they at least take the allergy seriously!

I'm so sorry to hear they can't accommodate your DS. Thanks for letting us know--I'll go cross that off my "someday" list for my own DS.

 

[rrsafety]

Sounds like they were pretty straight forward with you and gave you the information you needed so you could look after your son.

You won't always get the answer you are looking for, but it helps when people are straightforward, especially on important issues like the health or your family.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Replacing the sandwiches really isn't enough. In order to be sure the boat is free from nut residue, they'd have to wash it down completely.

I think it is great that they tell you up front that there is a chance of nut residue. Lots of places don't believe nut allergies are serious and just lie to people who ask about it.

All over the park there is a chance of nut residue. A kid could have eaten a sandwich and had PB on his fingers and leave some on a seat or something.

I'd keep that Epi-pen handy!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

My dd did the pirate cruise from the GF and they give them PB&J sandwiches for lunch, maybe that's why?

edited to add: O.K. I didn't read far enough. That really stinks that they weren't more accomodating, especially since they helped you out at the BC. Sorry.

 

[Schmeck]

I think it's sad that your son can't safely go on the cruise, but at least they were honest with you. Even if they didn't serve the sandwiches, how could they guarantee that none of the other kids had peanut butter for breakfast, and still had some under their nails? Would they have a trained staff member there to apply an epi-pen?

With all the food allergies out there - gluten, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy, what is considered a fully safe food to serve kids these days? I think that we may see the end of the kids' cruises if allergies continue to increase.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

They told me what they did mainly to protect THEMSELVES against any legal action should my son have an allergic reaction on the cruise. It is PREPOSTEROUS to believe that the boat is not cleaned on a regular basis and would not be clean for the morning pirate cruises. A CM told me that the boats are hosed down and cleaned every night. Would you expect any less from Disney? Do you think they would allow children to sit on a dirty boat?

What are the chances of something happening bc of the boat? Slim to none, I'd say. I am not worried at all about my DS becoming contaminated by something left on the boat (if we lived our lives that way then he could never eat in WDW, or in a public place at all or go to a playground or school, etc.). My main concern was the other children. I simply asked that they accomodate me the same way that the Beach Club did the year prior by substituting the peanut butter for something else.

Basically, the response I got was, "there can be up to 30 kids on the GF cruise and there are only half the amount on the Albatross Pirate Cruise." "It's TOO MUCH WORK for us to accomodate your child."

Believe me, I don't "always get the answers I'm looking for," but when I am dealing with Disney, I expect more. The response I received was very "Undisneylike."

Yes, the chef was straightforward, perhaps too straightforward. Children with food allergies have a lot to deal with already. Having to explain to my son that he couldn't go on the cruise was one of the harder things I've had to do.

 

[mjmcca]

They told me what they did mainly to protect THEMSELVES against any legal action should my son have an allergic reaction on the cruise. It is PREPOSTEROUS to believe that the boat is not cleaned on a regular basis and would not be clean for the morning pirate cruises. What are the chances of something happening bc of the boat? Slim to none, I'd say. I am not worried at all about my DS becoming contaminated by something left on the boat (if we lived our lives that way then he could never eat in a public place or go to a playground, etc.). My main concern was the other children. I simply asked that they accomodate me the same way that the Beach Club did the year prior by substituting the peanut butter for something else.

Basically, the response I got was, "there can be up to 30 kids on the GF cruise and there are only half the amount on the Albatross Pirate Cruise." "It's TOO MUCH WORK for us to accomodate your child."

Believe me, I don't "always get the answers I'm looking for," but when I am dealing with Disney, I expect more. The response I received was very "Undisneylike."

After the way you posted here i cant blame them for being concerned about a possible lawsuit if something happened to your son due to the nut allergy. I would guess that they do clean the boat periodically but I dont know that they do a terminal clean on it every day or even every few days. Recently a teenaged girl died because he BF ate a PB&J sandwich HOURS before eh saw her. She still had an anaphalactic reaction and died.UI would not want to be the person at Disney who Oked your son going on that trip and then something happened to him.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

After the way you posted here i cant blame them for being concerned about a possible lawsuit if something happened to your son due to the nut allergy. I would guess that they do clean the boat periodically but I dont know that they do a terminal clean on it every day or even every few days. Recently a teenaged girl died because he BF ate a PB&J sandwich HOURS before eh saw her. She still had an anaphalactic reaction and died.UI would not want to be the person at Disney who Oked your son going on that trip and then something happened to him.

After the way I posted here? Do YOU have a food allergic child?
Oh, yes, I am ready to sue.
HUH????
Give me a break.
Must be that NYC air.
Or are you a lawyer?
I take full responsibilty for the decisions I make for my son.

 

[mjmcca]

Yeah well the way you are attacking me speaks volumes. I think they were being prudent. You are unhappy about it well I would probably be too but which is more important putting your child at risk or keeping him safe?

 

[MouseWorshipin]

As the mom of a kid with the nut allergy, all I can say is, "Get Ready." There are going to be a lot of things he can't do. He can't use the buffett build-your-own-sundae things, because the of the nut resideue. He can't eat cupcakes and stuff that kids bring in for their birthdays at school, or lots of deserts that have nuts in them, etc. He can't swing at Pinatas (just in case).

And at some point, no matter how careful you are, he'll have a reaction, and someone will have to stick him with a giant needle, give him the injection, and then rush him off to the hospital.

Just wait until he's old enough to go out on his own and "accidentally" leaves the Epi-pen at home because he's too embarrassed to carry it around in front of his friends. (You think you're worried now!)

This Pirate Cruise you'll all be missing is going to be the tip of the iceberg.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

My son is 5-years-old and we have been dealing with this allergy since birth. I have had to use the Epipen once, and believe me, it was not a pleasant experience.

We have visited WDW 9 times in the past 4 years and the staff is always very accomodating. I know the chefs by name at some of the onsite restaurants and I have never had a problem.

I have had to deal with making egg and nut-free desserts for my DS's birthday parties; he cannot eat cakes, cookies, chocolate bars, etc. I am (unfortunately) fully aware of what we're up against. I live it every day, just like you, which is why I asked the previous poster if they have a food allergic child.

I just expected more from Disney this time. I just don't understand how they could make the effort at one location but not at the other.

 

[Selket]

DeeCee

I'm sorry the chef was so blunt (and perhaps somewhat rude as well) when talking to you. That pirate cruise has long been known around here - for those of us who have kids with peanut allergies - as just something we generally write off. (I'm not sure about that other cruise you did). It seems they are rather committed to serving peanut butter sandwiches on it. I know some parents have written to WDW to ask they change the menu. It is annoying but at least most places at WDW go out of their way to be accomodating so thank goodness for that!

I would like that this thread NOT turn nasty but I suspect it will. It is difficult to compare a peanut allergy to "most" other allergies (not all) - but it is more common to be contact allergic to peanut unlike some foods which need to be consumed to cause a reaction.

My 4 year old is terribly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts and is also a type 1 diabetic. I think even if they stopped serving the pb on the boat (and he didn't have diabetes - a whole other issue) I wouldn't let him go out there without a parent cause those in charge cannot give an epi-pen.

I really know how you feel - we want our children to be able to do everything and anything - but sometimes it just isn't going to work out. I hope you will write to Disney and let them know they could make better choices than peanut butter on that cruise and the other one. Disney is usually so good about handling food issues it still amazes me how they drop the ball on the cruise.

 

[Goofy4]

It is PREPOSTEROUS to believe that the boat is not cleaned on a regular basis

I've seen a boat after a cruise -- not a pretty site. Our group of 7 kids and all the snacks and soda they could drink pretty much made a mess of the place.

...Slim to none, I'd say. I am not worried at all about my DS becoming contaminated by something left on the boat.

From what I've heard with 1 of DS's classmates, Disney is probably taking the right legal posture on this one. They probably played nice somewhere along the line only to have a lawyer give them a call. It's all very unfortunate, but some kids are soooo sensitive and I could see logic saying "it's outside, it's a boat, what could the problem be..." Perhaps they should not be serving peanuts in the first place.

 

[zulaya]

I am sorry you didn't get the answer you are looking for. Among other things mentioned, I am sure it's difficult for them to make exceptions for 1 child out of the cruise and change the menu for one child. That could open another can of worms if other parents decide that the substitute isn't good enough for their child, or someone else has another allergy.

Sooner or later, your DS will have to deal with the real world and that unfortunately, not everyone will be as accomodating as the BC was. It is too bad that it happened for him with Disney.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I really just want them to think about changing the peanut butter uncrustables! After I calm down, I will write something.

Thanks for your understanding.

P.S. Unfortunately, a lot of posts end up "getting ugly" around here (or it least it seems that way as of late). I was just looking for a place to vent.

 

[Selket]

I really just want them to think about changing the peanut butter uncrustables! After I calm down, I will write something.

Thanks for your understanding.

P.S. Unfortunately, a lot of posts end up "getting ugly" around here (or it least it seems that way as of late). I was just looking for a place to vent.

I think they should change the pb too - it does seem like a disaster waiting to happen - all these kids out on a boat - someone could even have a reaction that had never had one before. There are just much safer choices.

There was an excellent thread many months ago that just dealt with the many issues we face as parents of allergic kids - there was much good info on it too dealing with WDW and some stuff about the cruise. I have tried to find it for you but the search feature is rather useless these days! At some point you might want to search the trip boards on "peanut allergy pirate cruise" and see if that brings it up. There were pages of posts!

The disAbilities board can be a good place to ask questions about allergies - not usually so much snapping at each other over there.

 

[ReggieB]

It wouldn't hurt to write a letter. Probably don't want it to turn into a vent about how your child will be ostracized and the like though!! That would probably be promptly filed in the waste paper basket. You never know they might actually think about making a change. At least Disney were completely up front with you, not that it makes up for the disappointment.

On another thing form your original post. Didn't you say one of the people that you spoke to said something about the boat being used for other functions, not just the Pirate cruise? So presumably as it has a multiple purpose they couldn't guarantee the no nuts rule was being followed on the other excursions. Maybe they use it for the firework cruises.

I hope you can find something else fun to do with your son, and that you have a great trip despite this disappointment.

 

[Nana Sue]

Two of my grandchildren have nut allergies and as MouseWorshipin says, it's not an easy life - there are lots of things those kids can't do. We just had ours at WDW and I thought Disney was extremely accomodating. They were there for ten days and at each restaurant we ate at the chief personally came out to council my daughter on what her kids could and could not eat. You cannot expect Disney to change an entire event to accomodate one child. If a little Pirate Cruise is the worst he misses out on in his life because of his allergies I'd say he's lucky.

 

[dizcrazee]

My 8 year old daughter is severely peanut and tree nut allergic. We carry epi-pens everywhere we go, along with Benedryl. She also wears a medic allert bracelet. I personally have no expectations that WDW restaurants or any other business (including my child's school cafeteria) will change the types of food that they serve. My child carries her food for the school day in her lunch box from home. When other parents send cupcakes for their child's birthday to school...she doesn't eat them. I send a special snack in her lunchbox for her if I know about it in advance. We do not eat bakery foods, scoop ice cream, and many other foods that can be cross-contaminated.

My child will be surrounded by foods she can't eat her entire life. This is a very painful fact of life that she must learn to accept and I must help her to do so. I also do not allow my child to be in food situations without me or another trusted adult family member. I would not send her on the pirate cruise even if the food seemed "safe" simply because accidental exposure can happen no matter how seemingly safe the food may be. She is not yet old enough to handle this situation on her own, and we can't assume that the people in charge will know how to respond.

Is all of this fair? No...but then, no one said life is fair. Does my child miss out on a lot that other children take for granted? Yes, she does...and I grieve when it happens. But that is the lot we have been dealt and we will deal with it. I don't expect the world to conform to our special needs, therefore, she doesn't expect it either. Since she knows this is a fact of life for her, she doesn't even question it when we determine something is unsafe. We simply move on and find a substitute. This is the attitude that we want her to have as she moves through life with this condition. It is our duty to model this attitude for her and help her to develop it as well.

OP, I say to you with utmost sincerity and compassion, because I know how painful it is to have to deny a beloved child something because of their allergies...you are angry and hurt, and I understand. However, you will be doing your DS a disservice if you allow him to see your anger about this. He will have to accept that there are certain things he will be denied in life. It is unavoidable. If he sees that you think that the rest of the world should alter their habits to accomodate his needs, that will be his expectation as well and will make it harder for him to accept his condition.