Peanut allergies

Hezzy04

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 4, 2014
Messages
1,096
Hello!

I have heard that Disney is awesome to work with regarding food allergies! However, I am wondering if anyone has advise about places or foods in Disney that are definitely peanut safe. If at all possible, it would be lovely to have a few options that we won't have to ask about. My daughters are both allergic to peanuts, so i am mostly looking at kid friendly things.

Any experiences, advice or info would be appreciated!

Thanks!
 
You can email special diets for a list of safe peanut free alternative but you can always ask for the allergy binder to double check all labels when you are there. I do believe the baked goods are safe at BOG (except for the decorative sprinkles which can be left off) and the chocolate croissants and cinnamon rolls at Gastone's Tavern but again, always ask.
 
As far as I know, they are no longer mailing out lists. The reason is that people were saving the lists and assuming because something was safe on one trip (or even they got the list), it was still safe.
Things change/suppliers change and stuff that might be safe on one trip may not be safe on another, so you need to ask each time.
At Table Service restaurants, the chef will come out and talk to you. He/she will suggest options and for buffets, will show you which items are safe. The Counter Service restaurants have ingredient books that you can look at sons some have allergy menus.

Peanut allergies are actually one of the most common allergies guests need assistance with at WDW, so they are well prepared to deal with it. We went to WDW a few years ago with family whose son has multiple severe allergies, including peanuts. His allergies were well handled and he had quite a few options.
This is a link to the WDW website page about special dietary needs, which should be helpful

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/
 
I second others' advice to explain the allergy and talk with the chef or manager to ID options at that restaurant that day that are ok. Even if it is just to order the allergy friendly chicken fingers and fries at a QS. It is not just the product itself -- but how it is prepared -- are steps taken to prevent cross-contamination, etc. At Disney, that is accomplished through their well-established Gold standard system of dealing with food allergies.

That said, there are some PRE-PACKAGED food items that are available, aside from the obvious things like fruit:

Sunshine Seasons in Epcot has a selection of commercially packaged "special diets" snacks, many are peanut-free. For example, Enjoy Life cookies and chocolate bars.

Most QS restaurants have a commercially pre-packaged cookie of some sort for a dessert or snack. It may be Enjoy Life or something like "OMG its Gluten free" cookies. BTW - the OMG chocolate chip cookies were AWESOME when I went in November. Would not have known they were also GF just by taste.

The advantage of these pre-packaged items is you know the manufacturer (e.g. if it is an Enjoy Life product, I know it is safe, though I still read all ingredients every single time), and the ingredients are listed right on the package.

Some non-pre-packaged items:

Many QS will have allergy-friendly chicken fingers, which is always my fallback option for a meal.

Dole Whips are top-8-allergen-free.

At resort QS, the flatbread pizzas should be fine; but again, let the cashier know there is an allergy and they will get a supervisor/manager, who will speak with you and then prepare the pizza.

Better safe than sorry. You never know what the person preparing your "safe" food was handling BEFOREHAND. If you follow the allergy process, and have spoken with the chef/manager/supervisor, the person preparing the food will have washed their hands and changed their gloves and the workspace will be cleaned and/or covered. It can take some extra time, but worth it to know you have taken all the steps you can to minimize the chance of there being an issue.

-SW
 

also be prepared for peanut butter to be in the parks as guests are allowed to bring food and snacks into the parks. those can be eaten anywhere in the park. we ended up with an ER visit after grandson contacted peanut butter while in line for ride, we never saw it but it was enough to set him off. his reaction is right at contact not minutes later. have seen people and kids eating uncrustables or peanut butter crackers while in line which is allowed
 
How recently was this changed? I found it invaluable when we were picking out places we would be able to even attempt.
It's been 2+ years at DLR at this point. They won't even give you a list in the park. You have to ask at each CS location to see the binder.
 
Be aware that Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney (Disney Springs) cooks in Peanut Oil.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I guess there is no "easy" way to eat! I want my babies safe though, so will take all the right steps so they can have a safe and fun vacation!
 
It's been 2+ years at DLR at this point. They won't even give you a list in the park. You have to ask at each CS location to see the binder.

We went in September and I was emailed a list for several different allergy sets (one was PN,TN there was a Dairy one, Egg one and Gluten one as well).
 
I was given a list pretty recently (gluten not peanut) so I don't think that has changed for WDW at least. Like others have said they will make accommodations at any location for you. Just let them know before ordering and a chef, or manager at QS, will come out and give you your options.

They do serve peanut products in many locations including UnCrustables and even if they don't, like pp said people are allowed to bring their own food into Disney so even if there is no peanut on the menu it doesn't mean it won't be in the dining area.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I guess there is no "easy" way to eat! I want my babies safe though, so will take all the right steps so they can have a safe and fun vacation!

Table service places are probably a safer bet than counter service. I have a tree nut allergy and almost everywhere I went was very accommodating, but the sit down places went the extra mile.

A few tips:

Places to avoid or be wary of - Ohana at Polynesian, some of the world showcase countries like Mexico, China and Morocco

For my nut allergy, most chefs at sit down restaurants reacted as if the nut allergy was extremely common and an easy one to deal with

Be careful with breads, buns and baked goods throughout the park. Most are made in the same bakery, so cross contamination possibilities. Desserts at Be Our Guest are an exception.
 
The lists for WDW are still available via Disney's website. We were emailed links for our November 2014 trip, and a well-crafted Google search will turn them up as well.

This is the Peanut list: http://wdw.wdpromedia.com/media/kana/sd/WDW-PeanutFree.pdf

Note the date in the lower left corner, it was last updated 12/29/2014. In the past at least, they have updated them every so often, so we always pulled the "current" version right before our trip.

For other major food allergens, replace the "peanut" in the URL with the allergen (e.g. dairy).

THAT SAID, at TS restaurants they have much more flexibility for creating safe foods. Even QS has some (but nowhere near as much) flexibility. Also, not everything is listed on the lists. The lists are mostly the specialty items available at the various locations (so for example, if you want safe Mickey Waffles, you will have an idea who has the proper mixes, but you will still need to do some research to see if a particular location offers safe Mickey Waffles, as not all do).

But often normal menu items are also safe or can be made safe, though some modification may be needed. For example, at Backlot Express at DHS, I was able to get a hamburger (with a special allergy-friendly bun, not the normal bun) and fries. I am ANA to milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and all seafood (fish, shellfish, etc). Likewise, at Gasparilla Island Grill at GF, I had noted from the Dairy-free list that they have Udi's pizza crusts, so I asked the manager if they could make me a safe pizza. They could ! I got a pizza that used an Udi's crust, their normal pizza sauce, and LOTS of pepperoni. No cheese, and they did not have a "fake" cheese to use. So **extra pepperoni**. It was very yummy, and though I had to wait a bit for it to be made (I got to go sit down and it was delivered to me), totally worth it since so far it is only at Disney or on a DCL cruise that I can get pizza in a restaurant :-)

Finally, a word of caution. ALWAYS ALWAYS ASK. EVERY TIME.

Our second last stay included a number of days at WL. Which meant frequently eating at RF (which we really enjoy). The afternoon we arrived we went for a late lunch/early dinner at RF. They were not very busy when we went. I explained I had food allergies and they got the manager for me. He was GREAT !! We went through the ingredient book not just for the current meal, but we also checked out other meals I wanted, including breakfast. I planned on having the Bounty Platter for breakfast and it looked safe except for the I think it was a biscuit or pancakes. No problem.

Well, the next morning, I was just going to place my order, since I knew from the ingredient binder that it was safe. Fortunately, at the last minute before ordering I decided to mention that I had food allergies. The order taker got the supervisor. I expained my allergies and what I wanted to order and that the night before I had gone through the ingredient book with the manager. Well, then I got a big surprise. It was of course not a problem to prepare the food safe for me. BUT, the supervisor explained that they use some butter when they prepare the scrambled eggs and the hash browns (so they are moister). If I had not mentioned my allergens, at a time when I thought the foods were safe, I would have ended up having a VERY bad day and a trip by ambulance to the ER.

Thus, lesson learned, and I apply it at home as well, whether eating out or eating at home. EXPLAIN YOUR ALLERGIES EVERY TIME. Even if you know or think an item is safe. Even if you have eaten that amazing OMG cookie five times in the last few days -- always still read the ingredients list. It is a pain, it takes time. But one day it may save your life or at least make your day go a lot better than it would have.

SW
 
Oh gosh...I knew to beware of bakery items, but for some reason I hadn't even considered that regular breads and buns might not be safe!!!

Should I bring my own hamburger buns!?
 
Oh gosh...I knew to beware of bakery items, but for some reason I hadn't even considered that regular breads and buns might not be safe!!!

Should I bring my own hamburger buns!?

There should be no need to bring your own if you are eating at WDW restaurants. Every QS or TS place I have been to at WDW where I have ordered something that came with a bun or bread has an alternate bun or bread that is peanut-free (usually also free of other allergens; for example, because I also have a dairy allergy, the breads/buns I get are usually their gluten-free ones, which are also dairy, peanut, and tree nut free.). Now, one time I ended up with something (sorry, cannot remember what) where they did not have safe buns, so they suggested and I agreed to put it on safe bread instead. A little different, but it worked just fine :-)

Sometimes the normal bun or bread is not "safe" because although the allergen is not part of the ingredients, there is a warning about "may contain" or that it is processed in the same facility as other items containing the allergen. before I developed my dairy allergy, at WDW sometimes they would show me the package label or give me the explanation about how the bread item had one of those warnings, to which I then got to make the call on whether to have it or not. (with the dairy allergy the normal breads/bun for the most part are a no go because for some reason I do not understand almost all bread in the US seems to have dairy in it as an actual ingredient).

Buying breads and buns at home one runs into the same issue. It isn't always the actual ingredients that is the problem, but those warning labels.

Finally, ANY food has the potential to not be safe, which is why it is important to read every label every time at home, and when out to make the allergy known. I have been quite surprised sometimes in the grocery store or a restaurant when something that seemed it would be safe wasn't. Sometimes, to be honest, one just boggles at "why the heck is THAT in THERE?" because there does not seem like a logical reason. Also, non-foods can be problems too, from shampoos to sunscreen to creams, etc. I read every label of EVERYTHING every time.

FYI, FARE has a good page about peanut allergies, including foods to look out for: http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy They also have a PDF (linked from that page, but at http://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=133 ) which is a great cheat sheet for what to look for when label reading.

Health Canada also has a page about peanut allergies which is informative and has lists of foods and other items that may contain peanuts: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/securit/2012-allergen_peanut-arachide/index-eng.php

Allergic Living magazine also has a great resource page: http://allergicliving.com/category/food-allergy-2/peanut-food-allergy-2/ and pages about "hidden" tree nuts ( http://allergicliving.com/2010/11/23/hidden-tree-nut/ ) and allergens including peanut ( http://allergicliving.com/2010/09/01/hidden-allergens/ ).

SW
 
. . . Peanut allergies are actually one of the most common allergies guests need assistance with at WDW . . .

1) I always thought the most common allergy at WDW was overspending-the-budget.
2) A pervasive and widespread disease.
 
The lists for WDW are still available via Disney's website. We were emailed links for our November 2014 trip, and a well-crafted Google search will turn them up as well.

This is the Peanut list: http://wdw.wdpromedia.com/media/kana/sd/WDW-PeanutFree.pdf

Note the date in the lower left corner, it was last updated 12/29/2014. In the past at least, they have updated them every so often, so we always pulled the "current" version right before our trip.

For other major food allergens, replace the "peanut" in the URL with the allergen.......
The thing they used to do was email out an actual list document. That is what they no longer do.

Sending the link is better - it will be updated as needed. So, as you mentioned, even though you were sent the links for an earlier trip, it's been updated since then.
 
The thing they used to do was email out an actual list document. That is what they no longer do.

Sending the link is better - it will be updated as needed. So, as you mentioned, even though you were sent the links for an earlier trip, it's been updated since then.

Ah. Definitely agree sending the link is better; as you said it means it is always the latest version.

Yep, our trip was November. The current versions of the lists for our allergies, via the website, is end of December.

I will pull the current version at least when I am planning where we're going to eat e.g before making ADRs), then again right before the trip. And I load them into my smartphone and tablet so I have a copy with me during the trip.

-SW
 
AND ALWAYS ASK still :)

I admit I had one moment where I hesitated and though "Oh it'll be fine. I'm sure" and wouldn't you know it DS had a minor reaction.
 












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