Peanut Allergy People!

[momsavealot]

Hi! We are leaving in a week and have finalized our plans as best we can. Does anyone know if any of the following are safe for peanut allergy:
Mickey Rice Krispy Treat (all over the parks)
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich (at MK Bakery, etc.)
Dole Whips
Brownie at Casey's Corner
Choc. Chip Cookie at Cosmic Ray's
Goofy's pizza at Chef Mickey's
choc. fudge cake at Catalina Eddie's (in DHS)
pizza at Pizza Planet
rice crispy treats at Hollywood & Vine character meal

and finally, has anyone w/ peanut allergy ventured to Goofy's Candy Co. in Downtown Disney? Pretzel rods, rice crispy treats and marshmallow dipped in chocolate sound okay but wondering if anyone has had any experience with it.
Thanks a million!!!!!!

 

[momsavealot]

Just as a followup, I did speak to Theresa at WDW Food and Beverage (she's in charge of Epcot) but filling in for Brenda Bennett this week. She said that the Mickey Rice Krispy Treats were manufactured on shared equipment so unsafe and told me she would call the CS restaurants that I have on our itinerary ahead of time to order Divvies and have them on hand. I told her my concern was that we are on the DDP and my kids are entitled to a dessert and I am worried that they won't have safe desserts on hand. She told me they will not give us a voucher to get a safe dessert somewhere else. So, hopefully the CS restaurants will stock up on Divvies! She did say that my kids could go to the MK Bakery and have the famous cookie ice cream sandwich on Divvies if I request (HOORAY!!!). This is a great snack credit and one they will love. THe one I am puzzle on is the Mickey Ice Cream bar. Apparently, it is made on a separate line BUT in a Nestle facility that has nuts in it. Sooooooo, do I trust it??? She was not sure about the pizza at Pizza Planet and would check. Hope that helps! and again, if anyone has personal experiences, please let me know!

 

[Lilogirl]

Hi! We are leaving in a week and have finalized our plans as best we can. Does anyone know if any of the following are safe for peanut allergy:
Mickey Rice Krispy Treat (all over the parks)
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich (at MK Bakery, etc.)
Dole Whips
Brownie at Casey's Corner
Choc. Chip Cookie at Cosmic Ray's
Goofy's pizza at Chef Mickey's
choc. fudge cake at Catalina Eddie's (in DHS)
pizza at Pizza Planet
rice crispy treats at Hollywood & Vine character meal

and finally, has anyone w/ peanut allergy ventured to Goofy's Candy Co. in Downtown Disney? Pretzel rods, rice crispy treats and marshmallow dipped in chocolate sound okay but wondering if anyone has had any experience with it.
Thanks a million!!!!!!

Personally, I think the risk for cross contamination at Goofy's kicthen to be very high. The area where they dip the candies contains an open pan of peanuts. One of the toppings you can order is peanuts. Items can be dipped in Chocolate then rolled in peanuts. Those peanuts fall off and into other pans. They also fall on the counter.

 

[Selket]

Does anyone know if any of the following are safe for peanut allergy:

Mickey Rice Krispy Treat (all over the parks) No - I would stay away - I've always seen a may contains type warning on them
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich (at MK Bakery, etc.)The only thing we get from here is the Divvies. If they told you they could make a safe version with the Divvies then that is up to you
Dole Whips All the info sheets they've sent said these were safe unless you avoid coconut - we do not
Brownie at Casey's Corner I would not trust it unless it is prepackaged and has an allergen statement on it. There is a safe brownie but it might be sugar free as well - made with sugar alcohols that can give you terrible diarrehea
Choc. Chip Cookie at Cosmic Ray's The ONLY choc. chip cookie I've found safe is the prepackaged Divvies
Goofy's pizza at Chef Mickey's My guess is that this will be safe but you could call the Chef on it if you can get the #
choc. fudge cake at Catalina Eddie's (in DHS) Again, the only baked goods I would trust are prepackaged or if they were made especially for your child by a chef that knows the allergies
pizza at Pizza Planet Probably safe - DS has eaten the pizza other places without issues
rice crispy treats at Hollywood & Vine character meal I would call and ask the chef - since they might make them there perhaps they know.

and finally, has anyone w/ peanut allergy ventured to Goofy's Candy Co. in Downtown Disney? Pretzel rods, rice crispy treats and marshmallow dipped in chocolate sound okay but wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. From other posts I've read I'm sure almost anything at Goofy's is off limits as may contains. We don't even go in there.
Thanks a million!!!!!!

DS has eaten the Mickey's bars in the past couple of years without problems. They are not listed on the allergen sheets that they send out (did you get those from that woman at Epcot? She should have them) and I've asked Brenda about them and they are considered ok now. Last time we were there they had no allergen warning on them for peanut/nut. I guess it depends on how much you trust Nestle to wash the line - or do they have a dedicated line for those? Maybe so.

 

[momsavealot]

I know, I know. YOu guys are right about Goofy's Candy Co. It's not worth the risk. I guess, after seeing all the yummy pics from the DDP snack thread, I admit that I got a little hopeful. Anyway, when I spoke to Theresa from Food & Dining, she told me that everything there is made on shared equipment. So, No trip to Goofy's Candy Co. for us!
I'm just trying to research everything now so we're not wasting time running all over the park trying to find something that is tasty (no sugar free stuff, thank you) and safe. I feel like Disney groups all the food allergies together. Whenever I talk to a CM, they respond, "well, there's gluten free brownies or sugar free blah, blah". My kids only have the one allergy, but I don't think they understand the difference btw the different food allergies. Selket, you said the gluten free brownies are good? I hope so.

 

[hildarumpole]

We were not able to get Divvies cookies at any of the CS as a dessert option. They only had some other type of chocolate chip cookies that had a peanut warning on the label. My kids got fruit or jello, depending upon the restaurant. None of the desserts at H&V were safe, except the soft serve ice cream that you dispense yourself. At buffets, you should have the chef walk you through the line to let you know what is safe for your child to eat. Ingredients and vendors change frequently, so what may have been o.k. for someone's trip a few months ago, may not be o.k. for your trip. Disney purchases their desserts from outside vendors, so they won't guarantee the safety of them, except for a few items like the Divvies.

 

[Selket]

I would not count on Divvies at any CS places in the parks. We did find them at our resort (POFQ and I've seen them at ASMu). I think there is usually another safe option - like fruit. Might not be what the kid wants. You could always buy some Divvies and keep them around for this issue. Someone else could eat the kid dessert.

The only safe brownie I remember was also made for another allergy or was sugar free or something. The sugar free one was good but was made with sugar alcohols (malitol, sorbitol). Stay away from that stuff. My peanut allergic son is also a type 1 diabetic and I'd rather he have good old sugar than that stuff. Gluten free won't hurt your kids like the sugar alcohols - those could be very fudge like if they have them. But might taste different....

You really need those allergen sheets - did she email them to you? That would have the most recent info on things like the Mickey Bars.

Did I already mention to you to call your TS restaurants and make sure they have a safe dessert that your child will like? This is often the biggest problem with our meal - especially a buffet. We have the choice of all these awesome desserts and he is stuck with tofutti (again...dairy free he doesn't need but it is peanut free - and he doesn't often like ice cream anyway). Divvies always works in a pinch for us - or running out to an ice cream cart for an Itskadoozie. I finally made sure the chef had something by calling!

 

[momsavealot]

Here's the email I got on the pizza from Pizza Planet:
Kristy, Concerning the pizza - The pizza comes pre-assembled but runs through a shared oven. Please let me know if you need further assistance. Have a magical day!
Theresa
Food and Beverage Support
407-560-6395 (phone)
407-560-2498 (fax)

This doesn't help that much since I don't know what other meals are "sharing" the oven. UGH!

Selket,
I asked Theresa if I should call the restaurant numbers that were given to me when I made the ADR's but she said those calls come to them anyway. So, she was going to email the chefs for the reservations I had so they knew ahead of time. I would feel better talking to the chef or manager of the individual restaurant, so I'll try 72 hours in advance, and call again. I would love for them to be prepared dessert wise at least. I'll be sure to report back after our trip since you said you were going in a month or something! It's just so frustrating. My dh thinks I'm overthinking this but I would just rather deal with it now than in front of my kids at the park. I just want as normal an experience as possible!

 

[Selket]

Well....you definitely should call her back. That pizza info was useless- LOL!

It is true that for the park restaurants they are the ones that handle it all and you don't get to talk to those chefs anymore. I think they do give you the actual # of the chefs for the resort restaurants.

Did she email you the lists of things safe and unsafe from CS and the carts?

I would continue to work with her on these things.

 

[hematite153]

THe one I am puzzle on is the Mickey Ice Cream bar. Apparently, it is made on a separate line BUT in a Nestle facility that has nuts in it. Sooooooo, do I trust it???

Odd...Nestle was the first company to offer chocolate made in a nut-free facility. What are they making now that has nuts in it?

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.nestle-icecream.com/Pages/index.asp

A lot of things like drumsticks, butterfinger ice cream bar, crunch ice cream bar and novelties, and other novelties.

 

[kaffinito]

See, this is why I read these boards. I didn't even know that there was any kind of a food allergen sheet that Disney could send me so I would be able to eat at CS places in relative safety. I also didn't know that there were ingredient binders at the CS places! I am so glad I found out about this, I have e-mailed Theresa and am trying to work with her to find out where and what I can eat other than at TS places. Those I know about!

Thanks to all of you!

 

[BeckyScott]

You're staying at Poly? Pop had the Divvies stuff in their food court. I'd check to see if the Poly has them too, and you could always pick them up ahead of time and take them with you.

We ended up using most of our snack credits on beverages, not food. (which was not the plan, but it's how it turned out) The dining plan was tons of food and we didn't need a snack so much, as we needed to stay hydrated. DS didn't get dessert at half the places we ate at, but he didn't even care because there was so much food.

My kids were much more interested in the rides, they didn't ever bug me for snack. I think they got a little tunnel-vision. I had to nag them to keep drinking, they weren't even interested in that.

 

[hematite153]

http://www.nestle-icecream.com/Pages/index.asp

A lot of things like drumsticks, butterfinger ice cream bar, crunch ice cream bar and novelties, and other novelties.

Hmmn...good to know, thanks.

I guess since I'm always only considering smaller chocolates (when purchasing for possible peanut allergies) I never noticed that it wasn't universal.

Thanks. Based on this, I wouldn't trust the Mickey Bars if your allergy is anaphylactic or if you are unsure about the degree of reaction. (I have worked with kids whose allergies were more minor who were irritated when I wouldn't let them eat "made in same facility" products arguing that their parents let them eat the product in question.)

 

[Mary976]

If you are talking about Toy Story Pizza Planet at the Studios, I have eaten there no problem with a peanut allergy. However, being an adult, I tend to be a little less careful with myself than I am with DD's allergies, so take my recommendation with a grain of salt. I cannot think of anything there that had nuts, but don't take my word on that, as we haven't been at WDW since last winter, sadly. As far as the binder at the CS places, I'd advise going during an "off-peak" time for meals to look at it if you can (and ask for a manager). It's very big, and many posters have written about feeling like they were holding up the entire line as they paged through it. The good thing is that certain CS places (like the burger places) tend to be pretty safe as they are using a very limited number of products.

Good luck!
Mary

 

[sherabby]

POFQ had Divies Brownies and chocolate chip cookies during our mid July visit. The only restaurant that was prepared for him this trip was Chef Mickey's. Wilderness Lodge offered him one of those popscicles at the vending carts. My son has a dairy allergy as well.

 

[cinderella73]

Ok I might be able to help a little bit .We also have to deal with the severe nut allergies. Last year we did some research and spoke quite a bit with Brenda Bennette but in the end its the onsite managers and chefs that were the most help.

Pizza Planet, We ate there No problems . They made us a special pizza and ran it on a clean pizza sheet . They dont bake any nut products there as of OCT 07 ( I am about to check on this again for our trip in a few weeks) . They made a pizza fresh just to be safe even thoughthey were no known nuts in that area. He washed his hands and so on. The manager was SUPER nice to us .

Divvies, Fisrt of all you can order them cheaper online from the website. They are really good and the cupcakes are wonderful as well. Its worth it to buy a box and take some into the park with you. If you cant or dont want to order ahead of time you will find them in Main Street Bakery located in little baskets right next to the sodas and waters. ( If you are looking out the window with your back to the register its to the right of the soda coolers. They also have nut free rice crispy treats ( not so good) and brownies ( didnt try those).

Mickey Bars, I was told these are made on a dedicated line and not shared with any nut products at all. I was not made aware if there were in the same facility . I was told they were safe. ( I will look into this though) . We ate them a few times on out last trip. HOWEVER BE CAREFUL!!! Dont get them from anywhere other than Magic Kingdom! At Animal Kingdom and MGM and possibly Epcot they are in shared carts with bannannas with nuts. Those nuts get loose in the cooler and can cross contaminate the outer package. So stick with them from the MK. I think I recall Brenda saying something about maybe picking certain things up a special location if I needed to. That included meals. So if you give them a exact need and time they can help you with just about anything.

Here are some other places we ate and how they rated:

The Plaza, Had NO intention of eating here ( they serve kids PB )but I went to ask the chef a question and he offered then and there to make anything we wanted/ needed that was safe even if it was off menu. I believe one of the head chefs is based out of here as well.So 5 stars for them . But I would not sit at their tables with the PB residue risk.

The MC Donalds in Animal Kingdom, The manager here was not so helpful. Just said we dont have any nut products and when I asked for special meal anyway since they had some kind of salad that had some kind of nut something in it he just said again its not made in the same area. That place left me a bit steamed.

Cosmic Rays , Again nice and very helpful manager that made me very comfortable. Went over the book they have on hand that lists all allergens and went in the back and made a meal special. 5 stars Ate there 3 times , great each time.

Columbia Harbor House in MK, They did make a special meal but seemed bothered a bit. I went there 3 times during our stay and it never improved. I had to wait forever as well! They were not sympthatic at all!

Ice cream soft serve somewhere overin Tomorrow Land by gift shop ( it was not a cart but a regular inside place) , Super nice and helpful.

Here are a few more tips, AK is one of the least helpful places. MK the best. MGM pretty great . I have been warned by Brenda Bennette herself that EPCOT is not a good place to go with the allergies as the chefs have very little understanding of food allergies and sometime the language barrier can be a big issue. In fact I only found one place a hot dog cart that would be safe. Even in America they serve PB.

Most food places have a book you caqn ask for. It will list any allergens including if its made in a facility with other allergens. Like hot dog buns for instance . Not evrything is made onsite so always check the book first.

Another big tip. The popcorn is not safe! It is made with a non peanut oil BUT the oil is manufactured in a facility where they do make peanut oil. You could eat it and be safe but the risk of cross contamination is there.

Pretzels are not safe either.

Most softserve is safe but not at locations where they offer nut toppings.

None of the stuff thats made at the WDW bakerys is safe unless its been made just for you with your allergys in mind.

Pizzasafari ( spelling right?) sells Pb sandwhiches so the residue will be all over the undersides of the tables. I wouldnt eat there.

Crystal Palace and Chef Mickeys frequently have PB items on the buffet . Somes its a tub of Pb and slices of bread and sometimes its a PB pizza. So if you go wipe down your table and be careful. If you can I would avoid it .

What I did is I went onto the menus right here on the Disboards and looked through the places I would be interested in going. I scanned what they served and ruled out places that served nut items outright. Not that you dont have to watch at even nut free places but it helps. Then after I had the places I wanted and I idea of what we would order I contacted Brenda and had to check the stuff out. Less stress and nice to know we could eat something safe! I would never have known or thought pretzels or popcorn were dangerous.

Print out your menus even and highlight what you think your child might eat.

You are also allowed with the food allergies to bring in a soft sided cooler ( I know everyone does anyway , but its not offically normally allowed) . If you mention the food allergies you will be allowed but no glass items.

And last word of advice.. Okay 2 last points actually..
Watch out for the nutcarts rosting nuts. You can get the info on the park map. One is near the Winnie the Pooh ride. You can always walk a different path . It really gets airborn around those carts.

And last, watch for people and kids eating in line near you. Last year we had been in line 30 minutes when I smell something rather peanutty and sure enough I turn around to see a child eating a PB sandwhich in line RIGHT smack behind us. What you can do is get out of line leave one non allergic member in line if you want and go and get a cast member and explain. They let someone else hold our spot while we waited to the side in a safe spot.This is one instance that makes me think maybe a guest assitance card would be handy . Just keep a eye out and you will be good.

I am contacing Brenda next week and if I find out anything new that you havent heard of yet I will post it. I was wanting to ask her if Dinosaur Gerties was safe soft serve . Its good to have spots mapped out all over so you dont have to go hungry. Now Epcot.. I guess that not happening again this year!

Sorry for any typos and errors. I have one contact in and am typing the dark . Not a good combo ! lol Hopefully you can make out my gibberish!

 

[Selket]

EPCOT is not a good place to go with the allergies as the chefs have very little understanding of food allergies and sometime the language barrier can be a big issue. In fact I only found one place a hot dog cart that would be safe. Even in America they serve PB.

I'm just curious why only one hot dog cart was safe in Epcot while the others were not?

Most complaints do come from Epcot - we have eaten at Biergarten, Le Cellier, Rose and Crown and the French place (the one on the lower level - cannot think of the name) with great success. Morocco, the chinese place, and recently the restaurant in Mexico I've seen complaints about.

This raises a good issue - we do not avoid places that serve the Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches. My son is touch allergic and we wipe everything down. The Uncrustables are pre-wrapped and in their own spot so I don't feel risk from that. You need to decide for yourself how you feel about eating at a place where someone at the table may have had peanut butter from the menu.

We were told in March '08 that Crystal Palace no longer has the peanut butter out in the tub on the side of the buffett (it used to be one side had it and the other did not). This is for lunch/dinner - not sure about breakfast. I will say that we eat at CP every time we go to WDW and they have been one of the best at making whatever he wanted.

 

[momsavealot]

Hi guys,
Still working on our menu for this week but I wanted to give you a copy of the email I just got back from Nestle in response to my inquiry of the Mickey Ice Cream Pops.

Dear Ms. xxxxxx,


Thank you for your email regarding your purchase of NESTLÉ® Mickey Ice Cream Bar. In an increasingly health-conscious society, it is my pleasure to respond to your questions regarding our products.


Our manufacturing facilities comply with federal and state regulations regarding food safety and handling. While designated lines are not used for manufacturing products that contain allergens, such as nuts and wheat, we do employ specific procedures to prevent allergen materials from getting into non-allergen products. These procedures include monitoring packaging materials to assure the correctness of product type. All production equipment receives thorough cleaning, rinsing and sanitizing. Comprehensive inspections are performed on key production equipment after allergens have been run and the production lines are cleaned.


The statement "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts and nuts" is not required under FDA regulations. If our vendors use this claim on the ingredients they supply us, we will include it on the packages containing that particular ingredient.


Please check the packaging when you purchase the item, or check with the food stand, as they will have this exact information available.


I hope that this information is useful to you and I appreciate your taking the time to contact our company to share your concerns.




Sincerely,
Nicole Matthews
Consumer Response Representative

Okay, so there it is - confusing as usual. I had my DH read it about 3x and give me his take. From what I've read on these boards, the Mickey Bar packaging does not contain a warning, right? If not, we will let the kids have one - of course after visually inspecting for any mysterious bubbles as a pp pointed out. If there is a warning on the label, we will probably stay away from it after having read this email from Nestle. As Selket pointed out, I think it's a personal decision given the maze of vague info these companies (including WDW) give out. If I learn anything else in prep for our upcoming trip, I'll post it here.

 

[hildarumpole]

Thanks for posting your response from Nestle. It's typical of the responses I've received from various manufacturers when I inquire about the safety of their products. It's CYA. They're afraid to give a firm answer for fear something out of their control happens, but they may get the blame.