Peanut Allergy??

[Grumpymom73]

My family will be sailing in May on the Wonder and we are so excited. It will be our first Disney Cruise and the first cruise ever for my DS9. When I booked our cruise I told the CM that my DS9 had a peanut allergy. He told me that wasn't a problem. Not that I don't trust that CM (he was very nice and helpful) but as the cruise gets closer I'm starting to get a little nervous. I will of course bring his epi-pen with us, but there will be times when we are not together. I know this is a very common allergy, so I was hoping someone here has sailed with someone who has a similiar situation. Do we need to fill out the Medical Information Form? The CM did not mention it. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

My family will be sailing in May on the Wonder and we are so excited. It will be our first Disney Cruise and the first cruise ever for my DS9. When I booked our cruise I told the CM that my DS9 had a peanut allergy. He told me that wasn't a problem. Not that I don't trust that CM (he was very nice and helpful) but as the cruise gets closer I'm starting to get a little nervous. I will of course bring his epi-pen with us, but there will be times when we are not together. I know this is a very common allergy, so I was hoping someone here has sailed with someone who has a similar situation. Any suggestions?

When you see your 'servers' in the main dinning area they will ask if there is any allergy, and they will note it down, they will recommend what they can and can not have on the menu, the galleys have high standards I did a tour and there is separate areas for people with any allergy.

Now, the only issue Will Be the buffets like Topsiders and Beach blanket and fast food places, you will have to ask each time, Topsiders is clearly labeled but you never know, I would maybe recommend eat in the dinner room restaurants for breakfast and lunch as well and tell the servers each time and you will be fine.

Pirates night buffet is dark, I am sure some afters /desserts would have peanuts, and near the ice cream station ( formally scoops) there are sometimes peanuts.

They are very good but if in doubt ask.

 

[allboyz]

My son has severe peanut allergies. I just had them hold a room yesterday. She entered his allergies and said she sent it to the restaurants, medical and kids clubs. I'm also very nervous about it. I'm especially worried about other kids eating peanut products during the kids club activities. He has asthma too so exposure to peanuts trigger another set of problems.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

My son has severe peanut allergies. I just had them hold a room yesterday. She entered his allergies and said she sent it to the restaurants, medical and kids clubs. I'm also very nervous about it. I'm especially worried about other kids eating peanut products during the kids club activities. He has asthma too so exposure to peanuts trigger another set of problems.

I would reassure you Disney are A1 on this issue, they really really try as hard as they can, they will inform all sections, but the servers check and recheck all the time.

The galley tour was very impressive, ask if you can do it, separate areas for people with allergies, my guess in the kids clubs they wouldn't do anything with Peanuts if they know someone had an allergy, I have seen cookie making so they do have cooking, but eating is usually at Topsiders or Animators. There the kids club would know, the restaurant and I think the child's write band should a not there is an allergy as well. Apart from cookie making I havent seen much food allowed in the clubs, if any, (Not fully sure on that point)

 

["Ginger"]

My DD has peanut allergies and we have been on 9 Disney cruises with no problems what so ever. Tell your servers and tell the kids club staff it will be put on his wrist band.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

[Grumpymom73]

Thanks so much for the quick responses!

allboyz or Ginger - Do we need to fill out the Medical Information Form?

 

[tevagirl]

Thanks so much for the quick responses!

allboyz or Ginger - Do we need to fill out the Medical Information Form?

My daughter did for my grandson.

 

[THUNDERMOUNTAINMOMMA]

Thanks so much for the quick responses!

allboyz or Ginger - Do we need to fill out the Medical Information Form?

I have a severe peanut allergy. I've always filled out the medical form and sent it in. Since they are aware of my allergy ahead of time, they address it with me and I've never had an issue in any of the dining rooms. Do be careful at the buffet, though. There were peanuts (or PB) in some of the desserts there.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I have a severe peanut allergy. I've always filled out the medical form and sent it in. Since they are aware of my allergy ahead of time, they address it with me and I've never had an issue in any of the dining rooms. Do be careful at the buffet, though. There were peanuts (or PB) in some of the desserts there.

Thats where I think a problem, if any would be the buffet, and maybe light night ones like the Pirate night, as its dark and hard to see, and maybe not ,signed' what it is, I am really thinking of the desserts,

 

[allboyz]

I think I will fill out the form just to be on the safe side.

Yes, desserts are very tricky. My son's allergy is so severe that we even avoid items that have been processed in an environment around peanuts. I generally don't allow him to have the desserts. Usually at dinner he will have ice cream. It doesn't really bother him not to have the different desserts. The main one that does bother him is the cookies. I will probably bring cookies on board that I know he can have.

 

[allboyz]

When you see your 'servers' in the main dinning area they will ask if there is any allergy, and they will note it down, they will recommend what they can and can not have on the menu, the galleys have high standards I did a tour and there is separate areas for people with any allergy.

Now, the only issue Will Be the buffets like Topsiders and Beach blanket and fast food places, you will have to ask each time, Topsiders is clearly labeled but you never know, I would maybe recommend eat in the dinner room restaurants for breakfast and lunch as well and tell the servers each time and you will be fine.

Pirates night buffet is dark, I am sure some afters /desserts would have peanuts, and near the ice cream station ( formally scoops) there are sometimes peanuts.

They are very good but if in doubt ask.

Thank you very much for the helpful information.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I think I will fill out the form just to be on the safe side.

Yes, desserts are very tricky. My son's allergy is so severe that we even avoid items that have been processed in an environment around peanuts. I generally don't allow him to have the desserts. Usually at dinner he will have ice cream. It doesn't really bother him not to have the different desserts. The main one that does bother him is the cookies. I will probably bring cookies on board that I know he can have.

Understand, I know the kids club makes cookies one night, not sure what goes into them, hover they will be the 'standard' Ship cookies as a little bit of Tinkerbell magic occurs between the messy made they are made and the finished 'hot' product that arrives very quickly.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

First off, do fill out your medical form and fax it in ASAP. Give them the heads up, this also helps with the seating arragements at dinner. DCL is very careful, but many people do not understand the issues we are faced with. People sometimes think, oh they are allergic, just do not give them nuts or a peanut butter sandwich. What people do not understand is the peanut butter pie that is very popular and comes to the tables or the kid who just ate the uncrustable and did not wash their hands. Not to mention the food that is fried in peanut oil. I do not know how bad your allergy is, but even some soaps and creams contain peanuts. There are many of us on the thread who are die heart "FAAN" members and will tell you it is a little more work than just telling your server. Is your DS's AR airborne, contact and/or consumable? This makes a difference too. I will find some past links here from past thread regarding food allergies and our kids.... I think they will help. I alsmost wish they would start a thread section just for us. I do not like to place it under disabilities, but as much as it comes up, I wish it were a place we could go here, just to hit the facts without opinions. This subject many times turns into flames and I truly hope it does not this time... Here is my advice before I come back and add the threads.

1) Fax in your form ASAP. Tell them what type of allergy it is (the food and the exposure factor).
2) Bring more than one Epi Pen. Actually we brought 4, good thing we did, another story......
3) Once you board, when you go to the Buffet, ask to speak to the chef. Tell him you have a peanut allergy and they will take you through the buffet line and point out unsafe food.
4) Avoid the dessert buffets. You know our kiddos are very hardy.... Just tell them they have to stick to the icecream and they do well.
5) Your Head Server will be your best friend on this trip.. So know and exspect to tip them well over the $24 suggested for a family of four that DCL suggest.
6) Watch the navigator close. Take your child out of the club for cooking activities. They bake cookies and a couple other activities on the 7 day, unsure of the shorter ones.
7) Many of us choose to take our kids out of the clubs at meal times. We do not like for others to have to be responsible for them at these times. This is optional and you use your own judgement.
8) Know you can order his meals the night before for dinner each night. This helped us a lot, just in case some prep has to be done before hand.
**It has been many of our experiences that if you wait until dinner to talk to the servers, your kids are served way before the rest of the table and then are forced to sit there for an hour while everyone else eats or they get their food way after everyone else had eatten, so ordering it ahead of time keeps this from happening and they can eat with the rest of the family. Also, it keeps them from being offered a plain baked potato and some plain broiled chicken.**

Do not panic, just know with a little prep, you can have a "Wonder"ful time. I also learned to talk to the CHEF about the food at the pool side. On our past cruise this month, I trusted one of the counter top staff and ended up with a blue child foaming at the mouth 20 minutes later..... I have more than peanut issues and as a result have not just placed the peanut labels in my head, but us AP's stick together..... Do not be suprised if you get PMs from friends here. Sometimes we talk about it privately but not on the public thread. So know you are not alone and we all continue to do DCL for our kids.

Past thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1580861
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1696165

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thank you very much for the helpful information.

Thanks, sorry missed that before!

 

[TinksDH]

Hard to add any more than atinkerbellmom did, as her post was very comprehensive, but did want to let you know that our DS11 also has a severe peanut allergy and we just cruised DCL this past February.

The medical form is a must, as that gets attached onto their onboard record, which also follows them to the kids club. Every time he was checked into a club, they confirmed that they saw his allergy on his profle and told us what they'd be doing that evening.

I also second the suggestion to get to know your head server. Ours was wonderful and was able to guide us through menu choices, desert options (even brought out an ingredient label for us!) and options NOT on the menu (like getting a pizza from Palo, which DS11 loved!).

We have been going to Disney properties for the past 8 years, and have been dealing with the peanut allergy issue for over 10. We have found that beyond a doubt, Disney's food prep and allergy awareness are head and shoulders above any other that we've encountered, and this holds true for DCL as well. Having said that, I'm sure you are also aware that you can never let your guard down, and will always have to put up with the sideways glances from those around you when you begin questioning the wait staff, the chef, etc about ingredients and kitchen sanitation. Regardless, we feel more comfortable in a Disney location than anywhere else.

 

[disneyfool_1202]

We're also sailing in May and my 4y/o has severe Peanut and tree nut allergies. I contacted WDW Special Diets and they sent me a ton of info re: eating at the hotels and parks, and forwarded my name and phone number to Carol Carbrey from DCL who is in charge of the food service. She was wonderful. She told me that they perfer we not eat at the buffets because while they can allert us to items with nut ingredients, there is nothing preventing cross contamination from someone using/moving a spoon. She also asked that we not have our kids have meals in the kids clubs because they go to the buffet. She said to notify our head waiter that we have for dinner, but to also notify every waiter we have for breakfast / lunch because it will be a random server dependin on where we are seated.
I'm going to refil his epi pen Rx just before we go so we'll have a few with us - one to leave in the kids club, one to keep on our person, one in the room, and an extra "just in case". I'm also going to be bringing Benadry with me which we'll give him if we suspect any exposure (minimal exposure gives him hives which was how we detected the allergy in the first place).

 

[Grumpymom73]

Thank you very much for everyone's help. You all are the best! I feel much better now.

 

[gfolchick]

We are sailing in two weeks with our son who is peanut/tree nut and milk allergic. This will be his 3rd Disney cruise.

I faxed in the medical form a while ago and was called this past week because I wrote a note on it explaining that he feels most left out when we're all eating desserts and what options would be available on the cruise. In the parks, they now carry Divvies products and Rich's Gluten free brownies and I was told they would also be onboard. There will also be Tofutti frozen dessert (I've seen Rice Dream too) and Iksadoosie popsicles. Our head server has even made him special mickey waffles and pancakes in the dining room after explaining about him not being able to eat them at Topsiders. He just told us where to show up the next morning and there was a plate ready for him.

As far as the clubs go, I leave his epi pen with the club counselors. Once I left it there and they prompty paged me to return and pick it up. They carry it with them if they leave the area to go to the sports deck, movies, etc. I do not let him eat with the clubs for my own peace of mind, but did allow him to go once (and not eat) when we had a conflict with Palo brunch. He just sat there and had a drink and then I fed him when we were finished. I let him participate in the making of the cookies in the club, but left him with his own cookie to enjoy when they were eating them later.

 

[kyirish25]

I think I will fill out the form just to be on the safe side.

Yes, desserts are very tricky. My son's allergy is so severe that we even avoid items that have been processed in an environment around peanuts. I generally don't allow him to have the desserts. Usually at dinner he will have ice cream. It doesn't really bother him not to have the different desserts. The main one that does bother him is the cookies. I will probably bring cookies on board that I know he can have.

My DS (6) has the same set of rules we go by.

Our 1st cruise is next week so I don't have any firsthand experience yet. I did send in the medical form and also requested a table for just our family due to not wanting any cross-contamination at the table. I've been told that when we board we should head to the dining room and speak to the Maitre'D to ensure that all requests have been made and the allergy is noted.

I'm a nervous wreck! But Disney has never disappointed at the parks and in the restaurants so I'm sure the cruise will be no different. And since we are taking a 4-day cruise it won't be the end of the world if we have to eat fruit the entire time.

As for the kids club, my comfort level ahead of time is not to leave him alone. I've read that the club staff can't administer the Epi-pen and would have to call medical in to administer. As we know, you don't have all the time to get that going should there be an emergency. So if that policy is true we will just stay with him in the clubs.

 

[Selket]

My DS who was 5 (and also a type 1 diabetic) did fine on the Oct. 07 cruise with the peanut allergy - he is touch allergic.

It is interesting reading the responses here. We were told that he *could* eat from the buffet but to stay away from the desserts there. I think you will find that you get conflicting info from different people - which of course doesn't make you feel better - LOL! I find that now at some of the WDW restaurants. I had a chef at 1900 Park Faire just last week insist that their choc. chip cookies were peanut free and not "may contains" either but they use Nestle choc. chips - which in my experience were always labeled as a "may contains" or "Manufactured in a plant..." etc. I saw no sense arguing with him (although I did tell him I didn't think he was right) but I know unless they get something different than I can buy in the grocery or Nestle just recently changed their labeling that the Nestle chips are NOT safe!

When we sailed the Mickey bars were safe - there were no Itskadoozies or Divvies on board. We did pick up Divvies in the MK bakery beforehand to take with us and he got a bunch of peanut free chocolate at the MNSSHP the night before we sailed - which saved our butts a few times.

Make sure what you bring onboard is in a sealed package - no opened packages of cookies, etc.

I would be interested in knowing if the counselors can give the epi or not - can anyone follow up with that? I thought they could do it.